Tales of Il Taverna di Muse: Part 3–The Bartender
I stood for a moment in the dim light of the taverna, lit only by some red Chinese lanterns and strings of tiny white Christmas lights. The sound of chimes, gongs, and drums pulsed through the air. I saw a Gamelan orchestra on a small stage and a beautiful Balinese girl in a sparkling sarong dancing to the music.I moved among the tables filled with patrons intently watching the dancer until I reached the bar.
The bartender leaned forward. “What can I get you, darling?”
“L’Enchanteur?”
“Nah, she’s my cousin. She’s always passing herself off as me. You look a might thirsty and tired.”
“Yes, may I have a bottle of Senorial? “
“Mexican Sangria? Of course. And you’ll need some chips and salsa to cut the sweetness, I should think.”
“Absolutely. Say, can you tell me the rent for a studio?”
“How much you got?”
I felt the ever lightening bag of Lemurian shekels in my cloak. “Well, not a lot.”
“Hmmm….” The bartender eyed me up and down. “You ever tended bar?”
“No.”
“Ever been in the hospitality or restaurant business?”
“No to that one too.”
The bartender squinted her blue eyes at me. “How well can you listen?”
“That I do very well.”
“Good. You’re hired.”
“For what? As a bartender?”
“Yep, pulling pints. Can’t handle all the night shift by myself. And, I’ll throw in one of the small studios in the back for half off the rent.”
I didn’t know a mojito from a martini. How could I be a bartender? I paused for a minute and looked around. I did come to Cyberia to be around the artsy types and to work on my own projects. I couldn’t do much better than this at the moment.
The patrons erupted in applause as the Balinese Gamelan players took their bows.
“Oh–I’m up now to announce the start of the poetry readings. Be a dear and watch the bar for me, will you?”
She handed me a towel before she slid over countertop and headed towards the stage.
A patron hollered to me from a table. “You there, could you bring me another Shandy, please? Thank you, dear.”
Shandy? Oh dear.
Lori Gloyd (c) 2006
Heather Blakey
Lori
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No, I did not read this before posting my ;shadow’ piece above
faucon
Oh brilliant! I am just in time for my poem….
Neat …and I’m not going to write a thing and have produced nothing similar. A charming, and amusing yarn.