Another Bar Day (Diana,Doku)

Diana was going to respond to the question about whether or not she was a member of law enforcement when she soon realized that the question was one asked in jest. It was a good thing that the blonde had remained silent because had she answered there was a good chance she would have ruined the pleasant atmosphere by looking rather dumb. She had managed to avoid looking stupid for the time being, so she would keep the conversation on track and talk about the reason he drew in people and kept them coming back.

"I do not think you have such a loyal customer base just because of the wares you offer. You have a good amount of charisma going for you too." Diana offered yet another compliment to her host. To him it might sound like she was trying to butter him up and get on his good side, but that was not the case. The blonde thought that Doku had a way with people to go along with the array of alcohol his establishment served. Whether or not he thought that her words were a genuine compliment or not was up to him, but she had meant every word of it.

"What kind of drinks can you make, Doku?" Diana inquired. Earlier she had heard him say that he was capable of creating cocktails upon request, but there was a good chance that he could make more than that. Doku probably knew a lot of drink recipes and knew them so well that he could make anything a customer requested without breaking a sweat.

"I know nothing about the bartending trade, but it sounds like you have a good deal of flexibility. It also sounds like you are willing to learn how to make drinks besides the standard offerings that one might expect a bar to sell." Diana made a couple of observations based on what Doku had told her. He sounded like he was open-minded enough to learn new recipes so that he could build a respectable list of beverages the bar's patrons could choose from. The fact that he was willing to invest time and effort into learning how to make new drinks gave Diana the impression that Doku took pride in his craft and was not content to sit back and be satisfied with what he already knew. She could respect an individual with that kind of determination.

"I am curious, Doku... what are your most popular drinks?" Diana asked him after making it known that curiosity compelled her to ask the question. She was asking because she was more than a little interested in his profession and was also interested in the kinds of drinks he could make. She was also curious as to what it took to become a bartender... she might need to take up another trade to supplement her main source of income and was going to start looking for options.

Diana listened to Doku answer the first question and got the impression that bartending was as much a science as it was an art. All the fancy presentation tricks in the book would not make a drink good if the beverage in question was not properly mixed. The blonde Quincy was not a trained bartender and thus did not know the technical details her host was referring to, but he explained them with such ease that she could get the gist of what he was saying despite not having any knowledge of the field.

"I have never heard of that beverage, but it sounds simple to make. Perhaps that is why a lot of people request it." Diana commented from an outsider's perspective. That statement probably sounded so naive and dumb that Doku would get a weapons-grade headache from it, but the blonde was interested in what he had to say on the subject. He spoke with the kind of ease that came from experience and she could tell that he also had a certain amount of passion for the trade. Even if she did not understand half of what he said just hearing him talk about it was enough to get and keep her attention.

"What would be a good starter drink for someone who has never had alcohol before?" Diana asked him another question pertaining to drinks, hoping to benefit from his expertise both now and in the future.

"Spiked soda sounds like it has potential." Diana informed Doku that the idea was something she was interested in. If spiked soda was not particularly high in alcohol content that might be her choice for the first alcoholic drink that would ever touch her lips. She wanted to start off with something mild before working her way up to bigger, stronger drinks... if she chose to do so. If Diana found the right soda/alcohol drink she might develop a fondness for it like she had for coffee. Speaking of soda, she came up with suggestions Doku might be able to work with.

"I like Coca-Cola and I like Dr. Pepper." Diana told her host what sodas she liked. The Quincy from Georgia had started drinking Coca-Cola as a child and had developed a liking for it because of the combination of taste and caffeine content. While it stood no chance of dethroning coffee as her favorite beverage Coca-Cola still had a place in her heart... in fact it was her second-favorite drink.

Hearing that there were options for alcoholic drinks mixed with soda gave the blonde a bit of happiness, but hearing that drinks mixed with coffee existed made her feel even more happiness... not that Doku would see that because Diana's poker face remained intact. She also learned that in his experience women tended to frequently request a mixed drink called an "Espresso Martini" but did not get an answer as to why that was because her host had no idea. Diana would make a mental note of that beverage name in case she wanted to try it in the future. Chances were good that she might trust Doku to make it because she knew him and he seemed like a good person. In the meantime she would ask yet another question of her host.

"What does it take to become a bartender?" Diana calmly asked Doku about the particulars of his trade due to her curiosity. She suspected that there was more to it than just having a bar to work in, a good knowledge of recipes, and a winning personality. Maybe he would tell her a bit about what it took to be a successful bartender.