The Black Swan

I had slept the total of three hours through the night, or morning to be more precise. Brian was just too persistent and my constant arguments about having to get up really early in order to get to the bar had no help in the matter. We’ve sat for at least two hours on my porch, while he was sipping on some, in my opinion, awfully sapless bud light. He had ravaged my refrigerator in search of food (he found none), but in the end he laid his sneaky fingers on the only alcoholic beverage that could be found throughout the house. If Jenna wouldn’t be such a constant guest, maybe, just maybe, I’d have some booze laying somewhere around the apartment.

I had absolutely no clue why was he suddenly so interested in me. It was not like we’ve met for the first time and he was astonished by my wonderful persona. I’d spoken to him in the past, but back then our conversation consisted of – hey; who are you or pass me the beer. I knew who he was and to be completely honest, I thought I was just too simple for him. It was no secret he was a musician, a guitarist I believe. I didn’t know. I’ve just overheard some people talking about it. This morning I found out he was in a band. Something Avenged Sevenfold. I didn’t ask for details and it didn’t seem like he wanted to tell me something more about it. After all, I could always google the shit out of that band, of course if only I remembered the name correctly, but I think I did. The right question was- did I have the time to snoop around?

Right now, sitting on the very ancient bar stool at 25 degrees, I regretted even meeting Brian. It was absolutely impossible to keep my eyes open and I prayed to god I won’t fall asleep, cause I knew if my brain would shut off, it would shut off for good and the waitress- Lisa, a cute blond with a pixie cut, would definitely kill me. See, it was Friday… People came here to have lunch, the working people I mean and Lisa was a newbie. She didn’t even have the slightest clue what to do with the cash register and she couldn’t tell Bacardi apart from Johnny Walker. Fuck, right? Friday’s were kind of busy and a sleeping bartender was a bad bartender.

Right now I was supposed to be filling in the dockets, but the numbers seemed way too silly for me. I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to work in the state I was at the moment, which was a complete and ridiculous mess. I wasn’t even a hot mess, I was simply a ridiculous mess. My hair was in a messy bun, which was okay with schoolgirls and other non-working citizens, but not in my case, Mark had always complimented me on my bright long hair, but if he woud’ve seen me today, he would’ve made me go wash them or something. I had no make-up, my eyelids were swollen and I had bluish circles under my eyes. I wasn’t sure if I even had some clean clothes on, I knew I had put some jeans and a hoodie, but other than that I had no idea what color or even size they were. Maybe I’ve put some of my brother’s stuff on. Didn’t know and was too tired to find out. I pinched the bridge of my nose.

“Where to put this?” I raised my glance from the paperwork. Lisa was standing behind the bar with a bottle in her hand. I had to squint my eyes to figure out what the hell was she holding. Some brownish liquid with a white etiquette. Jim Beam.

“Next to J.D.” I tried to run my fingers through my hair, but then I remembered I had a bun and they tangled in an unholy mess up there. Somehow I even managed to get the pen inside the knot. Goddammit! And what was even worse, my little waitress was standing there looking at me like I’d discovered a completely new America. “The black, squarey type bottle under the name of Jack Daniels.”

“Oh…” I supposed she didn’t drink. My phone started to mambo on the counter. What now? I looked at the screen and saw a new message and then the magnificent breaking noise. Lisa was standing there completely shocked. Her lovely blue eyes were wide and she was paler than Jenna if she wouldn’t be such good acquaintances with the tanning booth even tho we lived in the OC. “Oh my god…”

“It’s okay. Just clean it up.” I didn’t see what the hell did she brake, but I supposed it was that unlucky guy named Jim. Poor thing, maybe they could’ve been friends, although… No, all those guys – Jim, Jack and Johnny- did were breaking all the naïve girls like me and Lisa here and giving us a headache the other day. After all they were douchebags, no matter how I wanted to defend them, I couldn’t.

What kind of coffee do you like?

Coffee? What kind of coffee I liked? What kind of a goddamn question was that? And who the hell was even texting me? Was I willing to respond? To a nameless coffee ? No, I didn’t think so. It was creepy. Speaking of coffee, I was so badly craving one, I’d think I was about to go on a crazy chipmunk rampage if I didn’t get one right now. It was a shame our coffee maker was just like Albert Einstein. Dead.

“I am so, so, so sorry…” Lisa apologized. Oh my god, just then I realized the girl was terrified. Of what? Shit happened, right? Nobody was going to chew her head off.

“There’s no need to apologize.” I got off the stool and stretched out. Maybe I was so sleepy cause there were only two people sitting in the furthest corner and seemed like nothing could bang them out of their perfect little world of chatter. Who knew. “Jenna, the other bartender with whom you’ll be working next week… She once got so high, she wanted to make Jack Daniels and Tullamore Dew babies.”

“What?” A corner of her lips raised in a tiny movement, but it was there. She was amused. “How?” She straightened up and leaned on the broom, really willing to hear the outrageous story. My palms brushed over the face.

“Well, we were sitting here after our shift, we smoked a little of weed,- “

“You smoke?” There was a genuine surprise in her face. Seriously? I looked so innocent? Well ain’t that dandy?

“Yes… So… We were willing to make the ultimate, tastiest cocktail for real and brave men,” I made an air quote as I spoke, “of course it lead to some whiskey cocktails, throw there in some sexual references, some more marijuana, balabing-balaboom, and minutes later she was looking at shattered bottles and booze everywhere.” I missed out on the part where we wanted and kind of did snort the whiskey. Fucking worst idea we’ve ever had. I remember how it felt even after this whole time. Now imagine your brains burning in unholy flames, add there some ants are trying to reduce them, but only getting them worse, scratching the absolute sanity out of your head and that was how it felt. I drank a hell load of vodka later on, just to erase the memory, but Lisa didn’t need to know that shit. If you ever met a bartender and he told you, he’s never in his entire life done anything outrageously stupid with booze, he’s one heck of a liar.

“There’s a continue to that story…” A very deep voice spoke somewhere behind me and I saw how all the blood from Lisa’s brain traveled to her cheeks. She… blushed? I was forced to raise my eyebrow and turn around. Brian fucking Haner. Either I was deaf or he came in so silently it was barely without a sound? No, I knew I was not deaf. “Hey,” He smiled, greeting, Lisa.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Unbe-fucking-lievable. He placed two cups of coffee on the counter, just next to my unfinished glass of energy drink. I was very certain his little polite act and ‘genuine’ interest in me ended this morning when I didn’t have no intention of letting him in my bedroom. I strongly believed he’d forget about me, but here he was. Looking all happy and I have to admit, goddamn sexy. He was wearing a leather jacket, some black pants and he’d been to a hairdresser. His hair was a tad shorter than the day before.

“I brought you coffee, cause you are too arrogant and you ignore me through texts.” He raised his cup to his lips. I think I lost the last remains of color in my face. Was it him who texted me? How in the greatest depts of Atlantic did he get my number? I was slightly dumbfounded. “So I decided to come over and bring you coffee. Sorry, I didn’t know how you like it, but I felt too guilty and I think you need it.”

I opened my mouth to say something and soon after that I closed it, looking from him to drooling Lisa. And again to him. “Thank you…” I managed to get out with great difficulty, “But where did you,-“

“Don’t bother your pretty little head. I have my ways,” He took a seat on one of the bar stools and winked towards Lisa. She broke something. Yet again. I was lucky this time it was just a glass. “Hey, carefully…”

“I’m okay,” Lisa cleaned that up rather fast, later fixed herself, smiled her greatest smile and disappeared in the kitchen. What was that about?

“I think she just had a heart attack.” I was looking at the kitchen door that needed a major repainting. Did she know him or was he just this charismatic? The color was starting to come off. In fact, everything in this place needed some attention of a carpenter or even just of the strong hand of a man.

“I suppose she knows me.” I exhaled loudly as I plunged myself on the seat next to him. Was he famous? No, I didn’t think so. Somebody would’ve told me right?

“I suppose you’re just charming. Don’t flatter yourself, let me do all of the work.” He looked at me with a wide smile on his lips.

“How are you feeling?” His slender fingers were nibbling on the cardboard.

“Like I just came out of an elephant’s butt.” We both laughed. It was good there were no customers, otherwise, this little chatter of ours would’ve gone straight down the drain.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It was my decision to let you walk me home, and to sit with you while you drank that beer on my porch.” Brian cracked up.

“An awful lot of yous’, don’t you think?” He was clever. Yes, it was his fault that I was feeling the way I was feeling. This is not a romantic novel, where the girl blames herself for everything, cause the male is just so charming, no, goddammit, it was Brian’s fault that I am feeling like an ass now. If he wouldn’t have come to the bar later that night, Jenna probably would be screwed, so would I, because Jenna would screw me, but other than that, if he would’ve stayed away from this building, maybe I would’ve felt a tad better.

“So what are you doing later?” To meet the persistent Brian, press #1.

“Working.” I was not sure if I wanted to do something with him. Of course he had the looks of the devil and the charisma of an angel, but was I ready for a guy like him? Absolutely not.

“No you’re not,” I frowned. What did he mean? “Everything’s done. I called Jenna and she’ll be here after an hour and a half to take over your shift, so I repeat my question, what are you doing that includes me in it?” Two points to griffindor. I think I looked quite stupid with my jaw hanging so low. He was the first guy that I met, that really didn’t take a goddamn no for an answer. Did I really have a choice in the matter?

“I’m taking a shower.” Brian burst in laughter.