Promptings from Valhalla - 16. Future Foreseen?

Protagonist: John the architect from Minnesota

Goal: to be wild and free

Obstacle: the bartender from Seattle

Action: learns to foresee the future

Future Foreseen?

John jumped and leaned away from the hand waving in front of his face. He scowled at the grinning man in the Armani suit standing next to him.

“Earth to John. Pay attention, would you? This project is supposed to be your baby. You could at least show some interest in it.”

John sat a little straighter in his chair and twisted his wedding ring. The white gold felt like it burned as he moved it around his finger. “What was the question, Seth?”

Seth motioned toward the scale model of a business park. John had finished the design about a week ago and now was meeting with the senior members of the agency he worked for to finalize the details. “Leon thinks we should move this building—” he moved one of the models to the other side of the board the miniature complex occupied “—to here.”

John’s first instinct was to say ‘no’. The move completely changed the aesthetic of the complex. And not in a good way. “Well—” he started.

“Good! I knew you’d agree,” stated Seth as he turned to the others present for the meeting. He then launched into the rest of the presentation, essentially taking credit for John’s work.

John tuned him out again and returned to staring out the window. Why was he at the meeting in the first place since his opinion obviously meant nothing? A flock of pigeons flew in a swarm past his window and glided to the ground. Most people thought of them as rats with wings. John thought their pastel gray hues and graceful flight was beautiful. He snorted, drawing disapproving looks from his superiors. He was jealous of pigeons. What had his life become?

John hesitated outside the bar. His nervous habit of twisting his wedding ring was in full force. He slid it off his finger into his pocket, trying pointedly not to think of the implications of that movement. A group of smiling, laughing people absorbed him into their mass, sweeping him along with them into “The Rainbow Room”. So much for choices. He twisted his way out of the group and headed for the bar.

He took a seat at the end and bounced his leg as he surveyed the room. Bright neon rainbows and liquor signs dotted the walls, shining bright colors on those who sat or stood near them. The place wasn’t too crowded yet, but he had a feeling in another hour or two it would be.

“What can I get you?”

John cursed himself for being so jumpy. He turned toward the bartender and stared, his mouth gaping open. It wasn’t that the man was particularly gorgeous or handsome or anything. In fact, he was quite ordinary. He had jet black hair cut in a short, spiky style and bright blue eyes that sparkled in the glare of the red neon sign above him. He wore a hot pink shirt that fit him like it was tailored exclusively for him. His mouth quirked into a half smile/smirk as he looked over the patron gaping at him.

“Close your mouth, sweetie…”

“You’ll catch flies that way,” they said in unison.

The bartender raised an eyebrow. “Have we met? Somehow, I get the feeling I’d remember if we did.” His smile was more genuine this time.

John swallowed and tried to still his trembling hands. “I… I… I’ve never been here before.” He looked at the bartender in wonder. “But I’ve been dreaming about you for months.”

The bartender rolled his eyes and leaned his hands on the counter. “Oh honey, you need to work on your pickup lines. Now, what can I get you?”

“It’s not a pickup line….” John started, then trailed off. Why bother? Then he sat up straighter. “I have to remember the pigeons,” he muttered.

“Pigeons?”

John looked the bartender in the eye, full of his new resolve to be wild and free. “I’ll have a rainbow cactus with a unicorn chaser.”

The bartender narrowed his eyes. “I thought you haven’t been here before?”

John smirked and looked the man up and down. “I haven’t. I told you, I’ve been dreaming about you.”

The bartender nodded and moved to make the off-menu drink. He had a feeling that his strange patron wasn’t giving him a pickup line.

John remained at the bar until closing time. He had been right about the place filling up. He was hit on a few times, but he only had eyes for the black-haired bartender. Several times he’d caught Eddie looking his way and it made his heart beat faster every time. He wondered if he was having another dream—one which felt much more real than the others.

At closing time, John was the last one in the bar, sitting on the same stool he had all night. Eddie walked over. “Sorry, but it’s closing time. You’ll have to leave.”

John hopped down from the stool, walked over to the man, placed his hand on the back of the bartender’s head, and pulled him in for a kiss. To his surprise, the bartender didn’t resist, but actually responded. The feeling was unlike anything John had experienced in his dull life. He smirked and placed a card with his phone number in the other man’s hand. “Call me, Eddie.” He then strode out the bar with a confidence he’d never shown before. Wild and free, indeed, he thought.