The Bar

Artist: Max

Escort: Candice

Bride: Tia

Fourth Character: Roark

It's an everyday thing for Max: he wakes up around noon, washes his face with plain water, walks to the bar and broods throughout the day.

"Good morning Max. Regular?" The bartender asks.

"Regular. " He nods back.

He gulps down his whiskey and sits on the cornermost table.

Candice enters, fixes her lipstick, orders a wine and sits on a bar stool.

"Lord! When will I not get to see him? " She rolls her eyes.

The bartender leans in and says, " Give him a chance. A date won't hurt."

"Not for all the tea in China."

Max is hopelessly in love with Candice. When they met a month before, Candice thought Max was a nice human. However, his obsession with Candice was too consuming for her. She maintained her distance after a while and Max lost it. He comes to the bar everyday, keeps looking at her, writes and broods. Candice pretends to look unmoved by his presence. She can't let a client know that a mad writer drinks whiskey on her name and writes mushy poetry.

"Who's that? Wedding dress in a bar? That's ambitious," Candice points to Tia.

"She's been here for 3 hours. She looked hungover but kept drinking more," The bartender replied.

Tia is broken. Last night, she wasn't at her own wedding. Her lover had promised her to meet at a park. When he ditched her, for the night and for life, she found solace in the bar with vodka. She was sad but under the influence of alcohol, she knew how to be happy without a man. Then, there was Max. Max looked like one of the exs of Tia.

"Funny," She giggled, talking to herself.

Max kept looking at Candice, writing about the men she'll be with and the heart she'll break.

Tia notices, decides to pay a small visit to him.

"What are you writing?" Her voice spills around him, breaking the gloomy air. Max realizes that she is drunk in a jiffy.

"Hi. Work. I'm occupied. Sorry." He replies with a fake smile and sinks back to his notebook.

"She is way out of your league," she smiles and sits on the chair. Max sighs, drops his pen.

They start talking. She tells him why she ran away and complains about men. He narrates how Candice is indifferent towards him and why his life is doomed because of the woman.

Candice notices. She's happy his eyes are off her. She moves to the other side of the bar. Max can't see her there. "Refill, please! "The bartender obeys and pours her more wine.

Roark walks in, he is upset and is not making any attempt to hide it from his face.

"Vodka. The strongest one you have."

The bartender obeys.

An upset drunk man dressed in a suit. Best a morning can get me. Candice thinks.

"Need a company?" she smiles at him. Roark doesn't mind. Roark was going to be married but the girl never walked the aisle. He was going to get drunk and do whatever it takes to forget her.

"Tell me what's brings to you this place?" Candice plays with her glass.

"A bad woman." Roark grunts.

"Oh! We can always work on turning that statement around."

"What may I buy you ? Vodka? Or are you fine with your wine?"

"Vodka" she winks, "if the man must insist."

Max finds Tia amusing yet charming. She has definitely distracted him from his Candice. He enjoys her company. Wishes she could stay, longer, much longer.

Tia finds Max romantic. She likes it when he smiles.

Roark is not grunting anymore. Candice's kind voice has calmed him down. Candice figures out Roark is not like a usual client. She wonders why a woman run away with another man on their wedding day.

Last night, Tia and Roark had a heated argument. She didn't want to hurt him but she loved someone else.

Till yesterday, Candice loathed Max. Candice's indifference ripped Max apart.

Today, there is no sad face in the bar. Both the couples will go home happily. Years down the line, they'll be glad this day happened, unaware of each other's happiness.