For Some Strange Reason

Eric sipped his whisky and savored the burn as he swallowed. He'd never been a big drinker even though he loved the mystique of bars since he was a young boy.  He remembered in his childhood walking past the Merrymaker and looking in the open door where shapes slumped over drinks and there was always music playing. Today was a day for celebration and ever since he got the first hint that he'd be promoted, he knew that if it happened, he'd celebrate with a drink at this hole-in-the-wall.  It was called Big Earl's Cocktail Lounge and he passed it every day walking from the parking garage to work.  When he first stepped inside, he was relieved to not be hit with the stench of cigarettes. Pittsburgh was a city that moved at its own pace and that pace was extremely slow.  Despite laws passed, you had a fifty-fifty chance of stewing in second hand smoke at any bar.