Chapter Seven:
Sitting in one of the most back-end bars of Brooklyn, Johnny kept a close eye on the eleven-year-old daughter sat beside him. He'd happily have gone to a fancy bar, but when sports was on he didn't want to be interrupted for autographs and pictures: he just wanted to watch the game with his college buddy Mikey. They always came here to the same bar for peace and alcohol, where the few people who did join them understood the need for privacy, because they came here to seek some for themselves. Still, while he knew that no one in the bar could stand a chance against Jessica if any trouble kicked off, he didn't want his little girl on the six o'clock news.
However, just as his team of choice missed a shot, he, along with every other male in the bar, sent his fist flying into the air, forgetting the impressionable youth at his side as he grumbled: "Goddamn Giants!"
At that moment, the barmaid brought their drinks over. She put the beer bottles down in front of Johnny and Mikey, both of them mumbling a thanks to her without lifting their eyes from the television set in the corner. The barmaid, Louisa, threw her red hair over her shoulders as she placed a coke down in front of Jessica and then glanced at her watch.
"Hey there, cutie, what you are doing here so late?"
Jessica pointed her thumb at Johnny. "Watching football with my dad."
"Oh yeah?" she asked.
"Yeah," she nodded back. "It's a distraction, I think."
"For who?" she asked, noticing that Johnny didn't even see that the two of them were talking. "You or him?"
"Me, I think," Jessica replied, wrinkling her nose in thought. "My cousin's grandpa who I only met, like, twice died this morning so my aunt and uncle went to see Frankie's grandma for a while. I think he's trying to distract me from the 'dead' stuff even though I'm not a baby anymore and I know all about things dying after my goldfish died. Maybe it's a distraction for him though, because it was my aunt that told me about the goldfish when he died, and Dad's distracted anyway 'cause we got a 'situation' at the moment," she rambled.
"A 'situation'?" she repeated, mimicking the way that Jessica exaggerated the word.
She nodded. "That's what we call it so Dad doesn't go crazy about it."
Louisa laughed. "So, that's how you end up watching football on a school night, huh?"
"Guess so."
"Who do you want to win?" Louisa asked.
"The Goddamn Giants," Jessica recited perfectly.
Louisa laughed harder. "Honey, I think there are some times that you're not supposed to listen to your father," she pointed out.
"Maybe," Jessica shrugged.
"Want some chips, on the house?" she offered.
Jessica brightened up. "Wow, really? Thank you!"
Louisa disappeared to get the chips and Johnny turned around, reacting to her words slowly. "Did you just say 'goddamn Giants'?" he asked her.
Innocently, she smiled. "No, Dad. You did?"
He didn't look convinced. "Really?"
"Really, really," she nodded.
"Hey, Jess!" Louisa called from down the bar, launching a bag of chips into the air. "Heads up!"
Jessica caught them effortlessly. "Thanks, Louisa!"
"No problem, kid."
As she went back to her work, Johnny turned to his daughter, looking at her strangely. "You're on first name terms with the barmaid?" he asked her.
"Uh huh," she nodded. "You don't talk much when you and Mikey watch the football, and when you do it's all curse words that I'm not allowed to say, so I've got to talk to someone," she explained.
Johnny looked at the packet in her hand. "Since when did you go around asking for free chips?"
"I didn't," she shrugged. "Louisa asked me if I wanted them."
Johnny looked down the bar at the red-haired woman. "So, her name's Louisa, huh?"
"Yeah," she nodded, catching the look that her father was giving. "Ask her out."
"What?"
"Go ask her on a date," she repeated, with more detail.
Johnny laughed. "You're eleven, what do you know about dates?"
"I know you haven't had one in forever," she said smartly.
"Being that observant will get you into trouble one day," he pointed out, reaching to steal one of her chips.
She held the packet away from him. "You're being evasive!" she complained.
"Do you even know what that word means?" he asked her with a laugh.
"Yes," she said proudly. "Because Auntie Sue says you're evasive when you don't answer the questions."
"You didn't ask me a question," he pointed out.
"That's because it wasn't a question," she shot back at him.
He shook his head, laughing at her. "I'm not doing it."
"But you want to!" she insisted.
"Do I?"
"Yeah, you're looking at her," she pointed out, as if that were reason enough.
"I look at a lot of people," he reminded. "It doesn't mean I want to take them all out on dates."
"No, but you're looking at her differently. You want her in the pants."
Beer shot from his mouth. "Excuse me!"
"What?" she asked innocently. "You do!"
"I'm more worried about where you learnt that expression!" he exclaimed.
Jessica waved it off. "Everyone says it. Do you think she's pretty?"
Stunned, he just nodded, wiping the beer from his chin. "Yes, she's pretty."
"There you go!" Jessica grinned. "You think she's pretty, and I know she's a lovely person because she gives me free chips and talks to me when you're watching the football. You should ask her out," she decided.
He regarded her with narrowed eyes. "What if I do?"
She held out her hand for him to shake. "I promise to get up and go to school tomorrow without a fuss," she swore.
"No grumpy morning moods?" he checked.
"Nope."
"Fine," he said, shaking her hand. "I'll ask her."
Johnny stood up, making his way to the far end of the bar when Louisa was cleaning some glasses by hand. As soon as he was gone, Mikey sighed, and Jess just held out her hands. "You never said you were going to talk him into it," he grumbled.
"You bet me he wouldn't ask her," she reminded him. "Pay up."
Louisa put the glass down when she saw Johnny. "Hey, what can I get you?" she asked.
"Your phone number would be nice," he said smoothly.
She gaped at him. "Excuse me?"
"I'm sorry," he smiled. "I don't mean to be forward but I've just been talked into this by an eleven year old who knows nothing about relationships."
Louisa looked suspicious. "Talked into what?"
"What time should I pick you up?" he asked her instead.
"Excuse me?" she repeated, louder this time.
"Saturday night. What time shall I pick you up?"
"You never even asked me if I was free," she pointed out.
"Damn," he said sarcastically. "I've been out of the game for so long I'm doing it all backwards."
At this, Louisa laughed. "Nice try."
"Thank you."
She looked down the bar. "You're asking me out because your daughter told you to?" she asked, just to get it straight in her head.
"Yeah, as embarrassing as it sounds," he admitted.
She shook her head. "I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm working on Saturday night."
"When do you get off?" he asked.
She raised an eyebrow at him. "You've dated a barmaid before, I'm sure?"
"Yeah, actually," he mumbled. Several of them, but she didn't need to know that.
"Then you should know that barmaid's get off late," she pointed out.
"I guess so," he mumbled with a sigh. "Well, can't blame a guy for trying. Now just gotta go and break it to the kid, you know…"
"Wait," she called as he started walking away. "I guess one date won't hurt."
"On the contrary," he said, throwing her a winning smile. "I assure you it'll be amazing."
"I'll be free Friday night, as long as I can get a babysitter."
"Me too," he laughed. "You've got kids?"
"A boy. Eight years old," she nodded.
"Even more in common," he pointed out. "Except mine's a girl and eleven." He reached for a napkin and scrawled down a number. "This is my cell number. Call me and we can arrange something for Friday. I'd stay and arrange it now, but I'll look like a real bad father if I keep my kid out any longer on a school night," he realised.
She laughed. "Good call."
He headed back over to the other end of the bar, putting his hands on Jessica's shoulders. "Come on, Firefly, you've got school in the morning?"
She looked up at him with a smile. "How'd it go?" she asked.
"None of your business," he teased.
Jessica's jaw dropped. "Of course it's my business, I told you to do it! Are you going on a date?"
"Yes."
Her smile grew. "When?"
"Friday. Happy now?"
"Very," she nodded, before leaning over to Mikey again. "That's another ten bucks."
Watching Mikey crush another bill into Jessica's hand with a grumble, he sighed. "Who taught you how to gamble?" Johnny asked.
"You did," she said sweetly.
As they were walking into their apartment they bumped into Ben and Alicia, who were also returned from a night out. "Hey guys," Johnny waved them down.
"Hey, matchsticks," Ben mumbled.
"You're out a bit late on a school night," Alicia noted.
"We went to watch the football," Jessica said enthusiastically.
"Did you have fun?" Alicia asked her.
"Yeah, Dad's going to-"
"Firefly, you go in and get ready for bed," he said, handing her the front door key.
She pouted at him, clearly wanting to tell her story. "But-"
"Go," he told her.
She huffed, taking the key that her father gave her and heading to the apartment. Ben looked at them in amusement before focusing on Johnny. "Something you don't want us to know?" he asked gruffly.
Johnny, however, chose to avoid the direct question. "Can you guys do me a favour?" he asked.
"Of course," Alicia said, before Ben could give the opposite answer.
"Are you busy Friday night?"
"We're goin' to Alicia's parents for dinner but we're in after six," Ben told him.
"Great," he nodded. "You mind watching Jessie? I don't know if Sue and Reed will be back by then and I have plans."
"Plans?" Alicia asked curiously.
"Does 'plans' mean 'party'?" Ben asked him.
"No, actually, I'm going on a date," Johnny told them.
Alicia nodded. "So, that's what Jessie was trying to tell us," she realised.
"A date?" Ben laughed. "You?"
"Yes," he said stubbornly. "Don't sound so surprised."
"Well, it's been a while," he justified.
"Which is why I'd really like to go," he told them.
"Who's the unlucky girl?" Ben asked him, still somewhat laughing at him.
"Just a friend from the bar," he said vaguely. "Might take her out to dinner."
Alicia raised an eyebrow. "Would this be Louisa who gives out free chips by any chance?" she asked.
Johnny frowned. "You know about Louisa?"
Ben nodded. "We all do. Jess says that you 'want her in the pants', whatever that's supposed to mean," he revealed.
Johnny groaned. "I'd like to think that doesn't mean what I think it does, but I've got a feeling that it probably does. Can you watch her or not?"
"Sure," Ben nodded, knowing that Alicia would never let him hear the end of it if he refused. "You want us to come up to yours or bring her down here?"
"You mind coming up?" he asked. "I don't know how late I'll be in."
"Remember, it's a first date," Alicia warned him playfully.
"Johnny doesn't normally get to a second date," Ben reminded her.
"Hey," he protested. "This one's different."
"How?" Ben asked. "Other than that she has a job that doesn't involve her taking her clothes off for cash?"
"Jessie likes her as well," Johnny told him. "And Louisa's got a kid too, so she understands that stuff. We're going to do this the grown up way."
"Oh, you finally learned about that," Ben admired.
"Very funny," he grumbled. "I'll see you guys tomorrow sometime," he said, heading upstairs to have a word with his daughter about how much she intended to tell their family about his apparent date with Louisa.
