Lightweight

Chapter Twenty-One

The sky was dark but as if Niall had a sixth sense for finding establishments full of alcohol, he was able to pick one out from the passenger seat of the borrowed hotel car that Annie was now in control of. It was nothing fancy, non-impressiveness and comfortably seemed to be the bar's niche, a total juxtaposition to the overabundant hotel that they had just escaped from. The wood exterior paneling was worn and covered in moss and cracks that scattered themselves over the surface from many years, it appeared, of weathering from being in such close proximity to the beach.

Annie was surprised that this place hadn't grabbed her attention sooner after realizing she had driven by it on a number of occasions, it was essentially in walking distance from the hotel. Not that Annie made it a hobby to remember the locations of shabby looking drinking establishments, but the building just had a certain quality about it that the surrounding buildings lacked completely, something she could appreciate. You could tell from first glance of this building that it had been in that spot for years. It had seen the rise and fall of nightclubs, themed, and mainstream bars and still stood steady as a rock, serving as a constant reminder of different times when simplicity and good company was something to be valued.

It had appeared that the joint had become the hub of many motorcyclists from the looks of the parking lot, packed with an assortment of intimidating and well taken care of Harleys. A couple patrons stood outside the big wooden double doors chain smoking and swapping stories. Their tattoo covered arms bulged with impressive muscles from under their sleeveless biker vests that were adorned with various patches and the logos of their respective groups.

Of course Niall would have picked a place like this to have a night off and get their minds off of the stress that was now plaguing Annie. Nobody in this place would recognize him unless the big burly men had a teenage daughter. Even then, it would be doubtful whether they would care enough to say something to him. But Annie wasn't in the same boat. She was positive that a good majority of the men in there would know who she was, if not by first glance then definitely by the mention of her name. These big men were the main demographic of Annie's fan base and she wasn't too sure if that was a good or a bad thing but figured that she and Niall were soon to find out.

With a sigh, Annie parked the car, careful not to ding one of the formidable men's babies, and stepped out of the flashy rental car, receiving a few glares from the group of men smoking by the door. Walking past them and avoiding their harsh eyes, Niall pushed open the big, heavy doors to let Annie inside, following quickly after. If he was intimidated by the scene, though, he didn't show it in the least. Niall was probably used to scenes similar to this from back home in Ireland. The wood paneling on the outside of the building matched that of the inside except for the fact that the walls were almost completely covered in old license plates, dollar bills, and signatures of what seemed to be celebrities and local patrons alike. Even with all of the intimidating men filling the space, Annie found herself more comfortable here than in the club they had visited so many nights ago.

Loud classic rock songs blasted from an unknown source and the sounds of shouting men and the clanking of beer bottles against one another mixed with the faint sound of shot glasses sliding down the long wooden bar to the left of the joint made for an atmosphere right out of a movie. A couple tables of men eyed the two of them but left them alone, probably because they didn't look like the typical teens that frequented the near-by clubs. Luckily, they had changed out of their fancy get-ups from earlier in the night or they would have gotten way more stares.

After making their way over to the aged wooden bar, the names of patrons carved into its surface among the many rings telling the placement of beer bottles of the past, a blonde woman in her forties walked up to them.

"What can I get ya Darlin's?" her thick country accent mixed with the effects of years of heavy smoking and hard partying asked them. The accent reminded Annie that they were in the south. The fact had slipped her mind since she was surrounded with so many accents but so few of them being of the local variety.