COURAGE

Eirene walked hastily to the bar after tidying herself up. She wore a black business dress with sleeves and walked into the bar to pass by the last customer of the night, an old couple.

Quentin was wiping the wine bottles on the shelves and didn't see her walking in, only heard the footsteps.

"Good evening. Unfortunately, we are closing for-" He turned around to see the familiar face. "Oh, Hello."

"Hello." Eirene greeted back half-heartedly and eyed around the bar to find the one she was looking for.

"Ares left early, ma'am." Quentin smiled gently at the woman, who obviously didn't come for a drink.

She froze when the bartender brought the name of the person she'd been looking for but regained her stance in a moment, "I see. Thank you."

Eirene almost went back to her room if Quentin didn't stop her. "Wait. Maybe another couple of minutes wouldn't hurt."

"Mn." She sat at the counter table where Quentin drew the seat for her.

He served her a glass of rose without saying anything and resumed doing his work.

"How much is it?" When she finished, she asked the smiling bartender.

"That would be fourteen dollars."

After getting back the black business card from him, she paused for a moment before giving him back the card, "I might as well purchase a whole bottle of it."

"Thank you. Do you want the chilled one or normal temperatured one?"

"Normal."

"Understood." Quentin carefully wrapped the pink wine with a grey material and handed it to her. "There are two wine glasses in the kitchen of your room. Have a great night."

"You too."

Eirene opened the bottle and served a glass for herself immediately upon arriving in her room. After taking a sip, she sighed deeply. She had only lit up the kitchen lights, and things in the room looked dark and lonely, just like her.

She then walked with the glass in her hand to the sofa and drank as the light lit her from behind.

She went to her room afterwards finishing the glass, and, finally, turned on the light of the bedroom just to be blinded momentarily.

Eirene squinted her eyes as she kept the wine glass at the side table. She let go of her ponytailed hair and was about to put the hairband on the work desk when she spotted the white handkerchief she meant to return this evening.

She held that fine handkerchief in her hand and thought for a while. Some parts of her wanted to keep the piece of cloth but other parts told her to return it to the rightful owner.

If she returned it now to that boy's coworker, Ares would surely receive it in the morning but that means that she has no excuse to meet him again.

By keeping it, she felt the reassurance of his existence and that something is there to connect them.

Although the urge to keep the handkerchief was strong, she hesitantly went back to the bar to give it to Quentin. Thankfully, Quentin had already left and the bar was closed so she got to keep it.

Eirene held back her smile with a dead face seeing the bar locked and made small happy fists near her face back in her room. Lady luck was on her side.

She then went to the next room with the same bottle of rose and knocked on the door, hiding her little excitement.

"Who is it?"

"Me."

Jaxon opened the door after hearing her and tilted his head along with a smirk seeing her face. "Did something good happen?"

"Wanna drink rose with me." She didn't answer his question and raised the bottle to eye level.

The manager smiled playfully, "Why are you even asking? You know it's gonna be a yes. Come in." He moved out of the way and let the actress in. "Is it cold?"

"No."

The door closed behind them.

-----

"She also didn't come today." Ares sighed for the nth time after checking the entrance. He brought back his sight on washing the glasses when he heard,

"She came yesterday though."

Quentin told him as if he was talking about the weather and left at once to attend to the customers wanting to pay, leaving Ares dumbfounded.

"wHEn?!" The boy asked back in shock as he stopped the water, making his voice sound like a door in the middle of the night squeaking.

"You were gone by then." His friend answered once he came back.

Ares was about to argue when one of the customers at the far table ordered coconut rum and margarita, forcing him to have no choice but to pause the conversation and serve them first.

"You could have told me." He came back another round of used glasses and pouted like a little kid.

"But weren't you with your father?" Quentin replied lazily and served five shots of vodka to the couple sitting in front of him, "Moreover she didn't stay for long," He continued.

Ares looked at his friend-supervisor with an accusing look as he shook the shaker, making a toffee apple sour cocktail. He even decorated the drink with a swan he personally carved out of an apple carefully while he still threw Quentin a look.

"Oh my God. Is this a swan?" A young woman who received her drink from Ares exclaimed.

"It is. You can easily make this at home too." The boy brought out a smile being complimented.

"Really?" The woman looked up from her seat and froze for a second. The boy was cute and hot but also mysterious yet, emanated pure vibes. She wondered if he was single.

Ares smiled cutely as he briefly explained how to make it.

"I have to go. Anyway, enjoy your drink." Ares received a call from Clint from the other side and bowed slightly before leaving.

The woman's friend poked the sides with her elbow playfully seeing how the other was whipped for that boy. "He's cute."

"Yeah, he is." The woman was still staring at where Ares left off.

"Are you gonna flirt?" The friend winked.

She turned towards the friend with a raised eyebrow and said, "Flirt? Nah, nah. I'm gonna get him. Watch."

The friend smirked and finished her drink in one go, "Go, Rubes."

-----

"Hey, can I have a moment with you?" A female voice with a little bit of Hispanic accent called out.

Ares twirled around to see a girl who liked his swan apple standing there with her phone.

She was shorter than him and wore a tight pink dress that revealed her thighs, back, front, shoulder and belly. Her hair was dark brown and wavy, reaching her uncovered shoulder.

And she had heavy makeup as if she was trying to look like a clown, especially the red lipstick which the boy didn't like exactly.

Maybe growing up in the countryside affected his taste but Ares liked women with natural make-up rather than trying to cover themselves up.

"How can I help you?" He asked.

He was just returning to the bar from talking to the hotel worker about the delivery of two bottles of Dom Perignon brut to the duplex room.

The woman looked up to Ares with a smile on her lips and sweetly said, "I really liked your swan and I was hoping if we could meet up some time and you could teach me." She also used the tip of her finger to lightly trace the line of his shirt seductively which didn't work on the country, pure-for-his-own-good Ares who just found it weird and too touchy.

"I'm glad you liked the swan but as I mentioned earlier, you can look it up on the internet by [swan apple] and find people posting tutorials better than I can teach you so I don't think you need me." He spoke gently as he took a small step backwards to avoid the touch.

Ruby's hand awkwardly hang in the air where Ares used to stand.

"Oh, I-uh didn't know that."

"I can tell you which video I learnt from if you want." Ares shrugged and eyed the phone in her hand.

The girl panicked, "My phone is uh, broken. Doesn't connect to wifi."

"Oh," The boy looked down, but eventually found a solution by bringing a pen and a serviette and writing down where he learnt from. "Here. I have to go back to work. Have a good evening."

The girl received the serviette and didn't get to say anything to Ares who just disappeared like a daydream once she looked up from the tissue.

"Did you get his number?"

"Jeez, Hannah!"

Her friend appeared out of nowhere as she licked an orange lollipop.

"So? Did you get his number?" Hannah asked again.

Ruby turned to her a little frustrated and angry. "No. He even took a step back when I flirted with him."

Hannah chuckled and returned the candy into her mouth.

"It's not funny." The other said.

"It is to me."

"You b*tch."

"So what? What are you gonna do about it?" Hannah saw the serviette in her friend's hand and laughed again, "I'll take that as no."

"He didn't even bother to hear my name and just went when he was done," Ruby complained and watched the boy being the cashier.

"Oh well. Just give up then." She advised and began walking away from the bar.

Ruby held her friend's wrist and span her around. "No. I, Ruby Irwin Tedder Osborn, does not do give up. I'll get what I want no matter the cost." She spoke with confidence and pride.

She finally found someone that could match her beauty. She wasn't going to let go of him easily.

Taking one last look at the boy in the bar, The girl in the pink dress walked away from the bar with a smirk, not caring about the people who opened the way for her to pass, some even looking back at her at how beautiful she was.

'Just wait and see. There is nothing that I can't get.'