Living in the Fray

Chapter Eighteen

'There we go, another two pitchers.'

Ronson had been up to the bar in Hideki's and ordered another two full pitchers of Asahi for the table. The pitchers were soon empty as everyone topped up their pint glasses and started drinking again. The twins were present, along with Devin, Tony and Mikey but were missing Justin who was taking his family out for dinner, Zach who was out earlier but had gone to his regular "hunting grounds" looking for women and Krieger; had been taken out on a date by the lovely Erik and not with a bullet like a lot of people usually tried to do.

'We don't see you that often without your other arm.' Tony chuckled at Ronson. It was true, Krieger and Ronson were inseparable and it was rare to see them apart.

'Yeah well she's on a date huh. She's allowed to go on dates it's not like we're an item. I am horrifically gay remember?' Ronson replied with a grin. 'Besides, she's only gone out with her guns tonight, her sword is nice and safe at home, so she's also without me and her other other arm.

'Oh please.' Tony continued. 'You two are just like an old married couple.'

Ronson huffed a little then smirked ever so slightly. They were just stating facts and it was a bit funny but Krieger and Ronson had their reasons for being as close as they were. They were each others rocks and things just didn't get in between them; relationships, the occasional argument or disagreement they had. They were exactly like an old married couple.

'Hi there! I've got your food.'

'Oh hey Viv, thanks.'

Ronson scooted his chair out away from the table to let Vivian; one of the young women Hideki had recently hired to help out at the bar place down a huge tray filled with various foods Sho had just cooked up for them. She laid down dishes of yakitori, karaage, gyoza, yakisoba and tamagoyaki then set down enough small side plates for everyone, a condiment set and a container holding several pairs of chopsticks.

'Can I get you anything else?' Vivian asked the group. She was looking at Michael when she asked and continued looking at him, long enough for Ronson to notice.

'Yeah can we have another few pitchers please?' Ronson replied to Viv not looking away from her ogling Michael, who was now eyeing up all the various dishes and not paying attention to the obvious flirting coming from the petite, blonde and friendly waitress.

'Sure thing!' Vivian squeaked and bounced off round the bar to pour two more pitchers of beer. Ronson was going to keep an eye on this situation to see if it developed or not. At least he had some gossip to tell Krieger later on. He checked his holowatch; it had been a while since she had gone out and normally on dates she would call him via neural comms, to tell him how bad it was and how she was going to sneak away and leave the idiot who had taken her out with the bill. Normally that was something the twins Jess and Faye would pull and he remembered that they hadn't done that in a while. Justin and Tony were blissfully married and had kids, Devin sort of had a girlfriend but he rarely saw her as she was an onboard engineer with the local passenger shuttles that ran twice daily to Galleria. Ronson himself wasn't exactly a fan of actual relationships but he figured that it would be nice to have someone; someone that would support him and have his back when he needed it.

Ronson decided he should start drinking more before he started taking himself seriously on that idea. No, he was fairly sure that he could carry on with his one night stands and booting the unsuspecting fellow out of his apartment at some ridiculous time in the morning.

'Okay, two more pitchers. How is everything?' Vivian had scuttled back over with two more pitchers of beer.

'We're good thanks, just keep the beer coming doll.' Ronson answered. Vivian smiled, nodded then went over to help the other new girl Yui, with a big order heading over to a table filled with men on a bachelor party. Michael was still totally oblivious of Vivian's quick glances at him, he was more interested in the plate of gyoza he had sneakily tugged over. The food, cooked excellently by Sho was making Michael wish he was in a kitchen making this stuff himself. He savoured every single bite he took of each dish while making a mental note that he had to cook this for the crew at the next chance he got.