'That was a terrible coffee.'
Exploring the city under the veil of the night, Noah couldn't help but occasionally think about that cup of coffee.
It was way too sweet to be called coffee.
Had he wanted something like that, he would've ordered a milkshake.
The sweetish taste still lingered in his mouth, making him space out now and then.
Intending to find a place to clear his taste buds, his eyes scanned the sidewalk attentively.
'A burger… might be a bit too much.
Some cotton candy… Just sugar, I'd prefer some real food.
Waffles… I'm already out of shape, I don't want to get too fat.'
He searched, but nothing caught his interest.
For about half an hour, he endured the nasty taste in his mouth before stopping in front of a pool club.
From the small window beside the entrance, he had seen a fairly appetizing sandwich.
He couldn't endure it anymore, deciding to settle for this place.
Thirty minutes of walking had taken him outside the city's centre.
He was still in one of the central neighborhoods, but in a more discreet alley.
Fewer people roamed the streets there, and many of the shops and cafes were already closed.
Under the diffused neon lights of the bar's sign, the young man made his way towards the obscured glass door.
Once opened, it gave way to a hot flash of smoke and warm food.
The place's dim lighting created a cozy atmosphere.
On his left, half a dozen tables were all occupied with people eating, smoking, and drinking as they chatted.
Beyond that, a wooden counter with four high stools stood opposite all the pool tables.
Noah started salivating as he sat at the counter.
Behind him, a total of eight pool games occupied all the tables available.
He was the only one on the counter, so it didn't take long for the waiter to take his order.
While waiting for a club sandwich, he turned and observed the people playing.
"There's no way this guy's real."
"All calculated."
In the loose pockets table just in front of him, six youngsters were playing three against three.
"My ass, you were clearly aiming for the thirtheen."
"Only losers blame luck. Now make way, it's still my turn."
"Tch!"
They stood out amongst the others because of their age and their appearance.
None of them seemed particularly good at the game, but the smiles on their faces made up for the lack of skill.
In a trance, Noah observed them joking with each other.
It reminded him of high school.
Before he realized, his meal was ready.
The food was good, making him forget the coffee, but eating alone in that pub, a bitter taste still lingered in his very being.
In that moment, more than many others, he felt a bit overwhelmed by his loneliness.
Maybe not having anywhere to return to was one of the main reasons for that feeling.
It could also be that his balance going back into the red didn't help.
"Sigh…"
He needed to find someone to lie to…
But who? Just normal people wouldn't cut it.
Finishing his sandwich, a chance presented itself to him.
The man behind the counter came to pick up his plate in a smooth motion as he asked:
"Was everything alright?"
He could lie about it, say it was terrible, and he would earn a dollar or two.
But… well, the man seemed honest, and the sandwich was delicious.
After he said the coffee at the other place was good, would he need to lie about actually good food being bad?
"It was amazing, the best I could've asked for after a long flight."
"Oh, have you just arrived?"
Other than his own morals, he thought he'd try to get a higher cashback out of the man.
"Yes, landed just a couple of hours ago."
The man carried the plates to the sink and then returned in front of Noah to continue the conversation.
He was the only employee, not counting whoever was in the kitchen.
But since all the other tables didn't seem to need any assistance for the moment, he could allow himself to engage in small talk with the young man.
"Well, what do you think of the city?"
There was a hint of pride in his voice.
He was born and raised in LA after all.
"I like how lively it is even at night."
The reply was met with a low laugh from the man.
"Hohoho, you sure do.
When I was your age, the real day started just around this hour."
Noah glanced at the clock hanging on the wall in front of him.
It was almost 1 am.
"Partying isn't really my thing."
He then admitted with a neutral tone.
During the brief conversation, he had yet to tell a single lie, but he felt he couldn't carry on for much longer.
And he was right.
"Then tell me, what's your thing?"
The man seemed intrigued with the unusual customer, a breath of fresh air in his boring working hours.
A faint headache began to massage his temples as he forced an answer:
"I'm into cars."
"Well, aren't ya, we're men after all, who isn't?
What did you manage to get your hands on then?
Tell me how it compares to my old 2014 Nissan."
Noah paused for a second before replying:
"I bought a Porsche a few weeks back.
A black 911, the model might not be the newest, but it sure shines like a jewel."
All those words came out smoothly, and his serious face made the old man's eyes widen in surprise.
He was talking as if he had gone out to buy groceries.
Had the man known his account was a couple of dollars in debt just from buying a sandwich, maybe he would've lost faith in humanity.
But observing the young man's confident gaze, his straight back, and his fairly handsome face, he couldn't find a reason to deny such a statement.
So young, already playing around with his yearly wage, the waiter felt a pang of bitterness in his heart.
But he didn't doubt.
Many of the people coming to LA for vacation were bigshots from abroad, so the chances, albeit low, were not zero.
Also, no one would come into his shop and lie to him for fun. That was just absurd.
As those thoughts ran through the man's mind, Noah was focused on the floating screen in front of him.
"You have told a casual lie, calculating character relevance… calculating character involvement… calculating lie's weight."
"Congratulations!
You have earned a total of 6,62$."
That was a bit more than he expected.
Even after paying for the meal, his account wouldn't go into the red now.
The man was about to crack a joke about himself when he saw a customer asking for something.
Understanding, Noah smiled politely as he nodded.
And with that, the young man was once again alone, or so he thought.
He felt a tap on his shoulder, and before long, heard someone talking to him.
"Man, would you mind taking my spot?"
Noah turned around calmly, observing the speaker.
He was a young man around his age, wearing an awkward smile as he held a billiard cue in his left hand.
Staring into his blue eyes and seeing his blonde hair, Noah even guessed he must have been an actor.
He was quite handsome to say the least.
Standing face to face, however, neither of the two overwhelmed the other.
Aesthetic standards were different after all.
Before replying, Noah glanced at the two other people who had approached him.
Standing behind the blonde, handsome young man were two women.
One of them resembled him a lot: long blonde hair, clear blue eyes.
They were most likely siblings or cousins.
On the other hand, the other girl carried a different vibe.
Her brunette hair, autumn-brown eyes, big glasses, and white blouse made her look like the perfect academic weapon.
Noticing the look Noah was giving them, the young man immediately added:
"The three of us are leaving, but that makes the remaining players odd. I'd rather they won't hold it against me for this."
"What do you say, want to take my spot? Don't worry, we already paid."
Indeed, he was part of the group of six he had been observing as he waited for his sandwich.
They were in six, and two young men and a girl were still waiting beside the pool table, glancing his way.
It didn't take him long to reply.
This was what he needed right now.
"Sure, no problem."
Having received his answer, the young man broke into a radiant smile as he introduced:
"I'm Bryan, by the way, nice to meet you."
They met in a handshake as Noah replied with an amicable expression:
"I'm Noah."
He took the cue and got to the table, bidding the three goodbye and greeting the three that remained.
"You have told a casual lie, calculating character relevance… calculating character involvement… calculating lie's weight."
"Congratulations!
You have earned a total of 10,28$."
"Congratulations!
You have earned a total of 9,98$."
"Congratulations!
You have earned a total of 6,50$."
"Congratulations!
You have earned a total of 4,39$."
"Congratulations!
You have earned a total of 4,28$."
"Congratulations!
You have earned a total of 4,89$."
"Current balance: 52,90$"
'Damn!… It seems I've hit the jackpot.'