Better on our own - English

An troubled Evening

Since Sarah hadn't stopped thinking since the conversation with Penny and she couldn't seem to think clearly as well, I decided to take her out too, shortly after Penny was picked up by Ellie. Sarah definitely needed to change her mind and so I was able to use the car - I slowly started to enjoy this new advantage in my life.

In Newtown we finally entered a bar that was a bit out of the way and was actually more geared towards an older crowd than ours, but the music was good and the atmosphere was relaxed. We had no choice but to accept our fate as the cinema screenings were all sold out and we didn't want to go to the trendy bar because Norman worked there as a bouncer on Saturday evenings. There was also a pool table in here. If it would be free later, Sarah would definitely enjoy a game too - at least I hoped she would.

We sat down at two empty seats at the bar on the side at the wall and ordered drinks while Sarah told me that this bar had been around forever and that her parents had come here when they were our age. So it probably earned something of a cult factor?

In any case, there was a constant coming and going here, which I noticed from the unmistakable sound of the doorbell, which kept making me look up into the huge mirror that took up the entire wall behind the counter, in front of which there were shelves and on them there were standing countless glasses and bottles of all kinds of spirits, somewhat restricting the view.

Nevertheless, I was very aware of Ellie and Penny suddenly coming in and jumped. Sarah looked at me questioningly and I pointed out to the reflection in the mirror. Her eyes immediately widened and I quickly pulled the hood of my sweater over my head so that they wouldn't recognize me - even in the mirror by holding my hand a little in front of my face - while Sarah made herself a little smaller in the corner, when the two of them sat down at a table behind us - luckily with their backs to us.

"Wine spritzer. More water than wine!" I heard Penny say to the waitress who took her order.

"God, Penny. Then you might as well order apple spritzer if you just want flavored water!" Ellie grumbled boredly. "I'll have a Bloody Mary!"

"And that's exactly why I hold back from drinking, because I always assume that I'll have to drive back when I go out with you. You just don't know to behave, Ellie!" Penny replied to her friend, who waved her off in boredom.

I glanced at Sarah and nodded to indicate if she wanted to leave, but she just shook her head and nodded in my direction. I didn't understand at first, but then I looked in the mirror and froze because Mr. Jones was now sitting right next to me, leaning heavily on the bar as the bartender put a drink in front of him - obviously he wasn't a stranger here, though the barman knew exactly what he was drinking. But where the hell had he come from so suddenly?!

I looked at Sarah in panic, but she just shrugged her shoulder with a grin and motioned for me to be quiet. She couldn't be serious, could she?!

The next moment Ellie jumped up and went to a guy in the dance area with whom she started dancing to the slightly upbeat music. Wow! Either she had already drunk more than I thought, or Ellie was reluctant to miss out on some fun - and she definitely seemed to be having fun.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mr. Jones' gaze turn toward Ellie and pause for a moment before turning the bar stool so that his back was facing me. In the mirror I saw his head slowly turning and I bet he was looking at the other patrons in the bar. Then he froze and from the direction he looked he could only have spotted Penny.

I looked questioningly at Sarah, but she seemed more than just curious to keep an eye on the two of them, so I did the same. I saw Mr. Jones keep looking back and forth between Penny and Ellie and I saw Penny, still sitting with her back to us, sipping her glass until it was empty, listening to her friend's encouraging calls, repeatedly ignoring or rejecting those, who tried to get her to come over and dance with her. Penny obviously didn't seem to be into dancing with strangers and Ellie seemed like she was having a good time with the guy on the other hand.