Chapter Twenty-Six
Of course, the door to the bar didn’t open when Jay stood in front of it. This was a new experience to Jay, and he just couldn’t get used to it. He couldn’t get into his flat. Not even his building. And now he realised that access to just about every public place would be restricted too. He was standing at the door wondering what his next step might be when it suddenly opened in front of him, and four clubbers stumbled out of the heated room. The four men were all dressed in black, and wore identical shades. Perhaps, Jay found himself thinking, they were a performance art group. The blast of heat and music was enough to convince Jay that he needed to get inside, and he stepped forward without thinking, edging his way around the group coming out of the bar.
Inside, the sound of the bass-heavy music was deafening. The place was dark, and full of dimly lit corners where small groups of people huddled in intimacy. Here and there, relics from an almost forgotten past had been carefully positioned to break up the large room, and create new private spaces near the clear glass tables.To Jay’s left, two youths in blue denims and white t-shirts were lounging around an abandoned Cheverolet motor car, one of them leaning on the bonnet. Their jeans were ragged, and their t-shirts had been purposely slashed to expose the flesh below. This would help him blend in, Jay thought, casting an eye over his own attire.
Nobody took a second look at him as Jay moved past the couple and the car, towards a corner that had been decorated to look like an oasis, with a tall fake silver palm tree standing in the middle of an island. A small trough of water separated the island from the rest of the bar, although access was provided by a narrow gangway. It was difficult to say whether the proprietors of the bar wanted people to go there, but sitting there now was an unhealthily thin man with a large red mohican. He had a tall drink in his hand and was dressed in black trousers, jacket and t-shirt, all of which were made of leather. He looked up and smiled as Jay approached. Jay hadn’t seen him before; he was just looking for a place to sit, where he could be on his own and collect his thoughts. He didn’t return the smile. The last thing he wanted to do in his condition was to attract the unwanted attention of a gay Goth. He changed direction slightly and walked away from the island towards a small red and yellow carousel, finally taking a seat on a bench, equidistant from the island and the carousel. It was a good choice as it meant he was facing the carousel, had his back to the island, and the view from the bar was blocked by a group of tall fake plastic trees.
How long could he stay there? Would anyone approach him and challenge his status or ask him why he wasn’t drinking? Probably not. The bar was a pay-per-use bar, and Jay realised this meant that credit from people’s smart cards was deducted automatically depending on how long they were there. Customers also paid for drinks, but if Jay didn’t approach the bar he would be alright. Jay looked around. There was a risk that someone from the bar would notice him if he stayed too long, or if he didn’t have a drink, but otherwise he would be fine. There were enough people there on their own – it wouldn’t look strange for Jay to be sitting here without anyone for company. He did need a drink though.
625 words
16861 words in total
Inside, the sound of the bass-heavy music was deafening. The place was dark, and full of dimly lit corners where small groups of people huddled in intimacy. Here and there, relics from an almost forgotten past had been carefully positioned to break up the large room, and create new private spaces near the clear glass tables.To Jay’s left, two youths in blue denims and white t-shirts were lounging around an abandoned Cheverolet motor car, one of them leaning on the bonnet. Their jeans were ragged, and their t-shirts had been purposely slashed to expose the flesh below. This would help him blend in, Jay thought, casting an eye over his own attire.
Nobody took a second look at him as Jay moved past the couple and the car, towards a corner that had been decorated to look like an oasis, with a tall fake silver palm tree standing in the middle of an island. A small trough of water separated the island from the rest of the bar, although access was provided by a narrow gangway. It was difficult to say whether the proprietors of the bar wanted people to go there, but sitting there now was an unhealthily thin man with a large red mohican. He had a tall drink in his hand and was dressed in black trousers, jacket and t-shirt, all of which were made of leather. He looked up and smiled as Jay approached. Jay hadn’t seen him before; he was just looking for a place to sit, where he could be on his own and collect his thoughts. He didn’t return the smile. The last thing he wanted to do in his condition was to attract the unwanted attention of a gay Goth. He changed direction slightly and walked away from the island towards a small red and yellow carousel, finally taking a seat on a bench, equidistant from the island and the carousel. It was a good choice as it meant he was facing the carousel, had his back to the island, and the view from the bar was blocked by a group of tall fake plastic trees.
How long could he stay there? Would anyone approach him and challenge his status or ask him why he wasn’t drinking? Probably not. The bar was a pay-per-use bar, and Jay realised this meant that credit from people’s smart cards was deducted automatically depending on how long they were there. Customers also paid for drinks, but if Jay didn’t approach the bar he would be alright. Jay looked around. There was a risk that someone from the bar would notice him if he stayed too long, or if he didn’t have a drink, but otherwise he would be fine. There were enough people there on their own – it wouldn’t look strange for Jay to be sitting here without anyone for company. He did need a drink though.
625 words
16861 words in total
posted by blog-efl at 24.11.04
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