Pub

``Leave me alone Bridget,'' Simon said as he tapped on the mouse click button on the trackpad of his laptop.

``But you can't just sit here with an empty glass,'' Bridget replied a little annoyed. ``You've got to have a drink, or else the manager is going to come after me again.''

``Sod off!''

``Fine, I'll just give you a glass of the cheapest beer we have on tap.''

``Yes, the cheapest swill you've got that will keep you out of my hair.'' Simon said absent-mindedly as he read an email on his screen. ``And put it on my tab.''

``Okay,'' Bridget said as she went over to the beer tap and filled a glass she was holding with Wud, the cheapest thing that was still considered a beer at the pub. It was the things that broke students drunk, and Simon fit half the bill. He was student, or so he claimed. The beer frothed creamily as it flowed out of the tap and into the glass, and Bridget skilfully kept the glass at an angle to avoid having any splash back. As the glass filled, she turned to take a glance at Simon. He was still sitting there staring intently at the screen of his laptop. It was roughly three in the afternoon, and was the lull period of the pub. Simon was a fixture of some sorts, always turning up slightly after lunch and hanging out there with his laptop till just before dinner.

And like always, he had to be cajoled to get a drink of some sort.

Bridget was amused at Simon. Bringing a laptop to the pub, now that was one thing that one doesn't see everyday. Except whenever she was on the afternoon shift and Simon was in. Which was on most days. She was also a student, but her classes for that semester were all in the morning, and so it was possible to take the afternoon shift for the entire week as a means of subsisting.

She looked back at the glass she was filling. It was full. Carefully, she lifted the lever of the tap to close the valve, and she placed the glass on a coaster next to Simon, who, by this time, had a rather strange look about his face.

``What's wrong?''

``Nothing.'' Simon said out loud. `It is not nothing, if only you knew what it was,' he thought to himself.

``Can you stop thinking to yourself, Simon? I am still your girlfriend, right?'' Bridget asked indignantly.

``Yeah, yeah, whatever makes you happy.''

``Don't you dare say whatever to me, mister!''

``Okay, okay! Don't you have to servet the incoming customer?'' Simon said without lifting his head from his display. True enough, through the door was a newcomer. Annoyed at Simon, Bridget walked over to the main counter at the bar and greeted the new customer.

Simon stared at the email intently and read it again for the umpteenth time.

``We regret to inform you that your application for financial aid has been denied due to an unprecedented large number of applicants for this semester. We have considered your appeal and have to deny you still because of the same reason. We apologise for the inconvenience and wish you luck in finding an alternative source for your college education.''

`What the hell is this supposed to mean,' Simon thought to himself. `There was never a case where financial aid was denied. There must be something up that I don't know about.'

(Based on an exercise generated by WriteThis - 2014-02-01 20:29:23)