[Open]

[pullmeapint]

Finn cleared the last of the dishes from the dinner rush and carted them into the kitchen for Tandy, laughing when she asked if he'd been demoted to busser.

That chore done, he headed back into the bar to do a walk around, checking with those in the game room and those at the tables and booths scattered around the bar area. He joked with a few of the regulars and greeted the faces he couldn't remember seeing before taking his position behind the bar again.

Leaning against the back counter, he surveyed his pub and couldn't help the smile that formed. For as much flak as he'd received from his family over his choosing such a small town when he finally struck out on his own, he really did love the town. The atmosphere was open, accepting, and the sheer fact that he could use his abilities without causing the National Enquirer to drop onto his head made it perfect.

He looked up when the door opened and called out a welcome to the newcomer.

"Welcome to the Pub."

Comments

[aoife_coombs]

"Oh I don't know if I'd become a customer if- I don't drink a lot of beers. Or any, really. Jever just comes with some n-" She pursed her lips.
"It's very nice of you to support our local brewers, the county probably thinks so as well. Have you looked into getting such a thing recorded and possibly even subsidized?"

[pullmeapint]

Finn's mouth opened and closed again as he tried to find the right words. "You wouldn't have to come here to drink it or anything, but your choice. Offer's open if you want to take me up on it for whatever it comes with."

He rubbed a hand at the back of his neck. "Um. Get what recorded and subsidized? Sorry, I think I missed a step in there."

[aoife_coombs]

"Your support to local companies. There just to be files on that. It's a convenient way to create and uphold a network that can help smaller companies survive national monoliths arriving or playing on their turf."

Turns out she caught some of her father's work ethics after all.

"I wouldn't want to pressure you into things, I honestly don't know if the brand still even exists. Or that it's .. you are a company, you need to make decisions based on sellability, I'd say. Not you, but you're .." Aoife was losing control of the dialogue. "Your pub."

[pullmeapint]

"I'll look into that," Finn replies with a smile, still not entirely sure about the concept, but he's not the antagonistic type. "In the meantime, I'm happy to look into getting some of the beer you're looking for. Just let me know and I'll check my suppliers to see if it can be brought in or not. Some can, some can't. There's a complex set of rules and regulations about it that tend to make my head ache." He finished that with a wink before taking a sip from his mug.

"Can I get you anything, even though I'm woefully lacking in your beer of choice?"

[aoife_coombs]

"Oh, I don't know, to be honest. I'm really not a beer drinker, or any other alcoholic beverage. My si-" Delicate point, "- I'm often called a lightweight by family members."

"But maybe you have some tonic?"

[pullmeapint]

"Nothing wrong with being a lightweight. I can handle just about any drink, but for some reason, I can't manage so much as a half-shot of tequila without completely losing my mind."

Finn chuckled and pulled down a glass, added ice, and poured tonic water into it. He'd heard the stutter-stop of her words, but didn't push for clarification. As a bar owner, he knew that most didn't like to be pushed about what they didn't want to say.

[aoife_coombs]

"I honestly don't understand people that say that they love tequila. That would be like saying you ..love to drink gasoline? Or something else that burns like that? It's not - it's not for me."

She approached the bar. "It's a good thing I brought my wallet after all, I guess. Wouldn't want to be the first to start a ..'tab', they call it?"

[pullmeapint]

"You'd hardly be the first and don't worry about the wallet. The tonic's on the house," Finn replied. "I'm of the opinion that tequila isn't so much alcohol as it is a mind-altering drug. I've seen perfectly normal people do some pretty crazy things during a night of tequila shots."

[aoife_coombs]

"Oh, no, that wasn't a ploy to get out of paying. I have the money." Aoife checked if the bar's surface was clean before putting her soft pink leather wallet on it. "Honestly, it's more than I always have to remember to leave the house with phone and wallet."

[pullmeapint]

"All right, then you can hand over the dollar and we're all square," Finn replied with an easy smile. "Do you forget the wallet and phone often?"

[aoife_coombs]

"Square." She smiles. "Alright. Yes, I do. I'm so used to people knowing me here, knowing my family and that I'd always come back to what I promised, that a wallet isn't just so very necessary."

And she simply not had enough friends to carry a phone for around.

[pullmeapint]

"I'm not too worried about it, to be honest," Finn smiled then extended his hand. "I"m Finn. It's nice to meet you."

[aoife_coombs]

"If you really ask just a dollar for a tonic, I can imagine your peace of mind." She accepts his hand. "Aoife Coombs, and likewise."