SlideThe Scales From My Eyes

If there's one rule about work I've come to know well, it's this: if your boss is waiting to see you when you walk into work, it's probably not good news.

In fairness, I actually like Scott. He's the kind of boss who gets that his staff aren't a bunch of identical pegs, all of whom'll fit into any role. Instead, he's been trying to treat us bar staff like normal people, finding out what roles we prefer, whether it's serving, clearing up or general gophering. Of course, that didn't mean we'd actually be doing those jobs come opening night, but hey, it was a lot more than my previous bosses. Out of the three owners, he was definitely my favourite. Still, it didn't make me any more comfortable to find him waiting for me when I walked into Singularity. 

Most bars I've worked in have you coming in via a back entrance of some kind, whether it's to keep the customers from realizing that you're more than drinks delivery system or because they don't want people to try and get in early, but we were actually encouraged to use the front door. I suspect that it's because they're really proud of the art design of the place. I couldn't really argue with that reaction, as I was amazed by it. 

The main double doors led into a boxy, airlock-like antechamber with the coat-check and entry till filling most of it. Unlike most bars, which treated this space like an unwelcome extrusion, Singularity had done it up to look like a swirling portal, the doors into the club proper done up with wide swirls of burnished steel that extended out to the walls around them. The other walls were a matt black, so that the eye was drawn inexorably towards the gateway ahead. There was a similar design (if harder wearing) outside, making sure that everyone looked twice at the relatively unassuming building that housed us. 

Scott was leaning against the counter in the 'air-lock' when I walked, which, as well as displaying his long, delightful length of man-flesh in glorious fashion, made it almost impossible to get into Singularity without literally climbing over him (not that I wouldn't have minded doing that one day. What can I say? He's tasty in every way that counts). I didn't bother trying as he instantly unfolded from the slump when he saw me come in, straightening up with an easy smile. 

"Ah, Lea," My full name's Leannesidhe, but you can guess exactly how often I use that. "Can I have a word before you get started?" It wasn't like I could really say no. 

"Sure, what's up?" I couldn't help, but match his smile. He was the kind of person you just wanted to be around, he seemed to make you smile just by existing. It made complaining about things just a little difficult, when all you really wanted to do was make your boss smile. 

"I just need a little advice," he said with a smile and I nodded. They'd headhunted me because the three owner/ managers hadn't run a bar before and I've spent the last two years working in almost every bar in two cities. I'd spent quite a while showing them a few of the tricks I'd picked up, all those ones that don't occur to anyone to write down, because they seem so obvious. It did help when someone knew the proper gas mixes for the different beers. Or even that there was such a thing. "It's in my office. Shouldn't take more than a minute." 

"After you then." No, I didn't get him to go ahead of me because I wanted to watch his tight little butt. No, not at all. 

Scott led me into Singularity's main hall, as his office lay on the other side, which I definitely didn't mind, as it made the entrance's spectacle look simple. The walls were matt black again, so monotone that even with the house lights up it was near impossible to see the exact join between wall and floor. To save from the inevitable damage this would cause, there were blue LED strips running along the walls at waist height, looking for all the world like the glowing blue lines from Tron. Of course, they weren't the real attraction. No, the real thing that caught the eye was the hundreds of tiny white LEDs inset into the walls, floor and ceiling. With the lights down, it was like you were standing in the midst of the galaxy, an effect made all the better by the swirls of slightly luminous paint the decorators had made nebulas from. I couldn't wait to see this place in full occupancy.