Blood red love

It was Thursday evening and Charlie rolled her eyes at Tina, who was giggling with excitement as she checked herself in the mirror behind the bar. Once she had made sure her hair and makeup were in place, she bounced off to the inner room of ‘The red lady’. ‘The red lady’ was a better-than-average bar, even though it was located in the seedier part of town. The interior was all made up of dark wood, rich fabrics in deep colours and bras details. It was the epitome of the romanticised idea of a speakeasy. And it was where Charlie worked, for now. It was a good place to work, most of the time. Jenni Termane, the owner, made sure the girls who worked in the bar didn’t get hassled by the customers. Unless they wanted to. She paid a decent hourly wage and the tip you earned most nights could rival that of a manager position. The uniforms, although s*xy and somewhat lacking in fabric, weren’t as bad as some places. A short-sleeved silk blouse with a puff would have looked classy if it weren’t for the plunging neck line which showed more of Charlie’s cleavage than any other garment she owned. The little black pencil skirt was short, but covered her ass, unless she bent at the hips. The thin, black nylons and black pumps tied it all together. S*xy but classy. The reason Tina was skipping towards the inner room was the regular Thursday meeting which was just getting started. A group of men, all hot and gorgeous, met in the inner room every Thursday. The gossip was they were mafia, meeting on neutral ground. Others said they were spies, trading secrets. Who ever they were, the girl serving them always got a hefty tip. Which made all the girls fight over who would be the lucky one. As the men obviously had money, the girls’ secondary aim was to snag one of them as a boyfriend, or sugar daddy. Charlie didn’t want anything to do with the Thursday club. She didn’t need a group of dark and brooding men in her life. She definitely didn’t need to be caught up in some illegal shit. Charlie had been more than happy to let Tina serve them without a fight. Meanwhile, Charlie was tending to the other customers. Thursdays weren’t busy nights, there were a few regulars and one or two newcomers. Charlie was helping Jenni, who was behind the bar. She was putting away clean glasses when Tina came running out, tears flowing down her face and ruining the perfect makeup. She was sobbing, and both Charlie and Jenni hurried towards her and ushered her behind the bar.

“What happened? What did they do to you?” Jenni asked and looked the crying Tina over, trying to find injuries.

“I hate him. I can’t go back in there, don’t make me,” Tina sobbed.

“Who? Did he touch you? I will get Robert to deal with him if he did,” Jenni said in a dark voice. Robert was the doorman for the evening. He was the classical bouncer, big as a house with muscles that threatened to bust through the too small shirt he was wearing. He always had a scowl on his face and together with a nasty-looking scar which ran across the right side of his face, he looked intimidating. In truth, he was a kind man, but he didn’t talk much. But when he did, it was to let one of the guests know they were in trouble or to say something sweet to one of the girls who worked there. Charlie always felt safe on the nights Robert worked.

“No,” Tina wailed. “He said I had fat thighs, and I shouldn’t flirt as I looked like a pig with constipation,” she cried. Charlie sighed and handed Tina one of the clean rags to wipe her face with. Jenni poured her a two finger tequila and made her drink it.

“You need to get yourself some thicker skin, babe,” Jenni told Tina. “Go wash your face and put yourself together, then you can help me out here. I know you’re not interested in working the inner room, Charlie, but tough luck. Tina, did you at least get the drink orders?” Tina nodded and handed over her pad as she fled to the bathroom. “Sorry,” Jenni told Charlie. Charlie shrugged. She could handle it for a night, especially if the tip was as good as everyone said. Jenni started filling a tray based on the scribbles on Tina’s pad, and before Charlie knew it, she was heading for the inner room. The room was dimly lit. At the round table in the centre of the room, six men sat playing cards. They all looked up at her when she entered, most of them with a smirk. Charlie realised they knew they had driven Tina away, and she guessed they were now going to try to do the same to her. Well, they could try, but they would fail. She looked at the drinks on her tray and then at the men around the table. She had become fairly accurate at deducting who would drink what at the bar. The three whiskeys were easily placed before three of the men, as was the beer. No one objected. She looked down on her tray and found an Old fashioned and, she paused, was that a Cosmopolitan? Had Jenni made a mistake? She looked at the two men left. A brown-haired man about her age, handsome with a cruel smirk on his face. She could see him ordering the Old fashioned to impress others. She shifted her eyes to the last man and her gut clenched. F**k, he was hot. His blond hair was styled in a way that looked like he hadn’t put a thought into it, his ice-blue eyes watching her intently. The way the dark suit fit over his body, she guessed he would be fit if it were to come off. There was no way a man like him would order a Cosmopolitan. She placed the pink drink down in front of the brown-haired man and then the last drink in front of Mr Ice-Blue-Eyes.

“Would you gentlemen like something else? Something to eat perhaps?” she asked.

“What happened to your pretty little friend? I liked her,” Mr Cosmopolitan said. Charlie knew then he was the one who had made Tina cry.

“I asked her to switch,” Charlie said, holding the business smile in place, it had become second nature to always smile while at work.

“I don’t think I have seen you before, baby doll. Are you new?” a man old enough to be her father asked, giving her a smirk.

“No, I just haven’t had the pleasure of serving you on Thursday nights. That’s why I asked my friend to switch,” Charlie told them.

“I’m happy you did, it will be good to have something so delicious to rest my eyes on during the evening,” the man said. Charlie couldn’t help it when one of her eyebrows shot up. What did the man think, that they were still in the ninety-fifties?

“That’s sweet,” she said and turned around to leave.

“Don’t go just yet. Come sit on my lap and bring me luck,” a voice called out. It was a heavenly voice, strong and dark and full, with a hint of rasp. It did things to Charlie that no voice should have a right to do. She turned around and saw the smirk on Mr Ice-Blue-Eyes’ face.

“Are you sure I would bring you luck?” she asked.

“Have pity on our friend. Vidar has been losing all evening. It’s not like you can make it worse,” Mr Cosmopolitan said. Charlie had no polite way out. She made sure her smile was in place as she walked towards Vidar. Strange name, she thought as he grabbed her and pulled her into his lap. He smelled wonderful, Charlie thought before she could stop herself. She needed to get her head back in the game.

“What’s your name? Or should I just call you waitress?” Vidar asked.

“You could, but it’s far more likely you will get my attention if you call me Charlie,” she told him. She thought she saw his lips twitch, as if he wanted to smile. But instead, he grunted. His arm was around her waist to keep her in place as he played cards with one hand. Charlie had never seen the game before and was lost on the rules.

“Isn’t Charlie a boy’s name?” Mr Nineteen-Fifties asked.

“It’s my name, and I’m not a boy,” Charlie said. There was a round of chuckles from around the table.

“You can say that again,” the man next to Vidar said. He scanned her body and his eyes got stuck on her breasts. Charlie wanted to roll her eyes at him, but settled on ignoring him. The game continued. Charlie couldn’t understand the rules, but it seemed like they were playing in two teams, three in each. And it looked like Vidar’s team was winning. After three wins in a row, Vidar and his teammates laughed and taunted the other around the table.

“Looks like you are a good luck charm, Charlie. Come sit on my lap,” Mr Cosmopolitan said, patting his leg like she was a dammed dog. Vidar’s hand temporarily strengthen its grip on her hip, but then let her go.

“It would be a relief. She may bring good luck, but she is on the heavy side,” Vidar told the others and there was a round of laughter. F**king idiot, Charlie thought. She deliberately walked around the table with more sway to her hips. If he was going to make fun of her, trying to make her feel bad about herself, she could show him what he was missing out on. “Before we start the next round, I want a new drink,” Vidar added. Charlie stopped just before she was about to sit down on the other man’s lap. Her skin was crawling at the very idea of sitting in his lap, but she tried to make sure not to show it. But now she had an excuse not to.

“Of course, the same as before?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“And everyone else?” Charlie asked. They all ordered another round of the same drinks, and Charlie made her way out to the bar. Jenni eyed her as she walked up to her.

“Everything going okay?” Jenni asked. Charlie shrugged.

“They are all assholes, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I’m not their f**king mother,” she said. She took the moment Jenni needed to fix the drinks, to breathe and relax. She told herself to focus on not losing her temper. It was bad to lecture or yell at any customer and it would most probably get her fired. Do it to a room of mobsters and she would be worrying about losing her life.

“Tina has calmed down. Do you want me to send her in?” Jenni asked.

“No. But thanks for the offer. I can do this. It’s one night of my life. I can suck it up,” Charlie said with a smile and she even gave Jenni a wink as she walked back to the inner room with a tray full of drinks. She handed them out with a steady hand and hoped everyone had forgotten about her sitting in Mr Cosmopolitan’s lap.

The card game was in full swing and since no one paid her attention, Charlie turned to leave.

“Where are you going? I need some luck,” Mr Cosmopolitan called to her. Charlie turned around and smiled at him as she walked to where he was sitting. He patted his lap again and Charlie took her seat even though she would have liked to refuse. She knew she could refuse. Jenni would never force them to something that made them feel uncomfortable. But if Charlie were to cater to these men, she would make sure to get the biggest tip she could out of it. Unless they put their hands on her, if they tried, they would regret it. The only talking was regarding the card game.

“Charlie, what is that short for?” the man to the right of Mr Cosmopolitan asked. He looked right at home in the setting of the bar, like an old-time mafia boss. His brown eyes glittered with what Charlie interpreted as mirth and his black hair was slicked back.

“Who says it’s short for something? It can just be the name my parents gave me,” she said.

“I’m presuming your parents were aware they had a girl when they chose your name,” he chuckled. “Charlotte?” he asked. Charlie wrinkled her nose.

“Nope, thank god for that,” she said, earning a round of chuckles from almost all the men. Everyone except for Vidar. He was just staring at her when he didn’t look at his cards.

“Carolina?” the man stuck in the fifties asked.

“No, that would possibly be even worse,” Charlie said. As the men played cards, they kept trying to guess her name. No one guessed the correct answer. Vidar was still not participating, but he would watch her, making her more nervous than Mr Cosmopolitan. As another three games were played and they announced a winning team, Vidar was on the winning side this time as well, while Mr Cosmopolitan was not. Charlie got up from Mr Cosmopolitan’s lap, even though he objected.

“Do you gentlemen need more drinks? Some food?” she asked. They ordered another round of the same drinks and when Charlie brought them, Mr. Fifties tried to smack her ass but missed. Charlie had become far too skilled at avoiding things like that since she started working in the bar.

“It’s time for us to talk business. Get lost,” Vidar said.

“Come back in an hour with another round of drinks,” the man sitting between Mr Cosmopolitan and Vidar said.

“Yes, sir.” Charlie quickly made her way to the bar, happy to get a break from the intense back room.

“Back so soon?” Jenni asked.

“They decided to talk business, so I have been dismissed for an hour,” Charlie told her.

“Take a break while you can. They have been unusually demanding of your time,” her boss said and Charlie gratefully took a can of coke and headed back to the staff room. She got her phone out of her locker and sank down onto the couch. Sixteen missed calls from a blocked number. Charlie didn’t need to look to know who had called. She did anyway, because why not torture yourself a little? ‘Dad’ the listing said, there were also a couple from ‘Rose’. Charlie wasn’t deluded enough to think her stepmother had tried to call her. More likely, her father had figured out she had blocked him and tried calling from his wife’s phone. She sighed and turned the phone off and sipped on her coke. After ten minutes, she decided she wasn’t going to be able to shrug the funk the calls had got her into. She emptied the last of the can and decided the best distraction would be working. For almost an hour, she helped Tina tend to the customers. They had got one of the rare tourists that sometimes heard of the bar and decided to come and take a look at it. The couple sat down at one of Charlie’s tables and she amused herself by talking to them while they simultaneously tried to take the bar in and look through the drink list. They ended up ordering drinks Charlie was pretty sure they wouldn’t enjoy. But they would get the atmosphere of the place, so it might be worth it to them. As she gave Jenni the order, Jenni handed her a tray with drinks. Charlie realised it was the drinks for the inner room. The hour was up. She took the drinks and headed back, knowing Tina would cover her tables as well. She knocked on the closed door and waited until she heard an “Enter” from the other side.

“I’m here with your drinks, as ordered,” she said as she handed them out. She got some gruff “Thank you”. Mr Cosmopolitan tried to put his hand up her skirt. Charlie quickly slapped his hand a way and was about to turn around and tell him off when the man sitting next to him slapped the back of his head.

“Don’t be f**king crude, Millard,” the man said. Mr Cosmopolitan, whose name apparently was Millard, glared at the other man.

“I apologise on my… friends’ behalf,” the man who seemed to belong in the fifties said, surprising Charlie.

“Thank you, but there is no need,” she said. “Can I get you something else?” she asked, to change the subject.

“I think we are ready to eat,” Vidar said. The others nodded. It was clear they were regulars as they didn’t ask for a menu, but ordered from memory.

“I’ll be back in about twenty minutes with the food,” Charlie told them, and went to hand the order to the kitchen. She took a look out at the bar and decided Tina could handle it. As she waited for the food to be ready, she leaned against a corner in the kitchen and watched Lilly, her best friend and chef at the bar, work her magic. Lilly was the reason Charlie had started working there in the first place. She had first convinced Charlie to give it a chance and then convinced Jenni the bar would go under if Charlie wasn’t working there.

“Tough evening?” Lilly asked.

“Not really, I’m just feeling a little off,” Charlie said.

“Anything we can help you with?” Leo asked. Leo was Lilly’s helper. He did everything and anything she needed him to do. It was his way of trying to get a foot in the restaurant business without going to chef school. He was a sweet guy, and Charlie knew he had a thing for her. But he was too young for her and too inexperienced. Lilly looked at Charlie and rolled her eyes at Leo’s comment.

“No, that’s okay. But thank you, Leo,” Charlie told him.

“You just let me know if there is anything,” he said.

“How’s Nea?” Charlie asked her friend. Nea was Lilly’s on again, off again girlfriend. Lilly frowned.

“She isn’t talking to me at the moment,” Lilly said as she started to plate the food.

“What is it this time?” Charlie asked.

“Same old thing. She is once again convinced I’m having an affair with you.”

“I’m sorry. Do you want me to take a step back so you can sort it out?” Charlie offered.

“No way, girl. If she can’t see that we are just friends, and have been friends since we were both in diapers, then it’s her issue. Not mine, and certainly not yours,” Lilly said. “There you go, do you need Leo to help you bring it all out?” Lilly asked as she put her final touch on the plating.

“Yes, please, if you don’t mind, Leo?” Charlie said.

“Not at all. I’ll take the big tray,” he told her.

“Show off,” Lilly teased him and winked at Charlie.

“Thank you, Leo,” Charlie said and picked up the other tray. They walked to the back room, and she knocked on the door again and got told to come in. “I have your food, gentlemen,” she told the men as she entered, followed by Leo.

“I’m starving. I have been looking forward to the chilli burger for days,” the man from the fifties said. He rubbed his hands together as Charlie placed his order in front of him.

“We are open all week, if your cravings get too severe,” Charlie told him with a smile.

“Don’t tell him that. Henry will never leave if he realises he can eat the chili burger every day,” the old time gentle men joked.

“Oh, do shut up, Nasir,” Henry said before he attacked the chili burger.

“And who is your lovely helper?” Nasir asked as Charlie had finished handing out the dishes from her own tray and started taking plates of Leo’s.

“This is Leo. He is our chef assistant. I needed some brawns, so I borrowed his,” Charlie said.

“Hello Leo, I’m guessing you know our charming Charlie?” Nasir said, focusing on Leo. Charlie saw Leo blush under the intense gaze and had to hold back a giggle.

“I-I guess,” Leo stuttered as Charlie placed the plate of food in front of Vidar. He was watching her.

“Then maybe you can aid us. We have been trying to guess Charlie’s real name, but have come up empty so far. Do you know her real name?” Nasir asked, still focusing on Leo.

“No, sorry,” Leo answered.

“To bad,” Nasir said and switched his focus to his food. Charlie placed the last plate down.

“We will let you eat in peace. Anything you need?” Charlie asked.

“No, thank you, doll,” Henry said. Charlie found she didn’t take as much offence to his nickname this time.

“I will look in on you in a while. If you need me before then, just use the button,” she said, indicating a door bell looking button on the wall. It led to a buzzer behind the bar. They nodded as Charlie and Leo took their leave. “Thanks for the help, Leo,” Charlie said as they parted, him heading for the kitchen and she for the bar.

“My pleasure, Charlie.”