From Me to Us

Chapter Thirty Five

OLIVIA

Fridays are literally the worst night to work. The place is packed once again and I have people demanding drinks at me every two seconds. I run around Godfathers with stealth and speed I never knew I was even capable of. It's not much better in my section at the front of the bar as it is in the back where Elena is having to stop brawls and drunken confrontations that have been happening the moment everyone started showing up. I feel for her but Matt is helping clear out to crazies before things get out of hand. So that's a plus at least.

It's the semi finals was last week and of course our team one and so tonight is the finals for north Ryde university and they are playing against one of our lead competitors — the California golden bears football team — Berkeley university. They aren't our biggest opposition team that we've played but they come close and they always have to get mouthy with NRUs Vicious Wolves team, according to Elena that is. I literally get all my information about anything university related from that girl. She's like a walking gossip column.

Finals night is one of the most apprehensive nights for any football player or fan. Tonight is the night whether they win or they lose. Pressure would weight heavy on the players especially Daniels shoulders because if they lose they don't just lose one game. They destroy north Rydes winning streak.

"Waitress! Get us a another round of jagger, will ya?" Some random guy yells to me over the ruckus and I have to stop myself from flipping him off when he chucks a 50 dollar note my way and dismisses me entirely. God people are so rude.

Everyone filled in here early to get a table and settled for just watching the last 15 minutes of the game on our massive flat screens we have around the place. Plus I'm getting the vibe, the bleachers at the football field were already jamed packed. I was confused at first for why a university game was being played on channel 6 but I didn't question it when Elena only said how sacrilegious this game is for the college town, north Ryde to the point where people all around then state tune in for which ivy league college will win each year, I didn't question her further. Our team is pretty unbeatable with a 12 year winning streak under their belt. People from all over the county and Cali came to watch the game. And a game as important tonight, I should've known we'd be packed.

I walk over to the bar and place the round of jagger shots with Henry our one and only male bartender. Most of the people that work here are women save him and Matt. He winks at me playfully. "Relax, honey. You just need to go with the flow on nights like this."

I heave a heavy sigh. "I know, I know. It's just exhausting," I say, slumping on the sticky bar stool, not even caring if my uniform is getting sticky.

"I'm surprised you aren't used to it. Maybe by next semester you'll have it all down by muscle memory," he replies, fixing a beer for the guy next to me.

"Yeah I guess, but rude customers make me wanna explode sometimes."

He rolls his eyes, "yeah them. I get my fair share of those. You just gotta look past it. They are drunk as fuck and you can always get them back by diluting their drinks or even saving their change as a tip," he grins and makes a shush motion with his finger to his lips. "They never know."

I laugh and wave him on. "Good tip now get them drinks, boy. Before they come for me with flaming fire and pitchforks."

He laughs back and heads off down to bar to fix my shots where our other bartender, Lani, is fighting with a customer over cutting him off. I glance to Elena, she's smiling and being so friendly with the customers but I see the tiredness behind her eyes. She works more than anyone here and always says yes to extra shifts. She told me once that it was to show her dad that she didn't need his money to get to where she wants in life. She didn't even let him pay her Tuition. She got a full ride scholarship and pays for her necessities with the money she makes working here. She's a very hard worker that girl.