"Whadda you do?"
               by Odin Roark

Two strangers sit at a bar.
Dirty martini guy sips nervously, eyes darting about for women.
Covering his disdain for Gentleman Jack guy's choice of drink
sitting next to him.,
Dirty martini guy says, "So...whadda you do, pal?"

Gentleman Jack guy continues jotting words on a napkin.

Dirty martini clears his throat,
the answer being demanded,
albeit with smiles,
awkward cordiality,
patronization.

Quiet bourbon drinker
Responds, "carpe diem."

Flummoxed, dirty martini guy nods.
"Yeah.  Heard that's been goin' 'round.  Hasn't bit me yet, though."
He playfully jabs his elbow into bourbon guy.
Writer guy gives his drink a swirl.  "Yeah.  Lucky for you."
Dirty martini guy adjusts his Lauren shirt.  "Damn straight."

Like most liquor aficionados,
bartender shakes his head.
 "You guys good?"

Dirty martini guy, "My tummy needs another, okay?"

Sips.

"Is that more olive juice or booze?"

"Measured brine, guy"

Writer lifts his glass to dirty martini guy
"To thinkers with a purpose."
He turns to the bartender with his glass
"To humans, who know humans when they see them."

Bartender joins in as they all tip their glasses.

Dirty martini is unhappy
"This brine tastes old."

"Yeah," says bartender, "aged a day.  Good for you."

Dirty martini toasts the bartender.  "I didn't know that.  Ha, knew that."
Turning back to Gentleman Jack guy, he says, "Well, now we've gotten that out of the way,
what's it like having this ‘carpe diem' thing...exactly?"

"You dream as if you'll live forever.  Live as if you'll die today." He rests his bourbon glass, jotting another word down on his napkin.

"Yeah..."  Dirty martini smiles disdainfully, scans the room again, takes another sip, sighs.  "Bet that keeps you awake nights, eh?"

Bourbon man folds his napkin and slides it and his pen into his shirt pocket, downs the rest of his drink, slips a ten under the glass, slides off the stool and heads for the door.

Dirty martini squares off with the mirror behind the bar. "That bug definitely keep you awake at nights."

"Sounds like you're ready for another," says the bartender.

"Make it a double.  I might die today."

The fresh drink is placed in front of him.  "Hey, bartender...any idea why he wouldn't tell me what he did for a living"