Gathering her long red hair up into a clip, she watched the new patrons come in...and the drunks stagger to the door. Sighing with something almost like boredom, she leaned against the bar top. Pouring drinks for drunks was not what she wanted to be doing tonight. She kept an eye on the doorway, waiting for the new guy that was taking second shift today.
Sam-something was what she had been told when she came in to take her shift just after noon today. Smiling at the guy in front of her, coaxing him to drink just one more before calling him a cab for the ride home. That's what most of her afternoon had been like.
Just before her shift ended, the manager had asked her to fill in while he ran a few errands. She agreed after he promised an extra day off next week. Oh well, she was already there and what were a few more hours when this was the slow night of the week.
The perfect night for a new bartender to begin. Suddenly the door flew back and this guy walked in. He had dark hair and was laughing with some of the drunks before he got half way to the bar. She was intrigued but the smoke and dim lighting made it hard to see him clearly.
He swung around and grinned at her as he stepped up to the bar. "Hi, I'm Sam." he said.
Her breath caught in her throat, all she could do was nod and point at the back of the bar. He leaped over the bar top like it was a picket fence. She watched and shook her head.
He turned and grinned at her again, "what's your name, babe?", he asked.
She mumbled something barely intelligible and walked back to the storeroom. Laughing, he followed and grabbed a bar apron on the way.
She looked up to see him standing in the doorway of the storage room, tying the strings of the apron. She would have dropped the crate of Jamesons' Irish Whiskey if he hadn't stepped forward and took it from her.
"Here ya go doll, let me help you with that.", he said.
She just nodded and stepped back, her hands still tingling from his touch as he took the crate.
"Better bring a couple bottle of tequila too, I noticed the bar is low.", he called over his shoulder.
She picked up the bottles and followed him back to the bar. she didn't remember much about that shift because every time the fog lifted, he's bump into her or his hands would reach out and touch her for one reason or another.
She kept a close eye on the clock and as it neared the 2 am mark, she began to breathe a little easier. This Sam guy was a whirlwind of activity, laughing and joking with the patrons, flirting with all the ladies. but, for some reason ... there was something about him that just kept her attention.
She wasn't sure what it was, but she knew it could get dangerous before the night was over. Once again she looked up at the clock. Another fifteen minutes and they could give the last call for the night.
Finally the last patron had staggered through the front door and into the night. She was standing there with the key in her hand, ready to lock up.
"Finally!" she exclaimed as she turned the key and whirling around she leaned back against the door with a sigh of relief.
"What's the problem, babe?" he called as he wiped down the bar top.
She looked up and then realized they were completely alone. She groaned softly and shook her head, what had she been thinking! It was much better with a room full of drunks. They distracted her from this new guy and the oddly growing attraction she couldn't help but feel.
"Just tired.", she answered as she slowly made her way around the room, pulling down the shades before walking back to the bar.
"Well, I have the perfect solution for that problem, babe." he said. "I'll make you my world famous Irish Coffee, it will perk you right up. Get it? Perk you up?" and then he laughed.