Open for Business

Posted on Thu Jun 21st, 2012 @ 2:39am by Commander Basil Hart & Jake Stonebender & Commodore Lauren Ongaku-Chi & Colonel Wilhelm Baron von Hackleberg & Commander Raven Adams & Lieutenant JG Jane Porter

1,144 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: [Typhon] Through a Window Darkly
Location: Jake's Place, Promenade
Timeline: Present

ON
Jake Stonebender stood behind the bar of Jake’s Place. He expected it to be slow, but without the old regulars, it was downright boring. He put down the glass he was polishing for the hundredth time, and walked out from behind the bar. Looking back at the old-fashioned painting behind it, he sighed. “Oh, Mary! I miss everybody. I know they’ll be along now that the bar’s open, but the first little while is hard.” The nude painting didn’t answer. He didn’t really expect it to. Mary, along with her parents Mike Callahan and Lady Sally and her husband Mike Finn, had all gone far up the time line, never to return. He wandered out of the front door, and looked forlornly at the small hand-painted sign: “Jake’s Place”. Then he noticed something. The sign below it still read “Closed”.

He laughed out loud, causing the few heads in this part of the Promenade to turn as he changed it to say “open”. Checking to make sure his hours of operation were properly blurred, he walked back inside to check his stock of spirits in the back room and verify that he had enough beer nuts.
The bell he had attached to the front door rang, and a familiar voice called out, “Boss? Hey, Boss?” Jake burst out of the back room and zeroed in on the runty, monkey-faced piano player, enveloping him in a big bear-hug! “EDDIE! I knew you’d be the first one to show up!”

Fast Eddie Costigan wrinkled his face as he struggled to escape Jake’s enthusiastic greeting. “AWWW, GEEZ, Boss! Lemme go, willya? I’m happy ta see youse too, but I don’t wanna kiss ya!”

Jake let him go, and went behind the bar, pouring both him and Eddie a shot of Bushmill’s Best. “This one’s on the house, Eddie! I can’t tell you how good it is to see you! What do you think of the place? Where’s the rest of the gang? Did you have any trouble finding me?”

Eddie chuckled. “C’mon, Boss! Ya know I don’t count too good, an’ I ain’t been keepin’ track of da rest of da gang. I thought I saw Ralphie getting hassled by station security, but it coulda’ been any shepherd."

They were interrupted by the familiar ring of the front door.

The ring, was none other, than Commodore Ongaku-Chi, herself. "I am told this place sells real alcohol. I have come to partake. This is not an official visit." She noted, sharply. "I'm not on duty, as you were."

Wilhelm seen the sign then sent a brief message to Jane to see if she wanted to join him. Wilhelm then entered with a clang from the bell on the door. Liking the old Earth charm of the place he went up to the bar and waited.

With all the activity from the dinosaurs and the change in command, Jane hadn't seen Wilhelm in days and was eager to spend some time with him. She slipped into the bar, surprised at its quaint charm.

She quickly found Wilhelm and kissed him before taking a seat. "Thank you for inviting me here."

"Your welcome. Sorry I've been busy with the local 'fauna'." Wilhelm said, "So what's your poison?"

"I've heard about that particular 'fauna,'" Jane said, grinning. "I'm glad they didn't decide to take up residence in the arboretum." She paused for a moment to consider. "A glass of wine would be lovely."

Jake grinned and headed behind the bar. "What'll you have, Commodore? Bushnell's, Tullamore Dew, Andorian Absynthe?" He grinned amiably. Remember, folks, first round's on me! If anyone's curious, I'll explain the House rules!"

"Andorian Absynthe is rather against regulations." Ongaku-Chi noted. "I'll have two."

Wilhem looked over at Jake behind the bar, "Can we get a glass of your best house wine, and a bottle of Beck's please?"

Jake busied himself filling orders, including the contraband Andorian beverage, the beer and the wine, then poured himself a shot of Bushmill's best, and stepped up to the chalk line. "Jadies and Lentlemen!" he began. "Before I propose my toast in celebration of our grand opening, Let me explain a few house rules: All drinks in this establishment are two credits." He indicated an old-fashioned cigar box at the end of the bar. "When you place an order, you will place two credits in that box! You will then get your poison of choice. At this point, you have two options: You can either walk up to this here chalk line and propose a toast, or finish your drink and retrieve one credit from the box. I am proud to say that as long as I have tended bar and held this tradition, my cigar box has never been empty."

Seeing that he had the room's attention, Jake continued. "If you exercise your first option, everybody shuts up and listens to the toast. If you want to explain the reason behind your toast, you may, but it is not required. Anybody who ridicules, makes fun of, interrupts, or asks a leading question while you're unloading will get a taste of Fast Eddie's blackjack, and a permanent invitation to the outside world. After your toast is made, you deep-six your glass into the fireplace, and everybody else can do the same! (Don't worry, I get these glasses really cheap!)"

He looked around the room. "And now, A toast!" he raised his glass. "I learned a long time ago that shared pain is lessened, and shared joy is increased. Thus do we refute Entropy. May my humble establishment be the place we can all come to refute Entropy. TO JAKE'S PLACE!" HE drained the shot glass in one gulp, and hurled it into the fireplace, where it shattered brilliantly. The strange thing was, not a single shard left the fireplace.

"To Jake's Place!" Ongaku-Chi said, downing the firey Andorian drink, and tossing the glass into the fireplace. "I do believe my new liver needs proper breaking in. I'll have another."

Jane observed the two and decided it would be best to follow suit. "To Jake's Place," she echoed, tossing her wine glass into the fireplace.

She returned to her seat beside Wilhelm and grinned. "When in Rome..."

Jake refreshed the commodore's drink, noting with satisfaction the increased glow in her cheeks. There was a reason Andorian Absynthe was contraband...

Eddie sat down at the piano and tackled a difficult barrel house version of "Hey, it's Good to be Back Home Again", and was awarded the supreme accolade: a hail of beer nuts. He grinned sheepishly and flicked the nuts off the keys without missing a beat or a note. The place was getting a great kick-off.

TO BE CONTINUED...

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