The Etiquette of Smoking

Speak to Me

Thursday passed by without a hitch. I had gone to work, served drinks with Niki, helped Ian cut up some lemons and limes for the bar, and let Niki show me where Ethan's office is and how to break into it if I ever needed to change the hours on my schedule. According to Niki, Ethan never came in to the club at night, only during the day to handle business. He had entrusted Ian to keep the club running smoothly at night, even allotting him a higher salary than the rest of us...or so the rumor goes. But every once in a while Ian will serve a beer or two to his buddies if the mood strikes him, and allows them to get away with things Ethan wouldn't; like Joji's smoking inside habit, or Niki's excessive use of her cell phone while on the clock.

It made sense now why Ian was the way he was with the guys. He was the one in charge while the boss was away and his paycheck was at stake, but also...maybe...he simply liked the control. Max's words came to mind as I digested the information Niki fed me.

"-he acts like he's our fucking mum."

I laughed to myself. There was a weird dynamic between the men, almost like brothers. Ian would be the older brother for sure, he was too responsible not to be. Max, perhaps, the forgotten middle child. Just wanting to do his own thing. George, the third child. Charming and eager to be different from the others. And finally, the new baby who gets away with entirely too much, Chad.

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On Friday night, Niki and I arrived to work early to prepare for the masses. We were at capacity for the number of customers we could handle between the 6 of us as we entered the club. She smiled at me reassuringly over the blaring music and together we made our way to the back room.

"It's bound to be a good night for tips." Niki grinned as she pulled her black tank top up and over her head, exposing her lacy pink bra. I diverted my eyes quickly to give her privacy while I opened my locker and set my bag down inside.

"You should consider it." Niki said, coming up beside me and opening her own locker. I watched as she stored her bra, tank top, and purse inside before shutting it. "I went from making 50 bucks a night to 300."

I snorted a laugh at her as I closed my locker. "Yeah right."

"That's fine. To each their own." Niki smoothed her hair and shrugged. After a quick touch up in the mirror. she spun around to push open the door, allowing rhythmic music to flood in and fill my ears. I took a deep breath, pulling down the front of my shirt and adjusting my skirt before following Niki out to the bar.

Niki caught eyes as she strode through the crowd, both appreciative and harsh, but they all made a path for her. She caught the attention of the entire room, it seemed like. Whether that was because she was displaying her bare breasts or because she moved with a confidence that was unmatched, was beyond me. Either way, we made it through the crowd easily and behind the bar to grab our trays.

The night moved slowly as Niki and I raced around the room. We had a lot of work to do but it wasn't too bad. She kept me laughing and even pulled me to the dance floor for a quick break. I can't even begin to explain how uncomfortable it was dancing alongside my bouncing, half naked friend. I'd realized that while she spun me around with her under the interchanging neon lights; a bright smile on her face and one on mine as well, that she was my friend. Perhaps she considered me a friend to her as well, or so I hoped. By the end of the night, nearly everyone was tipsy if not completely wasted, employees included. Ian was serving drinks to George, Max, and Niki without complaint. Ian himself was also taking shots with some girls at the bar and offered me one but I declined. I would imagine Chad was sober as well since his job was relatively more important than ours, and a passed out bouncer wasn't exactly safe or smart. I was alone in terms of sound body and mind, as I served what few people were still seated at the tables and not out on the floor. Niki was dancing still, naked and carefree. She was hanging onto a tall man whose face I only saw once but seemed to be very good looking. I laughed to myself as I watched them dancing and realized Niki was the only person here who was completely bare chested. Some girls were dressed in skimpy lingerie tops, or had on slightly see-through bralettes but none were as bold as Niki.