Unlike the chaos I'd seen here later at night, Stingy Ladies was surprisingly calm at five in the afternoon. The music was low enough that people could actually talk without shouting, and only a handful of customers were scattered around the room.
The bar itself was mostly empty, with only a couple of people sitting near the counter. A few tables were occupied farther inside, while the karaoke area sat quietly in the background, waiting for the evening crowd to arrive.
The lights were dim, but not dark enough to make the place feel like a nightclub yet. The whole building had that strange in-between feeling, like it was still waking up before the real night began.
I looked around and quickly spotted Melvin.
He had already found a table on the far left side of the room and was sitting there, looking toward the bar with the kind of focus usually reserved for people watching their favorite sports team.
