Dan doesn't take it personally that the compliment isn't returned. He meant it, and a compliment that's only fishing for its mirror is an insincere one. Miguel may be reserved, but he's been interesting and, Dan expects, about as close to friendly as Miguel gets.

Such an expectation is why Dan not only doesn't hide what he's doing with his hands, but subtly tilts so that they're easier for Miguel to see, which he hopes isn't obvious. He wants Miguel to feel comfortable. He doesn't want Miguel to think he's aware that he's being observed with suspicion.

The way he pours is very fluid and competent, the result less of his own dependence on alcohol and more on the fact that bartending has always been one of his go-to ways to make cash in a new town. He gives Miguel a medium pour, himself a heavy one. When he's bothering to delude himself, he claims he needs more alcohol than usual because it buffers him from the worst of the Pole's climate.

"Do we toast to the future or the past today?"