Eye Of The Beholder (Part 4)

(The Conclusion)

With last call having been announced, the lights in the Royal Omi Hotel Bar have dimmed. Many of the patrons have left and gone on their way leaving the room only sparsely filled with those who remain.  Streaming light jazz accentuating in the background has quieted the once jovial tone of the crowd noise to a continuous  soft murmur. The setting has now become more conducive to romantic enticements rather than general socializing.

A bright smile graces Sabrina’s face as slowly she transitions back to reality from her dreamy preoccupation with a potential exploration of the senses with Daniel. Looking down at the counter she notices a fresh drink has been placed before her. She looks up towards the bartender.

“Courtesy of the gentleman sitting across the room” , he says. His eyes shifting back and forth between the two of them.

She thanks the bartender with a modest smile, picks up her drink and shifts her body in Daniel’s direction.  Salutations are exchange as Sabrina raises her drink, then takes a sip. Daniel does likewise. As they sit starring at each other, her eyes start blinking invitation, her body sways with yearning. Daniel’s smile gestures his admiration.

The Bartender can only stand back and smile as he watches it all unfold. He’s observed them the entire evening, noticing the eye contact between them and now anxiously awaits the outcome of their flirtation.

Several minutes pass and a few more customers rise to leave the bar. It appears the interest in exploring potentialities further has arrived at a stalemate as nothing further has transpired between Daniel and Sabrina.

Daniel finishes his beer then looks straight ahead. Going back into deep thought. Feeling a bit let down and somewhat disappointed Sabrina shifts her body back towards the bar and continues to slowly sip on her drink

In extreme disbelief that neither has acted upon the vibrations that have bounced between them. Feeling as if they should be together or at minimum get together and engage in conversation. The Bartender decides to take measures into his own hands and assist. He has seen something like this happen from behind his bar all too often and feels he can recognize a match when he see’s it.

“Alright everyone! Technically we are closed but how about one more round on the house”, he yells aloud.


The customers that remain cheer their approval. Those willing to take him up on his offer are served while some others choose to leave, thinning out the room even more.

The Bartender pours a beer but this one he will deliver personally.  He arrives at Daniel table.

“Another Guinness for you my friend, on the house”, he says cordially while serving it.

“Thank You”, Daniel replies

“Can I ask you something”, the Bartender asks.

“By all means”, Daniel replies.

With discontent in his voice he says, “I’ve been noticing you and the lady all evening. Having the hots’ for each other and all that. Why are ya sitting by yourself over here instead of sitting with her for chrice sakes”.

“That’s a fair question”, Daniel responds. “You know, over the years I’ve learned not to settle for the obvious that just jumps right out at you. So often it can be deceiving”.

“Well I’m not some educated expert”, the bartender says, “but if you can’t tell that Lady over there is a class act, then you’ve been bitten on your ass once to many times and there’s probably no help for you”, he says with a seeming developing attitude.

“Besides, whatever happened to trusting your intuition?”, he asks. Leaving that question in Daniel’s mind to ponder, the bartender returns to his workplace behind the bar.

Daniel continues drinking his beer until it is finished. He then rises and walks to the bar to pay his tab. While standing there completing the transaction, he greets Sabrina

Reaching to shake her hand, “Hello I’m Daniel”

“I’m Sabrina, nice to meet you”

Their eyes dilate as they are both smitten, looking closer into each other

“You're really very pretty”, Daniel offers

“You're not so bad yourself”, Sabrina responds.

With that, Daniel releases Sabrina hand and leaves the bar. Sabrina can only sit and wonder what could have been as she watches him leave. She looks at the bartender confused. The bartender can only shrug his shoulders as he has no understanding of Daniel’s (non)action either.

The bar was officially closed. All whom were still there began to leave and Sabrina herself got up to return to her room. As she stands waiting for the elevator to take her to her room. Still she can't help but think how nice it may have been to spend a night with Daniel. Imagining what it would have been like.  No big deal, his loss she concedes and justifies to herself. The elevator doors open upon arrival.  She steps in, presses the button to her floor and as the doors close, so too are her thoughts of romantic bliss closed off.

Daniel was staying in another hotel about 15 minutes across town. He wound up at the bar that night upon recommendation. Driving through the downtown area in the car he rented, he was only 5 minutes away from his hotel when visions of Sabrina seeped back into his mind. The bartender words of trusting his intuition were also echoing deep within his thoughts.

He didn’t want a one night stand and by all means he didn’t not want to partake in what would eventually become another failed relationship

A collage of visions begin to saturate his mind. Her eyes, her lips, her smile,  kissing her. More echoes, “class act”, “bitten on your ass”, “trusting your intuition”.

Suddenly Daniel slams on the brakes. The cars behind him swerve to miss him avoiding an accident while also wailing their anger with their car horn as they pass by.

Daniel sits in the middle of the street, thinking, thinking……

He then makes a hard U-turn heading back to the Royal Omi Hotel.

Rory

©rj2010
*Eye Of The Beholder was written in collaboration with Suz aka Suzrocks©