A Little Day Drinking

[Nesrin Aziz]

[[continued from A Day Off]]

The bar was immense, and lined with old fashioned leather stools. Old world pamphlets pasted the walls between the wood mouldings, and there was a selection of cosy chairs and tables. But the reason Nesrin steered them in was the blazing hearth she knew was tucked at the back, since both Anna and Cade seemed particularly bothered by the cold, and it was an easy way to win favour. An old jukebox rested against one of the walls, one of many curios in the decor as the eye roamed. The place had an old world feel, starting right from the sign above the door: The Apothecary.

The barman glanced up as they spilled in from the cold winter afternoon. “Welcome to the Apothecary,” he said. His accent had a delightfully authentic lilt of Irish, and the slight boredom of one enduring a quiet day-shift as he assessed his new customers. His gaze lingered naturally on the two beautiful women, and Nesrin used the opportunity to shrink back unnoticed as his attention passed over her.

“I’ll have whatever you’re having,” she said to her companions, not aimed at any of them in particular, then added as she plucked at the front of her hoodie: “I’m just gonna try and clean this up real quick.”

In the bathroom Nesrin considered what she knew – about Kallisti, about Nox, and how Wicked was in their orbit. Her suggestions always had a bit of longevity to them, but nothing she could guarantee would still be to her benefit days later. There was always the chance, though, that he’d already be kindly disposed to her. And if he really had accessed the coffee shop’s camera to check out Cade, then he was exactly who she needed on her side.

She ran the hot water and pulled the hoodie over her head, dumping it in with one hand. With the other she shot an encrypted message, from Bode to The Wicked Truth:

You helped me out so I'll help you: let yourself get outbid, you don't want the trouble that comes along with this thing.