The man standing beside Tall and Handsome looked around for an empty table. When none could be found, he whispered to another of their friends, a very handsome Black man with an impeccable fade, who looked like he might be in charge.
Tall and Handsome caught my eye as I spotted a newly empty booth in the back corner of the bar. I sighed.You better be a good tipper,I thought. If his friends’ clothes were any indication, they weren’t short on money.
I approached the group. “Hey, guys, there’s a booth available in the back corner.”
Tall and Handsome inclined his head toward me, raising an eyebrow. “Imagine seeing you here.”
“Don’t worry, I’m a much better server than I am a debater,” I quipped as I led them to the table.
“Let’s hope so,” he replied, his friends exchanging glances behind him as we walked.
“I’ll be back in a sec to take your order,” I said as the guys shuffled into the booth. I wondered what Tall and Handsome was doing with a group of GQ models. His scruffy, casual look certainly didn’t seem to fit in with the impeccably tailored trousers, Chelsea boots and loafers, and fitted sweaters of his friends.
As I turned to the bar, I heard a familiar voice.
“Damn, it’s busy in here tonight!” Sam exclaimed as she hugged me.
“Hey!” I returned her hug. “I know! We expected it last weekend with Halloween, but didn’t think tonight would be quite this bad. I’m not going to have time to talk for a while. I’m sorry you came all this way.”
“Oh, don’t worry. It was a good excuse to leave early from a bad date.” Sam laughed. “I’ll grab some food and wait. Maybe I’ll find someone less irritating to buy me a drink.” She winked, fluffing her dark curls at the roots as she glanced around the bar, her tawny skin glowing even in the terrible lighting.
I laughed. “That bad?” Sam had started the year with a resolution to date more and, true to her personality, had fully embraced the challenge.
“She was a total narcissist. Although possibly better than the guy last week who said he didn’t believe in showering.”
I shuddered. “All right, well I’m gonna take this order and then I’ll come back and grab yours.”
“Um, no need. I’ll have a tall glass of one of those guys,” Sam said, nodding to Tall and Handsome’s table.
“I mean, you’re not wrong. How is it that they are all that perfect looking? I need to go take their orders. I’ll be right back—you will not believe me when I tell you about my day.”
I grabbed my rarely used notepad out of my apron and thepen I kept tucked into the base of my ponytail and made my way back to the corner booth.
“All right, gentlemen, welcome to Americana. I’m Birdie and I’ll be taking care of you tonight. What can I get started for ya?”
Tall and Handsome and three of his companions looked to the man sitting in the back corner of the booth. He had thick blond hair, a chiseled jaw, and silvery-gray eyes. He looked to Tall and Handsome and in a European accent I couldn’t place, asked, “What do I get?”
Tall and Handsome looked at me. “He’ll have a Budweiser in a bottle. A dozen wings, mild sauce, and a side of blue cheese dressing.” He glanced back at the blond man. “That’s about the most American thing you could order here.”
“Actually, the most American thing you could order would probably be our bacon cheeseburger with smothered fries and a can of Natty Light,” I shot back. Tall and Handsome looked like he clearly disagreed.What else is new?I thought.
The blond man laughed. “Yes, I want that!”
“You got it. What else can I get y’all?”
Three replies of “same” in the same European accent as the blond man’s echoed through the booth. I looked at Tall and Handsome, wondering where this man with his standard American accent had collected four European companions.
“And for you, sir?”
“I’ll have what I ordered earlier for my friend.”
I refrained from snorting as I nodded. Tucking my pen back into my ponytail, I ducked behind the bar to grab their beers, dropping them at the table before heading to the POS to put in their orders. A scan of the room told me it had emptied out a bit, so I slipped over to talk to Sam before I had to run my next orders out.
“What do you need to talk about?” Sam asked as Jake slid her a basket with a cheeseburger and fries.
“I’m being evicted.”
“What?” Sam nearly choked on the bite of burger she had just taken. “How is that possible? You’re like, the perfect tenant.”
