Downtown (auston matthews x oc)

-one-

𝓝𝓸𝓻𝓪

With a groan, Nora yanked the tube from the top of the empty keg. "Kicked," she muttered, hauling the canister over her shoulder.

Trick, who was busy with patrons at the other end of the bar, apparently didn't hear her, because within thirty seconds, he threw open the door to the supply room and demanded, "Where did you go?"

Nora heaved a new keg off the shelf. "I said I kicked the Miller," she replied with a shrug. Trick took the canister from her hands. "Thanks," she remarked.

They headed back to their post, where Roy—the upstairs bouncer—was behind the bar. As Nora passed him, Roy sighed, "I'd fucking hate to have your job during the first Leafs game of the year."

Nora, coincidentally, would also fucking hate to have her job during the first Leafs game. But here she was, anyway.

The game, which played loudly above Nora's head, meant people were drunker, angrier, and more sexist than usual. It didn't help that the entire Toronto Maple Leafs roster read like a list of Nora's least favorite customers. As the announcers rattled off their names during the play-by-play, Nora couldn't help but mutter something new about each of them.

That's what you get for working at the Castle, she reminded herself.

Nitro-Fín was better known by its nickname—the Castle. It was a reference to the sweeping glass facade that allowed bar patrons to see out but appeared tinted to passerbys outside. The name also alluded to its status as Toronto's most exclusive bar, since many joked the place was only open to those with royal titles.

To Nora, though, it was just a bar. Sweaty. Loud. Exhausting.

She'd been there for years, and somehow nothing was ever more miserable than nights when the Leafs played.

"Excuse me!" a woman screamed from the other side of the counter, just as Nora closed the cupboard on the replaced keg.

"What can I get for you?" Nora asked, as politely as she could manage.

The woman was clearly plastered beyond belief, but Nora recognized her as one of Monty's girls, which meant cutting her off wasn't an option. Monty, the Castle's owner, took care of certain young women in the city, though employees were instructed never to ask questions about what that care entailed. So the only question Nora ever asked any of the girls was what drink they wanted next.

Apparently, this girl had other interests. "No, no," she slurred, shaking her head. "I wanna know when they're gonna be here." She waved a lazy finger at the t.v.

Nora, confused, asked over a roar from the bar, "What?"

The girl rolled her big brown eyes and leaned over the counter to shout, "The hockey boys. They come here, right?"

Unfortunately, Nora wanted to say.

"Yeah, they sometimes do," she offered instead. It was an understatement: there was nothing Toronto athletes liked more than hitting the Castle after a win. And, judging by the three-goal lead the Leafs were boasting in the last five minutes of the third period, the bar would be their next stop.

The woman on the other side of the bar let out a groan and threw her head back in frustration. "You're nooooott listening to meeeeee," she screamed.

Fortunately, Nora was saved by a new patron, who hollered for her attention from several feet away. It was a singer that Nora recognized, though she couldn't place his name.

His eyes wandered up and down her body as she approached. "You're looking good tonight," he told her with a wink.

Nora couldn't force a smile for this one, so she opted for a curt, "Thank you," and followed it up with, "What can I do for you?"

"Some buddies and I were hoping to rent that open section over there," he replied. As he gestured towards it he added, "The roped-off one."

"Sorry," Nora answered with a shrug, "that one's reserved."

The guy furrowed his brows at her, insulted. "There's not even anyone over there," he snapped.

Nora shrugged again. "There will be."

"Do you know who I am?" he scoffed.

It made Nora smile—because no, she actually didn't know who he was. Still, in the hopes she might salvage a chance of a tip from him at the end of the night, she replied, "Of course, sir, but unfortunately that area is unavailable." She cocked her head towards the register further down the bar. "If you'd like, I'd be happy to set you up with a reservation for another night."

She already knew what his response would be, so she took no offense when he spit over the counter in her direction, narrowly missing her shoe, and stormed away from the bar. He wandered to the other end of the counter, closer to the doors, and waited for Trick's attention, perhaps under the impression that he would be easier to sway than his co-worker.

Just a minute later, though, Trick called Roy over from the door and told him to escort the man from the bar. Roy, as always, was happy to oblige. When he turned back, Trick met Nora's gaze, and she released a sigh as he ran a hand over his face in frustration.

Unfortunately for both of them, the night was still young.