Rush hour. That's what I call it when everyone starts to show up at the same time. People went to the floor, to the adjacent bar on the other end of the club, and over to my area. I chatted with some, complimented others, made nice conversation with the Friday night regulars before they decided to leave. Men and women dressed to dance and grab attention filed in one after another, keeping me busy and laughing until their favorite songs came across the speakers and they flitted away. It was like this for a solid fourty-five minutes.
The last of the people at the bar left to go dance or sit at the surrounding tables, so I was left to clean the top, grab any money the tippers left, and prepare glasses and drinks for the next wave of party-goers. I was just finishing taking some dollars off the counter when five figures shifted through the shadows from the outside; just arriving, I suppose. They all had looks of guys, so I assumed they were. Their dark outlines walked up, then turned in my direction.
While awaiting for the new arrivals, I tossed the cleaning rag into the air, only to snatch it back out of it. When I turned back around from the spin, the figures were heading towards the bar, finally sitting at it in a row.
I looked them all over as one would do to any new sight in their eyes. They were all good looking, especially the tattooed one. My eyes then fell on one who was already staring at me. He was so beautiful it was hard to tear my pupils from him and concentrate on my job.
"Uh, what could I get you guys?" I asked, finally able to concentrate, if only a little bit.
"Patron on the rocks." said the tattooed one. his friends that flanked him on his right and left all answered the same.
"And for you?" I asked the peculiarly beautiful one.
"Bloody Mary." he answered.
I began my slew of getting glasses and setting them up, adding cubes of ice into them all. I picked up a bottle from below the counter and popped the top, letting the brownish colored liquid flit over the glittering cubes. I then began on the Bloody Mary once I finished the Patron orders.
A song sounded over the speakers, one that I knew immediately.
"Oh," I said. "I love this song." I couldn't help by tilt my hips to the beat once it picked up. I got the drink mix for the B.M (Bloody Mary) into the mixing glass and was shaking it. I glanced up at the one who ordered it, mouthing the words to the song. He had a marvelous facial structure; not too sharp or too loose, a pert jaw, big round orbs for eyes. I copped a smirk at him, who returned the favor, only his was a smile. He dropped his head and rubbed his hair, which sent tingles down my spine.
"Yeah. It's a good song." said one guy who sat to Tattoo-Dude's right. I uncapped the drink mix and as I poured it into the glass, it hit me exactly why I had thought I recognized these people.
"Wow. You guys are The Neighbourhood." I said undertone as not to attract anyone else. They all exchanged knowing glances, then smiled.
"Yep. That'd be us."
"Don't worry. I won't say anything or make it apparent." they nodded. "But, if you don't mind, could you please tell me your names? I mean, that's kind of weird, but I just forgot." The Beautiful One chuckled at me.
"What?" I said to him as I slid him the finished product of his drink.
"I'm Jesse." said Tattoo dude.
"I'm Jeremy."
"Mikey."
"Bryan." said the guy who sat at the other end next to Beautiful One.
"Zach." I nodded.
"Thanks. I've just... lost track of the tiny details." I said, leaning on the bar. They sat back, enjoying their drinks, looking around. Zach eyed me as I watched more people come in, but they all went to the floor, not stopping here.
I saw a splash of erratic movement off to my left on the floor. It was one of the bouncers, Jimmy, waving to me to join him. I nodded, then told the guys I'd be right back. I opened the side door on the bar for me to get out and trotted over to the floor to meet Jimmy and see what it was he needed.
"Zach.. you over there flirting, huh?" Jesse asked after I had left.
"What? No." he answered. Good thing it was kind of dim; he blushed immediately after answering. His band-mates all shook their heads, completely aware he had just lied.
On the floor, I had come to find out that Jimmy was having troubles coaxing a man out of the club. He was staggeringly drunk and disabled by the intoxication, so he flipped and flopped many a ways while on his feet.
"Do you mind?" Jimmy politely asked me, gesturing to the man for to try and talk him out of the club.
"Sir, we're going to need for you to leave." I said to him, practically yelling over the music and chatter of people.
"I fon't dink so." He said, slurring his words.
Jimmy gave me a look, then proceeded to grab the man's arm. I did the same as we lead him away from the floor. Surprisingly, he was pretty easy to handle. Until we reached the door.
We sat him outside, watched him stagger a little, then we turned to leave. As we did, I felt a sharp sting erupt all over my back. the drunk man had slapped me right on me fresh back tattoo.
I grunted then turned to him. He was laughing at me. I pulled back my left fist, then let him have it, watching him fly across the sidewalk. The door shut by that time, so I didn't see if he got up or not.
Sucks to be him.
