The two men walked to the bar together, P.T took Phillip's hat and scarf as they entered the bar, Phillip undid his tie and took a seat on one of the barstools.
He smiled to the bartender, "two shots of whiskey on my friend here" he said cockily, P.T laughed and sat next to him.
The bartender placed two shot glasses in front of the two men and poured the whiskey, Phillip immediately picked up his glass draining it in one swift move shaking his head as the alcohol burned his throat.
P.T looked about before he turned to Phillip, "I wanna go after the carriage trade, present legitimate acts, expand our appeal, go after the snobs" he said leaning closer to Phillip.
Phillip looked at P.T for a moment then back at his empty glass, "if you only knew how suffocating they are" he replied.
P.T ate a peanut, "so come join the circus" he said as he chewed, "you clearly have a flair for show business".
Phillip frowned at P.T, the bartender refilled his drink, "teach me how to appeal to the high brows" P.T said, the two men downed their shots together.
Phillip slammed his glass down and looked at P.T, "are you serious?" He asked, P.T hummed in response.
His head now turned to look at Phillip fully, "Mr Barnum, I can't just run off and join the circus" Phillip said, "why not? Sounds thrilling doesn't it?" P.T asked, he knocked on the bar.
The bartender refilled their glasses again, "let's just say I find it a lot more comfortable admiring your show from afar" Phillip placed his hand on P.T's shoulder before facing forward again.
P.T smiled, "comfort, the enemy of progress" he said, he threw a peanut into the air, catching it in his mouth, Phillip turned back to him, "you understand that just associating with you could cost me my inheritance?" Phillip asked sliding his glass to P.T.
P.T frowned, "oh it could cost you more than that. You'd be risking everything, but on the other hand well…" He slid the glass back in front of Phillip, "you might just find yourself a free man" he said.
Phillip turned back to the bar, the men drained their glasses once more. P.T pointed to a man sitting at the piano at the back and whistled.
He began to play a song, Phillip winced grabbing at his head as it pounded with the sound of the piano and the worsening hangover.
"Right here, right now. I've put the offer out" P.T sang turning to Phillip, Phillip watched him with curiosity, "I don't wanna chase you down, I know you see it" P.T leaned forward lifting his finger in front of Phillip's face, his eyes followed it.
He ran his fingers across the table then pointed to himself, "you run with me and I can cut you free" he snipped the air in front of Phillip.
Phillip frowned, P.T was like no one he had ever met before. "Out of the drudgery and walls you keep in" P.T slammed his hand on the bar.
Phillip turned back to face forward again, the bartender slid the bottle of whiskey to P.T who flipped a coin to the barman.
P.T began refilling their glasses once more as he sung, "so trade your typical for something colourful" he slid the full shot glass in front of Phillip again.
"And if it's crazy, live a little crazy" he shrugged and threw the bottle of whiskey to the bartender. Phillip frowned down at the shot, the idea excited him but the risk was too big.
P.T picked up his hat and placed it on his head with a tap, "you can play it sensible, a king of conventional" P.T sang.
Phillip watched the man with a frown, he drained the glass as P.T turned around, "or you can risk it all and see" P.T finished before drinking his own glass.
He then turned Phillip around in his stool, "don't you wanna get away from the same old part you gotta play?" He asked tugging on Phillip's bowtie.
He backed away and removed his hat, "cause I got what you need so come and take the ride" he placed his hat on the table and flipped another coin to the bartender.
He pushed a chair towards P.T, he jumped off the chair and onto the table to face Phillip.
Phillip's eyes widened as he watched P.T in shock, "cause you can do like you do or you do like me" he sang, turning atop of the table.
"Stay in the cage or you can finally take the key" he kicked his hat up catching it in his hand and transferring it to his head, "oh damn! Suddenly you're free to fly" P.T sang.
The bartender skidded across the bar in front of Phillip, "it'll take you to the other side" P.T finished stepping off the table, he spun Phillip around to face the bar and poured him another drink.
Phillip didn't want to admit it but P.T had piqued his interest but there was something about him he didn't trust he was so careless and crazy.
"Okay, my friend. You want to cut me in" Phillip pointed to him, "well I hate to tell you but it just won't happen" Phillip sang sharply, he removed P.T's hand from his shoulder, he slid the glass in front of P.T.
"So thanks but no." he drummed his hands on the bar and walked away, "I think I'm good to go" he sang over his shoulder as he walked to the exit, "cause I quite enjoy the life you say I'm trapped in" he gestured to P.T before he picked up his hat and scarf.
That was a huge lie but P.T didn't need to know this, "now I admire you, and that whole show you do" he sang as he wrapped his scarf around his neck.
He grabbed his hat and coat, walking back to P.T, "you're onto something, really it's something" he pushed his hat on his head.
He ran his hand among the bar picking up the stray peanuts, "but I live among the swells and we don't pick up peanut shells" he sneered at P.T as he dropped the peanuts at his feet.
He dusted his hands and patted P.T's shoulder, "I'll have to leave that up to you" he walked away throwing his coat on top of the piano before turning back, "don't you know that I'm okay with this uptown part I get to play?" He sang swinging himself around one of the columns.
Another huge lie.
He leaned against the bar again, "cause I got what I need and I don't need to take the ride" he kicked over the stool then climbed on top of the bar, "I don't need to see the other side".
He waved his arms as he looked down at P.T, "so go and do like you do, I'm good to do like me" he tap-danced, showing off a talent he wouldn't have if he was a man like P.T. If he hadn't been born into the wealth P.T, a wild stranger Phillip had met before, was asking him to leave behind.
He may not like it but he was a rich upper-class man with a reputation he had to try and sustain. He was a Carlyle.
"Ain't in a cage so I don't need to take the key" he strutted across the bar, the bartender laying down shot glasses after him.
Phillip hopped from the bar to the stool to the floor, "oh damn! Can't you see I'm doing fine?" He grabbed his hat and walked to the piano, "I don't need to see the other side" he grabbed his coat.
P.T placed the two shot glasses he grabbed on top of the piano, he patted the man playing the keyboard's shoulder, "now is this really how you like to spend your days? Whiskey, misery and parties and plays?" P.T asked looking at Phillip. No, it wasn't.
Phillip clenched his jaw and turned back to him, "if I were mixed up with you I'd be the talk of the town" he pointed at P.T and slammed the piano lid down.
He was starting to get scared. P.T's words were lighting something inside of him, something he hadn't felt in a long time. Hope.
But he couldn't give in, it'd be impossible, what would his father do if he tried to escape again?
"Disgraced and disowned, another one of the clowns" Phillip scoffed grabbing his drink.
One of his cousins, David, had gone to P.T's circus, he had gotten in a fight there and come home to tell Phillip all about what he'd saw.
Freaks of all different kinds, they acted like savages attacking David and his friends. Especially this one black guy, he described him as a beast, he had chased David down the street.
P.T turned to watch Phillip as he walked away, "but you would finally live a little, finally laugh a little, just let me give you the freedom to dream" P.T sang after Phillip.
Phillip frowned as P.T walked after him. What a concept. Happiness, freedom, dreams?
"And it'll wake you up, and cure your aching, take your walls and start 'em breaking. Now that's a deal that seems worth taking" P.T stopped the bartender when he went to pour another drink, instead he watched Phillip walk away from him.
They wrapped their scarfs around their neck in perfect sync. Phillip froze as he thought hard on what P.T said, "but I guess I'll leave that up to you" P.T sang, leaning happily on the bar, he knew he had won.
Phillip's eyes widened slightly, he grinned. A real smile. Maybe this is just what he needed. Maybe this'll be the thing to break his painful circle and make him a better man.
He turned around, "well it's intriguing but to go would cost me greatly" he threw his coat onto the bar, "so what percentage of the show would I be taking?" He asked throwing his hat down too.
P.T knocked on the bar and pointed to Phillip, "well fair enough you'd want a piece of all the action", the pianist started playing again.
The bartender laid out 8 shot glasses, "I'd give you seven, we could shake and make it happen" P.T sang as the bartender poured the whiskey.
Phillip unravelled his scarf as he walked towards P.T again, "I wasn't born this morning, eighteen would be just fine" he demanded.
P.T laughed, "why not just go ahead and ask for nickels on the dime?" He asked, the bartender laid the shots out in front of them.
"Fifteen" Phillip countered, "I'd do eight" P.T fired, "Twelve!" Phillip ordered, "maybe nine" P.T shrugged. The pianist stopped.
Every time they spoke they took a step closer and a new shot glass was placed in front of them.
Phillip crossed his arms, "ten" he said, this was his last offer he thought. If P.T didn't take this he was leaving.
P.T studied Phillip, the bartender laid the last two drinks in front of them.
Phillip and P.T locked eyes, Phillip's eyebrows raised, P.T looking at Phillip begrudgingly, they stared each other out until P.T sighed and looked at the bartender, he shrugged at P.T.
"Oh" P.T patted his pockets for some money to pay the bartender. Phillip, admittedly a little smugly pulled out a 50 slamming it on the table.
The bartender eagerly accepted it, "Sir, it looks you have yourself a junior partner" Phillip held out his hand.
P.T smirked and picked up the shot glasses in front of them, "what I have is an over compensated apprentice" he gave one of the glasses to Phillip.
They clinked glasses before throwing their heads back and swallowing the whiskey in one. The pianist started playing once more.
They slammed their glasses on the bar again as they broke back into song, "don't you wanna get away" they spun away from each other picking up the next shot.
Phillip surged forward as he sang "to a whole" P.T drank his shot before he pointed to Phillip, "new" he sang as Phillip drank his shot.
They grabbed the next shot, "part you're gonna play" they sang in duet, Phillip pointed to P.T "cause I got" Phillip sang. P.T once again drank then pointed to Phillip, "what you need" P.T sang.
They grabbed their scarves and the last shot, "so come with me and take the ride" they sang before downing their shots, "to the other side" Phillip and P.T finished taking a step closer to each again. The pianist finished with a flourish.
The men stared at each other panting from their singing and dancing. The alcohol hit Phillip like a brick wall.
He leant against the bar heavily, "whoa" he laughed, he looked up to see P.T doubled over the bar too, "maybe that wasn't the best of ideas" he chuckled.
Phillip shook his head grabbing his throat, drinking 4 shots of whiskey in 10 seconds burned like a fire, "no" he rasped.
The men laughed as they took a second to balance themselves, Phillip was beyond drunk. The whole bar was spinning.
P.T stumbled over to Phillip using the bar to steady himself, "c'mon do you want to see it?" He asked.
Phillip grinned, "the circus?" He asked, P.T nodded clapping him on the back as he did so, "yeah, they'll still be performing the show so you can get a little taste" he said.
Phillip rubbed his hands, he felt excited at the aspect of seeing the show that created so much buzz.
He had just made the deal of a lifetime, this would make or break him, "let's do it" he agreed.