The Truth About Him

“So, you’ve worked behind a bar before?” the dirty blonde, named Charlie, asked, wiping down the counter as Eilidh sat on a stool opposite her and looked around the place.

It was a converted old church and there was a gothic theme present throughout; very Dracula-esk. It was stone and dark wood, with pews, booths, and individual tables everywhere. There were statues of classic horror characters, and right in the centre was a spiral staircase leading to an upper level.

“Yeah, I worked in a pub part-time for about a year and a bit while I studied at Napier.” Eilidh watched as the manager stopped what she was doing and eyed her up, scrutinizing her, only to make the young woman feel slightly uncomfortable. But she knew it wasn’t anything personal.

A moment later, a friendly smile spread across the blonde’s face. “Great! Well, the job’s yours if you want it, just let me kno-”

“Oh, thank you so much!” the curvy brunette squealed as she grinned from ear to ear. She didn’t want to keep circulating the same places begging for work, and she didn’t want to be thrown into some foreign trade. “When would you like me to start?”

Charlie pulled out a diary from under the bar and looked through the pages, obviously checking the rota for the week. “Would it be cheeky of me to say tonight? It’s just, we have an Acoustic show every Thursday night and it can get pretty busy and, since we’re short staffed, it would be great to have another pair of hands tonight.”

“No, that’s not a problem. Just tell me a time and I’ll be here.”

The manager told her a time and asked for some personal information, such as her NI number, address and contact number. With a few guidelines set out and a uniform provided (a plain black t-shirt with the pub’s name across the front and STAFF on the back), she was soon making her way out of the building.

“Oh, and Eilidh?” her new boss called, making her turn back around. “Welcome to Salem’s Abbey.” The curvy girl beamed, knowing she would very much enjoy working there, then opened the large wooden door to leave.



By the time 6:55pm rolled around, Eilidh was standing outside the gothic-style pub wearing a pair of black skinny jeans, the form-fitting tee she was given, and a pair of red converse. It took a couple minutes to compose herself before she could enter the place but, as soon as she walked in, she was welcomed by the warm atmosphere.

“Hey, Eilidh! Come on back,” Charlie yelled over the chatter and background music. The brunette did as she was asked and followed her boss to the back room where comfy seats, a kitchenette, and a few lockers were situated.

“You can choose a locker and throw your stuff in there. It’s pretty quiet right now so I’ll get to show you everything and let you meet the others who’re working tonight.”

“Thanks,” the young woman said as she strolled over to a row of cabinets, picking an empty one and locking it with a combination.

The two walked back through to the bar where a guy, who looked to be in his late teens, and a girl, possibly the same age as Eilidh, were serving a few people. When they had a spare minute, Charlie introduced Eilidh before they wandered off upstairs.

“Okay, I’ll probably just keep you working up here for the first week since it’s not as hectic as it is downstairs. Tonight, you’ll just be watching Ross and helping him out because you still need to learn all the cocktails, which are pretty popular. But anyway, the acts don’t come on until 9pm so we have time to go through the basics.”

And with that, the brunette’s boss began explaining everything with the help of Ross. It didn’t take long for her to get back into the swing of things, and by the time she checked her watch, it was 9:02pm.

The once near-empty upstairs floor was filling up; most people faced the small stage at the back of the room, directly opposite the bar. Eilidh didn’t really know what to expect, but when the lights dimmed slightly and a couple walked onstage to the sound of the audience cheering, the male holding an old, beat up acoustic guitar, she knew she was in for a treat.

By the time two acts had finished, Eilidh was very much engrossed in the whole thing. She was making a little conversation with some members of the crowd, and was talking freely to Ross as she handed over pints and shots. She felt comfortable there, even with the number of people surrounding her. The girl had been worrying about whether or not moving was a good thing to do, though the pub was making it a bit more bearable.

When the next performer walked onto the darkened stage with a guitar, taking a seat on the stool placed in the centre just as the lights went up, Eilidh couldn’t take her eyes off of the man who was displayed. His rugged good looks and quirky sense of style (skinny jeans, a shirt, and bowtie) only made her gaze at him more. That was until he looked up to catch her gawking at him, a sweet crooked smile adorning his handsome face.

It was in that moment, when their eyes met and butterflies swarmed, that she was knew moving away from home was the right thing to do.