The X-Project

Kevin and Felicia escape from organizing and packing to take on the most sacred of tasks... find the new local bar.

You know, I think there was a bar here in the sixties. I don't remember the name." Kevin said as he and Felicia paused in front of the building. Moving had been going along, but at this point, it was the moving of furniture and boxes of files, neither of which needed their attention. Instead, he'd suggested a drink which led them to prowl the neighbourhood to look for something interesting. The sign said 'The Original Kirby's' which both of them could be sure was hyperbole.

"Here are the rules. We're going to have to have some relations with this place. It's nearby, it has alcohol. So, we order a drink. If it's terrible, we tag team with me on my phone and you with your rejuvenated knowledge when I jog your memory to remember how much better it was before. If it's good, we still get the history because you know I love that about you, but we get a little sloshed. Cheers?" Felicia asked, holding out her hand.

"Your ability to turn every outing into a detailed mission plan is a thing of note. I don't know if it is good or bad, but it is unique." He took her hand and opened the door, guiding her in for her spotlight moment. Unfortunately for her, midday, the place was largely empty and he guided her, unadored, to a booth. After a moment or two, a heavy set bartender came by with a couple of menus.

"Hey guys. I'm Chris. You eating today?"

"Just drinks."

"My favourite kind." He swapped out the food menus for a surprisingly robust drinks menu. "Take a look and I'll come back."

Felicia's smile widened, as she slid into her seat, flipping through the menu. It was long but concise, split into cocktails, beer, wine, liquors, and clearly hand picked. "Oh. Oh no... darling, I might be getting drunk here," she said, manicured nail scanning through the cocktail list. Finding a desired first drink, she closed her menu and leaned back. "Not sorry."

"This is not a neighbourhood pub cocktail list." Kevin muttered and as Chris came back, he was subjected to an interrogation. "Who designed the cocktail list?"

"The owner's wife. She used to bartend down at Four Twenty and for Ripert for awhile before she married Rebecca and they bought this place. It's all good." He said, bristling slightly.

"My fault. I wasn't expecting an uptown cocktail list. I'll take a pint of OB?"

"Original Ballentine's. Local brewery, claims they have the original recipe." He tucked Kevin's menu under his arm. "You MIss?"

"May I have the La Guapa please? I'm a sucker for a lavender gin," she asked, her pitch trending sweet before wrestled down to something more alto. "Thank you."

"Be back in a few." Chris made his way out and Kevin leaned back.

"You know, a bunch of the pictures on the wall are old. Not just old reproductions but old photos." Kevin pointed out.

Felicia hummed, moving closer to peer at a set, framed together. "Couldn't tell you if they've been reprinted, but the fashion is at least the 40s. You can see the older late 30s pieces mixed with the fabric ration pre war slimmer skirts. No Dior New Look here."

"That is from the front page of the Times with Louis vs Schmeling." Kevin smiled slowly. "I think I might like this place.

There was a brief cross of her ankle up his as she laughed low, utterly delighted. "Okay booze. Don't fail us now."

"Oh, flirting with me. You definitely need a drink." He said as Chris came back with two drinks. Kevin took a sip from the pint in front and nearly dropped it. "Holy shit... that tastes exactly like Ballentine's Ale."

Felicia covered her mouth with the back of her hand, her laugh ramping into a borderline giggle as she gave her violet beverage a perfunctory swirl. "Okay. Moment of truth." There was a dedicated toast, pause, before she lifted it to her lips and took a sip, a pause, and then a second. "Oh. Oh fuck, Kevin, Kevin. Try this."

"How is-" Kevin took a sip. "Damn, that is good. Uptown good."

"Right? Like, the rhubarb with the hint of lemon? And the other-" Felicia took her drink back, making a soft humming noise. "I want. We live here now."

"We might. We need a new regular." Kevin nodded, switching back to his pint. The place already had a subtle effect, like it could be home. "So, what do you want for Christmas, little girl?"

Felicia blinked, flicking the lavender sprig to the back of her glass. "That was. A not segue," she said, buying time as her brain turned. "I mean, this bar obviously. A worryingly expensive piece of jewellery, necklace preferably, even better if a good fucking with someone I don't know goes with it, but don't we all. Some very nice bath salts and champagne. Why, you looking for ideas?"

"Always curious. You know me." He said, his knowing smirk firmly in place. "West coast Maggia is reeling. That creates some interesting opportunities out East. What if for Christmas we revive some of our operational plans against them?"

"Snoop," Felicia teased, looking around the stray curl that had tumbled forward from behind her ear. "But annoyingly observant. Do I get a pretty dress for it this time?"

"Good question. We need to figure out how the five families are moving. Word is that the original Maggia in Europe think that the territory should fall to them. That kind of chaos is rife with opportunities."

Felicia's eyebrow twitched, a small smile. "Obviously I'm shallow, so all I care about is if I get to look pretty while I very slowly set everyone who had anything to do with my father's death on fire. But I suppose in the meantime we could plant some seeds."

"They have a New Years party planned at the St. Regis this year. Crash it? Create a bunch of rumours, gather some intelligence, pickpocket all of them, skip out with the most expensive bottles at the ball drop?"

"Why Kevin, that's in the top three of my idea of a perfect date. God bless us everyone indeed." Felicia leaned back, giving another slow, relishing sip to her drink. "Or something about your heart growing three sizes? You know. Flirty holiday puns here."

"I'll make sure to sing a little Bing Crosby while we rob them blind." Kevin toasted with his pint before waving for another round. "Ooh, maybe I should get a dog named Max."

Felicia laughed. "Not that I don't trust you with taking care of an animal long term, and even without the joke about how I'm more of a cat person, how about we start you with a succulent named Max instead," she said. "Maybe a nice pothos."

"As I've observed, buying any pet means the entire mansion ends up trying to take care of it at the same time." He pointed out. "But I have a bit of a black thumb with plants. As in, like they've been bombed to death from orbit."

"That's why pothos," Felicia answered, smiling with a quick thanks at Chris as he put a fresh drink in front of her. "Put that baby anywhere but in direct sunlight, water on Tuesdays, it's happy. I'll even come over and give it a haircut from time to time, unlike walking a dog."

"Trust me, I'm a single woman, this is what we do apparently.""