Essex Street

The bottle was a quarter full and bubbles were receding from the glass lip. From where he sat at the counter, he stared straight ahead at the fridge.

"A corona."

"Ok," said the barman. He fetched a bottle from the fridge and placed it next to the first.

A Rudimental song played on the flat screen above the spirits shelf. He acknowledged the new beat with a nod. The barman sat down on his stool and went back to his iPhone.

"Bourbon."

"Yeeah?"

"Whisky bourbon. Coke."

The barman faced the spirits shelf and read the labels.

"Jack Daniels?"

The man shrugged and raised his palms. His baseball cap was pulled low on his brow. The barman placed a glass next to the bottles and wrote down the cost. He drank a long pull from the glass.

From the VIP mezzanine floor, the player descended the stairs and smirked.

"I'm ready for that game now, Simon."

Simon stared at the player and put down his iPhone.

"Nah, you play him." He addressed the man, "You're in trouble now. You won't beat this guy."

The player extended his hand and smirked.

"I'm Sean. What's your name, mate?"

The man staggered off his stool.

"Danube."

"What?"

"Da-nube."

They shook hands.

"OK. First, I'll have a beer, Simon."

The man held onto the counter.

"I'll pay for it."

Simon and Sean exchanged a glance.

"I'll get it."

"Are you OK with him doing that?"

"Yeah. Thanks mate!"

Simon rolled a Coopers across the aluminium bar, popped the bottle and handed it to Sean.

"They're screw tops."

"It hurts my hand."

Sean picked up a two-piece cue that was lying on a table adjacent. The balls were already racked. He motioned to the man.

"Do you want to break?"

The man shook his head and drank.

Sean broke but no ball went down. The man stepped forward. With his back turned to Sean he extended a hand. Sean didn't move. He extended his hand a second time.

"Are we sharing -"

"There's sticks over there."

The man grabbed the first cue on the rack and walked back. He potted a red over the middle pocket and missed. Sean missed a yellow.

"Your shot."

The man turned to face the table.

"Am I yellow?"

"You're red!"

He potted a ball in the corner and doubled in another red.

Simon watched intently.

"I can't believe he can still play."

"Oh, I can play."

The man played a long shot and the ball bounced off two cushions.

A Nicki Minaj song started. He gingerly placed the cue against a stool and shuffled to the song.

"Two shots."

"What?"

"I missed! Two shots."

The man took a pull and picked up the cue after searching for it.

Sean stood next to Simon. The man leant over the table.

"Do you think he's tipsy?" asked Simon.

"Oh, he's tipsy," Danube answered.

He missed on the first shot, and nearly potted a double on the second.

Sean potted five balls whilst Danube sat down and tried to find the underside rails of the chair with his feet. Sean turned and faced the TV. Danube looked at him.

"I'll give you ten bucks if you win."

"I don't gamble."

Sean didn't return the glance. The man stared at him for a long moment before he looked for his cue.

He fired the white ball into the pack that clustered around the black.

"Two shots!" He twitched.

"Why?"

He shrugged and danced next to the table adjacent.

"Ok then."

Sean missed and potted the last yellows. He pushed the black around the baize.

Danube drained his glass. Sean took a pull from the Coopers. Danube missed an easy red and swore.

"My shot."

"I have one more." Danube motioned at Sean.

"OK then." Sean stepped back.

He pushed the white behind a red. He stood behind the eight ball.

"If you can hit your black I'll -"

Sean played off a cushion and the black jawed in the corner.

Danube shrugged and pushed the white behind another red. He had left a shot at the black.

"Shit!"

Sean won the game. He broke down his cue and packed it in its case.

"I gotta go. Thanks for the game!"

"I won't remember this, but what's your name?"

"Sean!"

They shook hands. Danube held on too long before he let go. Sean skolled his beer.

“Hey! I owe you ten dollars.”

Danube fumbled for his wallet.

“I said no. I don’t want your money.”

“Oh.”

Sean motioned at Simon.

"See you soon."

"Yeah. See you, maate."

Sean grimaced and walked out the front door.

Danube climbed onto the stool and wobbled in the seat.

"Whisky bourbon."

Simon reached for the Jack Daniels. He placed the glass with the empty glass and bottles.

"Are you going to pay for this?"

"Oh, I'll pay for it, alright."