Clarity

“So,” I moved my gaze from the glass cup up to the sound of her voice. I grinned as I saw Micki sliding onto a bar stool, her brown hair cascading down her body in swirls. Her eyes were done lightly with just enough eye shadow, but not too much to make her look trashy. Over her shoulders, she sported a black leather jacket like one much to my own, the one that was currently hung up behind me. I put down the glass cup I was shining up and pulled out another as she spoke up. “I noticed that the professor in our noon class was changed.” I rose one of my eyebrows as I pushed a cup of Jack and Coke towards her. She happily accepted it and sucked it down.

“He was pretty old,” I said with a shrug.

Micki’s head turned to the side. “Have you heard of ‘Matthew Sandy’? At least, that is what I think he was called.” She asked me, I shrugged and wiped down the bar—Tina wanted me to open a little early today, because there was a party of nearly ten coming in today. She wasn’t sure what they were celebrating but they were celebrating something. “Well, there’s a rumor going around he’s going to be the new Professor. No one knows who he is, or what he looks like.” Micki has always been the type for gossip—she lived and breathed in it. “Oh!” She exclaimed, “Did you know that Terri and Blaine are back together?”

I feigned enthusiasm as put I put my hand over my mouth. “Oh my god, no way!” I gushed.

Micki glared at me and I smiled back. “Yeah, yeah,” She muttered while she waved her finger at me. “One day you’re going to thank me for my wonderful gossiping skills.” She winked at me, slapped a ten on the bar and blew me a quick kiss. “See you thirty!” She said and walked out of the bar with her finger flutter and left.

I smiled to myself, shook my head and continued to get things ready for six tonight.

I was just finishing up the ice when the door opened to my left. I looked up to see a man who had so many tattoos that I couldn’t even count them. His face was free of any facial hair and his eyes were hidden behind his Aviators. On his head sat a black Fedora and he was wearing a black t-shirt with a black leather jacket over it. Hidden beneath his t-shirt was the rest of the letters to his unknown tattoo.

His head kind of did an odd nod of acknowledgement as he made his way over to me. He had a smile playing with his lips as he made it to where I was. He leaned on the bar and I saw tattoos running over his knuckles, but didn’t have much time to see what they read. “Tina tell you about a mass of people coming in today?” I smiled.

“Yes, she let me know. Is there something I can help you with?” I asked him. He reached up with one of his hands and removed his sunglasses. His eyes were the color of dark chocolate and maybe any woman would find themselves getting lost in his gaze, but I wasn’t one of them. He did have a nice smile, though.

“Yes,” He said his voice kind of nasal-like. “I just wanted to know if it was possible to push together few tables and to have a lot of Jack and Coke ready.” I grinned.

“Sure, is there somewhere you would prefer to be set up?” He shrugged.

“Of to the side would be nice.” He said, “Within distance of the bar.” In the background, Tina had turned on the music system and Skillet was playing throughout the bar. He winked and thanked me before making his way out of the bar again. I looked down at the bar and saw that he has left his sunglasses.

“Sir!” I shouted out after him, but it was too late—he had left. I sighed and put them behind the bar and remind myself to return them later.



Two and a half hours later, the bar was filled with people and the dance floor was packed with people dry humping each other. To my right I saw the three tables I pushed together and saw that many of them were still sitting there. One of them with long hair raised a cup in the air, his lips moving but I was unable to hear him. Everyone raised there glasses and then brought them to their lips. It looks like they were toasting but I don’t know.

My attention was brought back to the bar when someone ordered a Martini. I wanted to roll my eyes and say that this was a bar so we had all of our best friends available, but Tina knew that some people just don’t like Jack, Morgan and Jose.

I grinned enthusiastically as Halestorms I Get Off came throughout the music systems speakers and started to dance along to the song. I started sing the chorus. “I get off on you getting off on me! Give you what you want, but nothing is for free. It’s a give and take, kind of love we make. When the line is crossed, I get off…I get off!” My back was facing the customers as I reached for a new bottle of Jack. I was moving my hips along to the beat and played along to the guitar in the background before I grabbed the bottle and turned around.

My cheeks turned a bright shade of red as the man who was making the toast early stood in front of me, his eyes clouded over with the buzz of the alcohol running through his system. He was smirking and I realized he had been watching me dance. “Maybe you belong on the dance floor.” He said with his smirk. I noticed that he had dimples on each side of his cheeks, something that I had always loved on anyone.

“Give me an hour and I’m sure I’ll be out there.” I said with a wink. He let a chuckle fall from his lips.

“Save that dance for me, will ya?” He asked, his eyes roaming along my body. I felt a little self-conscious under his gaze but I hid it. His voice had a raspy feel to it but I found myself liking it, like I would a song.

“We’ll see,” I winked, “What can I get you?” And then I remembered the glasses and pulled them out. “These belong to the fedora-wearing-Johnny-Depp guy that came in earlier, by the way.” I pushed the glasses towards him and he grinned down at me before answering me.

“Just a glass of soda or something,” He said, “And his name is Brian, but I like the way you described him.” He laughed out loud as I grabbed a cup and filled it with some ice.

“So who’s birthday is it?” I asked, hoping for small chat. I filled the cup up and handed over to him with a napkin underneath the cup.

He frowned. “It’s one of friends who passed away a few years back—but it isn’t a birthday.”

“I’m sorry.” I murmured and was about to say something else when a voice was heard to my left.

“Hey, you stupid hoe, stop trying to get the man’s pants and give me a fucking drink!” Micki hollered, her eyes watching us. I closed my eyes for a second, breathed in and let it out.

When I did, he was still there and he winked. “Don’t forget that dance,” He said with a smirk.