"Yes, definitely time to switch to hard liquor. Sophie, my dear, damage control! Please bring us a bottle of your finest MOX solvent." Sophie quickly pours him a double straight-up.
"Poor old Dez!" Pete claps him on the back. "So some floozy ran out on you. You still got your ship, and your mates. What more does a bloke need? It just like this Junkers fella I ran into... he was a successful business man, but three ex-wives later, and he was reduced to doing a runner into the debris fields. Had a face like the arse-end of a Behemoth.... Mate, you don't need that kind of grief. Take old Pete's advice! The only woman you need is Sophie here."
Pete raises his 8-year double-malt Edinburgh, and downs it in one gulp. Sophie refills his glass.
"Now, Derek, you aren't going anywhere are you? Rightio, now tell us what happened."
Pete downs his glass again, and Sophie refills it.
"Oohh, that's the good stuff," says Pete, not waiting for Derek to answer. "Now, mate, where were we? Look, you still got a ship. Could be worse, you might... have... um... only one leg!"
Pete throws down the third, and Sophie hesitantly refills it.
"Now Derek, you aren't driving are you? No, good. Otherwise I'd have to take your keys off you. Coz just between you and me, old Derek is looking just a teensy weensy bit drunk. Now come on, drink up!"
Pete downs his fourth, and Sophie is hard pressed to fill it up again.
"I'm the depressed one, and your the good mate trying to cheer me up... no wait... you're the depressed one, and I'm trying to cheer you up! *belch* But just between you and me, I think Derek is a little bit unhappy in his love life. I would suggest we take him out and get him laid, but I'm afraid that might just compil... complc... compili... make things worse.
Pete downs his fifth, and he motions wildly for Sophie to refill it, who does so very reluctantly. Pete suddenly glares at some random person in the bar.
"Whadar you lookin at?" He jabs a finger at the fellow. "I'm not telling you again -- stay away from my wrench wench! She's sweet and innocent, and I won't have her sullied by some randy bastard in a pub."
Pete downs this drink, and Sophie doesn't refill it, but he didn't notice as he puts his arm around Derek's shoulder. "Right! Now that's sorted out. Derek, you're among mates here. Old Pete, and Sophie, good kind-hearted Soph, and the guv in the back room... Dez, tell us everything. Let us share your burden, as mates do."
