Cocktails & Emotions ~ [DR3]

19. Restart

"Been away for a couple of weeks, could be more cause I lost track of time." - thinking of you, Mabel

11th May 2023

My leg is bouncing. My mouth wobbling as I sip slowly from the water bottle in my hands, eyes focused entirely on the front door. I've barely been able to look anywhere else for the last twenty minutes. I don't know why I'm so nervous. So nervous. There's a tremble to my fingers that gets a little bigger when I think about it too much and a wobble to my lips as I think over what I'll say.

What can I say to Daniel?

His flight landed yesterday afternoon, but with the twelve hour time difference between Miami and Perth it's taken until now to pull himself around. Who could blame him? I'm fairly certain I'd need a whole weekend in bed after a jump in time that large - I'm already dreading the jet lag for our travel to and from Monaco, nervous butterflies have been biting at me in anticipation of it. Still, when Daniel texted two hours ago that same familiar spark of excitement hit. His warnings that he was neither in the best of moods or the most energetic he'd ever been because of the jet lag didn't dull that spark in the slightest. If anything it sent my mind into overdrive, a worry that this bad mood or lack of energy is because of that shift between us in Melbourne.

Five and a half weeks is so long.

My time to overthink the words is cut short by the appearance of his face through the glass of the door. Shiny. Daniel's positively glowing as he peers through the glass door of the bar, smiling wider when his brown eyes meet mine. My stomach flips with a nervous excitement as I stumble over to unlock the door revealing Daniel entirely to my excited eyes. Those same beat up black Vans on his feet and a familiar looking oversized tee on his shoulders that I can almost guarantee is soft to the touch. He's exactly how I remember him to be. My fingers fumble with the lock, Daniel's laugh at how eager I am making its way through the door. When I eventually pull the door open a small squeak of excitement leaves me.

"G," is all Daniel says before his arms are wrapping around me, a tight hug that squeezes me with the most care. Excitement is coursing through me at the sight of him, here, in front of me. The feel of him against me.

Daniel is back!

The rush feels all too familiar. Too similar to how it did all those weeks ago when he returned from Europe, or New York or wherever it was with that stupid FEA tee and the same shining grin on his face.

"G..." he mumbles my name a final time before his grip loosens on me and I'm left untethered, free in the open floor of the bar. Daniel is too distracted looking around to see the conflicted expression on me - I'm so disappointed to be free of him. "Look at this place!" He stumbles through the words, mouth wide and eyes filled with... joy, or maybe pride. I don't mind which, especially when it's my bar he's looking so excited about.

"Right?" I ask, matching his smile with my own. Exhausting but worth it is the only way I can explain the last three days of work after that key finally being pinned into my hand.

"It looks great already! Why are you waiting so long for the opening?" The question is quick from Daniel, quicker than I expected. I thought he would prod for than at answer at some point, sure, just not quite as quick as this. Maybe over dinner or in a week or two. I've barely had time to appreciate Daniel entirely, haven't had a chance to tour the place entirely, flaunt the hours of work that Codie and I have packed into the four walls this week.

Daniel doesn't seem to care, only looks at me expectantly, eyebrows raised.

"The chairs haven't arrived yet." I gesture to the absence around the sleek black tables dotted around the floor. On the back wall there is only a smooth black bench against the wall, looking out onto nothing. At least another week until the gentle velvet chairs of various shapes are delivered. Some tables are missing too, only half of the order arriving on time. I clear my throat, gesturing  back towards the door. My hands movement takes Daniel's gaze with it. "Plus signage is delayed longer than I thought." I explain feeling awkward as I shift from one foot to the other. The signage will be at least another four weeks, my persistant phone calls, Codie's bartering or the offer of a tip can change this. Daniel's eyes flick to behind me, focused on the white glowing neon sign relocated from my office this morning. It's almost the only thing in the building holding the name of 'Shaken and Stirred' (that is apart from the invite to the soft opening on my desk holding Daniel's name).