Game Theory × NH

032 | germanium

"Great," I muttered under my breath as I dug my pen and notepad from my pocket apron. "I'll go take care of the mediocre band and you can have the group of dickheads that just walked in," I told Jillian as my teammates took the large booth in the corner of the room.

She laughed at my comment as I started making my way over to the band that had seated themselves down in a booth in the center of the bar.

Their band was known as Godless Intuition and they were as good as any other garage band who had attended public high school. The guitarist, Eli Hawks, was a huge flirt in the most charming way, which only contradicted everything anyone might say about him. They had been coming to the bar every so often and ever since I waited on them that first time, they kept asking for me. I didn't mind their parsimonious attitudes and stingy come-ons - again, mainly coming from Eli - because their tips were unbelievably good.

"Ay, doll," Eli chimed when I approached them with a smile I was forced to wear. His British accent was thick so I really had to deliberate on what he was saying. "How's ta football life treatin' ya?"

"Obviously it's not keeping me busy enough if I'm working at this dump."

Eli leaned back against the booth as one of his arms went up and lay across the top. "'m not sure yur boss would be too thrilled to hear ya call this place a dump. I might have ta complain to him."

"You wouldn't dare," I flirted back, flashing him my most charming smile I could muster.

My logic with Eli was the more I flirted back to him, the bigger the tip was. So far, I hadn't been wrong.

"There is a way to shut me up, ya know," he retorted as he dug something out of his jeans pocket. He slipped the sleek looking flyer against the counter in front of me. "If ya come with me to this jazz set in London tonight, I won't say anythin' to yur boss."

I took the handout he slid to me and looked at it. "I have a morning class tomorrow," I informed him.

Eli shrugged his shoulders slothfully. "I won't keep ya out long."

I thought for a moment. I wasn't really into jazz music - or Eli at that matter - but it was a Thursday night and it beat staying inside doing school work that wasn't due until two weeks in advance.

"I might take you up on that offer," I said as I slipped the flyer into my pocket.

After I took Eli and the rest of the guy's orders, I went back behind the counter and handed the slip to one of the cooks and continued my job as I would any other day, despite the fact that I felt eyes on me everywhere I went.

I gave the band the drinks and desserts that they had ordered and attempted to attend to my other customers and their needs, but as I walked by my teammate's table, Andrew reached out and stopped me.

"I didn't know you worked here," he inquired as everyone at the booth looked at me.

"Yeah, started a week ago. Need money for a car."

Thomas leaned on the table in front of him. "Is that lad giving you a hard time?" he asked, nodding his head over at Eli who was currently looking at me with hooded eyes. He winked at me when he saw me looking. "Because if he is, we can take care of him for you."

"Oh, I don't doubt you would," I said with a small laugh. "It's cool. He was just asking me out to see a group perform."

I wasn't sure why I was even telling them this; it wasn't like they needed to know what goes on in my life outside of the field, but seeing Niall staring at Eli across the room with daggers made me want to spite him. I would do anything to make him squirm.