This is for the St. Patrick's "Legends Day" event dealing with the "Wicked Game" song by Chris Isaak. Sorry that the title of my story is so unoriginal; I hope that the story itself isn't.
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I wasn't surprised that I got the job as a bartender at a very high end establishment which, for simplicity and anonymity, I'll call "Thigh End," because I'm a good looking broad with many female physical virtues. I wasn't an expert mixologist but good enough to get by especially since the male clientele loved to "mansplain" things to me when I had questions about one exotic drink or another.
But I wasn't at Thigh End to make a lot of money -- I could make more doing other things -- nor to increase my knowledge of mixology. Rather I had made vows to my husband, who didn't like the last place that I worked, and I didn't want to break them.
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I had been working at Thigh End for about a week when I first saw Jayson Williams. He was a well-known figure in our city -- maybe you could even call him a minor celebrity -- although not with the best reputation. He is big and rugged looking and had on an expensive suit and shoes and a tie that alone must have cost $200. All the women in the venue seemed to have their eyes on him at one time or another.
I expected him to be difficult -- maybe even nasty or rude -- when he broke away from his companions and moseyed up to the bar. I paused for a couple of seconds before going over to him; rather than the scowl on his face that I suspected he had a smile. "Hi, I'm Jayson Williams," he said, extending his hand, "you must be new here -- I haven't seen you before."
I shook his hand with what I hoped was a cold fish handshake -- I hate when I receive one and I hoped that he hated it too, but it didn't seem to faze him. "I'm Virginia Masters," I said, using my maiden name as my surname rather than my married one -- which is "Payne."
"Nice to meet you, Virginia; have you been a bartender long?"
"Not really; I've recently switched professions Mr. Williams."
"Please call me Jayson; what were you before, a fashion model?"
I fake smiled at that. Actually I had been a bikini model between the ages of 18 and 23, but from the time that I was 24 until the present -- at age 29 -- I had been in real estate. I didn't think that my real estate firm was half bad and it paid well, but my husband Bryce detested it. He really didn't like it that I often got hit on by sleazebags including the owners of the company. I could handle them but Bryce didn't like me to have to deal with their lasciviousness. It was to honor Bryce that I went to work at Thigh End.
After Jayson chatted me up a bit I forestalled any more conversation -- I didn't want to become chummy with him, at least not just yet -- and said "What can I get you -- Jayson?"
"I would like a Sazerac," he grinned.
I had never heard that word before. "Sorry Mr....I mean Jayson, but I've never heard of that drink. Have you had it here in the past?"
"Probably not," he laughed. "The last few bartenders here weren't that experienced -- and of course not nearly as good-looking as you are -- but Manger," Harold Manger is the owner of Thigh End, "told me that he'd get the ingredients."
"Well then I'll look up the recipe on my phone and make it for you and bring it to your table," I smiled, "Although it may take a while because two waitresses have just placed orders," I continued, nodding over to the side where -- ta da -- two waitresses had just placed orders at the other end of the bar.
"No problem," he smiled, "Whenever you get around to it Virginia," and then he went back to the table he had been sitting at with three male friends. I wondered why he had come up to the bar rather than ordering his drink through a waitress which is what it appeared his companions had done.
I quickly filled the standard orders from the waitresses and then looked up "Sazerac" on my iPhone. I found it under "Manly drinks" and noted that it included cognac, absinthe, Peychaud's bitters, and sugar, and that it is prepared in an unusual way. I guess Williams was telling the truth about Manger ordering fixings for a Sazerac because when I looked in the drawer of specialty ingredients I found Peychaud's bitters there -- something that I had never even heard of before.
It took a while to make up the Sazerac but fortunately the other bartender -- Raymond -- came back from his break so he could fill the outstanding waitress' orders and I could deliver Williams his drink.
As I approached Williams' table the younger guy sitting to his right was really eyeballing me. When I placed the drink down on the table in front of Williams he smiled and said "Thanks Virginia -- it looks good and in exactly the right type of glass too."
"My pleasure, Jayson," I smiled.
"Nice ass," the young man said as he leered.
Jayson swatted him on the back of his head and growled "Watch your language and be respectful Jerry. Now apologize to Virginia."
Suitable chastised Jerry mumbled "Sorry, Virginia."
I just kept the same smile that I had brought to the table, didn't even acknowledge the apology, and strutted back to the bar. I "might" have wiggled my ass as I did so because -- well because I do have a nice ass.
Even though Thigh End is a high end place I had come to expect comments like the one from Jerry especially since Manger made me wear a "uniform" that was probably closer to what a Las Vegas showgirl would wear rather than what a typical bartender in a respectable U. S. Midwestern city would (he also insisted that I not wear my engagement and wedding rings). What surprised me was not the "Nice ass" comment but that Jayson legitimately chastised his companion for it. That was very unexpected given what I knew about Jayson.