Shirtsleeves

Chapt.28

".... You added too much this time."

Toni's face falls in defeat as she stares at the drink in front of her. Her eyes cautiously drift up to Karlie's who is sitting at the bar.

They've been going over speciality drinks that Karlie has been originating at her bar since it opened. She's trying to teach Toni how to make them perfectly and she's been nailing all of them but she can't get the last one right. They've been at it for an hour and a half now, but there's either too much of this or too less of that.

"You haven't even tried it Karlie." Toni bargains once again as she pushes the drink closer to the brunette. And once again, Karlie shakes her head no.

"I don't need to."

"Yes you do, how do you know I'm not doing this right if you're not even tasting them?" Toni responds in a exhausted tone.

"Because, I know my bar." Karlie chokes back, not wanting to break down but the temptation of the blue drink is daunting and hanging over her. "Try again. Less vodka, just a little less." She instructs and waits patiently for her new bar tender to continue.

The blonde sighs, her icy blue eyes peering into Karlie's green ones. She watches her a second longer before giving up and making the drink one last time. Silence passes between them and the only sounds flooding the bar are the various workers getting ready to open soon and the tinks of glasses being put away.

Finally Toni finishes the drink and pushes it towards Karlie. The bar owner finally nods happily, silently saying that the bar tender had nailed the drink perfectly this time. A victorious sigh of happiness escapes the blonde as she lets her body relax.

"Good job. You can head home, I know you're tired so you can have tonight off." Karlie states as she makes notes on her notepad.

Toni nods and thanks Karlie. She's been working her ass off at the bar and Karlie could easily tell that her new employee was exhausted. Sending her home tonight was fine, Monday's are slow and even she doesn't even plan on being here.

Within minutes, she's suddenly alone at the bar. Her workers have all left as she was taking notes and were headed home just so they could come back later. Now the only sound in the bar was Karlie's short breaths and the low music playing through the speakers.

Karlie finally looks up from her pen and paper, a lump immediately forms in her throat. Toni had cleaned up the bar but she left one drink, the last one that Karlie had deemed perfect.

Her hands begin to sweat lightly and her mouth falls dry. The temptation of the drink is overwhelming. She's been so busy with the bar and her personal life that she has been silently breaking down her walls.

Now here she sits, faced with the biggest decision of her life currently. The drink is an ocean blue, made perfectly to what it was meant to originally represent, Taylor's eyes. Karlie had created the drink years ago when she first opened Hysteria.

Funny enough, her drink is just a spin on a Yale Cocktail. With gin, dry Vermouth,
a splash of Blue Curacao and a Dash of Bitters. Karlie however just added a slight hit of vodka. That was the only difference, it gave the drink a stronger kick but it always has to be made with the perfect amount of imported vodka, too much will ruin it and too little won't make it matter.

Her temptation drips like the condensation coming off of the blue drink. Her mouth now waters with anticipation and her thoughts become totally weak.

She hasn't drank in ages. She's been doing everything she possibly can to make sure that alcohol is in her past. However, it isn't easy. Karlie chose to do this alone without any professional help. She's read how possible that is and it seemed easy enough yet as the time keeps flying by, the urge to drink becomes more daunting.