"Happy to help. Should talk to Trudy, inside. She likes to meet strangers." the old man said gruffly.
"Will do. Been a while since I had a good drink anyways." I said with a cheerful two finger salute as I walked by him and pushed open the wooden door to the equally wooden building.
"Cheyanne stay!" A female voice spoke up as I stepped in.
The owner of the voice was a HOT young woman my age with tied back brown hair and a sun kissed complexion. At her side sat a grey and black dog of indistinguishable breed that was staring right at me in a defensive posture.
"Well hello there beautiful! Aren't you just to prettiest thing I've seen in days!" I said cheerfully as I walked right up to the woman and ignored her to crouch down in front of the dog.
"Can't say I've ever been ignored for my dog before." the woman said with a chuckle after she realized what was happening.
"Are you kidding look at this girl! No visible mutations, full mostly clean fur and those healthy teeth. She's clearly a treasure." I said as I rubbed the dogs head.
"Bought her as a pup off a trader passing through when I was a girl. I take care of her and she takes care of me." the woman said with a smile.
"Oh I don't doubt that at all. She was quite eager to jump to the defense when I was coming in. Must have startled her. Names Alex by the by." I said holding my hand out with a friendly grin(not that she could see that).
"Sunny Smiles. This is Cheyanne. What brings you to Goodsprings?" she asked as she shook my hand.
"Was heading to Vegas to try my luck. Turns out the direct route is actually the most dangerous, nothing for it I suppose." I said shrugging helplessly.
"Easy Pete must've told you." she said and I tilted my head.
"Is that his name? He never mentioned it, fitting though. He DID mention coming in here to see someone called Trudy though." I said casually.
"Yeah, Trudy's something like the town mom. She's also big on making the acquaintance of anyone passing through, especially before Chet can ruin the opinion of the place." Sunny said with a smile.
"That right? Tell you what. How's about I buy us some drinks and you can tell me all about it?" I offered.
"You certain move fast. Known me only a few minutes and already hitting on me." she said with a laugh.
"That's not a no." I said grinning.
"It's not but don't expect me to just open my legs because you plied me with a few drinks." she said with a hint of warning.
"Why I'd never! I would at least offer dinner first." I said with a laugh.
"Now that's what I'd call class." she said laughing as well.
She led the way to the bar in the next room over and the older woman behind it looked me over with a deeply wary look.
"Didn't think robots could drink." she said flatly.
"Oh I'm not a robot. This is armor." I said and as if to prove my point the helmet visor shifted back revealing my grinning face.
"Fancy stuff. Must've been hard to come by." the woman said more friendly this time.
"One of a kind. Got lucky poking around a vault and got this and my bike out front. This little monster was an entirely different matter though." I said drawing attention to the bug on my shoulder with my thumb.
"Hope that thing is tame. Looks like a Cazador without that orange in the wings almost. Names Trudy by the way." she said with a slightly unnerved gaze at the bug.
"Alex and this little fella is a right trooper. Follows commands without any problem, watch. Do a loop in the air before returning." I commanded and the bug rose from my shoulder, did a loop, and then returned.
"Well how about that." she said impressed.
"A couple of whiskeys would you Trudy? This fella said he'd be treating me." Sunny said casually as she sat at the bar.
Trudy looked between the two of us with a raised eyebrow before shrugging "He's easy on the eyes at least." she said as she reached behind her and retrieved an unlabeled glass bottle of amber brown liquid and two shot glasses.
"So what's your tale Alex? You look like a fellow with a few stories under his belt." Sunny said as she opened the bottle of whiskey.
"Got any dried chilis and water?" I asked Trudy.
"Got some jalapeños and water." she said with a slightly confused expression.
"Give em here, i'll show you both a cocktail with some kick to it." I said grinning.
She grabbed the stuff and handed it over along with a mixing spoon. I pinched off a few bits of jalapeno and tossed them into the glasses, splashed in the water and then poured the whiskey to fill the glasses. I stirred it and slid the cocktail to Sunny.
"One Silverhand, minus the ice." I said before grabbing my glass and slamming it down the hatch.
"TSSSS!" I hissed out a breath at the intense bitter burn on my tongue and throat.
Sunny chose to copy me and paid for it as she coughed when the heat and bitterness of the whiskey rolled down her own throat.
"Is it supposed to burn like that?" she asked with a hoarse voice once she finished coughing.
"Bitter and with a strong fire going down, just like the man it is named after." I said with a chuckle.
"I take it Silverhand was someone you knew then?" she asked and I shook my head.
"From an outside perspective maybe but I can't say I was around him long enough to say I knew him well. For the time I did know him though he was a idealist with a mean streak. Could rile people up something fierce but if you knew him on any personal level he was a bit of an asshole. Died in a blaze of glory." I said honestly remembering playing cyberpunk twenty seventy seven.
"So bitter with a fiery burn going down. Poetic almost." she said with an appreciation for the drinks story even if it wasn't for her.
"And what about you? What cocktail would you be?" Trudy asked curiously.
"Tequila and sarsaparilla." I said with a chuckle.
"Sounds sweet and smooth." Sunny said with a laugh.
"Aren't I just?" I said with a playful wink.