“The bar was perfectly dingy, with dark amber lights and a stucco ceiling. It’s been a writer haunt for almost a century, and Gala said it really looked it. The walls were covered with photos of men who had the appearance of being dyspeptic. Mathilde led us through the crowd and said she’d buy us a drink. We asked for white wine, and she said, “They do not cater to your tastes here. It’s either beer or whiskey.” Gala and I looked at each other, weighing the pros and cons of those options. I assumed we would have to take part in conversation, and I wanted to be especially vigilant. We ordered two whiskeys with ginger ale in tall glasses, which makes it one part whiskey, three parts ginger ale. It’s what I call planning ahead.”
―
Marlowe Granados,
Happy Hour
