(Untitled)

[sleazeoverstyle]

HEY. This place. Just like he wanted, and a note: maybe it's just a case of right place right time, or maybe Bar's sick of takin' his gil. Whatever it is, shit yeah, he'll tend bar for a couple hours instead of drinkin' his life away. There's plenty of time for that after.Since he was 18 he's worked for Shin-Ra and pourin' drinks behind a bar wasn'

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[sleazeoverstyle]

Two can play the same caution game and he likes Tifa as much as he likes anyone. Well, maybe not as much but he likes her okay, and he gets it. He's stepping on her turf and he'd rather not make waves over it. "One vodka, sloe gin, and lemonade comin' right up. You can judge my drink-mixing style and let me know how I did for you."

Luckily he's mixed more than a few of these already tonight, so it's gettin' to be old hat: he throws in some vodka, then lets the sloe gin slide in, then tops it all off with lemonade. For her, he uses a martini glass just 'cause it looks good.

And adds a cherry.

"So yeah, first time tending. Although I was thinking earlier, fuck it, I've spent half my life in friggin' bars and I ought to get honorable mention for the amount of gil I've spent in 'em. That has to count for something, right?" He raises his own Icicle Run to her -- the one he used as a guinea pig learning to pull it right from the tap -- and takes a sip.

"So, lady bartender. How am I doin'?" He doesn't expect Tifa to hold back on the critique at all, but he's tough. He can take whatever she has to dish out. At least this time she ain't in a position to spill beer on him.

[antishinra]

If nothing else, spending so much time in a bar should've allowed him to watch bartenders at their craft. Or at least given him an idea of how certain drinks should taste.

She taps the stem of the cherry with her fingertip, making it bob inside her glass. "Nice touch."

After a taste-test drink, she pauses a moment and then nods. "This is pretty good, Reno."

She smiles. It's not a hard drink: only three ingredients -- all straightforward liquids -- and nothing fancy required. But he's done exactly what he should have, as far as she can tell. Sex in the Red Zone isn't a drink she's ever had before.

"I bet you could garnish with a slice of lemon if you wanted." With so much lemonade in the drink, it'd work. But cherries are classic and less trouble. "All that time spent in bars was worth something after all. Are we going to start seeing you back there more often?"

She's almost certain of what the answer will be and she's glad for it, but it doesn't mean she can't be friendly. She's good at it.

[sleazeoverstyle]

"Fuck, I hope not. No offense, but I already have a job." He could be real nice, go ahead and tell her that everything he's learned, he learned from watching her but it wouldn't be exactly true.

Only partly. There is something he can say, though.

"Anyhow, you're much better at it than me. And prettier to look at. So thanks, but I'll stick to that side of the bar unless it's by request like tonight."

Come to think of it, the bar must've been hard up if it's askin' him to work there. He's just Mister Lookin-At-You-is-Makin-Me-Sober, and who wants a friggin' lush for a bartender?

Next Sex in the Red Zone he makes gets garnished with a lemon, though. Just to show he actually knows how to listen.

[antishinra]

She couldn't say she's not relieved to hear he hasn't decided to earn some extra money -- or meet some extra women, possibly -- by joining the bartending staff. Fortunately, she doesn't have to say anything about it.

She smiles. He did compliment her twice, and she certainly didn't expect it. She's almost surprised by it.

And she's not going to chance things: she doesn't care what Reno thinks of her, but as long as she has to keep traveling in the same circles as he does, she'd prefer it if they remained civil to each other.

(Although she can't help thinking she's been the one who's been more civil up to this point, if only because of her job behind the bar.)

There's a small pouch in the pocket of her skirt, and inside it her fingers find the gil she's looking for. It's not as sizable as his tips have been -- and since he's the one who can leave and do his real job whenever he wants, that seems fair -- but it is a nice tip.

Still smiling a little, she makes a quick trade, placing the gil on the bar and picking up her drink again. "Thanks, Reno."

It's time to go. She's gotten what she wanted.

[sleazeoverstyle]

HEY.

Did she just tip him?

That's pretty friggin' cool. "Thanks, Tifa." He pockets the money with a nod and watches as she moves away. It's only after she's gone that he pulls the gil back out and sets it aside: that and any other tips he might get tonight? They're goin' right to pay off some of her tab.

So long as she doesn't see him do it. What she doesn't know is that former enemies or not, he'd step in front of her in a fight and he wouldn't just do it 'cause his partner likes her. Nah, he likes her too, even though she dumped a beer on him: he deserved that one. It's just he never knows how to act around her.

Anyhow, he almost feels like he passed some kind of test he didn't know he was takin' tonight, and that's a relief. But who's she think he learned bartenders are supposed to be nice to everyone from? Maybe she'll figure that out sooner or later.