The Owls Who Watch

Chapter 14 - The Dark Lady

Inside was long, crescent-shaped and lit purely by candles and fireplaces. Booths of comfy couches defined much of the immediate area of the room, while traditional tables and chairs defined the other half. Between them were tables featuring snooker and card games, while facing them, in the middle-left of the room, was the bar. Many people were in the room, causing Kevin to feel bewildered and insecure. There were also patrollers at each end of the room, and two standing at opposite sides of the bar. None glanced at Kevin. Despite the number of people, the atmosphere remained quaint and almost cosy. Unsure as to what to do, he naturally gravitated towards the bar and waited beside a handful of other people ordering drinks by showing their profile on the 'My Arumlily' app. Kevin pulled out his phone and readied his profile, completely oblivious as to how to pay. He hadn't been on a night out for years. Back when he had a small group of friends, they'd go out to pubs, bars, and on the rare occasion, nightclubs, when their schedules aligned. The atmosphere here was almost nostalgic. He had always wanted to return to that sort of lifestyle, yet he had lost touch with those friends for too long. They weren't worth the hassle, Kevin reminded himself, they used me and abandoned me when they grew tired of that. Friends are never worth it. Even Dean left without saying goodbye.

A dark-haired, tall middle-aged woman emerged from behind the bar. She clapped her hands in response to the noisy, crowded bar, "Alright lads, calm down!". The commotion around the bar quietened, and the queue neatened up somewhat. Two more bartenders were concocting cocktails and pouring cider and beer from their respective taps. Eventually, the manager nodded at Kevin, "What'll it be, pal?"

"Erm, Star-Brew and rum", he stammered.

"Which rum?"

"Spiced", he stated, sounding more like a question. The woman nodded and concocted his drink, then asked to see his phone. She typed his code into the machine and nodded, then served another customer.

Kevin turned around, gazing at both ends of the room. There were more people at the bar than seated in the room. He walked over to an empty table beside a plastic barrier separating the gaming area from Kevin's side of the pub, and awkwardly sipped his drink. Analysing the room, he realised most people had already made friends. He was one of the only people seated alone, though many were probably waiting on their friends to return from the bar. Behind the plastic divider, groups of guys were playing cards, snooker, and foosball. All laughing and telling jokes. Kevin took a sip. They already have friends, what am I even doing here? Despite priding himself as a lone wolf, a coldness struck his chest.

Many minutes later, he heard two girls calling on him.

"Hey, hey, you okay?", one of them called. He recognised her as the girl from the waiting room, two appointments ago. Kevin nodded.

"You new here?", she asked.

"Aye. I only just moved", he replied.

"Come over and sit with us", the girl to her right requested.

Seeing no other option, Kevin shifted to the next table over. He sat facing Charlotte and her friend. The former had black, tousled hair side swept, and resting in front of her shoulders, while the other had blonde bangs, with the rest of her hair at shoulder length. The former was naturally pretty, around Kevin's age and smiling, while the latter had sharp features, a cold gaze, and wore makeup.

"How long have you both been staying here?", Kevin blurted.

"Four years", Charlotte replied. "Three for me", her friend followed.

"I'm Charlotte by the way, and this is Svetlana"

Svetlana waved. Kevin nodded, "I'm Kevin".

"Oh my god, do you remember the last Kevin?", Charlotte asked Svetlana.