“Millie, come on, sit right here,” says Al, as Butch pulls the table out from the booth.
“Here’s a good booth,” says Butch, motioning the others to sit down.
“Fred! Hey, Fred!” says Al. “Where’s your wife, huh? I wanna meet her.”
“I haven’t been able to find her!” says Fred. “She works in some nightclub here. I’ve been around four or five places looking for her. “
“Well, we’ll find her, Fred, before this night is out,” says Al. “We’ll deploy our forces and comb the town – – won’t we, Millie?”
“Oh, by all means,” says Millie, with little enthusiasm.
“Well, we got the Navy to convoy us! Huh?” says Al, pointing at Homer. Al turns to his wife and daughter. “First, we gotta get one thing straight: Homer lost his hands, he’s got those hooks instead. They don’t worry him, so they shouldn’t worry anybody else. Right, Homer?”
“Right!” says Homer.
“Right, now let’s get seriously to work,” says Al. Angus, the waiter, shows up at the table.
“Telephone, Butch,” says Angus.
“Thank you,” replies Butch. He turns back to the table. “Give them anything they want,” says Butch to Angus. Then, Butch points at Homer. “Any kind of beer.”
“What’ll it be, folks?” asks Angus, pulling out a pencil and notepad.
“Hi, Angus!” says Al, shaking Angus’s hand.
“Hiya, Sergeant!” replies Angus.
“Nice to see you,” says Al. “Looking well.”
“Hello, Captain,” says Angus to Fred.
“Hi Angus,” says Fred.
“A little gray in the temples,” says Al.
“Yeah, yeah,” laughs Angus.
The night passes with many drinks by Al and Fred.
“Well,” says Fred, lifting a glass, “Cheahs, Cheahs,” says Fred in a heavy posh accent.
“Cheas,” repeats Al.
Butch returns to the table and looks at Homer. “Homer, Homer,” says Butch, cocking his head toward the piano.
“Okay, Butch, ” says Homer, finishing his beer.
Al swaps glasses with Millie, who’s barely touched her drink. He leaves Millie with a nearly-empty glass.
“Aren’t you drinking?” asks Al. Millie looks at the nearly-empty glass she’s been given.
“Excuse me, folks,” says Homer, standing up.
“Sure, Homer,” says Fred.
Butch is at the piano, playing chords. Homer walks up next to the piano.