25 Hour Watch

Ch. 1 – Brewing

Ch. 2 – Blue

Happy hour at Johnny Appleseed’s ended at 7pm, so by the time Rick arrived full charges were back on the booze.  Rick wasn’t planning on drinking a lot, this was a date after all.  The bar itself was typically unremarkable.  Pool tables, neon lighting, dart boards and electronic jukebox.  They typical lighting, the typical menu, and the typical seats.  Booth or stool.

Rick hated open seating.  It was an excuse for the wait staff to not notice you, not bring you your food, and not come back for refills.  Rick always went unnoticed, and always tipped too much.  He slid into a booth facing the door, and fidgeted with a greasy menu.  So many choices.  He flipped the single laminated sheet over and glimpsed the back.  A ketchup stain had turned all the ‘Soft Drinks’ into ‘So inks.’  None of them sounded very refreshing.
“What’ll it be?”
“Oh, um, actually I’m still waiting for someone.”
The waitress eyed Rick disinterested, waiting for his order.
“I guess a cheese pizza?”
She took his order, dragging it with labored steps back into the kitchen to be born.

As the waitress disappeared through the swinging kitchen door a new song filled the bar speakers, racing across the wood floor to Rick’s booth as the front door opened.  Rick’s barista entered with some coworkers.  Rick nervously waved.  Nothing.  He waved again.  A smile.  He waved again.

Rick’s barista spoke to the coworkers before turning and heading over to Rick.  The coworkers took up stools at the bar.
“Hi.”  The barista said, a friendly apprehension mixed inside the tone like tequila mixes with crushed ice.
“I got a booth, I hope that’s okay.”
The barista looked back over a shoulder at the other barista coworkers, who in turn sent confused looks back.  “I’m sure that’s fine.”
Rick waited for his barista to take a seat.
“Well, enjoy the pizza, okay?”
“Can I buy you a drink?”  Rick looked up, confused.  “Aren’t you gonna sit?”
“Look, I think you might have misunderstood…”

Rick’s coffee was gone, the scone devoured, the paper cup and wrapper deposited in the trash.  His barista was busy filling the crème, sugars, straws and napkins on the counter by the door.  Rick stared into the trash at his deposit for a minute before making his way over.
“Hey.  Um, thanks for the latte.”
“Oh, no problem!”
“It was…it was good.”  Rick eyed the sugar packets.
“I’m glad you liked it.” A smile.
Rick fidgeted with his coat.  “Hey, do you know–is there anywhere around here good.  I mean like to go, for food or something?”
“Yeah, actually there’s a bar just up the road on the left,” a straw pointed the way, “in that shopping center with the Screen-o-Plex.”
“It’s good?”
“Great pizza.  A bunch of us from work go there a lot.  We’re actually headed over tonight.  You should check it out.”

Rick wanted to pay his bill as fast as possible.  He told the waitress to show his pizza a to-go box the second it came out of the oven, and handed her his credit card.  His barista had regrouped with the others, who turned occasionally to stare at Rick sitting alone.  They whispered.  Rick didn’t even have a name for his barista.  He’d always been too shy to find a nametag.  He always hated nametags.  He felt awkward staring, and he read slow.

Rick’s waitress, along with her own taunting nametag, brought his box and receipts.  He tipped her too much and took his dinner.  The box was hot and he had to keep shifting it between hands as the bar music ushered him away.  Rick realized he’d need to find a new place to get his coffee.

The to-go box playing copilot, Rick drove home for an early night.  It was dark enough for the usual constellations to pose for him.  Hunger, sleep, and humiliation dominated his mind as the ignored radio beat on along with the turns of his tires.

Rick thought through it all again.  He knew he could be oblivious, dense, awkward, but he still didn’t see where he went wrong.  None of this had ever come easy to him.  A star fell on the horizon, brushing gently against the atmosphere.  It hugged it’s small spot in the sky for a moment, it’s tail pointing downward.  It was the type of star people wished on.  People other than Rick.  Rick stared out at the blank spot in the sky that had just lit, knowing his seconds were ticking away.  Rick though for a moment.  Coming up with nothing to wish for, Rick let the opportunity pass on to someone else.  He was sure they needed it more.