Going Nuts ??

Suddenly, he hears a little voice say, "Hey, you're looking pretty sharp today. New suit?"
The guy looks around but can't see anyone else in the place. He hears the voice again. "Seriously...you are looking good, chum. Have you lost weight?"
The guy looks around again and still doesn't see anyone. "Hello?" he asks. "Is someone speaking to me?"
"You bet! I just had to say that I thought you were looking just super!" A bunch of other tiny voices suddenly rose in agreement. The guy realizes now that these voices are coming from a bowl of nuts on the bar in front of him. He stares at them as the barkeep finally hangs up and comes to serve his only customer.
"What will you have?" asks the barkeep.
"What?... Oh, just a coke, I guess", mutters the guy, still staring at the nuts.
He finally looks up at the barkeep drawing his pint. "What's the deal with these nuts?" he asks.
The barkeep brings the guy's coke over, sets it before him and says "They're complimentary."
Originally published January 20, 2003.