When Silvia entered the gathering area of The Club, from the back hallway, she had changed to a simple black dress with a below the knee skirt and matching dance slippers. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, simple but elegant. As she approached the bar in the corner of the entry hall, she only saw Sarah’s back, as Sarah chatted with Alexis behind the bar.
While Alexis continued to chat with Sarah, her hands poured various liquids from various bottles into a shaker to her left. All the while, Alexis let her eyes match Silvia’s now and then. When Silvia was about five feet from the bar, Sarah finally noticed Alexis’ look and turned around on her bar stool to see what was behind her.
For a few seconds, Silvia and Sarah simply stared at one another. Then there was a sudden distraction.
It was the sound of cocktail shaker being aggressively rattled. “Have a seat, Silvia. Look who’s here” Alexis said, using the shaker to point at the stool next to Sarah.
Biting her lower lip, Silvia nodded and sat down where Alexis indicated. She then raised her face to look at Sarah. It was like the years had vanished and they really were sitting in that coffee shop they used to go to. Happier times.
Before all the recriminations. Before all the pain.
Before the silence.
“You know,” Alexis told the both of them, “if I am the only one going to be talking, I’m going to start singing. And no one wants that.” She then set cocktail napkins before each of the other two ladies and put a large bowl glass on the one in front of Sarah. Into this she poured a rather purplish liquid from the shaker.
Both Silvia and Sarah snort laughed, as Sarah picked up her glass to sip. “Please don’t”, she said before taking a drink. Licking her lips and setting the glass on the napkin, she told Alexis “Wonderful as always, Alexis. You remembered.”
Alexis winked at Sarah and proceeded to mix another drink. “Of course I did, Hon. It hasn’t been that long.” Alexis told her, then shifted her gaze to Silvia, “Has it, Siliva?”
Silvia suddenly looked up at Alexis and then over to Sarah. Tears half formed in her eyes, she told the both of them “Too Long. Way too long.” And then placed her hand on the edge of the bar next to Sarah. Sarah stared at the hand and with little hesitation, placed Her’s on top of Silvia’s.
Alexis placed the second finished cocktail in front of Silvia and then placed her hand on top of theirs. It was large enough to cover both of theirs. Squeezing hard so they could both feel the calluses from Alexis’ construction work. “I’m telling you both, silence or crying means endless verses of ‘Henery The Eighth I am’.”