Out of Sorts and Incognito

Telegraph Hill - When the Fog Calls Your Name

"We're outa rum." James said wiping the counter. The year was 1948, our place is The Shadows, a favorite restaurant for the bohemian soul searchers on Telegraph Hill.

"What do ya mean we're outa rum?? We just restocked thursday!?!" Larry said carrying a box of bottles to the back corner. A subtle sigh as the bottle clanked together, gin, whiskey, and little rum amongst him.

"How is it your little speakeasy experiment outpaces the bar?" Larry asked, taking the bottles out one by one.

"Its the lure of mystery Larry, we are the Shadows after all..." James said cleaning the refined precision parts of his latest device, an absinthe fountain from the late 1800's. He picked it up at an auction over the summer in Paris, the parts were delicate, and more so illegal. Absinthe had been banned since prohibition and never once did anyone decide to allow it back in states, even after we defeated Hitler.

"Just tell me why we took down the Eagles Nest but we can't allow this elixir of wonder back in town oh Great Atomic One!" James said snickering as he assembled the fountain.

Larry's family was connected to a long line of bureaucrats and scientists, his father worked on mysterious projects, atomic in nature was the rumor. Larry didn't have the chops for science, he excelled at one thing, running restaurants. Years ago he was offered the job to take over and revamp The Shadows. With its iconic history was known to many he jumped at the chance. He knew James from the academy and while they served in the war in difference capacities, they stayed in touch ever since. James returned from the war a medic to some, a great cocktail mixologist to others. Larry begged him to come to The Shadows and head up the main bar, but James had different idea, he wanted to put in a old style speakeasy just behind the bookcase in second floor lobby. It was tight nook, but the flip of switch and you could narrowly pass into a sleek corridor and sit in a round bar area with lit bottles from behind and glorious glass view of the commissioners pool estate just behind the restaurant.

They nearly flooded the restaurant when the put the speakeasy in. Once they realized they damaged the pool by mistake, the offered a fix and Larry provided an ingenious plastic molding material technique he learned in the war that provided a pleasing aesthetic view into the watery glow of the commissioners pool side pleasantry. The commissioner of course found out- but for a take in profits he didn't complain.

The speakeasy was tiny and utterly expensive. There was no menu, only a bartender who would peer into your soul and pull out the cocktail you needed for that moment in time, with your base spirit in mind.

The valley's finest rich and wealthy all pushed into the tiny space on the weekends, some for the cocktails curious to see what James would see in them that night, while others hoped for a view of commissioners daughter, Jessica, a beautiful red head who's bikini curves and wit were well known to all- but in this view, a temptation for few to see.

Absinthe was the new offering, the weekend was coming and soon the green fairy would blur all the edges and the fog itself would consume them.

"Have you ever seen her?" Larry asked piling the bottles on the wall.

"Jessica?" James said. "Maybe once or twice, for as late as this bar goes, we're lucky to see anything..." he said final assembly of the fountain complete.

Jessica was a rare sight but he lied. He'd seen her numerous times and she knew he could see her. She fluttered her long red hair hoping it would be captured by the intense underwater lighting she put in as soon as she realized an audience was present. Her friends were convinced she loved swimming, but only she knew she was gracefully revealing her love for someone to see unsure, yet known to her it would be someone inside the famed Shadows restaurant.