Chapter 73: Drinking

"Do you mind if I play some music?"

After rinsing the glasses the guests had just finished, Gil reached under the bar, pulled out a clean cloth, and carefully wiped the glasses.

Actually, according to the employee handbook's procedure, the music should have been turned on as soon as Gil arrived at the shop and changed into the uniform.

It was just that the timing of this mature lady named "V" arriving was truly too coincidental.

Gil had just changed clothes and walked to the bar counter when V pushed open the bar's door with light steps.

"Ah... it's fine." V paused for a few seconds before giving her answer.

(It seems our mature professional lady has a bit of trouble making decisions? She was so cool and composed just moments ago...)

Gil thought silently, his fingertips tapping back and forth on the music player.

The ethereal electronic music woke V from her contemplation.

"A glass of... BadTouch (Salty Pig Hand)?"

She stroked her chin, speaking with some hesitation.

(Pfft! She actually ordered a "BadTouch"!)

Gil's lips involuntarily curved upward slightly, and he almost couldn't maintain his professional, indifferent expression.

"One BadTouch... pfft... enjoy." Gil placed the mixed drink in front of V; even though he tried his hardest to restrain himself, he still couldn't hold back that sudden burst of laughter.

V raised an eyebrow and didn't rush to ask the beautiful bartender why she suddenly laughed out loud.

She gently swirled the cylindrical glass, causing the gradient emerald-green liquid inside to ripple with fine waves.

She gazed into the glass for a few seconds, tentatively extended the tip of her tongue, and lightly touched the surface of the liquid; the taste didn't feel particularly strange.

Putting her mind at ease, she pressed her lips to the glass and took a small sip.

"Compared to its strange name..." V closed her eyes slightly, focusing her attention on her taste buds.

"A bit sour... quite a retro feeling... very much like a drink I had when I was a child..."

"Not bad, right?" Gil propped his head up with his left hand, watching the pale green liquid slowly disappear from V's lips.

"Not bad, it's just the name of this drink... honestly, a bit weird... who came up with such a stupid name for this drink?" V asked while gently placing the glass back on the bar counter.

"Ha, usually it's the people who register the cocktail recipes who name them." Gil chuckled softly, picked up the glass, and took it to the sink to wash.

"Some people take this as a sense of humor... it's really too childish." While rinsing the glass, she lightly teased.

"Like those middle school boys who liked to express their affection by teasing girls?" V wiped a few drops of sweat from her forehead, took off her black-and-red suit jacket to reveal the pure white, slim-fit shirt underneath, and then lazily stretched her waist.

"Hmm... very fitting." Gil nodded, but his gaze couldn't help but be drawn to V's impressive curves.

"Can I ask... what were you laughing at just now?" V unbuttoned the top button of her shirt, as if something had suddenly been released from its constraints.

"Uh... ah?" Gil was a bit distracted and didn't hear what V was asking.

"You didn't laugh because of this drink name called 'BadTouch', did you?" V gently wiggled her toes; even though she was wearing flat shoes, she couldn't hide the unique allure of a professional woman.

"Ah... I surrender, I surrender..." Gil placed the washed glass aside and instinctively touched his slightly flushed earlobe.

"Hahahaha..." V shook her shoulders and laughed happily.

This bartender turned out to be an interesting person.

"Um... can I ask what your profession is? Which company you work for, or something like that..." Gil's eyes darted around, eager to change the subject and defuse the awkwardness.

"I've only been in Night City for half a month, so I don't really recognize the employee uniforms of the companies..."

"Ah, I get it, I get it..." V nodded, not continuing to tease the bartender who was already somewhat incoherent.

"I work at Arasaka Corporation."

"Arasaka? Ah... the one from Japan?"

"Yes... Arasaka Corporation, a company from Japan. Its business spans the globe, including private security services, banking, and manufacturing..." Seeing that Gil still seemed somewhat confused, V simply introduced the history of Arasaka Corporation.

"Fifty-one years ago... Arasaka Tower was actually nuclear-bombed by someone?" Gil was always more sensitive to such major chaotic events.

"Ha... Johnny Silverhand, a thorough madman, a rock star who carried punk to the grave, an undisputed spiritual leader for countless people..."

"Do you admire him?"

"Me? I just think he's very interesting... if he weren't a scumbag who liked to mess around with women, if I had been born fifty-plus years ago... maybe I would have fallen in love with him... but, there are no 'ifs'." V lightly tapped her own flushed lips with her fingertip, her face revealing a somewhat complex expression.

"Wow... that's cool!" Gil was a bit speechless.

Would a cool and mature older sister type like a rebellious rock kid?

Pity, the torrent of time has already washed the answer away into nothingness.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust..." V murmured a few words softly.

"What?"

"Nothing..." V shook her head slightly, "Give me another drink with strong alcohol, preferably a small glass."

"Has the person you're waiting for not arrived yet?"

"Tch... Night City traffic... stuck in a jam again." V looked down at the text message on her phone and helplessly spread her hands.

"But it's still early tonight, isn't it?"

"That's true..." V nodded slightly, agreeing with Gil's words.

(Small glass, strong alcohol, let me think which drink can satisfy V's request...)

Gil flipped through the machine for a while and finally found a suitable drink.

"FringeWeaver, enjoy."

A touch of pure white foam dotted the orange-yellow liquid served in a stemmed glass.

The light shone on the glass, reflecting a sun-like, dazzling radiance.

"Thanks..." V thanked softly, her eyes scanning the alcoholic drink that looked appetizing and very fashionable.

Raising the glass, a wisp of flame seeped through the tiny gap between her lips and slowly fell into her stomach.

"Ha!" The intense stimulation made V cry out involuntarily.

"Very satisfying, isn't it?"

"Just right. Like drinking waterless alcohol with a spoonful of sugar... exhilarating!" V licked her lips; the stimulating taste seemed to linger, leaving her somewhat unsatisfied.

"Need another cup?" Gil carefully observed V's face, finding not the slightest trace of redness.

(Terrifying tolerance...)

"Let's rest a while and chat... It's too boring for me to just drink alone."

"Happy to oblige." Gil said softly, offering no objection.

Rather than mechanically mixing drinks for money, she preferred chatting with people a bit more.