I work at a bar in New York. It's not exactly the kind of job anyone would dream of having, but it makes me money. And in this city, trust me, I need it. I currently live with one of my old friends, Simone, in a large apartment building. I decided to move in with her once I turned 22 a few months ago, and now I'm planning on making enough money to get my own apartment.
It's another busy day at work, and I just finished clocking in. I've always been asked to work night shifts, which is fortunate since I'm locked up in the house everyday otherwise. I've made few friends since I've moved to New York, since I've really just been focusing on my job.
"Late again?" my boss, Amanda, said as I walked behind the counter.
"Sorry." was all I said, I didn't feel like arguing with her again. New York traffic was always bad early in the morning, and you'd expect her to know that as someone who had lived in NY for half of her life. But she didn't seem to comprehend it.
"Yeah, yeah."
I got everything set up and stepped behind the counter, leaning my head down on top of it tiredly. I was not looking forward to today.
"Can I get a drink?" I heard a deep, raspy voice say as he chuckled. I looked up to see who the voice was coming from. I froze, looking at the guy sitting at the counter before me. He was tall, with messy brown hair that went to his shoulders. His eyes were soft and tired. They were dark brown, and his lips were perfectly plumped. His face was round and soft. He looked to be in his young 20s, around my age. He was the most attractive male I'd ever laid my eyes on.
"Oh, yeah. Yeah." I said after snapping out of my daze. "What do you want?"
"Beer, please."
I nodded, smiling as I kneeled down to grab a bottle of Corona. I took the cap off, ready to hand it to him. The second I took the cap off, I dropped the bottle. My eyes widened as the bottle fell and hit the floor, shattering into pieces. My face started getting hot, and I felt insanely embarrassed. I looked back at the guy to see him smiling, trying to hold in a laugh. It made me feel even more anxious as he sighed. I noticed now that the beer had gotten all over him.
"Shit, I'm sorry." I said, quickly grabbing napkins from the counter and holding them out to him.
"It's fine, don't worry about it. It happens." he smiled, taking the napkins as I handed them to him. He dabbed the napkin on his shirt, trying to soak up the beer.
"I'll pay for the drink-"
"No," he interrupted. "Don't. It's alright."
I paused for a second. He was being so kind to me. "Are you sure?"
He nodded, putting the napkins down on the table. As expected, there was a huge stain on his shirt. He was wearing a tan jacket with a red shirt underneath and light washed jeans. He looked up at me.
Not knowing what to do, I just walked away from him and went on doing my job. I felt embarrassed, so I tried my best to distance myself away from him. I didn't even want to see him, or for him to see me.
...
It was nearing my break time, so I was getting ready to go outside for fresh air. Being crowded in a small hot bar for four hours can make you feel as though you're suffocating.
I grabbed my coat, throwing it over my shoulders as I headed out of the bar. There was always a spot by the building I would go during my breaks.
I opened the door, shutting it behind me as I stepped outside. It was a little chilly outside. I looked around, trying to see if anyone else was out there. To my surprise, there was someone else against the wall. It was the same guy from earlier. I froze, not knowing whether I should leave or not. He still hadn't noticed me, so I could easily go back inside and avoid the embarrassment. But I still didn't move.
He was leaning against the brick wall, smoking, and he looked angelic while doing it. The way he blew the smoke out, the way his hair slightly moved in the wind. He was absolutely perfect.
I finally decided I wanted to leave, so I started to go back to the door, and then I heard it. His voice.
"Hey, wait."
I stopped, turning around to see him walking toward
"Hi.." I said, still feeling bad about earlier. The stain was still fresh on his shirt.
He put out his cigarette on the wall, continuing to walk up to me. I could tell he was the slightest bit drunk, but it was barely noticeable.
"I never asked you what your name was." he smiled softly down at me. He was many inches taller than I was, which was already nerving enough.
I paused for a second, trying not to make eye contact with him. "My name's Jade." I mumbled. "Yours?"
"Julian."
I liked his name. Julian. I still felt embarrassed, and I didn't want to have any conversation. I had to work, anyways. I didn't need any distractions.
"I'd really love to talk, but I have to get back to work." I said. It was late, nearing 9 PM, and all I really wanted was to finish my shift and head home.
I turned around, heading for the door again. Once I reached for the handle, I felt him grab my arm.
"Can we talk or something when you get off?" he asked, his voice soft and desperate.
"No, I'm sorry. It'll be late, and I need to get home-"
"Oh, okay. That's fine." he smiled, letting go of my arm. "You should get back to work. It was nice meeting you, anyways."
I nodded. "Oh, and... I'm still sorry about earlier."
He chuckled. "Still worried about that? I said it was fine."
"Still." I said, then turning the doorknob to go back inside. "Have a good night."
He nodded. "You too, Jade."
And that was it. I went back inside, and he left the bar. By the time I got back inside of the bar, I had already regret not saying more. He wanted to talk to me, and I panicked.
I finished my shift, then heading home later that night once I was done. For the rest of the night, I couldn't stop thinking about Julian. I didn't know why I cared so much. I felt bad for getting alcohol all over his shirt, but I felt even worse for blowing him off the way I did.
