Putting his leg on the ground, Dante powered the Raven off and removed his helmet. In the dark back alley, only a small lamp cast its light on a certain door and the sign standing beside it. A yellow bird with a long beak marked the small rectangle of synthetic wood, and right below it were two words written in twirling cursive letters.
Staring at the sign for a while, Dante heaved a sigh and scanned his surroundings. A second bike was parked nearby, which meant that his date had already arrived.
’I should have asked for a bonus...’
Dante swallowed his frustration and made his way toward the bar’s entrance. He could already hear the mellow jazz even before opening the door, and once inside, he noticed that everything was exactly like he had imagined, which wasn’t that odd considering nothing had changed since the last time he had visited the establishment.
Another thing that caught his attention was that only one other person was in there besides him. He had a feeling that the bar didn’t get many customers, but to see it entirely empty was a bit odd.
"Ah, mister Dante," The bartender met him with a smile. "You have finally arrived."
"Good afternoon, Mr. Walker."
"Please, call me Thomas."
It looked like he had something else to say, but at that moment, the door at the back of the shop opened and a purple-haired woman walked out. The instant she laid her eyes on Dante, her face seemed to brighten and she came running in his direction.
Rose didn’t hesitate and threw herself at him, her arms held out and ready for an embrace. Though he was tempted to step aside and let her slam face-first into the door, Dante ultimately suppressed that desire and accepted his fate.
He was enveloped in a hug tight enough to squeeze the soul out of him. Any guy his age would have ignited in his place. Dante, however, was as cold as a frozen corpse.
"You actually came!" She said while nuzzling his chest. "I was afraid that you would ghost me."
Dante heaved a long sigh.
"And make things more awkward for me? Besides, I like to keep my promises."
"Wow! How manly of you!"
Stepping back, she grabbed his hand and gently pulled him inside.
"Alright, let’s get something to drink first," She said. "Everything is on me tonight, so don’t hold back."
Thomas watched the whole scene with a genuine smile, somehow finding the whole matter amusing. As the two sat at the counter, with Rose taking the seat to Dante’s right, Thomas walked over with a thin tablet device.
"I believe this will be of much use to you, Mr. Dante."
The screen displayed a menu listing a number of drinks and cocktails. Dante recognized some of the names, but he wasn’t about to order any of those.
Drinks famous enough for him to recognize meant a high concentration of alcohol, and if there was one thing he needed to make sure of, it would be that he doesn’t get drunk tonight. Thankfully, the menu had an option to filter the items based on the alcohol percentage they contain.
"I will have a Shandy." He said after some time.
"Starting with something light, huh?" Rose chuckled. "I will have a Sazerac."
As Thomas went about preparing the drinks, she leaned on the counter, propping her head with her hands and smiled. Dante held her gaze, not daring to look away.
"The first time we met, you were drinking a simple beer as well." She said. "Is alcohol not your thing?"
"Can’t say I’m a fan," Dante replied. "Haven’t had that many drinks to begin with."
He was only nineteen, and though he had spent the last four years with no one holding his reins, he somehow managed to avoid drowning in any of the common substances others tend to abuse.
’Oh, right...’ as the old bartender placed a long glass full of a bright yellow liquid in front of him, Dante suddenly recalled the main reason he steered away from those things. ’The old bastard was always there...’
"I see." Staring at him some more, Rose’s smile seemed to soften a little. "Well, I’m somewhat of an expert when it comes to these things. So long as you hang out with me, I’m sure you’ll learn to enjoy a glass or two from time to time."
"I don’t know about that."
Just then, Thomas finished making the Sazerac and nudged it closer to her. It appeared like a normal glass of whiskey, although a bit more colorful. The red of the absinthe blended with the clear ice, and the small lemon peel added a dash of contrast, further enhancing the cocktail’s visual appeal.
Picking up the glass, Rose held it closer to Dante, who did the same after reading her intention. A faint clang followed their silent toast and they both sipped from their drinks, taking a moment to savor the taste. Bringing the glass to her lips one more time, Rose took another sip. Her silence lasted a few more seconds, her gaze having left Dante. After a third sip, she placed the cup down and let out a wistful sigh.
"As much as I would have liked this to be a proper date, I didn’t ask you out just to enjoy some drinks."
Dante raised an eyebrow at her, silently asking what she was going on about.
"When we met the first time, I made it look like a coincidence." She placed a finger over the rim of her glass, gently tracing its arc. "As you already know, the gun shop you visited that night belongs to me. When you asked to see our list, Gill immediately contacted me. Ah, Gill is the name of the manager you met."
"So he was just a manager..." Dante remembered that the guy had chain tattoos on his arms, which made him a member of the local gang.
"Don’t worry, I’m independent from Los Aros. Gill just works there to keep up appearances."
Picking up her glass, Rose sipped some of the red liquid, then placed it down, remaining silent for a few seconds.
"I’m gathering info on Black Skull, you see. Planning to wipe them out and all." She said. "At first I didn’t mind letting you mark one or two of their goons, but... well, a few things changed by the time you made it to the club." Glancing his way, she smiled mischievously. "I had to stop you from going ahead with the hunt so... sorry about what happened."