Alone #3
I leaned across the bar to see what he was making. “Preakness manhattan?”
“You know that one?” a new voice asked. An older man behind the bar was watching me.
“Yup! I know all the recipes.” I started pointing to bottles and listing cocktail ingredients, showing off for funsies.
“Do you wanna work here?” the man asked, coming to stand beside Sean.
“Really?” I glanced at Sean, wondering who he is and if they know each other.
“This is my boss, Richard. He owns the bar.”
“Oh! In that case, I’m Emy.” I grinned and shook Richard’s hand.
“I’d like to hire you, if you’re interested? We could use a woman’s presence around here. You’d bring in more customers. And money.”
“Sure! That sounds like a fun adventure. But do you have an ugly dress code? Like hideous uniforms or anything? Because if I have to dress gross, I’m out.”
“Emy!” Ari smacked my leg, but Richard only laughed.
“The guys don’t have one, so I don’t see why you should. Dress however you want, as long as it’s reasonable. You’ll need shoes with a strong grip for safety, but other than that, the clothes are up to you. I would prefer mostly black.”
“Perfect, it’s all I own!” I clapped my hands. “So I’m hired?”
“You have my word.” He shook my hand a second time. “Can you start Thursday? We’ll settle paperwork and Sean can train you.”
“Thursday is fine. Thank you!” I beamed and did a happy dance.
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you Thursday, then. Same shift as Sean.”
With that, he walked away, disappearing through the staff door. What a random fun thing to happen to Emy the Great!
“I guess you’re our new coworker starting Thursday.” Sean grinned the second Richard was gone. “I’m pretty sure the other guys are gonna love you.”
“How many are there?” I asked.
“Us three,” Nate gestured to himself and Sean, then the back room where Richard was. “Plus three other guys. All vamps. You’ll probably meet them all by Thursday or Friday.”
“This is so perfect!” I spun, then slammed my hands on the counter to stop the momentum. “I’ve always wanted to be a bartender.”
“You have?” Ari’s voice was skeptical.
“Yeah! I always talk about it, remember? It’s like my dream job.”
“You’ve never mentioned it,” she said. “Ever. Your only goal is fancy stripping in Vegas. That’s what you’ve always talked about.”
“Mm.” I scrunched my nose. That doesn’t sound right. “No, bartending has always been my goal. You probably forgot. Anyway, working with all vampires will be awesome!”
“You’re lucky he didn’t check your criminal record, ‘cause that would be no new job for you.” She laughed as I propped an arm on the bar.
“I know, right? That would’ve been horrible.”
“What all is on there?” Sean asked. “I’m curious.”
“Go ahead,” Ari encouraged, “tell them. Go in order so they can see how long and ridiculous the list is.”
“Alrighty. In order we have vandalism, arson, misdemeanor battery, a restraining order, indecent exposure—” I stopped when Ari started laughing over my sentence. “Shut up!”
“You’re lucky that shit happened when you were still seventeen. That’s why you don’t get caught having sex in—”
“Shut up.” I shoved a hand at my still-giggling cousin.
“Anyway, there was also aggravated assault and attempted second-degree murder but I was acquitted from the attempted murder. That one wasn’t my fault, it was legit self-defense.
The end!” I clasped my hands and started humming.
Sean and Nate were looking at me like I’d grown two heads. I giggled and spun on my spinny stool.
“The end?” Nate echoed. “You really did all that?”
“Of course not.” I grinned before bursting into laughter. “Okay, yeah, I totally did. Except the attempted murder. Like I said, not my fault. I want blood! Can I go get blood? I’m thirsty and I think I’m running out. Can we run out?” I was painfully eager to leave.
“Um…” Sean was now staring at me like I’d switched to another language.
“Yeah, I need blood. Can I go? I really need to find some before I die. I mean I know I can just go if I want to, but I feel bad sneaking off without Dennis’ go ahead since he’s been training me or whatever. So can I get yours instead?”
“You should wait for him,” Sean said. “I can’t go with you and Mateo’s at work. You’re such a new vampire, you shouldn’t go alone yet.”
“She kinda drank on her own yesterday. D and I were in here while she drank outside and it seemed fine,” Nate said.
“Yeah! See? The last couple times I drank, I was perfectly fine,” I boasted, hoping that would change Sean’s mind. “Trust me. It’ll be like taking the training wheels off a bike.”
“You’re not a bike, though,” Sean said. “Drinking is dealing with an actual life, not some toy you can get up from if you fall. If you didn’t mind killing it would be different, but you specifically asked us not to let you kill again.”
“Please, please, please give me your blessing?” I put on my cutest face. “Please?”
Sean thought for nearly a minute before sighing. “I guess we can try it.”
“Yay!” I climbed on the counter and threw my arms around him.
“Get off.” Ari tugged me down. “You’re not supposed to be up there.”
“But I’m so excited!” I was hopping around and swinging her arms. I finally get to drink blood on my own!
“Be careful, okay?”
“I will.” I saluted Sean.
“And if you feel like you’re losing control, get out of there and call one of us. We’ll come get you. You have my number, right? Or Mateo’s?”
“No, but I have Ari’s. I can always call her and talk to you.
But stop worrying so much! I’ll be fine, I promise.
” I grinned and backed away before they could come up with more excuses.
I’m so close to freedom. So very close. “If that is all, I’m off to do my lone hunting.
By myself. Like a mature vampire who knows what they’re doing.
Like the mature vampire I am.” I giggled at how exciting it is, then waited two more seconds before skipping out the door.