Page 61 of Back Room Host

He was busy with a large order of five cocktails, so I nodded and went to the main bar to get two bottles of Absolut. Back at my station, he practically snatched one from my hand. I went back to work, but ten minutes later, I heard Daniel swearing again.

“Fuck! Who forgot to refill the orange juice? Luca! Could you?”

I was busy with three whiskey colas and a tequila sunrise myself, so I ignored Daniel for the moment. But that didn’t sit well with him at all.

“Luca! Did you hear me?”

“Yeah, but why don’t you do it yourself! I’m busy here.”

I didn’t even need to look at Daniel’s face because I could feel that my answer didn’t please him. But the situation was already demanding enough, so I tried to ignore him at least. When I finished an order, the next one came: two vodka oranges.

At the bar, I always worked fast. My movements were precise, and I enjoyed always being in motion. I needed that. It was the only way to distract myself from the storm brewing inside me.

The orange juice was just enough for the two drinks. I collected the money and moved on to the next order.

“One whiskey cola, one beer, and one tequila sunrise.”

“Sorry! Orange juice is out right now!” I called over the counter.

“Then just a gin and tonic.”

“Coming right up!” I shouted to the pale-faced gothic girl with the pink dreads.

As I reached for the gin behind me, I noticed Daniel. He looked at me incredulously and poured beer from the tap. I ignored him, but when I saw that he only had that one order of beer, I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.

“If you have nothing to do, you can go get the orange juice.” I was well aware he didn’t like my remark at all, but I didn’t see why I should be punished for something I didn’t do.

“You’re making yourself very comfortable,” he said irritably, moving on to his next order.

“I’m just being pragmatic.”

“Sooner or later, you’ll need orange juice.”

“No, I don’t.” I placed the drinks on the counter and collected the money.

The next few orders were beers, and as I heard Daniel sending someone to the main bar because he couldn’t make three Sex on the Beach cocktails, I smiled to myself. Daniel noticed, but he got to the point where he fetched the orange juice himself.

I already knew that working with him wouldn’t get any better now, but the mood between us had been screwed since last week anyway. So, I didn’t care when he returned with a sour face. Instead, I wondered why we were working together at the same station again.

In the next half-hour, everything got much worse. Daniel and I kept getting in each other’s way. It was the same pattern as last week. Daniel never tired of giving me orders. Whenever I could take a minute to breathe, he dumped orders on me. When the lime juice ran out, he demanded that I refill it. The same with the ice. And when he seriously wanted to send me to get more white wine, I lost it.

“Stop it!” I snapped at him.

“What?” He acted as if he didn’t know what I was talking about.

“I’m not your slave! We’re working together here.”

“Oh yeah? Then concentrate! Or don’t you realize how distracted you are?”

Unfortunately, he was right, but the music wasn’t making it any easier for me. There was screaming building up inside me, and I just wanted to get out of here. But then I thought of Juri again and how he managed to calm me down last week.Damn it!My heart was racing as if I were about to fight.

I turned away from Daniel and refocused on the customers. As I reached for the vodka, Daniel beat me to it. The same happened with the orange juice. Feeling dizzy, everythingspinning, I had to lean on something for a second. I jolted as Daniel bumped into me while heading to the fridge. In an instant, my senses switched to danger mode, and I pushed Daniel away from me.

“What?” he snapped at me irritably.

I broke out in a cold sweat, my breath catching, as blood rushed through my head as if it were boiling.Damn it …

“You better get moving! There are guests waiting!”

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