I go into Tiny’s Tavern.

Might as well. Perhaps you could talk to Delilah, clear the air, and apologize for leaving her. You aren’t sure whether or not you’d try to do any more than that. She was an emotional girl and would have likely taken your leave as something personal… You knew her well enough to know that.

You go inside and see the lobby. Much like the streets, the place is empty. You see a piano, open tables, chairs, then the bar with all the drinks, but no Delilah. When you sit down on one of the many stools, you knock twice on the wooden counter and wait. Finally, a girl with blonde hair comes out. She has dazzling green eyes. She’s wearing a dirndl, which isn’t surprising.

When your eyes meet, she smiles slightly and clears her throat. “Warren? I wasn’t expecting to see you.”

“Do I know you?” You ask.

She frowns slightly as she nods. “I’m Maple. You don’t remember me? I served a few times.” Maple turns around and grabs a shot glass and then a bottle of Old Forester bourbon, indicating that she has served you during your stay.

“What brings you back?”

“Nothing in particular,” you say. “Does uh, Delilah still work here?”

Maple’s smile falters. “No, her folks came around here a few months ago and scooped her back under their wings.”

“Oh. Her and her folks…they like each other?”

Maple shrugs. “I wasn’t a huge fan of Delilah if I had to be honest, and I don’t think she was a massive fan of me even.”

All the knowledge you had about Delilah, unfortunately, ended there. You felt your cheeks heat with embarrassment. You considered Delilah has a close friend, but you couldn’t recall what her opinions were of her co-workers. An apple formed in the base of your throat, which you swallowed with the assistance of Old Forester bourbon.

“Delilah must’ve gone back to the East, which is fine this time of year. Lots of traffic stops there, you know? Hardin especially.”

“Hardin?” You say, fighting a chuckle. You skipped over Hardin because you heard it was empty. “What's in Hardin for a girl like Delilah?”

“Her entire family,” Maple laughs. “The Schulz has a big company and runs the area.” She looks at you hard for a second. “I’m surprised you didn’t get hired by the Schulz, honestly.”

“Contractors hard to come by?” You ask.

Maple, again, looks at you. “Good contractors, I think? Speaking of which, nice black attire.”

You glance down. “This black outfit means a lot to you?”

“Means you’re working some of the important powers in these parts,” she giggles. “Kind of impressive.”

You eye Maple with some suspicion. “How much do you know about this uniform?”

“Gun runners,” she says. “I can tell you a little secret since you’re in the loop already. This whole place is just a cover-up. We run a little safe haven for you smuggler groups. For a fair cut of the profit, of course.”

“You seem pretty indifferent to this,” you remark. “Doesn’t that bother you at all?”

“No,” Maple giggles. “I don’t have to do any of the dirty work. I just work as a normal girl would. With the perks of having some of the extra added protection.”

“Odd set up you have then.”

“It’s an added perk of being a local, so if you ever wonder why the law enforcement or even the regular people don’t or didn’t like you, it’s because they saw you as an undesirable part of our, uhm, protection plan. Plus, you know… it doesn’t look very good in the eyes of the public.”

Without meaning to, you’ve taken several drinks. You burp, feeling a slight burn in the back of your throat. You forgot your original opinion was, but Maple was turning into one of the prettier girls you’ve had the pleasure of looking at. She shared some similar characteristics as Astrid but with more “mortal” aspects, like the final rough draft before the final paper. The curve of her lips, the color of her skin and hair. Even the green of her eyes set you at ease.

“Are you busy today? We can hang out after I get off work if you’d like~?” Maple smiles, pressing her chest together somewhat, which earns herself a quick glance, but nothing else for the moment.