FFXIV Write 2024

19 - Taken

I have spent the morning writing a maple chair Carpenter recipe. We have been replacing Sam's tables in the bar with sturdier ones, but now there is a need to replace chairs. Husband offered to write it, but I felt I should since I was the one who broke a chair.

Last night was my bouncing shift. Husband was at a table talking with Trevor, the electrician, about one of his projects: he wants to try to make what he calls a "fuel cell," like a large battery, using lightning and earth shards. He has hoped Trevor would help him control the "voltage" with a "capacitor" so that the wires he tests with will no longer explode in his face. It amuses me to see it happen, but he would rather make the fuel cell work.

I do not know the names of all the men who come to the bar. I have not had reason to talk to them. Husband tries to mingle some, but it seems he does not have much to talk about with them. Eddie, the animal doctor, does not come to the bar often now, after some of the men got angry with him for pestering me about my ears. I do not know much about Mitch, except that he offers to hang my beret and coat on the wall for me when I come in.

I did not know Hank's name before last night, though I had seen him in the bar before. Last night he came in with a woman and ordered at the bar, and Sam called him by name. I had not seen the woman before, and I do not think Sam knew her.

Hank and the woman took their bottles and joined the men around the pool tables. They chatted for a while, but the woman broke off and came back to the bar. I was reading at the end away from the pool tables as I sipped a Coke. The woman settled next to me.

"Hey there. You all alone?"

I looked up from my book. "I work here."

"You're the waitress?"

"I am the bouncer."

She looked me up and down. "O-kay." Her gaze passed over the room. "Does that mean you know the guys here?"

"Some of them, yes."

"Anyone I should get to know?"

"I thought you were with Hank...?"

"Oh, Hank's okay...he's just kinda..." She waved her hand in the air. "I can probably do better. How about that one over there?"

I followed her look to the table. "The one in the plaid shirt is Trevor."

"No, not him. The guy he's with."

I turned to her. "That one is mine."

She turned to meet my eyes. She gave me a small smile. She pushed away from the bar and walked over to the table. She rested her hand on the chair near Husband. "Hi! This seat taken?"

Husband turned away from Trevor and blinked up at her. "Uh..."

I set down my glass and my book. I walked over to the table and picked up the chair she was touching. I held it by the back and one leg and crunched it to pieces.

Husband nodded. "Yeah, looks like that chair isn't safe." He smiled up at the woman. "Guess you'll have to find another one."

He turned back to talk to Tevor as if nothing had happened. The woman stared at me with large eyes before going quickly back to the pool tables, where the men were quietly watching us.

I gathered up the chair pieces and headed toward the back room. I paused to say to Sam, "We will be replacing chairs as well as tables." He simply nodded with a smile.

Hank and the others were laughing at the woman as I left. Hank was saying, "You tried to hit on her husband?" He was much more amused than offended; perhaps he did not know her well.

Perhaps I should tell Husband to only sit near flimsy chairs, in case I need to break more.