Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)
This is the Doctrine’s contribution to the Six Sentence Story bloghop.
Hosted by Denise, constrained by a sentence limit (high and low) of six, there are worse ways to spend the remaining time you have on earth.
Previously in out current tale...
Prompt word:
HELP
The Six Sentence Café & Bistro is a semi-private bar/hangout/venue/midnight rendezvous that has been on every list of Best Place to: propose marriage or partnership/breakup with spouse/reconcile with a certain someone; with it’s single long bar, a row of alcoves along the exterior wall and a sea of small, round wooden tables, the atmosphere is intimate, private and very much the tabula rasa for those with both the Will and the Desire to find their way to there.
“Hazel… what the fuck are you doin’ here,” Lou Caesare’s interrogative was a discreet whisper, provided one measured its volume as a double digit percentage reduction of his normal speaking voice; before his words could bounce back off the far wall, he turned towards his companion and with the hint of anacoenosis that he favored when he had to make a second visit to collect on an outstanding loan, said “Diane, help me out here, what the fuck is she doin’ here?”
After a pause, both in the subtle background music and animated conversation from the crowd around them, all three began to laugh… the silence threatened to become a permanent condition, until Lou added, “Drinks on the house… provided someone in this joint can tell me where’s the redhead!”
Moving to the bar, Lou sat between Diane Tierney and Hazel Grover, their collective silhouette against the illuminated rows of liquor bottles was reminiscent of a landscape painting of Monument Park by Maxfield Parrish on mushrooms; addressing Ian Devereaux’s admin he provided the answer to an unasked question.
“I’m here tonight because I enjoy a good read as much as the next criminal mastermind; as to how I met Chris, funny story that, there was a book release here and your boy Ian insisted I put in an appearance, give the soireé a dash of the wild side, word on the street was the New York Times was sending a reporter, a real Upper East Side trust fund orphan by the name Naomi or Natasha or some fricken thing, I was here to provide a touch of criminal ethnicity if you get my drift. Fortunately she wrote a good review, it was all a tempest in a C cup, to coin a metaphor.”
*
About clarkscottroger
I am kind of wondering what Hazel is doing there myself, but I enjoyed Lou’s surprise. He does seem to know her better than I thought he might. Clearly the Cafe is a good place to gather. Nicely told series of tales.
I suspect Ian texted her to go and make sure Lou showed up at the Café But that’s just my suspicion, given the nature (and independence) of my characters I could be totally wrong
The bistro is fun indeed
Am also visiting something similar because I like a good read ;).
Thank god the review was good though.
And that the drinks were on the house.
as virtual-metaphorical gathering places (and seedy-bar/beatnik hangout/rendez-vous galant) go the Six Sentence Café & Bistro is the best. in many of the older Six Sentence Stories not only is the interior described in detail*, the location of the Café is laid out, that said, the phrase in this week’s Six gets to the heart of the place: ‘those with both the Will and the Desire to find their way to there’**
* it’s on the ground floor of a late 19th, early 20th century mill building of granite and brick construction… from the sidewalk it’s three steps down where a door (oak, painted red, cast iron hinges) opens into a vestibule (a glass and stainless steel space with a small bench on one side and a cigarette machine opposite which has a stack of ‘The WatchTower’ and some local independent newspapers and little real estate booklets)… inside there is a hostess station to the left. on the right-hand wall is a bar that runs from front to back of the interior space. to the left is the exterior wall which is of a buttress design common to the era of mill and factory building these form the alcove reference in the Six. 3/4s of this rectangular space is the entertainment space (where the sea of small round tables in found) on the interior wall (opposite the wall with the alcoves) is a small, two steps up stage halfway down from the bar. now facing the bar you see it runs the width of the interior (entrance to the right end waitress station to the left end) behind the mahogany bar the shelves are illuminated by multicolored LEDs. At a mid point are two double doors to the kitchen (these doors are classic swinging door with round windows in the upper middle) at the far left end of the bar is a passageway to the left, the restrooms, to the right the Manager’s Office.
Tee-hee! Thanks for the mention. Do I get a drink too?
yes indeed
(soon as you all come back from your walk!)
That was worth it, wasn’t it. So more to do, and another coffee would be nice just now!
Brilliant! Is Chris launching a book?
Not certain. The reference in this Six is to a time (03/2022) when the Six Sentence Café & Bistro did actually host (a fictional virtual) book lunch for Chris’ then newest work.
we a eclectic venue if we’re anything. Ask any of the Proprietors: the tall, thin man, Mimi, Denise (the Bartender), Chris (la Raconteuse) or Nick (the Gatekeeper) they’ll be happy to describe what the SSC&B has to offer (metaphorically-speaking)
As Lou slips seamlessly into the awaiting limelight….
ya know, while subtlety might serve a purpose, Lou is more on the bodice-ripper scale of hypo-autistic spectrum when it comes to the limelight
lol
This should keep Tom busy in the kitchen!
Lou, Diane and Hazel? Guaranteed good time!
I enjoyed “…their collective silhouette against the illuminated rows of liquor bottles was reminiscent of a landscape painting of Monument Park by Maxfield Parrish on mushrooms;…” A captivating visual.
yeah fun image (androgynes on swings and, seeing how it’s Monument Valley, maybe a couple of dinosaurs)
Time to put on another pot of coffee and whip up more dessert.
fun at the Bistro
I enjoyed the array of comments as much as your story!
ikr? for me as the writer its an opportunity to hear the story back… the Comment/Reply section (in all these Sixes) is the conversation in the room
There’s always so much going on in this bistro! I would have to say that Lou absolutely provides “a touch of criminal ethnicity”. And yet, it feels safe there.
I agree (about both Lou and the sense of positivity) in the Six Sentence Cafe & Bistro
Tempest in a C cup, eh?
lol (well, I thought it was funny… but then again, those of us who hail from Y-Chromia think a lot of anatomical humor is a riot)