Random excerpts & interludes, part III

As we walk in, the warmth of the open fire at the far end of the room that is the plush, subtly lit bar greats us.

Each small cluster of seats creating an almost private venue for small groups of smartly-dressed people sat drinking quietly.

Like all little boys, I'm in need of the smallest room in the building and as I walk behind her, I gently place my hands around her slender hips and lean towards her, my head gently nestling beside hers, in and amongst the tousled brunette hair tumbling over her shoulders.

I take a deep breath of the soft scent held in her hair before speaking.

“I’m driving, so I best just have an orange juice.”

And with that, I disappear into the toilet.

On my return, I look to the bar. There she stands against the bar with a curious look on her face. looking down at the drinks. The barman leans down on the bar, looking to me with an equally bemused look on his face. He raises a brow and moves along, wiping a glass before placing it on a shelf behind him.

I look at the counter and see two drinks. One, a medium-sized glass of white wine, the other being a sherry glass with what appeared to be orange juice.

But why the sherry glass?

Now I complete the sequence, and all three of us look confused.

“What’s that?” I ask cautiously.

“Gin and orange.” She replies, not sure herself.

“Gin and orange?” I exclaim by way of confirmation.

“Yeah!” She retorts with a smile.

Then I realize. With the sound of the music she misheard me: “... just have an orange juice.” sounding somewhat like gin and orange juice.

We laughed about it for a while and commented on just how typical a thing that was to happen to the two of us.

For a moment, we were back there together again, all of those moments came flooding back like the months apart had never happened.

An hour or so later we would part company for the last time. Her life and mine going in very different directions...