Loud dance music boomed in the small pub, drowning out the scatters of conversations. Working people and some college-level kids dominated the population. Most were dressed casually; some of the working stiffs were still in shirts but with loosened ties. Thomas had already changed his uniform into straight-cut jeans and a checkered shirt. No point sticking out like a sore thumb when all he wanted was a relaxing conversation to destress.

“Be honest with me, Thomas. Is it wrong of me to fantasize about Lynn?”

Thomas paused, his lips brushing the rim of his beer mug. Under the dim lighting, he regarded his half-drunk friend with concern. He sighed. “It’s not exactly wrong.”

Across the table, his friend took another swig of his beer and belched. “It’s either a yes or a no. You’re with the police, so you should know.”

“Oh wait,” he paused before laughing. “I just rhymed!”

Thomas placed his mug down and massaged his forehead between thumb and forefinger. “Albert..”

“Okay okay fine. I won’t ask.” Albert scowled. His thick lips pursed in a pout.

Thomas watched his chubby childhood friend dig his fingers into the basket of fries and stuff a few into his mouth. He noticed that Albert had put on a little weight in recent months, but he had no heart to tell him that when he was drunk. Although his looks weren’t a head-turner, Albert still held a friendly charisma that attracted some ladies. But the single man had his heart set on Lynn for some time now. Even though Thomas had tried to introduce other women to him, it had not worked out.

Well, then again, Thomas reasoned morosely, he was one to talk. So as a good friend, he listened and soothed as best as he could.

Albert was still sulking away - evident from the silence and the hoodie pulled over his head to hide his sullen eyes. Thomas tried to reinvigorate the conversation. “So what happened with Lynn? Obviously, something did, since you’re asking me that question.”

Albert eyed him from under his hoodie as he munched on the fries. He took his time, licking his fingers and downing another gulp of beer, burping as he did. Then, he leaned back on the worn leather bar seat.

“I bumped into her the other day,” he replied. “She said she was going to take up a part-time job in the night.”

Thomas lifted an eyebrow. “Money issues?”

Raising his hands, Albert shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, maybe it’s something to do with Mark’s job.”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

Albert leaned forward and placed his elbows on the wooden table. With a conspiratorial finger, he beckoned Thomas closer and lowered his voice. “Our company is investing more in automation. So grunts like me and Mark will be the first to get-” He drew a finger across his throat. “Laid off.”

Thomas's eyes widened. The grip on his mug tightened. Following his friend’s hushed tones, he whispered, “Is that a rumor or something? I mean, they can’t do that… can they?”

“Oh they can,” Albert tossed back his mug and wiped the residual froth from his lips. “It’s only a matter of time really.”

Thomas mulled over this piece of news as he swirled his finger over the condensation coating his mug. He never thought automation would infringe on people’s lives to such a devastating extent. And yet here it was, replacing people with outdated skills. Was a future like that in Terminator inevitable?

“I doubt Mark will lose his job though.” Albert’s voice cut into his thoughts.

“Why not?”

Bitterness seeped into Albert’s tone. “He and the boss are close. Mark’s son and the boss’s daughter are classmates. So yeah.”

Thomas tipped back his mug to savor the last bit of beer. The bitterness warmed his throat, a stark contrast to the turbulence roiling in his gut. It didn't matter what he did as a policeman to bring justice. The world was unfair. And he was helpless to change that.

He tried to recall who Albert’s boss’s daughter was and then it hit him. “Ah! That would be Valerie’s sister right? The quiet, timid one.”

“Yeah,” Albert drawled. “The dull, studious one.”

That would make sense, Thomas thought. Mark’s son was also the quiet type, so the two of them would fit together.

“Are they like… together or something?” Thomas asked.

“I don’t know. They’re close, I think.”

Nodding, Thomas stroked his chin. He could barely recall Valerie’s sister’s name, much less how she looked like. He only knew she was completely different from her sister. Thinking about Valerie reminded him of that incident in the police station.

“Hey, Alby,” he addressed his friend by his nickname. “I met that Valerie the other day actually. At the police station too, of all places.”

“Wow really?!” Albert gasped. His mouth dropped open. “What did she do?”

“She made this scandalous video of Sandra and posted it online.”

Clicking his tongue, Albert shook his head in disapproval. “Kids nowadays. I don’t think her parents have any control over her.”

Thomas crossed his arms on the table. “Probably not. She was always the wild kid.”

Albert took a few more fries and wagged them about like an adult telling a kid off. “Honestly, that was her parents’ fault. They’re both workaholics - no time to spend on a kid. Let alone two.”

Thomas frowned. “But look at her sister. She turned out fine, right?”

The chubby man chuckled and shook his head. “She’s anything but fine. That girl’s an exploding time bomb, mark my words.”

Opening his mouth to protest, Thomas thought better of it. He was too tired to get into an argument about parenting and wayward kids. Laughing, he waved a hand in dismissal. “Fine. Anything you say, Alby. Let’s just drink away our troubles tonight, okay?”

Albert grinned and lifted his mug in a toast. “Sounds good!”

“What should we toast to?” Thomas asked, his mug lifted high.

Albert hummed in thought. “To unrequited love?”

“Wha-what?” A blush erupting on his cheeks, Thomas rubbed the back of his neck.

Snickering at his friend’s reaction, Albert teased. “Oh come on. You with Sandra, me with Lynn. Just say it, man!”

Thomas’s lips lifted upwards in a sheepish grin. He snorted. “Fine, fine. You win this time.”

“To unrequited love!”