6:45: Beau and Nathan
A successful night for Beau at The Bar was when he didn’t have to do anything at all. That’s not to say he was afraid of hard work; far from it. Of course he liked to earn his paycheck and keep busy but the true test of a bouncer’s worth was when most patrons behaved themselves without them having to lift a finger. It was a good night when his mere presence was enough of a reminder for people keep to their best behavior and this New Year’s Eve was proving to be a pretty excellent night indeed. When he did his job well, that meant he could help his coworkers do theirs when he was able. He was no mixologist but he could open a beer or pour a glass of wine when needed. So when Beau saw a familiar face sit down at one of the booths near the bar, he took it upon himself to see if he could be helpful while he said hello.
“Hey there, Nathan,” Beau said, sliding into the booth across from his new acquaintance. Even though he had been the new guy at the Santa Competition, the guys on his team had been pretty friendly toward him but none more than Nathan. It could have just been because they had been paired up together but Beau had the sneaking feeling he was just an all-around, decent guy.
“What can I get for you? My treat.”
“Beau, hey.” Nathan had slumped into the comfy leather of the bar booth, he’d been off his game, and had taken the empty both as a sign to relax for awhile. He didn’t know why nothing seemed to be falling into place like usual, this was his scene. He thrived. He doubted anyone else really noticed though, since it wasn’t like he was making (more) of an idiot of himself than usual. There was just something off, and he couldn’t put his finger on it.
“I’ll just take a beer. Real fancy, I know.” He’d already had a couple. Maybe more than a couple really, if the way his limbs had started to feel lazy was any sign. “But I don’t reckon they’ve popped the champagne yet,” he added with a short laugh.
“How you been, man? I ain’t seen y’all since the Santa thing.”
Beau took Nathan’s empty glass but didn’t leave quite yet. He recognize the relaxed look of a man who already had a few but seeing as Nathan wasn’t impaired in the least, he had no qualms about getting his friend a refill. Still, it could wait for a little bit while they caught up.
“I mean, I’ve been licking my wounds since losing the contest for us, of course, but other than that good,” Beau confirmed, and then paused. “Busy,” he supplied after a moment’s consideration. “Between days at the preschool, most night’s here, and spending the few minutes in between getting the orphanage up or with my kids, this might be the first time I’ve sat down since October.”
He wasn’t complaining; Beau liked being busy. It took his mind of things and kept the sadness at bay. It was a good day when his head hit the pillow at night and immediately conked out.
“How about you? How have you been?” Looking at Nathan, Beau assumed he would have some good looking someone or other in tow as a date for the evening. Actually, now that he thought about it, Beau was mildly surprised to catch the guy alone, considering how popular he’d been at the Santa competition. “I’m not keeping you from a hot date, am I? We might have been married for a hot minute but I’m not looking to step on your game.”
Shaking his his head, Nathan suppressed most of his laughter, but smirked a little. “Nah, man. You’re not steppin’ on toes here,” he assured. “Ain’t got anyone waitin’ for me.” It probably said something about his image that Beau thought he might have. His head just wasn’t in it tonight; he’d danced and flirted, but for one of the first times in a while he wasn’t aiming to take anyone home.