where do i begin, the choices are endless [open]

[rain]

Dena watched with a focused gaze on the tender as he went about the duties of mixing her drink. She was particular about her cocktails and if anything, slightly micromanaging when it came down to proper mixtures. Too much rum and the coke was really pointless. She wasn't a fan of extreme heartburn and as much as she loved her rum, she never preferred it straight. Too much coke, and why bother charging her for the rum? But, she was pleased to see the gentleman behind the bar clearly knew what he was doing and just as she suspected, when the drink was placed before her, the first sip was anything but disappointing. Smacking her lips in a deliberately obnoxious manner, she smiled upon him with satisfaction. "Now THAT is a drink, my friend."

It was the baritone voice next to her that snapped her attention again, and Dena spun in her seat slightly to face the individual from which it came. She laughed as it all processed and she cut her glance back to the now titled "Mark" and snickered under her breath in almost melodic tone. Half-way through the drink now, she rolled her shoulders mildly as she spoke up to the guy perched just a few stools down. "Well, if I can't make one of ya'll blush, what have I done with my day?" Eyeing his meal in front of him, her eyes flew open in excitement. "They serve food here, too...? Excellent!" And it was then that she hopped to one more stool closer and leaned across the other empty spot to steal the closest nacho. "You're so sweet, thanks for offering!" And as she munched on it, she smiled upon him in a manner that clearly said 'I know you didn't offer, I just like to help myself.' Looking back to Mark, she pointed to the nacho basket and swallowed her bite before saying, "Uno mas, Marco. Pronto."

Leaning back in her chair, the spicy goodness immediately began to ravage her mouth and she chugged the last of the tumbler before chewing on one of the two ice cubes to belay the pain that tasted sooo good. When Mark returned from placing her order, she slid her glass to him and waved him on in a gesture that said 'keep 'em coming.' Plucking the last ice cube from the glass before it was taken away, she crunched on it loudly as she eyed the person of whom she had helped herself to his meal. "So... who might you be?" Clearly not the old fashioned type to break the ice, Dena was from a broken mold all her own.

[jay]

Tony swigged down the last of his Guinness and leaned across the counter to put it back under the tap. Unfortunately he couldn't quite reach to get it under the Guinness, so he gave up and shrugged at Mark. "When you got a minute, man," he said with a laugh. He looked around as the girl complimented Mark's drink making. He shot a grin at his buddy. "I think you got a fan, Mark," he teased.

He laughed when she said that she needed to make at least one of them blush. "Well, Mark's the rookie," he said with a grin. "It's gonna take a lot more than that to get the more seasoned tenders to blush." He had been about to say 'Myself included.' but he was a little distracted by the fact that she started snatching his nachos. "Hey now, get your own," he quipped, flapping his hands at her. "I bloody earned this food."

He took his glass back, blissfully full now, from Mark and raised it slightly to the girl. "To your good health, and your own bloody nachos," he joked with a grin. "I happen to be Anthony Mckay, but everyone calls me Tony. You'll probably see me again, but I'll be behind the counter. It's a rare night off for me."

[rain]

A flash passed over Dena's eyes as she listened intently to the gentleman next to her. She was an avid listener, balanced as an avid story-teller. It wasn't so much she enjoyed the sound of her own voice, but enjoyed others hearing it for themselves. It was that small type of charisma which was bestowed upon the younger sibling and left the elder with a personality complex wanting for social skills. It was as she leaned an elbow against the edge of the bar that she glanced up in time to catch Mark emerge with the same artery-clogging concoction that she had previously pilfered from. Shooting her gaze upon Anthony again, she placed her own plate between them in a silent gesture of goodwill. Well, Anthony, I think you look more like an Anthony. I don't see you throwing enough bodies in the trunk to warrant 'Tony.' So, I'll just stick with Anthony."

Dena winked slyly before shoveling several chips into her mouth, one after the other. No, she wasn't the most polite eater, though she was always careful as to not make a mess. Sitting back in her chair now, a quarter through the plate of nachos, she fingered off a glop of cheese that seemed to miss her mouth before swallowing the massive bite she had managed to stuff into her teeth. She tilted her head in an amused manner as she stared at him for a long bit. She enjoyed awkward moments, confusing others, and generally causing mental chaos. It was something she could really sink her teeth into. "So, you're the guy to make buddies with for that extra shot when no one's looking, eh? Or are you too wise for that and therefor just...don't make friends?" Despite her recent arrival at a legal drinking age, Dena was well versed in bar-hop personalities.

While she was well aware she had not yet introduced herself, she refrained from volunteering her own identity. She was also the type to answer only what was asked and generally didn't volunteer information freely. Call it a defense mechanism, but really she just liked making people work for what they wanted. She had no problem asking questions, and immensely enjoyed answering those of others. So why not leave a little room to set them up for success?

[jay]

Tony laughed and tipped the girl a cheeky wink. Well, it was a good thing that he didn't seem like some sort of mobster. But, he still preferred Tony to Anthony. Oh well, to each their own. He supposed he could forgive her for it. "Well, madam," he said, arching one brow mysteriously before looking around the bar with mock suspicion. "You've caught me on a rare night off, as I have said. The bodies are being handled by someone else tonight. And if he works out, I am thinking of hiring him as my full-time muscle."

Yep, every inch the serious man Tony couldn't help but chuckle slightly as he turned back to his dwindling plate of nachos. He had eaten a late lunch, so the large appetizer plate had been more than enough to fill him, even if some had been stolen. She was just one of those open free spirits, and even if Tony was slightly more conservative himself, he could appreciate it. That and she opened herself right up for him stealing some of her food each and every time she ate there while he was working. Ah, the joys of serving your friends. The crap you could get away with...

Tony grinned slyly at her question. "I'm the kind that'll slip you an extra shot if no one's looking," he said, "but it all depends on how good you keep my mood. Every good bartender knows promises go far, but there's always got to be a catch. Albeit, a small one." He watched her for a minute, licking his fingers as he finished off his plate of grease. "So, I guess the real question is.... are you the sort of girl that deserves that extra shot?"

[rain]

This new face was proving to be incredibly amusing and Dena was all too thrilled to have invested her energy and time into sparking something to fill the silence. She enjoyed his voice, his mannerisms, and the way he played 'tit-for-tat' with her while she bantered freely. The man could keep up, she admired that. Her attention shifted momentarily back to her plate of nachos and she took one last messy chip into her mouth before nudging the plate more towards him in a silent, universal gesture indicating she no longer wanted any more yet wanted him to have the rest. Whether he accepted them was entirely in his court now. As she absorbed the statements he bestowed upon her, Dena's facial features spread into a mildly mischeivous expression. "Well, I guess you'll have to wait and find out for yourself. I'm my biggest fan, so of course I'd say 'yes' on my behalf, but that would do little to prove it, eh?" A lewd wink was the final emphasis to her speech, and it was given slowly with full visual contact.

Dena dipped a long leg down to hook the horizontal pole found at the base of most bars which suited as a foot rest. In an attempt to hook her heel against the metal, a slipped foot shot forward from its marked destination to nail Anthony squarely in the shin. While she had maintained a cool and flirtatious air previously, the current situation washed it all away to replace it with genuine care and concern. Her hands flew to the bottom part of her face as her eyes widened in shock. "Shit! I am so, SO sorry. Are you alright...?" Before he could answer her, she found her feet and stood, waving to the keep at the end of the bar who was drolly wiping down random surfaces. "Yo! Marcus! Pleasey-please for a bag of ice and three shots of Maker's Mark!" It was clearly obvious she was incapable of calling someone by how they were introduced. That was Dena for you.[/size]