Sing to me

Bartender

Boston 17.05.2022 / 20:26       It was raining. I walked along the crowded street, soaked to the bone, casually glancing at neon signs. In our world, the trend in the last ten years has been not to search for soulmates among seven billion people but to be with whomever you want. People grew tired of searching and believing in the true and pure love of soulmates. It was easier for everyone to live without commitments, inventing a happy ending with someone entirely different from the one fate had prepared for you. And I agreed with that. What's the point of spending a lifetime searching for that one special person when you can choose the most suitable one from those who have always been by your side? Logical? Logical!       But for some reason, the governments of all countries were against it.       Promoting the love between soulmates, they hindered others. Want to hold a high position? Be part of the government? Find your soulmate. Want to start your own business? Tired of working for others? Find your soulmate. Want to adopt a child? Find your soulmate. And how did the government know you found your soulmate? Easy! When soulmates touch for the first time, the coveted numbers appear on their wrists: the date and time of the first touch. Deception was impossible. It was all terribly irritating, interfering with lives like mine. Since childhood, I dreamed of entering the Boston Medical University's surgical faculty, but they only accepted applicants who had found their true love. After graduation, I wanted to open my clinic, help the underprivileged, treat the destitute worldwide, become a doctor without borders, but that could only happen with that ridiculous soulmate. It was vital for me to help people, as my parents died without medical assistance, simply because they weren't wealthy enough—they weren't soulmates.       The vile injustice of our world oppressed me. Sliding a melancholy gaze over another row of shop windows and neon signs, I came across an image of a martini glass, adorned with a neon BAR. Essentially, alcohol was now what I truly needed. A bit of relaxation and oblivion. Boston 17.05.2022 / 20:30       I entered the spacious bar area and began to peel off my wet coat. Unpleasantly, my hair stuck to my damp face, and a small puddle had already formed beneath my feet. I hoped none of the patrons would slip on my wet surprise.       Even though it was a Tuesday, the place was nearly packed. The only available spot was at the bar, where I headed after hanging my wet coat in the communal wardrobe.       "What will you be having?" asked the young bartender with honey-brown eyes as soon as I sat down.       He was a rather young guy, probably around my age, his light, slicked-back hair messily falling onto his forehead. The white shirt accentuated his tan skin, and the rolled-up sleeves revealed a view of strong, attractive arms. However, the black vest, in my opinion, didn't suit him at all, though it didn't make him any less appealing. Perhaps with such a handsome guy, one could age gracefully, exchanging a soulmate for him.       The bartender looked at me kindly, playfully waiting for an answer and disarming me with a smile. I tried to smile back.       "One Manhattan, please," I requested.       "Coming right up," the guy winked and started gathering the necessary ingredients and bottles.       He took bourbon and red vermouth, measured the required amount of alcohol, and poured it into a shaker, giving me a quick glance.       "You seem sad," the guy said, his voice intriguing, slightly childish but with a hint of manly huskiness. "Can I ask why?"       "Of course," I unintentionally admired his profile. "But first, tell me your name. It's a bit strange for me to talk about something personal to a stranger."       The guy smiled even wider, then added the remaining ingredients to the shaker, closed it with a lid, and started shaking.       "I'm Tom. My name is Tom."       "I'm Amy. Nice to meet you."       "So, what's bothering you, Amy? Why is such a beautiful girl so sad?"       "Because of stupid rules about soulmates. Why can't I do what I want without finding my true match? Isn't that foolish? Doesn't it seem like discrimination? You can live a happy life with any compatible person." I said, nervously twisting my fingers.       "Don't believe in true love?" Tom smirked.       "I think you can find happiness without that 'other half' they tell us about since childhood in schools."       "Happiness, but not love," he raised an eyebrow amusingly.       "So, do you believe in soulmates?"       "I'm a hopeless romantic," Tom replied, opening the shaker and pouring the liquid into a triangular cocktail glass with ice cubes. "I believe that somewhere, my true love is waiting for me."       After decorating my Manhattan with a cocktail cherry, the bartender served it to me. And in that short moment, when our glances crossed and our fingers touched, my heart skipped a beat and the treasured numbers appeared on my wrist. Boston 17.05.2022 / 21:00       Who would have thought that half an hour could change my life? In a moment, I became the happiest girl in the world, and all my prejudices about soulmates crumbled. It wasn't just about being able to enter university and fulfill my dream afterward. On the seventeenth of May at nine in the evening, I felt an invisible warmth fill me, warming my soul, making it easier to breathe. My heart gently fluttered, and I wanted to smile in all thirty-two directions. The pain that had haunted me retreated, and from these feelings, I felt stronger, better—I forgot what fear was. The world changed—became brighter, more colorful, richer. I looked at Tom, and I wanted to drown in the gaze of his brown eyes, to forever disappear into the abyss of those black pupils. I saw that he looked at me the same way: with tenderness, love, and reverence. And I was happy. Absolutely and infinitely happy. I suddenly fell in love, and I was just as suddenly and irrevocably loved in return. It was the most beautiful, uplifting feeling in the world.       As Tolstoy said, "Living without love is easier. But without it, there is no meaning." Now, with the cherished numbers imprinted on my wrist, I understood these words.