Fighter

Chapter 29: Back At The Bar

I hated having to leave Jade at Brendan's, but I needed to make money or we were just going to shit. I sighed, wanting so badly just to stay with her when she needed me, but I knew she'd want me to go to work, and I knew she was safe with Brendan, and I'd call her on my break.

I walked into the bar, smiling at my boss and getting behind the counter, it was a bar for everyone but usually a bunch of army men and veterans came around here, they got drunk and shared stories about their experiences. I knew most of them, even snared my experience with some of them, though.., I didn't like to remember most of it.

"Hey can I get a beer?"

"For sure lieutenant" I smiled, handing a beer to a familiar face, I hated it here sometimes, these people were troubled and sad. Tonight wasn't so bad, not too many people around, I was glad, I wasn't in the mood to deal with it.

I saw the older, more experienced men, then I saw the army brats, straight out of high school thinking they were going to be heroes... But that's not what happened on the battlefield.

And hour or two past, it was slow as fuck and I couldn't wait to go home. But I noticed someone, someone I have never seen here before, his black hat was over his head, hoodie up and he was heading towards the bar, I watched the man pull out an orange bottle and pour some pills in his hand, looked like he took them dry. He walked up to the bar.

"Irish whiskey" he paused "please" but he didn't look directly at me, he was looking at the army brats, looking like he wanted to punch them.

"Tommy?" I whispered, leaning in towards the man, his head snapped towards me and he pulled down his hood. We stared at each other, both confused, but he took a seat at the bar now.

"You work here?" He asked, astonished "I never see you here" I chuckled, smiling a little bit and putting a cup in front of him, pouring the smooth Irish whiskey into it. He sucked it back no problem, but something was bugging me, he was popping pills again? "Jade ok?" He asked.

"dropped her off at Brendan's... Didn't want her... Y'know" Tommy nodded, I guess it really was the right thing to do. I walked to the other side of the bar serving some other men and women working as quickly as i could, trying to get out of there. I walked back to Tommy who was watching me work like he'd never seen anyone work before. He shook his glass a little and I filled it back up.

"When you get off?" He asked, sucking back the shot, I filled his glass again, knowing he would ask.

"In like thirty minutes why?" He hesitated for a moment, something was on his mind, but I didn't ask, I knew he wouldn't tell me.

"Catch a ride home with you?" I nodded,

"Course Tommy" he nodded, and spent the rest of the night sitting at the bar talking to me until I got off.