Jellyfish

5. We Meet Again

I couldn't say I hated the night shift. For some reason, I'd always slept a lot better during the day than I did at night, so it was actually the ideal scenario for me. No, the night shift wasn't the problem, the job was. At times like this, I had to just breathe and remind myself that my job could be so much worse. It wasn't great, but at least I wasn't a dancer like Blair or a dealer like Veronica. I had to keep reminding myself that it could be worse when I spent hours navigating dizzy smiles and misplaced hands. Faceless demons of the club were always grabbing at me as if some thinly veiled lust and aggression was going to make me swoon. They would grin, and drink, and grab, and all I was allowed to do was smile through it while refilling their poison of choice. It was definitely the job I hated, but there wasn't really another option for someone like me.

Tonight, the club was more alive than ever due to some special the bar was offering and a concert I wished was over. The music wasn't terrible or anything, I just hated walking passed the safety of my roped off bar to deliver drinks at the front of the stage. It may not seem a big deal to anyone else but walking onto the floor sent my heart racing no matter how many times I did it. I hated being out there because everything got tighter and hotter, and there were no more rules. On the floor, anything went. People could be as wild as they wanted with no repercussions and that was before considering the number of dealers peppered among them. I wanted no part in dancing amongst sardines in a can so each time my service was called for, I got in and out as fast as I could. The general rule was to simply avoid eye contact and look like you had some place to be.

I was usually pretty good at seeming threatening despite my thin stature. When I first got the job, my poker face had earned me a reputation beyond what I would even expect amongst the regulars. They seemed to find me a bit hostile and while I had worried it would get me fired, it had only secured me my job. The fact that I could handle myself for the most part is what kept me here. That, and a recommendation on Blair's part. Though he was about equal standing with me, Blair was one of very few people who had met the owner of the club. He held a good amount of sway and I supposed I owed him for this. Before the club, my only way to contribute was stealing food from convenience stores around the town, so it was surely a step up. Was it a good job? Not in the slightest, but beggars can't be choosers.

"Table August," Veronica snapped in my face startling me back to the bar. "Pay attention will you?"

I shook my head after apologizing, trying to clear my thoughts. I'd been really out of it tonight for a reason I couldn't quite figure out. Not wanting to get on Veronica's bad side, I grabbed a note pad and headed for the new table indicated by the neon sign beside the bar. It was, luckily, still within my safe zone so I didn't have to do as much pep talk as I'd done for the floor orders before. In the safe zone, I usually only had to deal with loud drunks and a few gropers, so I wasn't too concerned. Perhaps my calm was why the universe decided to put five familiar men at my new table. All five of them were distracted enough by the seizure bubble that was Toxic City that I could have easily ducked away and never had to talk to them again. Unfortunately, I was far too attached to my paycheck to do such a thing.

"Welcome," I coughed catching their attention and ignoring the surprised looks I received. "Are we looking for food, drinks, or both?"

My instincts screamed at me to keep my eyes locked on my notepad, but my pride forced me to meet Cain's glare with one of my own. I think the only reason he didn't rise and punch me right there was Isaac's hand on his arm. Isaac Moon was still as polite as he had been before, shooting me an apologetic smile and answering a chipper, "Both. Any recommendations?"

This was good, recommendations were part of a script I'd had engrained in my memory forever. It required very little thought, so on autopilot I spoke. "If you're going for a full meal we always recommend the chef's special. He'll make it fit to your request, of course, and if you don't specify the meal will come as pictured on your menu. There's a party special if you order three entrees as well. Three full meals, fourth one free. As for drinks, the bartender will do all classics except a Bloody Mary, she's superstitious."