Espresso Time

Whenever Amanda is feeling too stressed over a research project she’s doing, she likes to have an espresso martini - which usually doesn’t solve her problems, but certainly doesn’t make things worse. She always had about a fifty-fifty chance of either becoming drunk enough that she falls asleep instantly, or the espresso giving herself enough energy that she would try finishing up all of her notes in a flurry of inspired, albeit drunken, confidence.

It wasn’t often she got to have one outside of this state, however. She associated drinking so much with frustration and failure that she hardly ever sought it out on her own, or just to relax… so having some friends get together and suggest that they all got drinks together was a bit of an adjustment for her to make.

She had considered ordering something else, sure, but she had very particular tastes, especially when it came to drinks. Most of the options were very fruity, which were popular among many, but were something that she didn’t enjoy. The ones that weren’t were usually plainer drinks such as wine or beer, and while those were just fine, she still wanted something fancier than that.

So, she ended up ordering the espresso. Perhaps drinking along with friends in a social setting, rather than alone in a moment of weakness, would help make a few better connections with her relationship to alcohol. She had enough magic to ensure that she wouldn’t be negatively affected by her consumption, but it would still be nice to see it as something she did while with friends, rather than something to try last-minute cramming with.

She was handed the drink by the bartender, and she took a sip - it wasn’t a particularly good espresso martini, but somehow, that made it even better. She smiled, trying to listen in on the idle conversation that was being had around her, as she began to pace herself with her drink.