Just Before You Go

“So,” Jenny smiled at me, leaning her small frame against the edge of the bar, “I hear you quit your desk job.”
“Yes ma’am,” I nodded, peering over my shoulder at her quickly.
I was loading beer stock into the bar fridges and my skin was starting to freeze. This was my second time working a Wednesday shift since I’d started at the bar. I had hopes that this one might be as entertaining as the last. Jenny had convinced Mark to start throwing me on Wednesday nights with her—we were trying out a new tactic to draw up more mid-week business. A classic crowd favorite: open mic night.
The idea did nothing for me; I wasn’t musically inclined in the slightest. Jenny was though, she played the guitar and had a beautiful voice like a bird. She was thrilled to have the opportunity to sing at work. I assumed there would be people playing music that weren’t as talented as Jenny though; and that made me nervous. My face was expressive, especially when I didn’t like something. I was worried I was going to offend everyone. Oh, well.
“Why’d you quit?” she asked me curiously.
I let the fridge door slam behind me as I tossed an empty case into the corner of the bar, “Because everyone I worked with were d-bags. It was a little too…you know what, there isn’t even a word for it. I hated it.”
“Well I’m glad you quit,” she smirked. “It means we get to hang out together more often. I count that as a win.”
“Maybe one day we’ll actually have the same day off,” I joked. “Then we can be real friends; not just work wives.”
She laughed, “That’s the dream!”
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I smiled at the sender’s little message.
From: James
You better not have called in sick. I’ll see you soon!
“Who ya smiling at?” Jenny teased knowingly.
I stuffed my phone back into my jeans pocket, “No one.”
“Why do you bother lying to me?” she asked playfully. “I know everything.”
I nodded along, “Sure, sure.”
“Just promise you’ll invite me to the wedding,” she giggled as she passed me on her way to the kitchen.
The bar was dead, which allowed us more time to properly prepare for our first open mic night. I wasn’t anticipating a large crowd, given that almost every bar in town offered something similar. And most people didn’t go out drinking on Wednesdays. But my extra hours depended on its success so I was internally crossing my fingers.
“I don’t have to speak right?” I asked Jenny once she’d returned. “You’re going to field that? I don’t do the whole public speaking thing.”
“That’s fine,” she shrugged happily. “More stage time for me, the better!”
I once had to give a presentation on the importance of abstaining from drugs—I’d fainted in the hallway. Once I’d come to and my teacher had informed me that I’d still need to present, I’d thrown up all over his shoes. And then I’d fainted from the sight. It was not a good day. I was twelve; I’d never outgrown the phobia.
Just after eight, crowds started to trickle into our bar. They took up the tables and claimed respective pool tables—it had been so quiet and was suddenly roaring with noise. People were demanding to be fed drinks, which basically tied me up entirely. Jenny was back and forth between the bar and the microphone, introducing the next brave souls to take the stool.
So, far it was a success.
“This is so cool,” Jenny sighed happily as she rounded the bar to help me drunken the patrons. “I didn’t think we’d get so many people!”
“It’s definitely busy,” I nodded quickly, dumping tequila into five glasses in a line.
“Don’t worry, I won’t get up there if it stays like this,” she told me. “I won’t abandon you, promise.”
“Thank you,” I laughed.
Men in the corner called for more drinks. I rolled my eyes as I departed from my station and made my way to them. They were already pretty buzzed and they were obnoxious. But their order was simple and they didn’t chit chat, which was a great relief.
My shift continued this way for the next hour: sheer chaos. I figured in time it would become more relaxed for me; I’d yet to see the bar this frantic.
“Hanging in there?” Jenny smiled at me once I’d returned.
The crowd around the bar was slowly starting to deplete.
“Oh yeah,” I smiled back. “I’m good.”
“You are good,” she noted. “I think you might be one of our best bartenders. But don’t tell Derek I said that. He gets a little competitive.”
I grinned, “Mums the word.”
I heard the kitchen bell ringing nonstop; I figured this meant my last table’s food order was up. Shaun was impatient with servers leaving their food in the kitchen for too long.
“I heard you the first seven times,” I groaned as I flew through the kitchen door.
He scowled at me, “It’s been sitting here for two fucking minutes.”
“Oh no!” I gasped dramatically. “Two whole minutes? I’m so sorry, Shaun! How could I be so incompetent?”
“One day, you and I are going to hate fuck,” he told me with a devious grin. “Take your shit and go.”
I rolled my eyes at him but took the food nonetheless. I balanced it all with expert skill as I floated out to my table and dumped the food onto the table.
The very second I’d returned to the bar, Jenny was by my side, whispering frantically in my ear.
“Your boyfriend’s here,” she grinned widely. “And he came alone.”
“So?” I asked seriously.
She stared at me blankly, “They’ve been coming here every Wednesday for the last six months. I have never—and I mean never—seen just one of them on a Wednesday.”
“Okay,” I said awkwardly, still not understanding her seriousness.
She groaned playfully, “Aren’t you supposed to be smart or something?”
“Shut up,” I laughed, pushing her away a little.
“She’s coming!” Jenny called over her shoulder.
I looked over her to see Jimmy sitting at the bar, stacking coasters like a house of cards. My hands got all sweaty.
I bounced my way over to him, he looked pleased to see me. He smiled and I swooned.
“Healthy,” he said to me. “Just how I like you.”
My brows furrowed at him, “Always.”
“It’s crazy in here,” he thought aloud, looking around at the crowds.
I nodded, “It’s been nonstop. Drinks while I’m available?”
“Sure,” he shrugged. “Anything is good.”
I poured him a glass of our best draught and he took it greedily. He took a pretty big gulp before setting it down onto his house of coasters; effectively crashing it down onto the bar. He pouted up at me.
“I’d hoped it would hold,” he said to me.
“Why would—” I laughed, deciding not to feed into his antics. “Where’s everyone else?”
“They didn’t want to come,” he said simply.
Liar.
“Oh really?” I asked sarcastically.
He widened his beautiful oceanic eyes at me, “Would I lie to you?”
“Yes,” I decided aloud with a grin.
“I wouldn’t,” he defended sheepishly. “But I am lying about this.”
“You’re so weird,” I laughed.
A woman flagged me down from across the bar. I promised Jimmy I’d be back before I trotted off to quench this woman’s thirst. Jenny appeared though and bumped me dramatically out of the way.
“Get out of here,” she said quietly. “You don’t work when there’s a cute guy here to see you. It’s bartender law.”
“You’re going to try and quip made up laws at me?” I asked her playfully.
“Yep,” she nodded once. “Go away now.”
Jimmy was cackling at the scene, making no effort to hide it as I returned to him.
“She shooed me,” I frowned at him.
He was still cackling away, “I saw.”
“She said I have to talk to you,” I said bashfully.
“Doesn’t she know that boys have cooties?” Jimmy teased.
I shook my head, “Guess not.”
Another singer took the stage and it was painful. A vocal symphony similar to that of nails down a blackboard. It was cringe-worthy, but I commended them a little for giving it a go. I assumed it was a drunken dare, judging by the amount of swaying the man on stage was doing.
“You going to get up there?” Jimmy asked me, his eyes meeting mine and stilling my beating heart.
“Absolutely not.”
“What?” he laughed. “Why not?”
“I don’t do public…speaking…” I trailed off, watching as the man attempted a high note. “This is why,” I laughed, gesturing to the man at the microphone.
Jimmy looked quickly and then back at me, “No way you’d be that bad.”
“Never happening,” I insisted. “What about you though? You’re a musician.”
“All musicians should participate in open mic nights?” he asked me curiously.
I shrugged, “The good ones.”
Jimmy stared at me.
I continued mercilessly, “But I mean, if you’re afraid you might embarrass yourself…”
“Jenny!” Jimmy shrieked loudly. “Jenny! I want to sing, Jenny!”
“Jesus Christ,” she groaned as she neared us, shaking her head at Jimmy. “We need to find your off switch.”
“No such thing,” he beamed.
“I know,” she whined. “There’s someone ahead of you but then you can go.”
“What about you?” I asked her curiously. “Bar’s dying down.”
“Jenny sings?” Jimmy gasped. “Yeah! Duet! Crowds love a good duet!”
“You two discuss,” I giggled, “I’m going to get that guy a drink.”
I worked the bar alone so that Jenny and Jimmy could debate and argue loudly until they finally agreed on a song. Given that most people in the bar that night were well aware of who Jimmy was—like I’d said, they were local celebrities—most people strayed away from ordering drinks once he was up on the stage.
“We’re sorry in advance,” Jenny smiled into the microphone as she sat down and began to strum her guitar.
And then they started to sing. I collapsed onto my elbows on the bar as I watched them perform one of my favorite, if not a little overplayed, songs.
“Take these broken wings and learn to fly,” Jenny sang beautifully.
Jimmy’s voice was like nothing I’d ever heard. It was raw but it was electric. I was immediately turned on. I watched the way his eyes flickered in the light and his silver piercing bounced as he sung. His hair hung in his face and he didn’t care enough about it to move it. I could not look away.
They’d finished sooner than I’d have liked and were giddy with one another as they stepped off our tiny stage, waving at the few people in front who were applauding loudly.
“What a rush!” Jenny swooned once she’d regained her position as the barkeep.
Jimmy took a seat in his stool again, wiggling his eyebrows at me.
“Did I embarrass myself?” he asked me playfully.
I leaned in close to him, closer than I’d normally even dare imagine, looking between his eyes and his lips subconsciously.
“To be continued, right?” I purred. “I think I’m going to need that continuation.”
Jimmy grinned wildly at me, obviously restraining himself from kissing me over the counter. I pulled away but the burning throughout my body remained.
“Rev!” I heard an unmistakable voice cut through the crowd.
It was Brian. Two others were on his heels, headed right for the bar. I figured it made sense—and then it occurred to me that Jimmy hadn’t left them behind at all; he’d simply come earlier. Smart guy.
Jimmy sighed with his shoulders dramatically before turning around to greet his friends.
“We were wondering where you ran off to,” the dimpled one smirked.
Jimmy laughed, “You guys are late!”
Brian shoved Jimmy’s shoulder lightly, “Like fuck we are.”
The dimpled one looked around and spotted me, smiling at me sweetly. He approached the bar and I was a little intimidated.
“Mystery solved,” Matt said over his shoulder before turning to look at me again. “I should probably introduce myself since apparently our paths are crossing pretty frequently lately.”
“I’m Aria,” I said to him with my friendliest voice.
“I know,” he smiled. Those dimples, man. “I’m Matt.”
“Oh, Matt,” I thought out loud. “You’re the singer, right?”
“Yeah,” he half-laughed. “Jimmy’s mentioned me, I take it?”
I nodded.
“He’s mentioned you too,” Matt winked at me.
“A lot,” the guy behind him with two hoops through his lip added.
Brian grinned, “Almost nonstop.”
Jimmy looked horrified, “Okay, guys. I think she gets it.”
Brian took Jimmy into a headlock, messing his hair with his knuckles. Jimmy just laughed. Their friendship was sweet. I decided to believe what Brian had said the other day, that he wasn’t always so bad. It made no sense for Jimmy to love him so much if he was a total piece of garbage.
“We’ll be over there,” Matt said to Jimmy. “If you decide you’d like to join us at some point.”
“I’ll be there in a minute,” Jimmy replied quietly, blushing a little.
He turned back around to me, I just smiled.
“Beat the rush, huh?” I asked.
He closed one eye at me, “I wanted to see you. Without the miscreants.”
“Well you’ve seen me,” I smirked.
“What time do you get off work?” he asked me, his eyes planted on mine.
I shrugged, “When it gets quiet—otherwise 2:30.”
“Night owl,” he grinned.
“She’ll be done by one,” Jenny interjected—I hadn’t known she was listening.
But I should have known. Jenny was always listening.
Jimmy squinted at me a little, “To be continued…again.”
“I’m going to hold you to that,” I told him seriously but quietly.
He smirked a little, “I hope that you do.”
Jenny had the decency to wait until Jimmy was far out of earshot to start singing the k-i-s-s-i-n-g song to me. I groaned, hopeful she’d stop. But Jenny wasn’t one to relent.
“What happened to I don’t want a one night stand?” she asked me playfully.
I lowered my brows at her, “Who says I do?”
“You do!” she cackled wildly. “You so want to fuck that guy.”
“Jenny,” I giggled quietly.
“You do,” she insisted. “You need to take him home and have your way with him. It’s good for the soul.”
“Stop that,” I urged.
She gave me a little fake paw with a, “Rawr.”
I shook my head at her, desperate to get away from this conversation. I started collecting empties off the counter. But she followed me around.
“Opportunities, Aria,” she continued playfully. “If you don’t, maybe I will.”
“You leave him alone,” I warned teasingly. “You can have Brian.”
“Been there, done that,” she waved. “But in all seriousness—”
She stopped my cleaning and pulled me away from the customers at the counter. She was looking more serious than usual.
“That boy obviously has a thing for you,” she told me quietly. “So quit dicking around and go…dick around.”
There was that sense of humor I loved.
“What if he doesn’t like me anymore after we…you know?” I asked her, feeling myself blushing.
She looked confused, “So…? Less drama that way!”
“I kinda like him,” I shrugged at her. “Maybe a little more than sexual tension…”
“Aria,” she said slowly, as if trying to carefully choose her words to follow. “I wouldn’t date him. Jimmy has…some problems.”
“I know,” I replied simply.
“You know?” she asked seriously. “How do you know? Did he tell you?”
“No,” I laughed uncomfortably. “Brian made some lude suggestions.”
“You can obviously do what you want,” she tried again, more disconnected this time. “But I say you just have a little fun. He’s not the guy to bring home to mom and dad though....”
“You’re confusing me,” I said with a half-laugh.
“Good!” she concluded happily. “Take that boy home tonight. That’s all I’m going to say about it.”
I sincerely doubted that.
But I was sure as shit going to bring that boy home.

Notes

Thanks for all the love, everyone! :)
xx