"Look, there's a happy hour at four o'clock. Is this the only time of the day when you can be happy?" asked Robot 1
"I don't know," replied Robot 2. "But I can tell you one thing……"
"What is that?" asked Robot 1.
"Not only will everyone be happy for that hour; the drinks are less than half price. Everyone will be double happy."
"Wow," said Robot 1. "It's half past three now. Happy hour starts in half hour. Shall we see if there are any early starters?"
Robot 1 and Robot 2 entered the bar.
"It looks a bit empty to me," said Robot 2. "I would have thought that there would have been some people here already. A chance for an extra half hour of happiness."
They hear a shout from the bar
"Do you boys want a drink?"
"Not yet," said Robot 1. "We just wanted to see if anyone was here early, for an extra half hour of happiness."
"It looks like not," said Robot 2. "We have a theory, that everyone is only happy for one hour a day. It is between four o'clock and five o'clock. That's why you celebrate this moment with cheap drinks."
"That's one way of looking at it," said the barman. "I do like where you're coming from."
The barman was wearing a black polo shirt with the pub's logo embossed. At that very moment, three more people with the same polo shirt entered.
They put their finger in the clocking in machine.
"They must be here for the happy part of the day," said Robot 1.
"What time is it now?" asked Robot 2
"A quarter to four," said the barman.
"Fifteen minutes before happy time," said Robot 2. "I'll program myself ready for a big smile."
"You could buy an early drink," said the barman.
"Negative," said Robot 1. "There would be very little point. You see, if we wait fifteen minutes, not only will be drinking in the presence of happy people, we would be able to buy a drink each for the same price as one drink would cost now. It would not be very wise to start ahead."
"I'm going to offer you a free shot of whiskey each," said the barman.
"That is most kind of you," said Robot 2. "Can we have it now?"
"Yes, I insist," said the barman.
Robot 1 and Robot 2 wasted no time in drinking their neat whiskey shot.
"I'll have another," said Robot 1.
"Me too," said Robot 2.
"You see," said the barman, "you get an extra fifteen minutes of happy time before happy hour."
"Yes, we do," said Robot 1.
"Pour the drinks," said Robot 2. "I need something to keep me going until four o'clock."
"I'll stick those ones on your tab," said the barman.
The two Robots raised their glasses.
"Cheers."
Freewrite prompt by @mariannewest