Night of learning

The Rabbit Hole was buzzing with energy that night. Billie leaned against the bar, observing the patrons as they laughed, drank, and gambled, seemingly without a care in the world. She felt a sense of familiar detachment, until her gaze landed on the bright, messy figure of Hops as she clattered around behind the counter.

“Alright, alright!” Hops said, waving Billie over with a wide grin and a slight wobble in her stance. “You wanted a lesson in the finer points of cocktail artistry? You’re lookin’ at the expert!”

Billie smirked as she slipped behind the bar, eyeing the lineup of colorful bottles and mysterious ingredients. “Fine. But if this is some kind of scam to make me pay off your tab, I’m out.”

“Oh, please,” Hops laughed, rolling her eyes with a hint of a drunken sway. “I wouldn’t charge you. This is education,  Billie. Consider yourself lucky I’m sharing my craft with you for free.”

“Lucky,” Billie muttered, but she followed Hops’s instructions anyway, curious about the concoctions on the Rabbit Hole’s famous drink menu.

Hops surveyed the bottles, her eyes landing on the peach liqueur with a gleam of excitement. “Let’s start with something simple. I call it the Peach Hellini. It’s a favorite around here, and honestly? Perfect for first-timers.” She pulled out a bottle of white wine and placed it beside the peach liqueur.

“White wine and peach?” Billie frowned, picking up the bottles with a skeptical glance. “I was expecting something… harder.”

“Trust me, this one’s got a little kick,” Hops said with a wink, grabbing a shaker and clinking it down onto the counter. “Start with two parts white wine and one part peach liqueur. The trick is in how you mix it. It’s all in the shake.”

Billie poured the ingredients into the shaker, her expression set in concentration. She’d never been one to care much about fancy drinks; cheap shots and whatever beer was on tap had always been good enough. But Hops’s enthusiasm was oddly contagious.

“Now, give it a good shake! Like this!” Hops demonstrated with an exaggerated flourish, shaking her own empty shaker in what looked more like a dance move than a bartending technique.

Rolling her eyes but trying not to laugh, Billie mimicked the shake. “Like this?”

“Perfect!” Hops cheered, clapping her hands and almost tipping over a bottle of rum in her excitement. “Now pour it into the glass -slowly, slowly- and don’t forget the garnish!”

Hops handed her a fresh peach slice and a sprig of mint, and Billie, albeit a little awkwardly, placed them on the edge of the glass. She gave it a once-over, admiring her work before sliding the drink toward Hops with a small smirk.

“There. Good enough to make me an honorary Rabbit Hole bartender yet?”

Hops laughed, raising the glass in a toast before taking a sip. “Not bad, Billie. Not bad at all! With a little more practice, you might even pass as my apprentice.”

“Apprentice?” Billie’s eyebrow shot up. “I think I’ll stick to the drinking part.”

“Suit yourself,” Hops replied, shrugging with a grin. She picked up a bottle of red wine and a smaller bottle of rum. “Now, for the Smooch Hooch. This one’s a classic, and a little more… potent.”

Billie’s interest perked up. “Potent, huh?”

“Oh, yeah. It’s two parts rum, one part red wine, with a squeeze of orange juice. Tastes like candy, but it’ll knock you off your feet if you’re not careful.” Hops gave her a mischievous wink. “Try to keep up.”

Billie took her time pouring the ingredients, her movements becoming more confident with each step. She couldn’t quite pinpoint why, but she was actually enjoying herself, laughing with Hops as they stumbled over their own instructions and sipped their creations with exaggerated toasts.

By the time they reached the Iris Coffee, Hops was practically bouncing with energy, her words slurring slightly as she guided Billie through the process.

“And this one… this one’s perfect for late nights, Billie,” Hops said with a conspiratorial grin, sliding the freshly poured drink across the counter. “Bit of a wake-up call, you know? Keeps you going all night long.”

“Sounds like trouble,” Billie replied, smirking as she took a sip. The warm burn of the whiskey mixed with the bitterness of the coffee, creating a surprisingly smooth blend that left her raising an impressed eyebrow. “I gotta admit, Hops, you’re not bad at this.”

“Thank you, thank you,” Hops replied with a dramatic bow, nearly losing her balance and clutching the counter with a laugh. “You know, this little ‘lesson’ might end up costing me more than my usual bar tab.”

“Then why do it?” Billie asked, watching her with genuine curiosity.

Hops blinked, as though she hadn’t considered the question before. She shrugged, giving Billie a lopsided smile. “Because… sometimes, it’s worth it. Good company, good drinks, and all that. Besides,” she added with a wink, “if I’m gonna be trapped behind this bar, might as well make it a party, right?”

Billie chuckled, raising her glass in a toast. “To debt, drinks, and bad decisions.”

“To all of the above!” Hops laughed, clinking her glass against Billie’s before taking a long, unapologetic swig.

As the night went on, they laughed and mixed drinks with increasing abandon, Billie’s typical gruffness softened by the easy warmth of the Rabbit Hole’s clumsy but earnest bartender. For a little while, at least, the troubles of Burrowgatory seemed far away.