She looked at me quizzically, “Jalf’s Cafe?”
I shrugged, “He’s a weird guy… weird name… weird cafe… but the food is good, and he doesn’t care about serving drinks to underaged people.”
“Ah,” she smiled, “Please don’t get too drunk, or I’m driving.”
I laughed, “You know I haven’t had a single drink today?”
She rolled her eyes at me as we pulled into the movie theatre.
Walking in, I thought about last Friday when I’d gone alone into Jalf’s Cafe…

“Cooper! The usual?” Jalf came out from behind the bar as I sat down at a circular table in the back corner. The cafe was empty aside from two wizened old men sitting on two bar stools, smoking cigars silently.
I nodded at him and he began mixing the Martini.
He set it down on my table and waved as the two old men left, he then sat down with me, and eyed me critically for a moment. “Well kid, what’s got you down?”
I shrugged, “I dunno, Jalf-”
“Jack,” he corrected.
“Right,” I eyed his pirate hat, thinking before I replied.