I’d have passed up on the opportunity if she hadn’t gone out of her way to get me the job in the first place. Well, her talking me up and me having my interview with Sibley. That woman is actually terrifying, but also the nicest I’ve ever met besides Miriam.
I don’t want to let Miriam down. Not when she’s the only thing I have to a real friend in this town. Redwich is small, yet big enough to have the businesses it does.
The second I pass through the door, showing my ID to the bouncer, goosebumps spray over my body. The light is the type that grips the skin and stains the soul. I hope by the time my shift is over, I’ll either be used to the change or it’ll go away.
My eyes scan the crowd, and I gulp down hard as I mentally catalog the clientele. Vampires, demons, supernatural beings, a scattering of humans . . . individuals the normal person would not want to be alone with in the dark of night.
That’s who I’ll be serving tonight.
Every muscle in my body screams at me to turn and run. Instead, I push forward. After a few slow, measured steps, I make my way behind the round bar in the center of the club.
I’ve met a few of the other servers and workers when I came in for my impromptu interview, but still, everyone stares at me like I’m the outsider invading their space.
They’re not wrong.
My eyes drift back toward the crowd of people on the other side of the bar, and for a brief second, I lock eyes with one of the humans.
The first thing I learned about dealing with the individuals who keep company with the supernatural is to never lock eyes with them. Especially the humans. Some of them can be even worse than the monsters in plain sight.
It’s time to get the night started. It’s best just tojump right in.
Walking up to a woman in a tight black catsuit, I reach out and tap her shoulder. I think her name is Meg, but I’m not sure. I’ve only met her once.
““Hey, I’m the new, starting tonight,”“ I say as loud as I can and with a forced sugary tone.
She turns her vampire eyes on me, looking me over once before she turns back to the bar to continue with what she was doing. She grabs a bottle and expertly flips it up in the air with a flourish before she catches it and pours a drink. There are a few gasps and laughs as she makes a show of doing her job.
She slides the drink over to the patron before she turns back to address me.
“Servers don’t come behind the bar,” she snaps at me as she wipes her hands on an errant towel laid on the side.
Blinking a few times, I process what she’s just said. “Sorry. I’m not a server, I was hired as a bartender. I was told to come now and find the person in charge,” I add, just to smooth over my mistake.
She smirks at me and jerks her head for me to follow.
She takes me through a weaving path toward the back of the club.
Dyrk is built for decadence, not comfort. The tables are black glass. The chairs are grandiose but look to be a bit uncomfortable. Even the floor is hard and unforgiving.
I step around a puddle of something thick and refuse to look at it too hard. The bass of the music is so strong that it vibrates my skin.
The supernatural beings present are obvious, but not in a cartoonish way. No one is in a cape tonight, but it’s easy to pick them out of the crowd.
The way to the back is crammed with bodies, less dancing and more people milling around in conversation. I do my very best not to make contact with any of them. Of course, it’s easier said than done. I bump into a man who instantly growls in my direction, but after a beat his face smooths out, and instead of anger he stares at me with intrigue and something much darker.
Doing my best, I apologize and continue following Meg to the back. I don’t want my first night on the job to be marred with a bar brawl because I made the mistake of staring at someone for too long.
I release a deep breath the second we get to the back, and I’m feeling more at ease. The sensation doesn’t last very long.
“You’re early,” Meg grumbles as she digs through a small pile of cloth, without looking back at me.
“Uh, yeah. I thought it would be better to get a feel for the place, so I’d know what I’m doing. I like to be prepared.” I laugh lightly, but she doesn’t share my lightheartedness.
“Whatever. Miriam said you knew what you were doing, so I don’t have to waste time training you, right?”
“Yeah, I’m good. I know what to do.”
“Good, because I’m way too damn busy to be babysitting. Here’s what you need to know. Tonight you’re serving. Two servers called out.” Finally, she turns in my direction and glares at me. “Don’t steal from the customers or the till, don’t bring any outside drama into the job, and be prepared to see shit that will give you nightmares. Everything else you can learn as you go.”
