“Want another, sir?” the barman asked, turning to Nigel after serving his last customer.
Nigel hadn’t been in The Black Swan in Oakshot before, but the beamed ceilings, thick-piled carpeting, low lighting, quiet background music, and friendly bar staff all made him feel welcome. The only slight oddity was the barman and his baggy green sweater that seemed three sizes too big.
Nigel looked down at his almost empty glass of soda water and sighed. “Thank you. Might as well live dangerously.” He drained his glass and handed it back to the barman, who scooped ice into a new glass and filled it from the pump.
“Haven’t seen you in here before,” the barman said, taking Nigel’s money.
And that was another thing in the pub’s favour—the prices of soft drinks were very reasonable.
“No.” Nigel sho
