15 eye of the tiger ( part 4 )

There were a total of ten tables to tend to. The menu was simple enough to memorize after a couple of readings.

"All you have to remember is the foods on the menu," Teddy explained. "The drinks would take forever. So you just have to keep an open ear. Note down what they ask, pass the order to Lin, and serve the drinks Lin prepares. Easy."

And it did sound easy. The only real expectation was that I smile warmly at the customers. For some reason, everyone seemed convinced I could do that very well. And I was delighted with the job. I would get to see a lot of the world.

It wasn't long after the pub was open for the night that I understood why Teddy said it was easy and why Rookie called Teddy lazy. The customers who sat at the tables were regulars who were there more to spend time with Teddy than for drinks. They ordered simple drinks that were easy to remember. The ones more particular about their drinks gravitated to the bar, addressing Lin and Rookie directly. Marcie and Sarah were nowhere in sight. There was at least one bouncer, mostly Biscuit, near Teddy. Biscuit had a smile on his face all the time and his eyes were soft, and he was almost two times the size of an average person. There was something terrifying about seeing such a soft expression on a man so large. The other bouncers were just as large, and without the soft expression were even more frightening. There was no doubt about why they were there. For their own sake, no one could get too close to Teddy. And, it turned out, me.

I thought it unnecessary to have such protection, until alcohol went down the throats of the customers and hunger lit up their eyes. The praise they gave me for my wonderful smile felt like foreplay. Unconsciously, I moved closer to Biscuit, who smiled reassuringly at me. I felt so much better returning the smile.

Teddy and I were mostly engaging with the customers in conversations covering a vast array of topics, some of which I couldn't even understand. I had an entire discussion for ten whole minutes with a group of three, two women and a man, and at the end I didn't understand a word. Biscuit and Teddy and Rookie were smiling at me appreciatively, as if satisfied with me. Lin was a lot busier, making drinks for the regulars continuously. She was undoubtedly tired, but she didn't let it show.

It was past one when the pub was closed and all of us collapsed on the open floor. Marcie put on a playlist of mellow songs perfect for the mood. Lin prepared cocktails for us all. Teddy pushed my hands away, turning my lap into a pillow as she stretched out on her back. Sarah was massaging Teddy's legs. Lin was enjoying her drink, relaxed like she had been lounging all night. The bouncers, five of them, were sitting with their backs straight like they were military, which Rookie said they were. After retiring from the military, they joined Rookie, whose brother had been in the same unit as the five of them. They were all owners of the pub. Rookie and Marcie were slow dancing like it was a ball.

It was one big family. It wasn't just work. They were having just as much fun. Their voices were silent, but their eyes were screaming of approval. Only now did I realize, the night had been a test. And I passed with high grades.

"Before we sign off, let's welcome our newest member," Rookie announced as they got up to close shop. "Welcome Woody. We're glad to have you."

"Yeah," everyone said in unison. "We're glad to have you."

"And don't forget to praise me," Marcie added. "I brought him."

"Yeah, Marcie," Rookie agreed. "He's yours. We understand."

Everyone burst out laughing.

I was surprised to learn that Sarah was in charge of the security, with Marcie helping her on all nights except when there was a performance on stage. Sarah was even the one who setup the cameras and the network. She was a real genius with computers.

Biscuit drove us to the campus in a large SUV that was befitting of him.

"See you tomorrow darlings," he said before driving away.

Lin said the Biscuit was an orphan, so he looked upon them as his little sisters. And now, he had a little brother too.

The girls walked me to my room. I was the little princess and they were the knights in shining armor. They showed me how to sneak into the hostel and into my room without getting caught, with the expertise of professional thieves. Following me into my dorm, they locked the door before announcing that they were too tired to get back to their hostel. Teddy and Marcie took the bed. The rest of us sprawled out on the floor. We were tired enough for the hard wood floor to feel soft as a spring mattress. In less than a minute, we were asleep.