Bartending was a rough gig. The first part of the night you're smooth and funny. You pour a few weird cocktails for women who "don't like to drink," and you make funny eye contact with their boyfriends who are going to fuck them savage in four or five hours. By ten o'clock, the weekday stragglers are shitfaced and the weekend drinkers are near vomiting. No huge wage, and an endless supply of folks who want to stiff you on the tip. "Well, I only had one beer," and "It wasn't that good."
Corporate parties are worse. There's always some beancounter asking about the bar tab, worried that they might go over the allotted "Happiness of Employees Fund." And there's still the same shit from people about tips, "I thought the company was handling that."
Corporate Holiday Parties are the absolute worst. The employees are amped because they've typically got a few days off afterward, and are only there because their boss wants them to be seen and "network." So they hit it hard. Not normal cocktailers, the men move from beer to stupid shit like Manhattans and Brandy Old Fashioneds. Some brave souls jump into Long Island Ice Teas, looking to get fucked and show off their chops.
The women, who brought their husbands have a few drinks and leave, usually angry, because the other women, who did not bring their husbands are flirting like dust storms. The women who did not bring their husbands are there for one reason - not to network.
Simon was wrapping up a twelve-hour shift at his third Christmas party for Fects Corporation (he and his co-workers called them FuxCo). Fects Corporation sold microcircuitry, which changed in value daily. Thus employees' value changed as well. It was like a stock market that your health insurance depended.
Twelve hours on your feet, rushing back and forth was no one's idea of fun. Simon considered himself past his prime. He had given up his corporate pursuits and faded away. He wasn't overweight, but neither was he a corded twig like the twenty-year-olds he'd seen tonight in suits that didn't quite fit.
He shut off the lights and started to shut down. Pulling glasses from one of the long tables as the stragglers staggered out towards cabs and trains, he noticed a woman doing the same thing.
"You don't have to do that." He smiled, letting his green eyes squint a little bit, using the full face smile he'd learned years ago.
"I know. I used to tend bar. I know what it's like when a crowd of ass-holes wanders in and takes up your night."
He smiled, trying not to agree. "Let me guess. They left a tip that was like, I don't know, less than 5%? That's Baxter. We call him Bater Bean Counter."
"Well, it was a good night." He replied. She stopped and walked over to him, three glasses in each hand.
"You're a nice person aren't you?"
"Thanks, but, I, I mean, I don't know." He replied. He tried to slip away from her, uncomfortable in her gaze.
She cut him off, sliding left to block his escape. Simon took a moment to examine her, to let his eyes play over her. She wore a blue sweater and a simple black skirt. A black belt tied the simple ensemble together. Her shoes were flats, which indicated she was taller than usual. The curve of her breasts, he noticed, was enticing and felt so cliche. He thought of himself in an 80's skin-flick, hacking out dialogue, at eventually led to a poorly edited fuck scene.
Rather than back away, he stood his ground, let her invade his space. He wondered what it would be like to see her, cunt spread wide, on the bar, skirt up high, with that bleary "I've had one too many" look in her eyes.
*
She hated her name. Tracy. She hated saying it to coworkers. That fucking creep from the ninth floor practically came in his pants when he repeated it. Tracy. He made it sound like a sex position. Fuck him. He'd be lucky if it were. Someday she'd Tracy that ass-hole and he'd need it for the rest of his life. Only once, pig-fucker.