The orange-painted sky signaled that the day was nearing its end, and that the chilly night sky would soon be taking over. In the distance, a big dark cloud that loomed over the mountains promised a miserable switch in the weather.
The duo of Margret the detective and Lucjan the local bartender both looked up at the cloud with different reactions.
The blonde detective had a deep scowl on her face. Thinking to herself:
'I won't be able to go out and investigate if the weather is terrible. Damn!'
Meanwhile, the English-speaking bartender looked at the cloud like somebody looking at an old high school bully. He appeared to be familiar with this type of cloud rolling through the town every now and then.
Tapping Margret's shoulder, Lucjan smiled politely before speaking.
"Well miss, looks like the weather won't be holding up for much longer, and the night is also near. You should go up to your apartment before it gets unbearable out here."
Margret glanced at the polite bartender, then back at the ominous cloud. Her expression and body language showed the slightest of hesitation. The sign of her split mind was so unnoticeable that only Mayhew would be able to see it—
"Miss, is there something else that you want to do besides going up to your apartment? If you tell me what it is, then maybe I can help you decide what to do."
There was a moment of silence, and in that moment Lucjan's polite expression slowly turned to one of embarrassment as he got no answer to his suggestion.
Margret in the meanwhile just seemed kind of frozen in time, as if deep in thought while maintaining a blank expression.
After some time of awkward silence, the blonde detective finally became expressive again as she spoke.
"It's not that big of a deal. I was just thinking if I should have a cup of coffee before going up. That's it."
Bumping into Lucjan's shoulder as she walked past him, Margret let out a scoff.
"I certainly don't need someone's help to make a decision like that, especially from a soft prick like you."
Despite hearing words that most would consider as harsh or insulting, the charming bartender for some reason smiled as he heard them.
Walking behind her, Lucjan spoke in a polite tone.
"So it's coffee for today as well then, huh."
Margret shrugged her shoulders as she walked.
"Obviously dipshit, that's what I said a second ago. Has the cold here caused you brain damage?"
The young bartender chuckled at her words. Again ignoring their insulting appearance.
Seeing this, the detective raised an eyebrow.
"Why the hell are you chuckling? Has the cold affected your brain that badly? When I say 'dipshit,' I am referring to you—dipshit."
As the two walked into the small bar, Lucjan scratched the back of his head, maintaining a smile on his face.
"Not to sound rude miss, but your insults carry very little weight to them."
Margret turned a deathly side-eye, seeming as if she was itching to throw a punch at the young man.
The young man in question waved a hand in the air as he tried explaining himself.
"S-sorry—sorry, that did come out sounding rude. But what I meant to say is that your insults don't really carry any real hatefulness or bitterness behind them. I wouldn't even say that they sound empty."
Margret raised an eyebrow.
"Then what are my insults filled with then, oh wise master of insults~"
Under her mocking tone, Lucjan looked around with a hesitant look. He scanned every inch of the surrounding except the spot where Margret was standing at.
Eventually, he waved a hand dismissively and walked behind the counter.
"Actually never mind, I am just speaking nonsense. Sorry, it's a family trait to pretend like we know stuff that we don't."
Seeing him starting to make her coffee, the blonde detective slowly walked toward a seat, a complex look in her blue eyes.
Sitting down, Margret took a moment to stare at the bartender before speaking.
It was just the two of them at the bar, so their voices, even if low, seemed very loud.
"So you don't know me well, that's what you're saying?"
Lucjan chuckled as he fumbled around the coffee machine.
"Haven't you noticed that I keep calling you 'miss'? Do you want to know why that is? It's because I still don't know your name. You didn't tell me the last time you came here. So yea, I can't really say that I know you when I don't even know the most baseline information. Wouldn't you agree, miss?"
The bartender glanced at her as he asked the question.
Margret avoided his gaze, looking to the side with a thoughtful look on her face.
As Lucjan finished up the cup of coffee, he turned around and sat on his own chair—it being exactly opposite of Margret's. Placing the cup in front of her, he smiled.
"You didn't respond to my question, I suppose that means I said something that offended you. If I did then, I am deeply sorry miss."
Her blue eyes glanced at the cup of coffee, before looking up at the bartender. There Margret paused for a moment.
Then she took the cup of coffee into her hand and scoffed.
"A softy like you could never offend me. I just didn't remember that I didn't tell you my name, so it surprised me when you said it."
Taking a sip of the brownish liquid, the detective once more looked to the side.
"You're right though... you don't really know me."
Lucjan nodded.
"Yea I don't. Which is why I consider this such a golden opportunity. Until you finish that coffee, we have all that time to get to know each other. I really hope you're a slow drinker though, because if not then we might just continue to be strangers after this."
He kept his gaze on Margret, his smile warm and his eyes bright.
The blonde detective looked back, and seeing into the eyes of the bartender she had a strange thought.
'Is this the 'light' that Mayhew always talks about.'
Meanwhile, Lucjan continued.
"But if you are a fast drinker, then I would at least like to get the baseline before you leave. Miss... would you mind telling me your name?"
She took a moment to stare at him before chuckling.
"Don't worry, I drink pretty slowly. As for my name...."
She took another small sip from her cup.
"I would actually like for you to take a guess first."
The young bartender raised an eyebrow while keeping a small smile on his face.
"Letting me take a shot at it first, huh? Well, I'll try my best I guess. Let me think..."
Rubbing his chin, Lucjan closed his eyes and went into deep thought.
Seeing the bartender in such a position, the blue-eyed detective didn't dare try to take another sip of her coffee, as she was barely managing to not burst out laughing.
Margret would rather not get coffee all over her already torn-up clothes.
After a few seconds, Lucjan opened his eyes and looked at Margret with false confidence. His voice was smooth and without hesitation.
"It's Christina, isn't it?"
Her response also came without hesitation.
"Nope. That was the worst guess I have ever heard. Christina, really?"
There was silence for a short moment. But then the bar suddenly got filled with the sound of laughter.
Wiping a tear near his eye, Lucjan let out a cough.
"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad of a guess."
She shook her head while smiling.
"No, it really was that bad. It's the equivalent of me guessing your name to be Robert or something."
Putting the cup of coffee on her lips, she drank the last of the liquid. As Margret placed it down, she looked at the empty cup with a complicated gaze.
"Well I'll be damned, looks like I may be a fast drinker after all."
Lucjan also gazed at the empty cup. His expression was blank for a moment.
...
"I have to head up to my apartment now. I'll see you around, muppet."
Getting up from her chair, Margret made her way toward the exit rather quickly.
Seeing this, the young bartender snapped out of his blank stare and put on an awkward smile.
"O-oh, well goodbye, see you around. Also don't worry about paying for the coffee, it's on the house... it's on me."
The detective nodded as she opened the door. Though before walking through it, Margret glanced back at the young bartender and said:
"My name is Margret, by the way—Margret Rose. You almost forgot to get the baseline after all."
Saying that last line, Margret chuckled as she walked out of the bar and into the freezing cold of the streets.
Lucjan in the meanwhile, just stood there... thinking.