WELL, THIS WAS DEFINITELY SOMETHING. William had to do a double-take to bounce back from the surprise that he was dealt with, but he thought he did surprisingly well considering… well, considering. “There’s no need to turn on anything, least of all the charm,” he said, shrugging. “I’m always just kind of like this.” A bit odd to say that to a stranger, but… well, William’s not the type to think about things too deeply and always the type to just be impulsive. Why else, after all, would he have had experiences in about half a dozen career fields by now?
“I’m sure you can afford something,” William pointed out, feeling as if her face was familiar though that should be impossible considering he would have remembered if someone with ehr clothes came into his wine bar. “Still, bathroom’s at the far end of the hallway right there”—and here he pointed to his left—“and I will be waiting here”—this time he pointed to a vacant table near them—“with the cheapest wine available which is”—and here he paused for a second, trying to remember—“a single glass serving of Tierra del Fuego.”
He stopped there and tried to look as understanding as he possibly can. “Your choice of either Cabernet Sauvignon or Sauvignon Blanc, and that’ll set you about five dollar ninety nine?” His tone of voice ended up sounding more like he was asking a question instead of telling her something. For some reason, he felt apologetic that he was essentially charging this woman six dollars to use a bathroom, but he’s pretty sure his accountant will kill him if he continues giving people free glasses of wine. “I’ll throw in a bread basket for free as an apology,” William added, trying to make up for what he was slowly starting to feel was nothing more than highway robbery.
Lyle was taken aback by his apparent politeness, searching for some reason that he wouldn’t kick her out straight away. From what he was saying, he was important within the business, and she couldn’t imagine someone higher up in the establishment would be too keen on catching flack from someone nearly half their age. She nodded, not entirely believing his comment. “Right,” she replied, not sure what else she could say. Her brother would say she was being too judgmental, that not everyone had a stick up their ass like she did - she could hear him from here.
Lyle nodded once more, resigned to pay whatever he said to make sure her friend wasn’t, in fact, drying in the employee bathroom. She glanced in the direction he pointed, offering him a tight lipped grin as she nearly ran in said direction. When he said the wine, she stopped, arching a brow. She didn’t want to ask, because how dumb could she be to not know what wine he was talking about when she spent over half her life pouring drinks at Sleepy Jean’s. At his comment, she recognized the second wine choice - cheap Cab Sav was something she and her mom got in a box every so often. “Cab Sav sounds great, thanks,” noting that she had enough money in her wallet to pay for a glass. She didn’t know what he meant by an apology but she shrugged it off in favor of heading to the bathroom.
She spotted the employee bathroom across the hall from the bathroom for patrons and knocked on the door twice. She heard laughing that was bordering on hysterical before the door opened and she was yanked inside. Randy was laughing though he had tears in his eyes. She sighed, allowing herself to be pulled onto the floor. “You’re fine, you’re just took too much,” she repeated, over and over again. She texted her brother to come pick up the car and Randy in a few minutes, directing her friend to tell someone in the kitchen that he was sick and needing to go home, and to say nothing else. It took nearly five minutes to get him up off the floor and get him out of the bathroom. She directed him back to the kitchen, not wanting to arise any more suspicion, knowing what that would bring. At best, Randy could be fired; at worst, he could get arrested and maybe get her uncle thrown in there too.
After setting Randy up near the dumpster in the back, Lyle headed back in, praying to something she didn’t even believe in that the overly charming man wouldn’t pick her apart. She smiled when came back, noting that she had a faint sheet of sweet on her forehead from all but carrying the man from the bathroom. She wiped it off, reaching in her back pocket for her wallet. She fished out a five and a one, handing it over to him before taking the glass. “Thank you.”
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