THE PIANO BAR AT VITTORIO’S

…. The room is still calm; the piano bar is empty. Scarlett takes a stool facing the pianist, orders a Dewar’s on the rocks, and lets herself unwind.
“Hi, I’m Loran,” the pianist says, continuing to play softly. He glances at her with an easy smile. “New in town, cutie?”
Scarlett laughs—no one has called her that in a long while. “Yep. Scarlett.”
That is enough. With a flourish, he slips seamlessly into the familiar strains of Tara’s Theme from Gone with the Wind, the melody curling warmly through the room.
She lifts her glass, amused and unexpectedly charmed, letting the music carry her into the evening. Their chitchat comes easily, as though they’ve known each other longer than a few shared minutes. Loran—worldly, openly gay, with a childlike smile—fascinates her.
A well-dressed man approaches the piano bar. Tall, with neatly groomed gray hair, a mustache, and a red carnation tucked into the lapel of his gray jacket, his gravelly voice carries warmth.
“Good evening,” he says, offering a gracious smile. “I’m Vic, the owner. I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of welcoming you to my Osteria.”
“Probably because I have no idea what an Austaria is,” Scarlett teases.
Vic laughs, delighted. “Osteria—o-s-t-e-r-i-a. Italian. Traditionally, a neighborhood tavern. A place to meet, eat good homemade food, share a carafe of wine, sing a little—and by the end of the evening, everyone’s best friends.” [Chapter 15 — Tuesday, March 6, 1984]