Excerpt: The Golden Lily

Tonight, in comparison to the previous night, the Golden Lily had a mellow setting with the band playing soft, but still hip and jazz, music. There were fewer people, and most were at the tables, intimately conversing with a small candle burning brightly in the center of the able, only a handful of couples dancing.

Ada closed the door of the club behind her. Scanning the room, she was unable to find Vincent to greet him and made her way over to the bar instead. She sat down in one of the few available bar stools and waited for the bartender to take her order.

The two men to the right of her were arguing about prohibition, despite the fact it had been an amendment for seven years now. Choosing not to eavesdrop, she looked to the bartender at the other side of the bar. The woman on the other side of her shifted her body towards Ada.

“He doesn’t seem to be the best bartender, does he?” the lady asked. She was younger than Ada, easily by ten years her junior.

Ada shook her head. “No, he doesn’t seem to be.”

“One would think I’d be used to it by now.” She laughed with a unique sounding laugh. “I’m Georgia, by the way.”

“I’m Ada. Clearly, I should have chosen a seat on the other side of the counter.”

Georgia smiled. “But then if you had, you wouldn’t be having this conversation now.”