Chapter 6
One short walk later and both Grit and Sami had made their way into The Forest, a small pub on the corner of the same block as the restaurant. Inside, it was small and cozy: old oak beams held up the ceiling, the walls and the bar and the creaky floor gave the pub a very homely feel. There was a pool table in one corner of the room, illuminated by a fancy hanging light and there was a staircase up to the second floor, presumably where the toilets or further seating areas were. There were a few people inside the pub; couples, friends and the like, and everybody seemed to be having a good time.
Sitting down by two free stools at the old oak bar, Grit ordered two pints of the house beer. He felt some happiness well inside of him as he looked around the pub; it made him even happier to know that Sami appeared comfortable as well, despite the two being a little overdressed for the occasion. Now THIS was a real place to take a lady on a date, Grit thought. Not some fancy restaurant.
"Two house beers" the barman said as Grit handed him the same bill he tried to tip the chauffer with. As the cash machine opened, the two raised their glasses.
"To good health" Sami said, and the two clinked glasses. Taking a hearty sip of his beer, Grit exhaled and put the cold pint glass down.
"Now this is more like it" he said with a smile. "Nothin' fussy about this place. Just good honest beer and some good honest fun to be had"
"I have to say, Grit…" Sami added. "…I agree with you completely. That fancy restaurant back there wasn't my kind of thing. Who does Nell think we are, Colin's family or something?"
Grit started to laugh at the joke, watching as Sami drunk a little more. The slight tipsiness he felt at the restaurant was still lingering, but it felt all right now. The context was just perfect to allow himself to slur a little. He couldn't tell how drunken Sami was; perhaps she was right in bragging about her alcohol tolerance? Conversation now seemed to come easy; Grit could think of a lot more he wanted to chat about.
"So, I wanted to compliment you on somethin'" Grit started. Sami chuckled in her usual manner, although the slight forwardness didn't intimidate Grit anymore.
"Oh yeah?" she asked. She shot Grit another of her cheeky looks, which went straight over Grit's head.
"…I remember when we all met up during the last war" Grit started. "And some of the fights that we took part in. I gotta say, you're pretty good with indirect units"
"Really?" Sami asked. "Y-you think so?"
She appeared flattered by the remark; Grit nodded is response.
"I mean, I don't think it's no secret to either of us that you ain't the kind for straight up fighting with tanks and such" Grit explained, to which Sami agreed with a thoughtful nod. "But bein' an infantry specialist and stuff, I thought maybe you wouldn't be so good with artillery and stuff either. Turns out you're not too bad"
Sami digested the information for a little, drinking away at her beer. Grit noticed that she was drinking a lot faster than he was; quickly sipping his own beer, he kept his attention on Sami as she responded.
"I never really paid much notice to it" she explained. "Although I have to admit, I do feel more comfortable dealing with things from afar"
"Well, you're better than Maxie, anyhow" Grit joked. "Have you seen that guy tryin' to work the rockets?" Sami started to giggle as Grit continued his story. "Give that guy a gun, tell him to shoot a target and he'll be busy all day! I mean, I could blindfold you now and you'd still do a better job than him!"
Both Sami and Grit laughed at poor Max's expense. Calming himself, Grit drunk a little more as Sami's laughing receded.
"He's a bit dull in that way, I guess" Sami said. "I remember once he actually got artillery and rockets mixed up in a command order; the look the artillery gunners gave him when they found out how far the target was!" Both Grit and Sami laughed loudly at the story; both could imagine Max flustering over command papers while flustered artillery pilots looked on in awe.
Then, Sami stopped her laughing, she wagged her finger though. "But don't discredit the guy when it comes to direct combat"
Grit shuddered at the thought of Max's tanks destroying everything in their path.
"Tell me about it" Grit continued. "Maybe we're laughin', but when it comes to tanks and stuff, he's top notch. There's no way I could match him in a direct fight, that's for sure. I'd be nowhere without some covering fire. I remember the days back in military school; when it came to simulated fights and stuff, he'd give me tips on workin' with tanks, and I'd return the favor by drilling things like rocket physics and stuff into his head. I don't think neither of us would have graduated if it weren't for those late nights, heh" Grit smiled as he remembered the days of military school. His head looked up to the air slightly as the visions of fond memories filled his head. Sami looked on at his reminiscing; seeing Grit finally comfortable made her feel happy in her own way.
"…So why is it that you're such a big fan of long distance weaponry?" Sami asked. Grit snapped out of his trance, only half the question making it to his head.
"What's that about long distance weaponry?" he asked.
"Why do you rely on them so much?" Sami asked again. She watched as Grit leant his arm against the bar and tapped his finger quietly against the wood, thinking. Lifting his hand and rapping his knuckles against the wood, it was as if he was organizing notes on the bar.
"You know me" he said finally. "Take a guess"
A look of confusion came across Sami's face as the question reached her ears.
"Uh, why?" she asked. "Is it something personal?"
"Nah, nothin' like that" Grit said quickly, dismissing the notion. "More about just the way I am"
"Well you're laid back" Sami started. "Sometimes to a fault. You just don't strike me as someone who'd get in a fist fight"
"Pretty good guess" Grit answered with a smile. Playing with his goatee, he drunk a bit more of his beer. Since spotting Sami's progress on him in the drinking department, he made a conscious effort to take bigger gulps. "It's true: I never liked fighting face to face. I'm a bit of a yellow belly when it comes to that"
"You, yellow bellied?" Sami exclaimed. "Please! You're the most fearless person I know! No matter how big the battle, you were always so laid back, almost as if you never took anything seriously!"
"Now there" Grit interrupted. "I didn't say I never took anythin' seriously. When it comes to war, you gotta take it seriously. I just don't let myself get flustered by anything. If a guy came up to me with a gun, I'd probably run. But give me a warning before he comes and I'd cap him with my six shooter some good distance before he even gets to know me" he explained. "Plus, I'm real protective of my guys, you know? Sometimes I get a bit of the guilt attacks coming on when I don't see my boys in the tanks or the helicopters doing such a good job. That's why I'm always on hand with some indirect units. I like my guys at the front to feel as safe as they can. You get what I'm sayin'?" Grit asked. Sami nodded in response, finishing her beer. Grit shot a quick glance at his glass; it was two thirds empty. He already felt a bit drunk but Sami seemed to be more controlled. How did she do it?
"I understand, Grit" Sami replied. "Maybe that's why I'm not so bad with artillery myself. Infantry are integral to any battle, but even with my skills, they're still vulnerable to most weapons. That's why a little cover from a large distance goes a long way" Grit started to chuckle as Sami spoke the last sentence on a very oratory fashion.
"Now that's a mantra I can get used to real easy" he noted, gulping down his beer. He left one morsel behind to finish off. "You know something? I bet you and me would make a good team out of the field!"
Sami's face lit up with a little excitement. She shuffled her chair closer to Grit, leaning slightly towards him as she leant against the bar.
"You think?" she asked. Grit hummed a 'yes' to her; his hand was clutching his beer tightly. He didn't think she realized how close she was getting.
"You'd best believe it" Grit answered. "Maybe we ain't too good with direct combat. But with my indirect units covering the field, your infantry would have free reign to capture everything in sight while I pepper the enemy with rockets. Sounds like a formula for success to me"
"So let's agree on it" Sami said suddenly as Grit finished his drink. Shuffling for money in her purse, she signaled to the barman.
"A whisky" she ordered. Looking to Grit: "And you?"
As surprised as Grit was by Sami's forwardness, he shot his eyes to the array of liquors in store at the bar.
"I'll have a cognac" Grit ordered. The barman produced two shot glasses and proceeded to pour the two their respective drinks as Sami produced exact change. With thanks for the barman, the two took their drinks.
"Here's to whenever the next fight comes along" she said, lifting her glass.
"Whenever it looks like trouble's knockin', you give me a call" Grit added, lifting his own glass. They toasted and downed their drinks in one gulp. Grit felt the cognac go down easily: he was used to drinking strong alcohol. However, he watched as Sami grimaced a little. He could tell it was the kind of grimace that didn't indicate the power of the drink. It indicated the lack of her experience in heavy drinking, the subtle need to impress perhaps? Did Grit exert that much influence on her?
"You don't look like you enjoyed that too much" Grit noted. Noticing that she had been grimacing, Sami quickly brought her face back to normal, as if nothing happened.
"Just a little strong, that's all" she quickly defended. She watched as Grit's chest started to pump a little as he chuckled quietly to himself. "What?"
"Ah, nothin'" he said. "Just take it a little easier. I'm enjoyin' myself now; last thing I want is for you to start heaving up that dinner we just had"
"I'll be fine" Sami quickly defended.
"I'm sure you will be, you're a strong girl" Grit spoke. "Here: next round's on me. Barman? Two house beers, my friend"