I don’t like pubs, and I guess the feeling is mutual,
as I’m the kind of client that orders a glass of tap water
and just occupies the seat the whole night, which isn’t good
for business. But I don’t really feel bad about it because usually
the rest of the pack drinks without any restraint, so I’m covered.
And I can always pretend to be the designated driver,
even though I don’t actually have a driving licence.

I don’t like pubs because most of the time they are too noisy
for my liking, and even if the clientele behaves, the music is too loud,
which doesn’t help you have a meaningful conversation.
And if that wasn’t enough, seeing all those people drinking
brings back memories I’ve been avoiding. So in moments like these,
I imagine myself sitting alone in the Nouvelle Athènes in Montmartre
at the height of the Belle Époque, waiting for a muse I’ve never met.

I’m sure I’d find something annoying there too.