I couldn't wait to get back there on Friday night. Again I ended up sitting at the bar, eating one of John's specials, a steak and kidney curry. Different, but actually rather good.
There was an air of expectation about the place. John was pretty relaxed but even he was just a little on edge.
'Now listen Ben, I don't want you frightening these girls off. I have already had one call from Jackie saying that she didn't think it was for her. She said she wasn't prudish but she wasn't giving her knickers to just anyone.'
'Oh I'm sorry John. I did not mean to frighten her off. Are the other two all right?'
'I hope so. I haven't heard from them. My feeling is to offer to let them share the job if they will do so.'
'Sounds good to me, the best of both worlds.'
Sheila wandered in wearing completely unsuitable clothes for the ordeal she was expecting.
I could not resist teasing her a bit.
'Sheila, what's all this about? Shouldn't you be naked already. I thought part of the punishment was to be naked all evening.'
She flashed me an evil look. 'That's after the smacking, arsehole. I hadn't forgotten.'
'Well,' I said, 'You are not much of a trailer for the event are you, jeans and a heavy jumper. What is the matter could you not find a jilbab to wear that would cover everything?'
'Ha-ha very funny. Just you be careful how hard you smack me tonight. Remember the other night when I got my own back. It can happen again you know.'
'I was just wondering if you wanted to take me outside and give me a little one-on --one time. To warm you up. Like you promised after you finished with me last night.'
'I did not promise any such thing,' she said. 'All I suggested was that I would have given you one if you could have raised it, but there was absolutely no chance of that happening, was there? Still you can live in hope.'
Bill and Pete wandered in and assumed their usual positions at the bar and Arlene came out to greet them. 'How are you boys, ready for a good evening?'
'We certainly are,' said Pete, 'Can we just have a quick flash from you to warm us up like, prepare us for the big event?'
She looked around to make sure that John was out of sight, turned around, flipped her skirt over her bottom and leant over. A neat 2 second flash. Her elegant stockings and suspenders beautifully framed her slightly plump arse.
We were lost in admiration.
'What a lucky man that John is,' said Bill.
'Just John?' said Arlene teasing us again. She wandered back out to the kitchen as John came up the stairs from the cellar. By now it was about seven o'clock, the time we had agreed to meet the girls and there was no sign of them. By ten past however they were there, coming in together arm in arm.
'We met up in The Red Lion first for a swift one,' said Kimberley. 'It gave us a chance to talk about the pub and particularly you lot. You seem to be part of the scene here.'
'Oh right, so what did you say about us? More to the point, it doesn't matter if you really disliked us, what do you think about John, Arlene and the pub? After all we are only customers,' said Bill. 'Oh and did you know Jackie has dropped out. She doesn't want the job. Wanted to hang on to her panties,' he laughed.
The girls exchanged looks and said that they were not surprised after she had walked out.
'I guess that means it is a competition between you and me for the job,' said Urszula. I thought that I had better play this carefully. I did not want to put them off. 'So you are both still keen then?' I said.
'I think it is a very good atmosphere, fun. My three flat mates wanted to come down here but I told them no, not until the interviews are finished. We do not live far from here but we had no idea that the pub was like this,' continued Urszula.
I mentally rubbed my hands at the thought of getting her and her three flatmates down here.
'I also live quite close to here,' followed on Kimberly. 'I did not tell my boyfriend all about it as I did not want him getting jealous, particularly before I have got the job. I am sure he will be happy when I have explained it all to him and he can come down and see us in action. He has always nagged me to be a bit more extrovert and flirt a bit more and I know he will like the money I will bring in.'
It was a bit of a downer that she had a boyfriend, but I guess I could not have expected a girl like her to be single.
John came out and asked the girls if they would spare a few moments for him in the back.
They came back shortly and explained that John liked them both and that they had agreed to split the hours and cover for each other.
On the strength of that, as soon as I saw Arlene back in the bar again I ordered the pair of them a bottle of the house champagne, - one of the cold ones from the back of the bottom shelf.'
I got my normal smirk from Arlene and a little ripple of applause from everyone else who was at the bar as she bent over revealing her pretty, cuddly, backside and her compressed pussy lips.
Sheila joined us for a glass, another of John's rules broken. The one about staff drinking while working.
'So is this the best that John can get huh? I hope you know how to serve customers, you know flash a bit of leg and some tit, keeps the tips up see.'
'And as for you Kimberley,' she continued, 'you don't look strong enough to move a barrel of beer around.'
I thought I had better take the girl's sides as she could be a bit intimidating.
'Well it looks to me like they will do okay,' I said. 'Look at how they are dressed compared to how you are dressed. Who's going for the tips now. Why don't you take them round the bar and introduce them to some of the regulars. You know they will buy more drinks that way. Has John put you on the payroll yet girls?'
They didn't know. 'Well go anyway,' I said. 'I will make sure he knows you are circulating. The good news is that if he hasn't told you that you cannot drink at work he cannot complain if you let the guys buy you drinks and you drink them while you are working.'
The three of them eased off around the room.
I explained to John what they were doing and he thought it was a good idea.
'Have you ever thought about relaxing the drinking on duty rule,' I asked. It seems to me that if you encouraged the patrons to buy the barmaids drinks you would have a win-win situation. They get happy and flirt more, the customers buy more drinks, and you get more money through the till.
I could see the brain cells ticking over.
'Let me talk to Arlene about that young Ben. You might have suggested something useful for the first time in your life.'
By eight the bar was pretty full. Certainly all the seating had gone and there was quite a few of our new regulars standing in little groups in the corners and around the bars. There was a strange look about John's face. I knew what it was, although rarely saw it. It was a smile!
Urszula and Kimberley were back at my side and magically, yes even they appeared to be dressed a little better. I quickly realised that they had wound the waistbands of their skirts around a couple of times, shortening the skirts to mini length. In fact if I had been seated at a table I'm pretty sure I would have been able to see their knickers.
And talking of knickers, 'Oh Ben why so quiet tonight,' said Sheila now appearing beside me also dressed in a mini, but with a white crop top left over from the summer's wet t-shirt contest. 'Do you not want to bet them for their panties again? Perhaps on the likelihood of seeing a poor down-trodden barmaid forced to remove all her clothes? What's the matter Ben? Cat got your tongue? Or maybe you just don't want to join me naked out here again?'
'Okay yes I will have a little bet with Urszula and Kimberley again for their panties, and before you both ask, no I have no advance knowledge of anything planned. I will bet that at least one more person, boy or girl, a customer and not one of us, will be standing out here naked from the waist down. If I am wrong, you can remove my trousers and underwear at eleven o'clock, for the last hour. Oh and you have to keep your skirts at that length!'
I thought that this would be an interesting bet, it was only just after eight and it was getting pretty rowdy already. Also, as it was not for financial gain, it would give me an insight into how willingly the two girls would be prepared to strip off and expose themselves. I also knew that at least two of the customers already here were male strippograms, having a drink before they went off to deliver their special mode of telegram to a Hen-Night later.
'Bet,' said Urszula, slapping my palm.
'Agreed,' said Kimberley, slowly shaking her head. 'What am I doing now. I must be mad. Can I have them back before I go home so that my boy friend is not too suspicious.'
We laughed. 'You certainly can,' I said. 'I want him on side in the future. I want him happy that his girlfriend walks around this bar without wearing knickers. I want him to be able to appear in here while you are working and just decide to take them from you on a whim. In fact I want you both so wired I want him to be able to walk in here and know Sheila or Urszula so well that he can ask them for their knickers. You will be so jealous you will offer yours to me, Pete or Bill to get your own back.'
'Dream on,' she said. 'Anyhow I will not be working on the nights that Urszula is here, will I?'