5-Tastes Like Garlic

Nico~

“I would rather get shot in the head than have a tiny bite of chocolate.” I made my point by chugging down the last glass of wine.

Shawn shook his head and Mike muttered something in Spanish that seemed like an insult. We always argued like this all the time.

“Speak English, Mike!” I rolled my eyes.

“Who hates chocolate? I love all things chocolate,” Shawn’s gaze was fixated on a lady in front, “like that dark chocolate rocking it on the dance floor, for example…”

“Okay, Shawn is gone. My turn…” I was searching the bar for a pretty thing to take home tonight.

“How about you, Mike? Who are you going home with tonight!” His question was met with a rough pat on his back where Mike winced in pain.

“I wish one day you both realize this habit has to stop.” Mike warned. “I have a girlfriend and you two idiots should find yourselves one too.”

“How are we going to find ourselves one if we don’t go out more often?” My head was buried in the crowd, searching.

“Gay Mike, always pretending he’s got a girlfriend,” Shawn cackled.

“I do have a girlfriend!” Mike insisted.

I didn’t believe him too. “Then let us meet her. That’s if she’s real, you know…it’s not just all in your head, is it?” Shawn roared out in laughter. He said something but I didn’t hear because I found my girl.

Slender, seated alone at the bar counter. “I found my prize,” I announced to the gang.

“Same. I’ve got my eyes on chocolate diva at 6 o’clock.” Shawn said. Then he added, “Gay Mike has got his eyes on a gay dude at the back.”

“The bouncer?” I blurted out, but he immediately pounced on us.

“Fuck off!”

We separated, laughing at the top of our lungs.

“I have a girlfriend, why won’t you believe me?” Mike shouted from behind. “I don’t cheat.”

“Sure thing, man,” I muttered under my breath. When would he stop being delusional? There was a man seated next to the red-haired lady. I tapped him gently, “hey, here’s a hundred bucks. Find a new place to sit.”

He eyed me up and down, snatched the money from my hand and left. I sat down beside her. She needed to meet me…to see me. Taking a closer look at her, I realized her eyes were slightly puffy. Rosebud lips pouted, the way her posture loosened gave the impression she’d been fed up of life. Maybe she looked tired from all the drinking.

I leaned towards her and said in a whisper, “I need to have some of what you’re having.” She sniffed, turning to look at me. We were so close now I could feel her breath on mine. Our eyes locked and for a moment, something jumped inside of me. That soft gaze that lingered a little too long stirred something inside of me.

She was not just drunk. This lady was sad, fed up of life. I felt pity for her. “No, I wasn’t going to take advantage of her, not when she’s like this.” I decided to leave. Maybe offer to pay for her drink first.

Leaning further away, I sat upright. To my surprise, she did not move an inch. She sniffed in loudly. “Sure. You can have what I’m having.” Her voice was loud, too loud that everyone else in the bar might have heard too. “Here you go. A cheating bastard, loneliness, guilt, poverty, an empty account balance,”

Blinking, I turned around to make sure I wasn’t the only one who’d just heard that. It was like she was singing off-key, or rapping. This was my cue to get up and leave.

All of a sudden, a loud wail was heard. It took me a moment to realize it came from her. “Damn it, you’re loud.”

It wasn’t an ordinary cry. I remembered when my mother burst out in tears after the news of her dad’s death. He had been sick and after spending a lot, the doctors assured he would live. She had screamed out, shaking uncontrollably. We held her down, I was fifteen years then. Oh, did my mother cry!

Now, this lady’s crying was ten times louder. My face flushed from shame. “Please,” I pleaded softly, “I’m sorry. Let me leave,”

That only got out more tears.

More eyes stared at me, questioning me, some judging me already.

“I don’t know her.” I said, an awkward chuckle following. This woman had the nerve to hold me by the collar of my shirt and sink into my shoulders. I couldn’t stand up. I couldn’t move. I turned and found half of the bar’s eyes staring back at me. “I swear, I don’t know her.”

More tears filled the room. The music even reduced, worsening the situation.

“Why are you… Please. Stop it!” All my pleas were to no avail.

“Hey, don’t you dare break up with her!” A slender lady warned.

Another man yelled out, “take care of her.”

Other people began to offer their uninteresting opinions and advice. They did not stop her from crying.

At this point, I’d already given up. “Please, let’s go.” She insisted, and struggled with me but I managed to hold her tight as I supported her out of there.

“I haven’t even paid my drinks,” she cried out.

“Shushhh, hey, I got it. I’ll pay for it. Just let’s go,” Even when we got outside, I could still hear people muttering, their eyes still lingering on me, judging me.

Immediately we got out, she pulled free from me and… after a slow deep breath, she knuckled her tears.

I could not believe my eyes. “Oh, so that’s it? You’re done now?”

What kind of girl did I pick up tonight? Clearly she wasn’t in her right sense. Still, I was so angry. I didn’t want to say anything, in case it started the whole tears drama all over again.

“Miss?” I called her attention because she was staring deeply into nothingness. “Here, I have…” I emptied my wallet, “260 dollars with me. Can it get you home?”

She made me wait, my stomach churning already. Then she spat out, “I don’t have a home.”

I half expected her to cry again but her face got so tough so fast. “Whoa, so you just decided to embarrass me in front of everyone. Why do you hate me so much? You don’t even know me!” Or did she? “Have we…dated before—”

She cut me off, “I may have been able to stand your garlic breath, but others can’t. And your cologne is making it all worse again. Here,” she reached for her purse and handed me a mint gum. “Chew for at least 30 seconds before you talk to anyone again.”

I could only stare in shock. Garlic breath??

“Also, stay away from whiskey. It can make things worse for your breath. Try lemon-rich cocktails. Pineapple, mint, they’re all good.”

“Wait, excuse me?” This was how she would apologize for embarrassing me?

But I was more interested in how she knew. “I had some garlic bread hours ago. How did you even…and I brushed!”

“Hey bro!” I heard someone mutter from behind, but my attention was still drawn to her.

“Wait. Tell me, how did you…okay, uh, what’s your name?”

A strong pat disoriented me as I turned to find Shawn laughing and teasing. “You’re on TikTok!”

I had just turned for a split second. Then she was gone. “Nooo! Where is she?” I queried Shawn. Mike ran outside to join us too.

“Where’s who?” He asked. But she was already gone. How did I lose her?