Idolised Lies

Chapter 12: A Stale Memory

The bar was warm and slightly stuffy, Firey wished there was an AC or something because his nose was starting to feel blocked.

He sat on a couch in the corner of the bar, drinking a cheap beer and letting himself relax a bit.

He was in the same bar he had been in with Leafy a few days prior, she had told him that she liked it but he thought she was lying.

It wasn't a bad establishment by any means but it just didn't seem like her type of place.

He thought about Leafy quite a bit lately... Not good.

He was playing a dangerous game, he needed to quit while he was ahead.

"Heya Firey, good to see you again,"

Firey looked to see Rusty Coin, the owner of the bar standing by him with his signature wonky smile on his face.

Rusty Coin, or just Rusty, was a kind hearted barkeep who everyone in the area knew and kept good terms with, he was always quick with a joke and was always eager to help people.

He had been working here for years, he had taken over after his father had retired, determined to keep the business going.

"Hey Rusty, how are you?" Firey smiled.

"Doing swell, business has been great lately, especially because people are bringing others with them," Rusty joked, nudging Firey slightly.

Firey sighed, knowing what he meant.

"Don't think too much into things Rusty, I was just hanging out with her,"

"I never said anything about you," Rusty teased. "Anyway, who was she, I didn't get a look at her but she seemed nice, she never took those hat and sun glasses off though,"

"I guess she's like a... work colleague? I'm not sure," Firey said thoughtfully.

Was Leafy his colleague or was she his boss? She didn't pay him, Four did, Firey just did whatever Four told him to do, Leafy technically wasn't his employer.

"Interesting, you seemed to be having a good time together, it looked to me like she enjoyed your company," Rusty smirked.

"Yeah well, we're friends, of course we'd like hanging out and she's an alright person, she gets along with people," Firey shrugged.

"She didn't seem like she was from around here, what made you take her all the way out of the city?" Rusty asked.

"Well, apparently she's doing well with her work so she wanted to celebrate, she invited me out and I suggested this place," Firey replied.

"She seemed sorta... out of place, you know? Her clothes were a bit too nice for this part of the world, city fashion," Rusty noted.

"Yeah, she's a total city girl, she likes fancy things but she told me she liked the bar, she said it was cute," Firey laughed shortly.

Rusty's expression briefly became unimpressed, he always prided himself on having a "refined, pleasantly aged" Bar, not a cute one.

"Okay, now I need to know, you've never told me what you're doing for work lately, if you're meeting people like that girl you must be doing well," Rusty asked, his eyes brimming with interest as he took a seat across from Firey.

"Uh, not really it's just a fairly easy job with some decent pay, nothing major," Firey said with a hint of embarrassment.

"Come on, tell me, you know I won't judge, our families have known each other for years," Rusty said in a pleading tone.