62 A strange deal

At Elite Bar…

As the night progressed, the bar became increasingly crowded. The tables and booths were all full. The wooden stools in front of the counter were also full.

A bartender with his sleeves rolled up moved from one end of the counter to the other. Servers were waving through patrons with trays held high to avoid collisions.

Everyone was drinking, laughing, and gossiping with friends while staring at strangers. Some argued about sports, while others complained about their jobs.

The lighting was dim, and there was music playing in the background.

Vivian and Eddie were sitting in a booth, the smell of booze and the smoke of cigarettes filling the air. She slowly spun the highball glass and stared at the cocktail, lost in thought.

She had come here with Eddie, who had not accepted yet that he had the pen drive. She felt foolish and irritated with herself for expecting him to readily hand it over.