CHAPTER 7: THE THREE STOOGES

Familiar faces greeted them as Jessica and Flora walked into their usual joint.

“Bar or table?” Jessica asked her friend.

“Bar,” Flora said as she headed towards the island bar in the middle of the pub.

“Hi Flora. What will it be? The usual?”

Flora nodded at the bartender. “Yup. Thanks Nic,” she smiled.

Jessica came up and joined Flora. “Hey, Nic. I’ll have my usual too,” she shouted to him across the bar.

Then she nudged her friend. “New faces today. Your two o’clock,” Jess said to Flora.

Flora moved her head slightly to check out Jessica’s ‘sighting’. Diagonally across from where they were seated were, like Jess had said, new faces they hadn’t seen before. And believe me, Jess and Flora already know most of the patrons in the pub. They were there practically every night!

“Oh my god, I think that girl over there is looking at me,” one of the guys whispered to his friend.

“Keep cool man,” his friend glared at him in annoyance.

“Yea man, you sound like you haven’t had a girl for ages,” the third guy said.

“But I haven’t!” the first guy half-whispered, half-cried out in exasperation.

“Desperado...” the second guy chuckled.

The first guy stole another glance across the bar. “There, there...I’m telling you she’s really looking at me,” he said excitedly.

“Go up and speak to her then,” sighed the second guy.

“Huh? Do I have to?” the first guy asked apprehensively.

The third guy laughed at his friend. “Why? No balls?”

“Hrmph...yea?,” the first guy said sheepishly.

“Is she still looking at you?” the second guy asked.

The first guy took another quick glance. “Uh huh, uh huh, she is,” he nodded his head frantically.

“Buy her a drink then,” he told his friend as he waved for the bartender to approach them.

Jessica grinned. “Three guys. One bumbling idiot. Two trying to play it cool,” she deduced.

Flora chuckled at her friend’s comment. “So, which of the three do you have your eyes set on?”

“Yes sir, how can I help you?” Nic asked the guy in front of him.

The second guy leaned forward towards Nic and gestured towards where the two girls were sitting. “Could you please find out what she’s drinking? My friend here would like to buy her a drink.”

“WHAT?!” Nic shouted above the din of music. “You want to buy that MAN a drink?”

“NO..no...my friend wants to buy HER a drink. Not HIM!” the second guy shouted back.

“HUH? So you want to buy that MAN a drink?!” Nic asked with a confused look on his face.

All three guys simultaneously buried their heads into their hands in embarrassment.

Jessica and Flora nearly choked on their drinks at the sight of them. “Make that three bumbling idiots,” Flora laughed.

Then the second guy slowly peered up at Nic. “No...we’d like to buy that lady in black over there a drink,” he sighed.

“Ohhh...that lady in black over there,” Nic grinned. “No prob at all. Just leave it to me,” he chuckled.

A few minutes later, Nic placed a glass of Martini Vermouth in front of Jessica and pointed behind him. “Compliments of the one in blue,” he grinned as he indicated towards the three guys. Then he placed a gin tonic in front of Flora. “And this is from me,” he said with a wink.

“She’s accepting the drink, she’s accepting the drink,” the first guy exclaimed as he tugged at his friend’s shirt.

“Okay, okay, stay calm. Now go up and talk to her,” his friend told him.

“Err...” the first guy hessitated.

The third guy sighed. “Look, either you go up to her or you spend the whole night tugging at Louis’ shirt here.”

“Looks like he’s making his move,” Flora told Jessica with a chuckle.

“Uh huh,” Jessica mumbled inattentively. She was more interested in the one seated next to him.

A nudge jolted her from her reverie. She looked at Flora quizzically.

“Hi,” said a voice.

Jessica turned towards it and was greeted with a grin as big as a cheshire cat’s.

“Hi,” he tried again. “I’m Nick. Enjoying your drink?”

“Oh! Yes thanks,” Jessica smiled. “I’m Jess and this is Flora,” she said as she gestured towards Flora.

"You know, you guys have the same name," Jess waved between the bartender and her new friend.

"Oh?" Nick scratched his head.

"Yea. Nic, meet Nick," she chuckled.

“What do you think he’s saying to her?” the third guy asked Louis with a chuckle.

“Hi, I’m Nick. Enjoying your drink?” Louis guessed it, word for word. “Man, how long have you known him? He ALWAYS uses the same line. ALWAYS says the same thing,” he grinned.

The third guy laughed. “Give the poor guy some credit.”

“Thanks Bowie. You’re a better friend than this idiot here,” Nick said as he pointed at Louis.

“Eh? You’re back? That was fast,” Louis smirked.

“So what happened?” Bowie asked Nick.

Nick shrugged. “Nothing much.”

“Don’t tell me you didn’t even get her name...” Louis said in disbelief.

Nick glared at his friend. “Her name’s Jess and her friend is Flora.”

“Flora...” Bowie mused as he looked across towards her.

“Is that all?” Louis asked Nick. “Oh man, you’re such a flop!”

“One more smart alec comment from you and I swear I’ll beat you into a pulp,” Nick threatened.

“I’d like to see you try,” Louis grinned.

“Boys, boys. Let’s try to be a little more matured, huh? What will the ladies think?” Bowie chuckled at his two friends.

Nick ignored the teasing. “They said they had to leave soon...but they’ll be here tomorrow night. They asked us to join them for drinks then,” he told them.

Louis nodded in amusement while Bowie let his eyes trail Flora as she got up to leave with Jessica.

“What makes you think I’m free tomorrow night?” Flora questioned Jessica as they walked out of the pub.

Jessica laughed as she put her arm across Flora’s shoulder. “Well, it’s not like you’re going to get any further with that Hayden guy...and besides, you have to admit those three are cute,” she chuckled. “We could be in for some fun, girlfriend!”