Hey guys! Just a little explanation for this 'out of the blue' jate (-scratches arms-) ficlet: this was written for a very biased Challenge in LF, and since the results are out, I think I can publish it here. The word limit was 500 words, so it didn't allow a big development of the characters, which lead to this absolutely... weird... piece of jateness. It bugs me, yeah. I don't REALLY like to write jate. Or kack.
Passing Afternoon
Kate opened the door slowly, trying to let herself get used to that smoky, yellow atmosphere from the bar. Pushing the wooden door in, she walked towards the counter, passing by a pool table where two men were playing. Passing by the men, she greeted them.
"Hey Marty. Cole." Both men looked at her with amusement and smiled, going back to their game.
Kate sat on one of the stools and placed her purse near her feet, on the floor, feeling the leather against the uncovered skin of her right foot. Inhaling deeply, she looked around and smiled, feeling calm and relaxed, wanting to enjoy that rare moment of peace she was allowing herself to have. 6pm, her happy hour. Her schedule was constantly filled, and she was always running from one place to another, working for a company that was orientated towards humanitarian work. She loved helping people, and incidentally she was able to travel a lot, which was good for her unsettling spirit and her constant need to be on the move. Those five years running had marked her, and even if the accusations had been withdrawn, her soul was still restless, unable to stay in one place for a long time.
"You gonna want something to drink, Kate?" Sam, the bartender, was looking at her impatiently. She had no idea of how long she had been distracted, looking at her hands and at the counter, lost in her thoughts. She smiled at the man; a half shy smile that she knew would earn his sympathy back. As she did it, the playful look came back to Sam's eyes.
"I'll have a beer." He nodded and turned his back on her.
While Sam was getting her the beer, Kate hopped down from the stool and walked over to the old jukebox that was on the other side of the bar. Smiling a little, she took some coins out of the pocket in her blazer and dropped it inside the box. Pressing two buttons, Billie Holiday's voice started to come out of the player in a soft, tender tone. Going back to her stool with a smile on her face, she sat there and took a sip of her beer.
I'll be seeing you in all the old familiar faces…
She took another sip, until she felt a mouth pressed against her ear and smiled.
"Same song every day, right?" she turned herself and kissed the man's lips tenderly. He kissed her back, smiling and sitting on the stool next to her, and ordering another beer. Sam brought it quickly and they both smiled as they enjoyed their drinks and the song that was almost finishing.
Kissing her knuckles softly, Jack looked up into her eyes, and saw she was peaceful and beautiful. He loved to see her like that. Putting his fingers around her wedding band, he felt it warm at his touch. She smiled shyly, caressing his face softly with her hand.
Placing some money on the counter, she hopped down from the stool and picked up her purse from the floor. Taking his hand, she pulled him with her on her way out, smiling softly.
"Let's go home." She said, and he smiled.