The bar seems strangely welcoming, its large windows spilling light onto the snow covered street. The idea of going to an empty home on Christmas Eve doesn't appeal to me, even though I've accepted that I'm an introvert. It's still early in the evening, actually, if it was Spring the sun would still be up. I hurry to cross the street despite there being no cars coming and enter the completely empty bar. Empty except for two people, the bartender, and a tall, elegant looking woman sitting at the bar and talking with him as he took stock of the top shelf liquors.
The woman's attention shifted the instant that the door opened and a small bell jingled above my head. She had a distanced smile on her features, but something changed when her blue eyes looked me over. Her smile seemed to open to me.
"Welcome, dear," she said, her voice warming me from the inside out. Her lips barely moved as she spoke. "Here, come sit by me, you do not look like someone who frequents these kinds of establishments." She patted the stool next to her and rose to her feet to take my wet winter jacket and scarf.
Her clothing startled me, because I didn't expect someone with such a gentle expression to be wearing something like that. She wore a leotard with a high collar, and a bustle at the back that swept over the floor. It was in a deep red with cream colored accents, and she had ankle high boots of the same color scheme.
"Angelos will help you," she said to me as she walked off place my things near the high fire near the back of the bar.
"Uhm," I mumbled, peeking up at Angelos from over my glasses.
He had an intense stare, but the slight smile on his lips looked to be an attempt to not intimidate me. He was built slender, with broad shoulders. He had slicked back blond hair, and vivid green eyes that gazed out from strong features with sharp cheek bones and jaw line. To me, he was very beautiful - no, not handsome - and I couldn't find my tongue.
"Sypha is often right when she pegs a none drinker," he said. His lips also barely moved, though I could hear him quite clearly. "Feeling lonely? I see you walk by the bar every night. You walk with your head down."
"Oh, do I?" I stuttered, playing with my fingers nervously. Why did I even come in here? I peeked up at him when he pushed a martini glass between my fingers. It had an opaque off-white liquid. "What's this?" When had he made it?
"Banshee cocktail," he replied. He leaned on his forearms on the counter, smiling small so not much of his teeth were exposed. "It's a sweeter, fruity cocktail."
"Be sure to sip it," said Sypha, already in her seat next to me again.
I jumped and nearly spilled the drink if it wasn't for Angelos snapping his hand out and catching the glass. The movement was so fast that I couldn't even catch it. One second the glass was tipping and the next he was cradling it in the palm of his hand with the stem between her fingers.
"H-how did you get back so fast?" I squeaked. "I'm sorry I'm very skittish I just, I didn't mean to-"
Sypha rested her hand on my lower back, which made me reflexively straighten my posture and take a deep breath. Both of them were smiling at me, those small smiles that didn't show teeth. Still, there was something in them that made my stomach flutter. These people were strange.
"Don't worry, dear," Sypha said as she drew her hand back and folded them together on the bar counter. "Angelos has to deal with spilled drinks all the time."
"Though typically the ones doing the spilling aren't so cute, or sober."
I felt my cheeks burn and stared into the palms of my hands. I chewed on my lower lip even as soft chuckling reached my flushed ears and the martini glass clinked lightly on the bar.
"Try it," Angelos said, pushing it over. "And tell us about yourself."
"Oh, u-uhm," I mumbled. Neither Sypha nor Angelos leaned in to hear me better, as I was used to from people. It startled me a little. "I-I'm Sonia."
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