The Bartender

3

I tore my pants at the seams—the same stupid faux leather pants while I was racing up those stairs after the elevator had broken down. I was late for my meeting and my boss was spitting fire over the phone. Some men, I swear to god have zero to none patience. 

Was it so hard to say “It’s okay Veronica, I know you hate your job so I’d give you some time and space to rethink the whole floor plan” but noooo, his exact words were “I want the blueprints on the meeting table and I want it now!”

God I wonder how his third wife puts up with his big head and small dic…I meant, attitude. 

“Veronica! Just the person I’d like to see.” The pot-bellied pig of a boss looked up away from the rest of the assembly of managers.

I snorted quietly and dumped the roll of blueprints on the large, long table where the others were seated at. “Here you go Marcus. Tomorrow, we’ll get the risks and technical safety along with landscape consultants on board and we can finalize these plans latest by Friday.”

“Superb, this is why you’re my prized Architect Veronica! I swear if it weren’t for you…”

I beg to differ, that was probably translated into ‘this is why you’re the perfect modern slave, if you only worked 10 times harder than a machine…’

I fought the urge to roll my eyes as I stared at the man who had an emotional range of a bloody celery, wondering how many times he sang false praises about his employees. Some of the managers that sat around the table cast me looks of pity and my best friend, Jackie pretended to wipe off non-existent tears with her middle finger, nodding along to our shared supervisor’s mount of lies. 

“Piss off” I mouthed and she smirked. 

“With that being said, today’s meeting shall be adjourned. Good job everyone.” Marcus smiled, giving me a thumbs’ up before moving his large beer belly out of the door with him. 

A chorus of groans and sighs of relief were exchanged at the table; suddenly everyone didn’t look so tense anymore compared to a few seconds ago. 

“I f*****g hate that guy, he was shouting at me earlier but all I could smell was his garlic breath.” Roswell from Electrical let out, reshuffling his papers into a neat stack and his colleague beside him guffawed. 

Jackie rose from her seat and moved over to where I stood, observing my reddened cheeks from all that running. “Did you run all the way up here?” she whispered. “Of course I f*****g did. I suppose you must have heard him shrieking like banshee over the phone.” I leaned against the heavy table, catching my breath that I was holding in earlier. 

“Trust me honey, we all did.” Becky from Finance shook her head, offering a small smile. “Sometimes I wonder how he keeps his voice box intact from all the screaming.” She added. 

Great, at least all the managers have one thing in common—we all hated our boss. But hey, being an adult means you gotta put up with certain assholes in order to pay your bills. Now you know why personal feelings and works should not be mixed. 

So we were forced to suck it up…

And barf it all out behind his back. Heh. 

“You’re walking funny.” Jackie remarked as we left the meeting room shortly. “And I’m guessing it’s not because you got laid because you did not text me to rate the dude from the night before.”

“I tore my pants at my hip.” I growled and Jackie raised a theatrical brow. “Goddamn woman, you’ve gotten thick.” She blew a low whistle, observing my rip which I hastily covered.

“This has nothing to do with me getting thick or not. This is all that prick’s fault when I had to race up those stairs in 3-inch stilettos and I may have taken two stairs at a time and I have the elevators to thank for.” I breathed in contempt, covering my hip with my coat.

“Honey, Jimmy Choo and Usain Bolt would be so proud of your little stunt.  Anyway, aren’t you forgetting something?” she checked her watch before looking at me.

“What am I forgetting?” I sad pensively, jabbing my finger into the now working elevator. “Ballet class, niece, ring any bells?”

“Oh s**t fuck.”

“Great, if there’s one thing your niece will learn from you, it’s your potty mouth.” Jackie flicked her shiny golden hair behind her shoulder, taking the rolls of blueprints from under my arm. “Oh please, I believe cussing is the easiest way to express yourself, your inner desires.” I said sagely, eyes glancing at her rather haughtily to which she ignored.

“Ah, so you’re telling me that your inner desire is to get laid? Is that it? Just how long have you been lying in your own bed?” she c****d a perfectly shaped brow, smirking genially. “Hey, just because you’re married and have someone to regularly juggle your boobs…” I said, at this point, Jackie threw her head back, laughing. “You know what you need? A bar of soap and holy water for your dirty mind missy, is that what they teach you at Sunday service?” I snorted preposterously. 

“Hey, do not bring religion into this. And just so you know, Mark doesn’t just juggle my boobs…” She swatted my ass, making her point. “Great, now I’m the one who needs soap and holy water for my poor ears.” I said mockingly, holding up both my hands. 

“Geez, get in the elevator will you?” she chuckled.

**

“Aunt Veronica! You’re late again! Goodbye Mrs. Dankoff! Have a great week!” the 3 year-old pig tailed angel waved to the woman who stood smiling at the entrance with her. “I’ll see you next week Max!” Mrs. Dankoff waved.

The woman and I exchanged a small friendly smile. Apparently she was a full-time Attorney who was married to a Neurosurgeon and currently pregnant with her second child, seems to me she’s got her life together if she could juggle two jobs at once. 

“Oh Maxie baby, I’m sorry. I was working.” I apologized to my niece who crashed into my leg with a tight grip around it, hugging me. This kid was exceptionally intelligent for her age and obnoxiously chatty.

“Can we get ice cream then?” she looked up.

“Your mom will kill me if she knew I fed you ice cream before dinner.”

“What mommy doesn’t know won’t kill her.” She said wryly.

“Who taught you that baby?” I raised my brows in amusement as she reached her stubby fingers to grab mine—they were so small, she could only close them around my middle finger. “You did! When you broke grandma’s vase on purpose because you thought it was ugly.”

“Hey now.” I stopped walking and knelt down in front of her. “Didn’t we both agree that we were going to keep that a secret? Grandma cannot know about that vase, but in all truth, it was actually really ugly to begin with.”

“I won’t rat my favorite aunt if she gets me ice cream.”

“That’s how a good business deal should be done.” I agreed.

“Seal it with a pinkie promise!” she cried, sticking her other grubby hand out. “Pinkie promise, and you get to choose two flavors.” I added and she cheered, pulling me along with her to the ice cream store just a few doors down from the ballet academy.

Max ran into the ice cream shop out in excitement and pointed at her favorite flavors—cookies and cream and strawberry cheesecake; I opted for vanilla and caramel drizzle. When we left the store, we took a little detour to the farmer’s market that was still open despite the evening that approached; fruit stands and flower stalls were still opened. 

My niece stood still, staring at a couple where the man gave his partner a few stalks of flowers and the biggest smile formed on the woman’s lips. Max then turned to me, her eyes wide with wonder, “Aunt Veronica, can I borrow a dollar please?”

“Whatever for, baby?” I dug my coat pocket and counted the loose coins—exactly a dollar. I dropped the coins into her tiny palm and she wasted no time skipping towards the flower stands.

I watched in silence as Max grabbed a stalk of a white lily while she licked her ice cream, smearing the cream all around her tiny lips when she tried to take a bigger bite. “What is she doing?” I asked quietly, watching the florist turn around in surprise to a little pudgy ballerina with a stained mouth.

“Max…” I called. The little girl dropped the coins into the florist’s palm who received them gladly whilst looking up to see who had called her under aged customer. She jogged towards me, her cheeks absolutely flushed as she lifted the stalk of lily toward me. “Daddy always does this for mommy; he means to tell her he loves her, right?” 

I couldn’t answer because I wasn’t too sure myself either. I’ve not received flowers from anyone at all so I wouldn’t know what that gesture could possibly mean. “Oh sweet pea.” I lowered my back and kissed the top of her head, receiving the single talk from her. “Yes, I think that’s what it means.” I tried my best to swallow the lump that formed at the back of my throat. 

“Do you love me back then?” Max asked, taking another big bite out of her ice cream cone that was steadily seeping its way into her fingers. “Of course I do princess; I love you more than you know. I smiled, searching my bag for some wet tissues for her mess. 

“There’s a sweet kid you got there.” 

That all too familiar voice.

Max looked up, so did I. Bartender guy stood with a large brown bag in one arm and another fishing into his pocket for something. “Meeting the devil twice in one day? To whom do I owe this pleasure?” I said in mock surprise. He produced a handkerchief from his pocket and held it in front of Max who took it without question. I did get a glance of the initial ‘J’ at the very corner of the handkerchief.

“Max, what did I say about taking things from random strangers?” I chided. 

“Ohh.” She looked up in realization then turned to Bartender guy. “Damn, you look fine.” Max said innocently and after hearing so, I felt my whole being combust into ashes and I intend to stay that way. Bartender guy was so amused, a smile appeared on his lips—which was a rare sight. 

To witness a genuine reaction from an uptight, rude man was amusing. “Max!” I groaned quietly. “Did I say something wrong? I heard you telling it to Aunt Jackie the other day at tea when the both of you...”she looked up, trying to worm her way out from being corrected.

“Okay that’s enough darling. Finish up your ice cream and we’re leaving.” I patted her head, to which she shrugged and continued with her ice cream as she was told. 

“On the contrary kid, I’m sure your mom is doing a great job in teaching you how to deal with strangers.” He said and my brows lifted almost immediately. Bold of him to assume such things but I just knew this was his way of confirming a stranger’s relationship with another. In other words, he was one sly man.

“Aunt Veronica isn’t my mommy, she’s my aunt.” Max’s lips pouted, glaring at Bartender guy to which he replied with a genial smile. “Oh, is that so?”

“It is so.” I answered almost immediately. “What’s that in there? The hearts you ripped out from all the women you were horrible to?”

“Yours seems to be missing from the rotting pile.” Bartender guy replied nonchalantly. 

“I thought you said you find no joy in being able to coax any form of feeling or emotion from anyone you don’t care about?” I recalled his words said to me not too long ago. “I don’t.” he agreed. “But I can’t help it when they willingly put it out for me on a platter.”

“You two are disgusting, talking about human organs like that.” Max interrupted, crunching sounds came from her cone and she wiped her sticky palm on her tutu. “Maxine, don’t do that. You’re going to leave stains on your costume.” I warned. “We’d better get you home to grandmas’ and get you cleaned up.”

“But I wanna stay with you tonight.” She whined, her mouth forming into another pout once again. God, who invested facial expressions like these to melt a full grown woman’s heart? “Grandma was looking forward to seeing you tonight sweetheart.” I insisted, moving some stray hairs that were now sticky with ice cream from her face.

“But I’ve been with her almost every other night Aunt Veronica…”Max pouted.

“Oh, but tonight, she’s making your favorite chocolate cake in a cup, are you really going to make her eat that all alone?” I coaxed. Bartender guy shook his head slightly in disapproval. I ignored him.

“I don’t want dessert. I want you to spend time with me.” Max said quietly, her eyelids drooping to the ground. She always did so when the water works were about to begin. 

Bartender guy’s features softened watching our little exchange. I had a feeling he knew very well why I needed Max to stay at my mother’s—I had loads of work to get done on my computer and I was a bad multi-tasker when it came to babysitting and floor plan vetting. 

Max leaned against my leg looking more upset than ever, losing interest in her melted ice cream immediately— the remaining creamy mixture slid lifelessly from her half-eaten cone onto the cement pavement. “We should go, come now Max.” I coaxed her quietly, putting a hand behind her tiny form.

“How would you like to stay with your aunt tonight little one?” Bartender guy asked all of a sudden, lowering his back as he spoke to her on eye level. I cast him a warning look as if to tell him to choose his next words very carefully. “Very much!” Max’s eyes lit up brightly as she watched us exchange glares.

“Consider it done.” Bartender guy said.

“What are you doing?” I said through gritted teeth quietly but he paid me no attention. “I’m doing you a favor—stranger to stranger. Bring your niece by the bar tonight.” He rose to his full height, making sure Max did not hear the ‘b’ word. “Just what do you think you’re planning? You have no right to—“

“Come on over and you’ll see.” He repeated.

“There is no way I’m bringing a child to a bar with me.” I hissed, matching my tone with his.

“Oh, but you wouldn’t want to miss tonight.”

“Oh yeah? Do enlighten me as to why I wouldn’t want to?” I looked at him defiantly, daring him to answer.

“Because tonight will be the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”