@basquehoe ;
    drinking was more of a socialization skill for him, but that did not mean he wouldnât take a lone trip to a local bar once in a (rare) while to unwind. when out with friends or colleagues, the occasion would be fun & lighthearted. he would drink to loosen up; god knows he needed it, for without the aid of some liquid courage, he would remain the stiff-lipped obergruppenfuhrer. people would choke out hearty laughter between puffs of cigarettes, & everything would be fine in the morning. no regrets. no consequences.
    but on nights like these, where he steps through the bar doors unaccompanied, he drinks to forget. to delay the inevitable facing of reality. to avoid swallowing the hard pills of truth which hung heavy in his grip. or perhaps, more accurate, a needle, a syringe, a harbinger of death, within his grasp. it did not matter with which name it was called. either way, it bore holes into his conscience, guilt grinding the marrow of his bones. he needed so desperately to distract himself. & distracted he became.
    there is a significant increase in the volume of people cramped into this bar than usual. john would know; he frequented this little hole in the wall. the center of the traffic seemed heaviest near the bar counter itself, & impatience has him pushing through a few bodies to secure a stool. it does not take long for the crowd to disperse, as johnâs face is well-recognized in these parts, & no one wants to start a tussle with the obergruppenfuhrer.
    & now he is face-to-face with the magnet for all of this attention. it now makes sense. a tall drink of water, a pretty face, occupies space here. no doubt this is a rarity. not to mention the familiarity of her countenance. john had seen it before, but he could not recall where. most likely a celebrity of some sort. figures that the day he wants to be in seclusion, some renown actress shows up just in time to attract larger sums of people. itâs not her fault though. smith sighs, eyeing the cigarette betwixt her slender digits.
    âneed a light?â he offers.
