Bartender - Short Story

10

Gee walked from the bar feeling worse than he did that morning. He slumped back into his seat with a frown etched onto his face.

He sat and gulped at his beer ignoring all the questions his band put forth and that's where Gee stayed for the rest of the night occasionally stealing glances at the angel who with only a few words shattered his heart.

But Gerard's glances and his solemn mood wasn't unnoticed by the girl who caused them because all night she watched Gee at every chance she got. She had broken her own heart at the way she turned him away. The last thing she wanted him to think was that she wasn't interested.

Standing at the bar cleaning classes Alex reflected on the past week, only 2 days ago had she actually felt better and only yesterday did she get back to work. 'Stupid' Alex thought. She had just basically rejected the guy she likes. The guy who even after she accidentally stood him up was caring and kind, he wanted to come and look after her dammit!

Of course, Alex thought over it many times, to call Gee, have him show up at her door with soup and movies, to cuddle in bed tucked into his side in a bundle of blankets. But her own pride got in the way, she didn't want him to see her in her sick state.

She watched every call come in for 4 days and then they stopped, Alex assumed Gerard gave up on calling but seeing him here gave her hope.

She was just so stressed, getting in trouble with her boss for being late was hard, the worst thing that could happen is if she lost her job. Alex has had trouble this month paying the rent, she is always able to get by on the amount she makes from both jobs and being unpaid from being sick the last few days has left her short on her rent and she wasn't able to pay on time. That's why she was late, she had to explain to her land lord that she wouldn't be able to pay her rent today but would have it by the end of the week. Thank god her landlord is a nice man who cut her some slack.

Alex stood staring at Gee as he finished off his 10th beer, he was absolutely wasted. She chuckled to herself as she thought of the last time Gee and her were here and he got absolutely hammered. He had sat at the bar all night while Frank had wandered around having fun. Gerard had hit on her more than once and he tried to impress her by talking about his family and his career and how much he loved and cared for his brother and his band. More than anything Alex thought it was cute and she was excited for the date and about hearing all this from a sober Gerard.  Alex would never tell Gee of his behavior that night, she got the impression he wasn't one to boast, that memory was just for her.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

Waking up the next morning Alex rushed to get ready.

9:00AM

Oh, how Alex loved 9 am wake up's when she only gets to bed at 3 am.

But off to work, she must go.

Trudging through her small apartment, Alex got ready for her day ahead. Grabbing her bag and rushing out the door after showering and getting dressed, brushing out her hair and throwing on some makeup. No time for breakfast or even a coffee but Keri as the amazing friend she always Is grabs her a coffee on the way to work when she picks up her own most mornings.

Arriving at the Journeys store Alex finds that she needs to take stock of what's going to Hot Topic and take it down to the store.

After finding all the stock and writing up what was leaving the shop Alex loaded the boxes onto a cart and lugged the cart to the Hot Topic to pick up her coffee and have a nice work day stocking the Hot Topic store with Keri.

"Hey, Keri!" Alex lazily smiled as she dragged the cart behind her.

"Hey Alex," Keri says handing Alex her coffee as she reached the counter and dropped the clip board down on top of it with the stock list. "So how was the date with the rock star I haven't talked to you for like a week!"

"Oh yeah, that.." Alex trailed off.

"What did it not go well?"

"It didn't go. As you know I got sick and I forgot to call and cancel that morning and accidentally stood him up." Alex groaned as she hoisted herself onto the counter and laid back on it. "I fucked up Keri I fucked up."

"Did you at least call back and explain?"

"That's the worst part. That night he called me! He had talked to a guard at the club and found out I was sick and called saying it was all ok and that to call whenever If I needed something and he would come over. I saved the voice mail listen!!! He is the cutest mother fucker in the world and I'm just an asshole who never called back because I didn't want him to see me sick!!!" After saying her speech Alex pulled out her phone and played Keri the voice mail Gee had left that she had saved and listened to more than once.

"Hey, Alex its Gerard. I heard your sick tonight and I hope you feel better soon. When your feeling better give me a call and we'll reschedule. If you need anything while you're sick just call me and I'll be right over. Goodnight hope you sleep well."

"Yup bro you fucked up. Now you gotta fix it." Keri said sitting on the counter next to Alex. "Have you talked to him yet?"

"Oh yeah, I talked to him, basically rejected him as well! He came to the bar last night with his band and I was late and in trouble with my boss and stressed cause I haven't paid rent yet and basically told him to fuck off!! Like the fucking asshole, I am!!"

"Ok, you can fix this," Keri says lifting Alex to a sitting position.

"Now how the fuck do I fix this mess. Keri I very dumbly like this guy." Alex turns to Keri with a desperate look on her face feeling as though fixing this hopeless mess is an impossible thing in the world.

"The way to fix this is simple. Call him."