I'll cut to the chase. I am a bartender at one of the local hot spots. It is usually such a thankless job that if it weren't for the tips, it wouldn't be worth having. Tonight was one of those nights, just your average Friday night. It was actually about 1 a.m. on Saturday and things were winding down. We close at 2:30 but we cater to a crowd that averages in their 40's so tonight all the younger people had left early and went to the teenie bars. By teenie bars I mean the ones that have the disco atmosphere. They like the bright lights and the loud music and we did not have that here. Just the usual Friday night crowd of people who worked all week and needed to get away from their routine and down a few cold ones.
I had called my boss earlier and talked him into letting me get out of here at a decent hour when I heard someone come into the bar. I looked up and I have to admit I liked what I was. It was a petite woman who appeared to be in her early to mid 20's. She had sandy colored hair and was about 5' tall and a trim figure. She was not steady on her feet and I assumed that she had been drinking. She sat down at a booth and I picked up my order pad and made my way over to where she was.
"What would you like miss?" I asked her.
"I want the strongest fucking thing you got mister."
I have to admit I was a little shocked at her words. She didn't seem to be the kind of girl that talked like that but I've come to find out you really can't tell that much about people on by first impressions.
"Coming right up!" I said. I walked back behind the bar and took a bottle of my special stuff that my buddies in the hills made for me. I smiled as I poured it into a shot glass and then put the cap back on the bottle. As I walked back to her table, I noticed that she had her head resting on her hands. I thought she had passed out because she was pretty inebriated.
"Here you go miss," I said as I set it down.
"Thanks mister," she slurred as she looked up. I noticed for the first time that it looked like she had been crying. I ignored it because I've found out that over the years if people want to tell you about their troubles they will. The girl picked up the glass and put it up to her lips and took it down in one long swig. I heard her try to catch her breath when she was through. Tears of pain instead of tears of sadness were running down her cheeks now. "What the fuck is that?" she asked after coming to her senses.
"Oh, just a little bottle of special stuff that I keep for my personal friends or someone that looks like they need a little extra boost."
"That ought to fucking do it," she laughed. "I want some more of that!"
I shrugged my shoulders and walked back to the bar and poured her double shot this time. I took it back to her and she put it to her lips and slugged it down. "That's some powerful fucking shit mister," she said. She sat the glass down and closed her eyes and leaned back. I thought for a minute that my special elixir had taken her down but she opened them again in a few seconds and then asked for a Michelob to soothe her throat.
I looked at my watch and noted the time. It was 1:35 and I had planned on being gone by now. I walked to the door and turned the closed sign toward the street and locked the door. I walked to the bar and took 2 brews from the cooler and a couple of frosty mugs from the freezer. I walked back and sat hers on the table. "My name is John," I said as I held out my hand to the lady.
"Hi John," she slurred her words. "My name is Kim."
"Nice to meet you Kim. You're new around here aren't you?"
She looked at me and nodded. "I'm from Arizona originally. I moved out here because my boyfriend got a new job and today is my wedding day."
"Wedding day? You aren't gonna feel much like having a wedding today if you keep downing that stuff," I said smiling at her.
"Well...there ain't going to be no fucking wedding anyway," she said as she took a sip of her beer.
"I thought you said..."
"Yeah, I know what I said. But I'm not marrying that no good two timing son of a bitch." Tears were starting to run down her cheeks. I ignored them because like I said before, if people want to talk, they will.
She reached for the salt and poured a little in her glass. She watched intently as the bubbles started at the bottom and worked their way to the top. She took another little sip and sat it back down. "You know, I gave my entire teenage years to that son of a bitch."
"So why aren't you marrying him?" I asked her.
"Cause all he wants is to fuck around with that fucking whore that he works with. Julie I think her name is. Yeah, that's it. Mother fucking bitch, cunt,whore Julie I think it is." She giggled after saying this obviously feeling the effects of the alcohol.
"Give me another one shot of that stuff, whatever you call it."
"I think you've had enough Kim," I told her.
"What the fuck? Why is everyone always telling me what is good for me. All my life I've been told what to do. Now are you gonna give me another shot or what?"
I got up and walked back to the bar. Instead of pouring her a shot this time, I took the bottle to the table and sat it down. "Drink up Kim if you think you can take it."
Kim took the bottle and poured a little bit in her glass. "What do you call this shit mister?"
"It's got lots of names depending on where you are from, but around these parts people call it moonshine."
"Sure makes your head spin," she said as she took another shot.
"I think what you ought to do is let me call you a cab so you can get home and be in half way decent shape for your wedding tomorrow."
"I told you I ain't marrying that no good son of a bitch," she said suddenly getting angry.
