At "Sullivan’s", the pub that is down the street from my apartment, I’ve begun to see an unmistakable trend: people. I have been a regular since I’ve moved here several years ago. There were a maximum of thirty or so people including the employees who worked there on any given night. That’s the way I liked it, too. I want to have my glass of bourbon to myself while sitting on the comfortable black commercial bar stools at a quiet bar. I liked Sullivans because I could contemplate my day with the poison slowly flowing through my stomach like warm, silky honey.
First, I noticed five or ten more people file in than usual. Maybe more people heard about the cheap drinks. Then, the following week, it would be ten greater on top of the other newcomers. By last week, I was beginning to feel shoved out of my spot. Or what used to be my spot, anyway. One night, I asked the Joe the bartender what was leading to this new rush of patronizers to their pub. He said that it was because of the new commercial bar stools they had installed. It wasn’t so much that there were as many new people, he claimed. It was the fact that there was less of a turnover rate since people would sit on the commercial bar stools for longer than they normally would. The warmth of the upholstered seats and the cheap drinks compelled them to sit tight while more bodies filed in.
Now, I may be selfish in saying this but I almost wish that their restaurant bar stools weren’t so nice and inviting because now I can’t go in there with the simple intentions of having a quiet drink to myself. I may have to start drinking at home now…
