In the dark bar, Adam downed his whiskey sour to the cheer of his friends. His 34th year had been a disaster, punctuated by divorce and the passing of an excellent job opportunity across the country that he had let slip through his fingers to fruitlessly try and salvage what was left of his doomed marriage. Tired of feeling sorry for himself, Adam had promised himself a happy birthday to ring in a new, happier chapter of his life. He felt he had succeeded immensely. He'd started the Wednesday night celebrations at a trendy sushi bar with his close friends, and by 9.30pm, they'd moved to Morrison's, the hipster whiskey bar down the road. As it was the middle of the week, the drinking was relatively modest, but everyone was having a great time. Although enjoying a buzz, Adam was sure to watch himself with the drinks - he wanted to enjoy himself, but he did have work tomorrow.
Standing on the red vinyl booth seat that would look tacky anywhere else, but suited the retro decor of Morrison's perfectly, Adam ordered another round for his slightly cramped table. Lori, the short, feisty bar owner who Adam had known for years, shook her head in mock disapproval. She rang the oversized bell that hung above the bar. "This one's on the house!" She cried over the whoops of the small crowd - the only group in the bar. Despite it being a quiet affair, she had planned on ensuring Adam had an excellent night. They had attended the same high school and their friendship strengthened when Lori bought Morrison's, bringing her back to Sydney after living in Germany for a few years.
As Lori oversaw her new bartender pouring the drinks, Adam climbed back down from the bench seat. At 6"1, tipsy, and crowded into a booth, Adam had no chance of accomplishing this with any sort of grace. He stepped down, missed his footing, and fell backwards, bouncing into the back of the booth. As he laughingly sorted himself out, he felt the arms of a woman sitting behind him drape over his shoulders.
"So, I take it you are having a great night."
Adam smiled broadly and spun around as much as he was able to in such cramped quarters.
"Anja! You made it! When did you get here?" Adam kissed the cheek of the brunette whose dark jeans, short sleeve blouse and boots were a refreshing change from the skirts and heels that usually tottered around the bar.
"I just arrived, and just in time for a free drink! Happy birthday, gorgeous!" Leaning over the back of the booth that separated their seats, Anja kissed Adam chastely on the cheek. Patting her hand enthusiastically, he rose and struggled past his mates. As she had been sitting at a far less populated booth with a handful of mutual friends, Anja was already standing at the end of the seats by the time he had climbed free. She threw her arms around him in a bear hug, which was warmly returned. "I thought you wouldn't be coming, I'm so glad you're here."
"I know, I got stuck at a meeting at work, there was no way I was going to make it into the city for dinner. I figured I'd go get changed, grab a bite to eat, and jump on a train to help celebrate your shitty year away."
As Anja spoke, Adam was gently pulling her to an empty table around the corner, where they could talk briefly without being drowned out by the sound of their friends. Adam was delighted that she made it tonight, and was eager to catch up. Anja was a former colleague; They'd started their teaching careers together about ten years ago. While Adam had decided that teaching wasn't for him, and moved to a career in IT, Anja moved from strength to strength and now lectured in the Education faculty of a university about an hour from Sydney. They caught up every couple of months, but maintained regular contact, usually via texts and ridiculous meme wars.
As Adam sank into the padded seating, sighing in relief at the comfort and relative quiet, Anja grinned at him.
"This place is amazing! Why haven't we gone here before? They're playing the Beatles!" Anja's eyes flashed with approval. She was a huge fan of 60's rock.
"I knew you'd love it, you greasy hipster. How the hell have you been?"
As they chatted, they relaxed and enjoyed the music that filtered through the speakers, occasionally singing along to iconic lines. They were so engrossed in their contentedness that Adam was startled when Lori appeared.
"There you are! Your friends are wondering what happened to you! Apparently they're heading back to someone's house soon."
Adam checked his watch. "Shit, it's 11 o'clock. Alright, I guess we'd better head back to the others. Lori, have you met Anja? We used to work together in a past life."
Anja rose and the two women shook hands. "Nice to meet you, Anja," smiled the raven haired bar owner. Anja felt drawn towards Lori. Anja towered over Lori's 5"1 frame, but there was nothing diminutive about her. She was short and solid, and very sure of herself. With her short pixie cut highlighted with purple, and her vivid, artistic tattoos, Lori was the picture of urban sexiness. Anja, on the other hand, was tall and curvy, with a far less dramatic look about her. If anything, she looked more like one of her undergrad students.
"Well, everyone's winding up, it'd be a really quiet night without your shindig." Lori had not let go of Anja's hand after their handshake, and she guided them back to the occupied tables.
"Adam!" Mark, Adam's best friend called out, sauntering across the bar with a knowing look. "Where have you been, eh?" He stood between the two stools and winked at Anja. "Great to see you again." Mark turned to Adam. "The hangers on have cleared out, and the gang are coming back to mine. Are you guys in?"
Adam and Anja both shook their heads at the same time. Anja spoke first, "I'm heading home soon, I don't want to miss the last train back to the mountains." Adam also declined. "It's been a blast dude, but I think I'll pass. I don't want a huge hangover tomorrow."
Mark nodded in mock seriousness. "Sure," he drawled. "Last trains. No hangovers. Right."
Anja punched him playfully, but conceded that their friendship probably did look like more to others. She enjoyed flirting with Adam, and he was always very attentive, too. He'd even missed a portion of his own birthday to sit just with her. Even now, as they sat, their thighs were touching. But it was all innocent.
"Well, then, we're off. Nice seeing you again, Anja, for all 10 seconds you were around." Mark was smiling and touching her arm, but he was clearly miffed that his friend had ditched him. "Adam, come surfing with us in the morning?"
For the next fifteen minutes, the remaining patrons said their goodbyes to Adam and made their way into the cool night air. Anja turned her attention back to Lori.
"Great bar you've got here, Lori. I love everything! The music, the whiskey, the colour scheme! It's amazing."
Lori grinned over the bar, and pulled down a bottle of Yamazaki. "Thanks! I feel blessed that I could make a living out of the Doors and Whiskey. Two of my favourite things!" She moved across to the stool to Anja's right and slid a glass of the whiskey towards her new friend. "Bottoms up!"
Anja raised her glass. "The Doors and Whiskey - Amen, sister!"
Chatting amiably and drinking whiskey with her new friend, Anja took Lori in. Strong, confident, highly intelligent, and opinionated, Anja took an instant liking to her, and could see why she and Adam were friends. Likewise, Lori found Anja charming, and was impressed with her knowledge of music, food and liquor. As they discussed the merits of naming a whiskey bar after Jim Morrison, Adam returned and slid his arms around both women's waist.
"Ah, two sexy women and a bottle of whiskey. Looks like a happy birthday for Adam!" His cheekiness earned him a jab in the ribs from Lori.
