CHAPTER 1
It was halfway through October when Risu started working at O'malley's. It was a cold and bitter season, when she learned at once that she wasn't going to be able to work through her next semester at school. Or rather, that even if she had tried, ends wouldn't meet. Not only did she have to take a break from classes, leaving her friends she just made behind, but she had to take the first and only job she was able to find without much notice. And so there she was.
The brunette girl was a college student, yet looked like she was more playing dress-up than wearing a proper uniform; the Oktoberfest-style dirndl she wore looked exaggerated on her quite-average form. Like it was a few sizes too large, lending to the over-the-top, on-the-nose Irish theme of the bar. But, it was work, the owners were nice, the patrons were nice -- for now. She would keep looking for better jobs.
The first few nights she put her hair in braids, auburn ropes that came down to her shoulder blades. But she quickly ditched that ritual for a more practical bun. Nobody minded either way.
The tips were good. It was more an area of concern at first, but even with a meager and precursory polite and friendly act, she managed to make a healthy amount every other shift or so -- particularly on the weekends. But it was busy work, for sure. She needed to find more comfortable shoes.
CHAPTER 2
Risu finished writing down the venue of the new job interview, and circled it for good measure. Then she started to get ready for another night at work. The work pumps she found worked like a charm, yet she still put padded insoles inside. No such thing as too much. After all, the more she ran around, the more money she got!
Of course, it was a bit too much running around to do EVERY DAY... but she learned to save her hustling for the weekends, and take it easier come Monday.
She was figuring out the ropes. Agree with everything anybody says first and deal with it second, and no hard 'no's, so much as gradual U-turns. It was helpful, even in the short-term position she was in.
But, come interview day she was at work yet again. Two feet of the worst kind of snow fell, and they cancelled and rescheduled for a week later. But of course, O'Malley's was open... even worse, it was Monday. She could take it easy, but as far as money went...
Sure enough, later that night it was just three or so patrons, sitting around, watching sports on TV.
Risu was behind the bar, with little else to do but clean glasses and pumping beer into an old badger of a man.
Refilling his mug, he took a sip at it while glancing at her in return. "...Are you expecting me to finish your whole keg myself?" he said, smiling casually. Probably to show he was aware she was a little over-eager in topping him off.
It WAS true -- she wasn't trying to hose him or anything, there just wasn't else much going on. As a sign of good faith, she filled a glass for herself and relaxed visibly.
"Fair enough! I'll help," she said. They told her that moments like these happen, when she got the job. People drink more readily when you join them, even if you sip along at a snail's pace, but that she was free to do it at no cost. She hated the taste of beer. However, Risu was quite Irish herself -- it lent heavily in her getting the job, and she had a pretty high natural tolerance.
Sure enough, she drank at a regular pace, and within the hour the old man was asleep, while she was fine. She let him nap for a few hours, while she cleaned up and held down the fort, until the end of the night, where she called him a taxi.
The next night, he was there again, and left her QUITE the generous tip for keeping him company. He was a nice guy. Tex was his name, apparently. He didn't look like one. But for the money he tipped, she didn't protest. She merely joined him for his drinks once again. It was a long way to Saturday, after all. She truthfully didn't like the taste of beer, but it made him QUITE generous. He came every night after that, and come Saturday, it was once again packed, and she delightfully informed him that, despite his protests, he DID eventually finish off that keg.
"--WE did," he said, smiling again. She smiled back. Other patrons offered to buy her drinks, as they watched the two get along so well. She declined. She still didn't like beer.
CHAPTER 3
Risu trudged through the snow, finally arriving at O'Malley's. So much snow, so early in the season. She brushed the snow off her shoulders, but was otherwise ready -- she was already dressed for work. It WAS snowing out there, but it was pretty warm -- the kind of temperature that was just barely cold enough to make snow, the kind that made the fluffiest kind -- and she was pretty fluffy herself, these days.
It was likely all the free food, a starving college student like her never saw it coming. It was no big deal, just a few pounds of 'surprise', and in this cold it was welcome.
Despite her getting there bright and early -- doubly so for a place like a bar -- Tex was already there, hunched over the bar. She rolled her eyes, but smiled.
He was there every day, these days. And there was no reason not to be -- he was a retired pensioner. He had all the time in the world. He even had two mugs already out, one topped off just for her, and from the color alone she could tell it was her favorite beer.
"...That's going on your tab," she said with a smile.
It was a pretty slow Wednesday, and she spent most of the day putting up Christmas decorations. At least she was able to do so in peace, thanks to the quiet. She shared a late lunch with Tex, and after that there wasn't anything else to do but wait for the sun to set, and for the place to fill in....If it was ever going to, in this weather.
