‘ gin , right ? ’ nellie says , squinting her eyes at the dark haired man who sits across from her as she cleans a glass with a rag , pretending she did not recognize him . it was little antics like this that kept her entertained during the slower shifts —— some found her amusing ( though no one more than herself ) , others wished she would just pour the drinks and smile , but the barmaid was never one to be heavily influenced by what others thought if she had already made a decision for herself . ‘ it’s half price if you tell me another story , but only if it’s a good one . ’ she had enough tips from the night before to cover the difference and now that she had heard one , she was determined to get more out of valentîn . they were friendly enough with each other , but nellie had decided she was going to be friends with the jockey , and she wasn’t going to give him much choice in the matter . @vgiroux