The air outside was crisp like the fall, but dreary like the winter. Special agents Dinozzo, Bishop, McGee and fellow police officer Zoe Keats are almost at the door to the bar, where as per Zoe's orders, Tony is to buy them all drinks.
"What bar are you thinking about, Tony?" asked McGee.
"Yeah, since you're buying." Joked Bishop.
The funny thing was, Tony already had a bar in mind, a bar that he had not been to in a very long time. He became lost in thoughts on the drive to the bar, and almost forgot all about his newest love affair, officer Zoe Keats. Tony really hasn't been going to bars much, he hasn't really been going out much in general, if he has it's been a restaurant.
"Spider, what's wrong with you?" asked Keats. "Are you upset I offered you up o buy drinks?"
She waited a few seconds for her answer, but noticing Tony was not in his head, she tapped his elbow from the diver's seat of the car.
"Hey, Tony, what's going on with you tonight?"
"Huh?" Tony sounded dazed. "Oh, sorry, nothing. Nothing, just a long day at the office."
"Oh, really? Okay, then." Keats surrendered, although she knew he was lying. Just as the conversation ended, they pulled up to the bar and noticed Bishop, McGee, and Abby standing in the parking lot awaiting the arrival of their tab holders for the night.
"Tony!" Keats was slightly startled at this, she was not used to Abby's frequent squeals of excitement.
"Hey, Abbs. Good to see you."
"You okay, Tony?"
Instead of answering, Tony gave Abby a wry look and once she caught his gaze, she knew that something was up, but not to ask right now. The right side of her mouth curled into a knowing sly smile, and Tony glanced at Zoe. Abby nodded in agreement, and took this as a sign that she should ask later, and Tony knew that she would. In order to not alert anymore people in their party of his apparent distress, he walked up to officer Keats and grabbed her around the wait from behind, giving a sly smile and planting a small and seductive kiss on her neck. She returned a smile, and they all walked inside. Tony was relieved that he was no longer the center of attention, at least not for right now.
The inside of the bar walls were lined with brick, a long bar and stools at the front of the building, mahogany booths along the back wall, and scattered round tables with high sitting chairs carelessly placed around the mid section of the building. The air was musky, and the lighting was dark. Aside from sparse lights at the bar and a few above the booths, the place was almost black, save a very dark grey. Right away, McGee, Abby, and Bishop were at the bar ordering a round of drinks. Tony and Zoe went to sit in a booth, and were only there for a few short seconds before the rest of the group came bounding back to them a round of beers, and a shot for Tony, since he was buying, after all.