5
Tiff
The early afternoon crowd on Saturday was sizeable, although not unusual for this time of year.The beginning of August always brought more people in, hoping to escape the humidity.Still, it was hardly enough to warrant Sam working behind the bar.
I really hoped it wasn’t going to be a regular thing.That week had been a test of my patience in every way, and the only thing that had gotten me through was the fact that we always retreated to our separate corners.Me, the bar; him, the office.
Then, last night, he completely surprised me.(He actually knew what the hell he was doing.Who knew?).I was almost, and I couldn’t fucking believe I even thought this, impressed.After what Audrey had told me about him, I’d done my own googling (although seeing his annoying smile plastered across the internet kept me from spending too long on it), and so I knew he owned at least three different bars.But every focus piece on the guy was about his inspiration (ugh) and his thoughts on the social contracts within the service industry (don’t even get me started).
In interviews, he was that same smooth, charming bastard he seemed to be with everyone (except me), and it was clear that the interviewers fell for it, just like every single customer he served.
They didn’t see what I did, though.
Case in point.
Christine was a regular on Saturdays, a retiree slash true crime novelist who liked to spend an hour a week sitting at the bar swapping stories with strangers.We’d seen her come in for the last two years, so, of course, she loved the fact that there was a fresh face.
From the corner of my eye, I watched him move smoothly through mixing the drink, short shaking the ingredients before topping it up with tonic.He moved with ease, only ever tensing up when we crossed paths.Without fail, if there was even the slightest chance we might come into contact, he stiffened.
I’d never met anyone so determined not to touch me, even though there was little to no room to avoid anyone else behind the bar.And yet, he managed it.
I watched as she reached over to pat his arm.“You are a good man, Sam.”
“It’s easy to be when I have such wonderful customers.”Sam’s bright smile brought a blush to Christine’s face.He could probably ask her to donate her firstborn, and she’d say yes.
The effort it took not to roll my eyes could have fueled one of those old-timey blimps they used in the war.
I knew this was an act.It had to be; no one was this nice.I could see in real-time the way men and women reacted to him, endeared from the get-go.I assumed that was the whole point of his little act.Get people on side early and then get whatever he wanted.
Everything about him was carefully crafted for this purpose.From the slightly too tight slacks that hugged his toned ass and thighs to the shaggy haircut he was always combing his fingers through.He was perfectly casual.
Just scruffy enough that you were disarmed.Just charming enough that you were drawn to him.
He was the worst kind of slime ball, the one no one suspected.
Of course, he was careful about it.It was only with me that he was even remotely antagonistic, and even then, never in front of the other staff or customers.I appreciated that, at least.
He might be a smug son of a bitch who liked to make my life endlessly miserable, but he was professional about it.
Audrey’s workschedule had increased tenfold in the last year, and she now had multiple successful launches under her belt.Still, between her workload as a senior liquor distributer and her loved-up home life, it meant we’d gotten less time to see each other.(Story of my life lately).
So I was more than happy to see her walking into the bar that afternoon, her lovestruck fiancé in tow.
“Hello again, pretty boy,” I said.
Jackson smirked as he pulled out a chair for Audrey at the bar, then took the seat next to her.I wasted no time in passing them their usual drink order.
“It’s good to see you, Tiffany,” he said.
“To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Audrey linked their hands together.“We were in the neighborhood, and I wanted to say hi.Since I missed our usual Saturday morning get-together.”
“First round’s on me, then.”I snuck a look over to Sam, who was thankfully in conversation with Christine and hadn’t noticed.
Audrey visibly perked up.“Oh!Before I forget, I’m going to come by this week so you can sign the contract renewal.”
I smiled back.“Sure thing.”
