Chapter III: Celebration
Juliet eyed herself in the mirror, black shorts and a dinosaur shirt. When was the last time she went out? Her 22nd birthday? Her sneakers added a splash of color to her mostly neutral outfit. She already knew she wasn't going to drink, someone had to keep an eye on Charlie and Matt after all. She supposed she looked well enough, she grabbed the small crossbody off her bed and double checked for her wallet, apartment keys, and Chapstick. Satisfied, she exited her room, and apartment, locking the door.
The city hadn't even slowed down, taxis and other cars still drove past, skyscraper lights visible if you looked up. After a moment of staring she summoned a cab.
"Where to?" "Bad Weather, Brooklyn please." "Yes, ma'am." The ride was silent, and her eyes watched the city lights, the intersecting roads, cyclists with their lights on, the occasional motorcycle. After about 30 minutes they were there, she handed the driver the $20 and exited the cab, vibrations hitting her feet as soon as they hit the sidewalk. Her eyes were drawn to the two waving arms of Matt near the back of the line.
"You made it!" Matt yelled, moving slightly backwards to let her squeeze into line with him and Charlie.
"Did you expect me to skip?" Charlie nodded and she huffed. "Just because I'm not that big of a drinker doesn't mean I'll miss out on celebrating our favorite boy," she ruffled Matt's hair. The line shifted and they moved forward.
"How long have you guys been waiting in line?" "About five minutes, it's not as busy as Manhattan's clubs, but busy enough." Charlie answered with a look at his watch. They continued to make small talk, about Matt's plans for school. He wanted to stay on campus, which meant he probably wouldn't be able to continue working until the Summer after his freshman year.
10 minutes went by before the bouncer let them in, double checking Matt's ID. They immediately headed to the bar, while Juliet took in her surroundings, red and white flashing lights, synth pop shaking the floor.
Pushing a strand of hair out of her face, she maneuvered her way to the dance floor as a song by Owl City began to play.
Matt and Charlie join her, the latter laughing at Matt's fruitless attempt at flirting with a girl at the bar.
"It wasn't that bad, she just wasn't interested and I respect that." Charlie slapped him on the back,
"And why was that? Your bad attempt at a pickup line? Back in my day-" "Shut up Charlie!" Matt huffed, punching his arm. She mingles between them, a drunk girl complimenting her t-shirt, a boy flirting shamelessly with Matt, whose face was bright red. She trusts Charlie to keep an eye out while she attempts to find her way off the crowded dance floor.
Juliet sighs, gently pushing her way through the crowd to go sit at the bar.
"Not your scene?" The bartender spoke over the music and she chortled.
"Not really," she answered, pushing a twenty his way. "I'll take the weakest thing you got. I have to work in the morning." He flashed her a charming smile, preparing a basic Shirley Temple.
"You guys celebrating?" He questioned, sliding the drink towards her.
"Yeah, kid's had it rough but he got accepted into his first choice. We're the closest thing he's got to family so we did this," she gestured around her to emphasize her point.
"That's nice of you." She looked over at the dance floor, spotting the soon to be freshman with a smile.
"We're all proud of him." "I bet." Desmond handed her the change. Kudos to you, kid, leaving's hard.
"Thank you," she added, handing him a dollar back before rejoining her friends on the floor. Matt was now dancing shyly with the same boy from earlier, and she had a feeling they'd exchange numbers by the end of the night. Despite her attempt at being outgoing with the two men, her eyes would find their way back to the bartender, who was sharing a shot with some guy at the bar.
As her mocktail emptied, she spotted markings on the bottom of the glass, and her brows furrowed as she made out a logo, almost dropping the glass as she recognized it as Abstergo's. Mr. Doche's warning echoing in the back of her mind.
"You must be careful, Abstergo is everywhere. They have eyes and ears all over the city. Watching, waiting. Never turn your back or give them a chance to find out who you are or what you do."
The dance floor began to empty slowly, Matt following the boy to the bar, exchanging napkins with writing on them. Juliet smirked, she'd have to ask him about his new friend the next time he worked.
Charlie came to stand beside her and let out a laugh of his own.
"Young love!" He slurred, and Juliet realized she'd have to be the one to call his cab.
"C'mon pops, we need to get you a ride home." She grabbed his arm and pulled him to the exit, waiting for Matt to join them.
"Hey there lover boy, did you have a good time?" Matt's cheeks burned once more.
"Shut up JJ, let's get outta here." Juliet giggled at him, pulling Charlie out the door while Matt hailed a cab for their friend.
"See you Thursday?" Matt asked, hailing a cab of his own. She gave him a nod and small hug.
"Stay safe. We're so proud of you Mattie." She closed the door after him, before getting into another taxi cab.
"Alright ya big lug, c'mon." She tapped her foot impatiently, glancing at the waiting customers.
"Shoulda taken the day off," the cook murmured. Juliet smiled at him as she grabbed her plates for table four.
"But what would we have done without our best cook, Charlie?" He groaned in response, turning to the grill to continue making the orders. Juliet exited the kitchen with a laugh, placing the plates down at their respective tables, and saw a familiar face pass through the door.
"Welcome to Charlie's."