Konstantinos. Whiskey straight, please.
Halima. I’ll have a Manhattan.
Konstantinos. I almost had a Manhattan once.
Halima. Another one of your drinking stories?
Konstantinos. What’s the point in drinking if you don’t have stories to tell? I didn’t realize you didn’t like my stories.
Halima. I do like them. I guess I don’t have any real drinking stories myself. Even my first drink story is boring.
Konstantinos. I’d like to hear about your first drink.
Halima. I had a screwdriver at a party in one of the dorm rooms down the hall when I was a freshman in college. It was one of those parties where people are more excited by the fact that they are having a party than the actual party itself. I drank a quarter of my drink and threw the rest out in the bathroom sink. It was disgusting. The End. Why don’t you tell me your story about the Manhattan?
Konstantinos. Okay. I was at the Taj in AC during New Year’s.
Halima. A casino for New Year’s? What a way to start the year.
Konstantinos. It’s probably the only time they actually tell you what time it is. Everyone stopped gambling and counted from ten. Once New Year’s came, everyone cheered then quickly resumed to their tables.
Halima. It’s almost like a reset of sorts.
Konstantinos. So, I decided to start the year with a Manhattan. New year, new drink, new beginning. I asked one of the waitresses going around to get me one while I was at a poker table.
Halima. How did you do?
Konstantinos. I was under around two grand. I really didn’t know when to stop, until the Manhattan finally came. I didn’t drink it though. I think the combination of losing the two grand and the fact that the Manhattan came in a plastic cup made me nauseous – the olive rolling around. I left the Manhattan on the table and cashed what money I had left.
Halima. Was this the year you were thrown in jail?
Konstantinos. It was just a bad year all around.
Halima. Do you want to try my Manhattan now?
Konstantinos. I don’t know. I’ve surrendered to the fact that I will never have a Manhattan.
Halima. Please? It’ll give me a story - my first story for your first Manhattan.
Konstantinos. You have a deal, my little lady.
End. Leaving the Manhattan