Chaos Unlocked

by Lana Kole

  And you thought she was crazy.

  “We’ll be okay, Daria. We’re all in this together now, whether we like it or not. Would you like some space today for your interview?” Death again, so reasonable and forward with his words.

  Daria wanted to say yes—that she’d like them to go away until she could return home again, employed and without the threat of homelessness. But then she imagined the gaping space of silence that would be left in their wake, and she couldn’t quite curl her lips into verbalizing an answer.

  So she didn’t, and grabbed her purse on the way out the door, heading to her interview with five demons bickering in her mind.

  Daria stared at the logo of the bar on the glass door, the copper colored martini glass winking at her in the afternoon sunlight. The Twist. Nodding to herself, she grabbed the metal handle and pulled the door to the bar open. Allegra was working again, and the cheerful woman greeted her with a blinding smile as she approached. The few patrons around didn’t pay her any mind, and their low hum of chatter was as comforting as the guys’ had been in her head all morning.

  “Hey! Welcome back. Dave is our bar manager, and he’ll be back in just a bit for your interview.”

  “Great! Thanks again, for giving me the application.” Daria swallowed her nerves, and again, why the fuck am I so nervous?

  “Need a drink to calm the nerves?” Allegra winked.

  “Uh, wouldn’t that be... frowned upon?” Daria inquired.

  “Not if you get back here and make it.”

  “Wait... behind the bar? Right now?”

  “That’s what I said, wasn’t it?”

  “Well... okay then.” Daria tucked a flyaway strand of hair behind her ear and followed Allegra’s pointing finger to the side door. Her stomach fluttered at the letters on the front, employees only.

  The bar was even more impressive when she stood behind it. A clear walkway was spread with cushioned mats, to help the bartenders on their feet for hours at a time, all framing a round island with shelves for the alcohol. It rotated, according to Allegra, but after a frustrated employee had slung it too hard and broken some really expensive bottles, they’d locked it from future use.

  Ouch.

  The area behind the island led to the back room, with a door leading to the right that took them into a hallway to the break room, and of course the back door opening into the alleyway.

  Allegra showed her where most everything was kept, and they made their own drinks in comfortable silence. Once the low lights reflected in their full glasses, they tapped the rims together in a clink of celebration, to future coworkers. Hopefully.

  The door smacked shut at the entrance, and Daria stashed her drink in the back, on the other side of the island after taking a small sip. When she glanced back out, a man was approaching the bar. He was handsome, dressed in a dark shirt and tie, and matching black pants. Seating himself in one of the bar stools, he waited patiently as he glanced at a drink menu. Allegra knocked her hip against Daria’s, sending her around the corner and landing in front of the stranger.

  “Hello, what can I make for you today?” Was she supposed to say welcome to Twist? Or The Twist? Or just... the bar?

  He barely glanced at her before calling out his order, the Martinez.

  Daria almost frowned at his curt tone, but kept her customer service smile on. “Can I see your ID please?”

  He frowned at her, but complied with a heavy sigh, and she kept her smile firmly in place. Daria knew he was over twenty-one, but bartenders could get in serious trouble for violating the golden rule.

  She nodded at the date and turned to make his request. It was similar to the drink she’d gotten the night before, consisting of sweet vermouth and maraschino liqueur. The similarities ended there, though, as she went on to mix gin and angostura bitter, and then garnished with a lemon twist. Thankfully, Allegra had given her a quick tour earlier, and Daria slid open the refrigerated container to grab a lemon and sliced it fresh. She pinched it to release the flavor and then slid it around the rim of the glass before twisting it over the edge.

  She slid the martini glass across the bar with a smile, her hand sticking to the slick spots and ruining her smooth glide. “Just one, or would you like to open a tab?”

  “Just one for now. I can see you’re going to fit in nicely here.”

  Daria faltered as he slid his wallet back in his pocket, and she glanced at Allegra for help. “What?”

  “Hi, I’m Dave, the bar manager here at The Twist. Welcome to the team.” His smile was framed with laugh lines.

  “Really? I got the job?” she asked, and hope bloomed in her chest.

  “The Martinez is his favorite drink. He asks all the new employees to make it for him to see how they do.” Allegra appeared from behind the island and nudged her in the side again in a job well done.

  “Oh! Well... then how’d I do? One out of ten?”

  His dark brown eyes held her gaze for a long, tense moment as he sipped the drink again, his lips curving around the edge of the glass.

  “I’d say this is a close tie for the best I’ve ever had.”

  Daria arched a brow at that. “Who am I tied with?”

  “Me.”

  Eyes widening slightly, she cleared her throat. “Oh! Well, that’s good then, I hope.”

  “You rang?” Hope’s voice curled through her head like smoke and she almost laughed out loud.

  “Not quite,” she responded internally.

  “Very. Now, I know you were only here for the interview, but how do you feel about shadowing Allegra the rest of the night? You seem to have mixing down, but the card machine can be a bitch, and Allegra is a wizard with that thing.”

  “I’d love to.” And she wasn’t even lying when she said it.

  The rest of the day went down smoother than the drinks she and Allegra had made when she’d first arrived. The longer she worked the bar, the more she adored it. It was classy, with gleaming dark marble countertops, coiled copper lights, and tasteful plants and art dotting the walls. Sunlight streamed in through narrow windows that were more for lighting than actually showcasing the scenery outside. The bar was located in the downtown district, a high-class area filled with more hipsters than Wall Street briefcases. It was clear that the prices not only covered the cost of the drink, but also the atmosphere.

  A far cry from the bars on her end of town.

  Daria finally got the bar clean enough that her hands didn’t stick to the surface when she slid someone a drink across the marble. That was her favorite part—seeing their faces light up when they caught sight of whatever Daria had mixed them. Such a simple thing brought her a tiny bit of happiness. It was something to focus on when her emotions tried so hard to overwhelm her.

  The best part about the job though? She wouldn’t have to take it home with her at the end of the night. No marketing planning, no creative designing. No backstabbing assholes…

  Grimacing over her bitterness, she forced her thoughts elsewhere. She had enough to worry about, demons and deaths and drinks for customers. Focusing on making drinks was easy, and it was about damn time Daria had something easy on her plate.

  Though that was easier said than done.

  The last woman that had come inside? Truth decided to share she’d just lied to her boyfriend about where she was. Daria gritted her teeth and swallowed her annoyance, flashing the woman a smile as she took her drink order.

  The businessman who’d sat down after her? He was due to die next week—shellfish allergy according to Death. It was hard to see his friends pile in, celebrating the promotion he’d just gotten, and watch them laugh and joke around while she knew the ugly outcome.

  Daria smiled as she moved to check on the middle-aged woman at the end of the bar. “Hey hon, you doin’ okay over here?”

  She smiled sadly and motioned for a refill, and Daria got to work.

  Purple Lamborghini was her drink of choice, and Daria had to admit it was a pretty drink. As sh
e slid the martini across the bar, she faltered as Death’s voice purred through her head. “Cancer. Terminal. Twenty-five days.”

  Daria was surprised when she didn’t completely knock the drink over with shaking hands. When the woman tried handing her a few bills for the drink, Daria waved it away and patted her hand instead, flashing a sad smile. Then she excused herself and told Allegra she’d be right back.

  Under the bathroom lights, she cursed, “You’ve got to keep it to yourselves. It’s hard enough knowing you’re here, watching my every move. I can’t fucking handle knowing everything about everyone.” Even in her head, her voice was rough with unshed tears. Her teeth ground together as she glared in the mirror at her reflection, hoping the demons could feel how serious she was. “I don’t want to hear another word until after my shift, got it?”

  They didn’t answer, and she was a little worried she’d hurt their feelings, but hell, they could just get over it. She had a job to do and several hours to go before she could go home for the evening. Her problems were enough to deal with; she didn’t need to worry about everyone else’s on top of them.

  But even while her stomach clenched in empathy, the whole thing made her appreciate life a little more. Every time Death pointed out the end of someone’s life, it made Daria more thankful that she was still here. She’d survived something that, at the time, had seemed like the worst thing that could ever happen. And despite it all, she was still strong and had a roof over her head. And now with the demons, and the revelation about her mom… she hadn’t given up, and she didn’t plan to. Each day was hers and she planned to live it to the fullest.

  Rinsing her hands and taking a deep breath, Daria returned to the bar with her smile firmly in place.

  Just in time too, it seemed, because the hottest guy had just walked in. He sat down at one of the bar stools, and Daria got to him before Allegra did, gliding across the mat on the floor to stand in front of him. “Hey, there. What can I get for you today?”

  When he glanced at her, Daria wished she was wearing something other than a simple black button up and matching pants. Or that her hair was flowing and free, because as much as she disliked the frizz and the mess, her hair was her best feature and looked great around her shoulders.

  “No,” Betrayal mumbled in her head, as if it’d slipped out and he hadn’t actually meant to put sound to the words.

  Her eye twitched at the two-letter word and she hoped the handsome stranger hadn’t seen.

  “I’ll just have an old fashioned, please.” His words curled around her like fingers around her wrist, tugging her places she really wanted to go.

  She couldn’t even remember what she’d responded, too caught up in his clear blue eyes and studying the natural fall of his dark hair, the shadow framing his jaw. His shirtsleeves were even rolled up—a personal weakness of hers.

  “Wow, do you need a room or something?” Betrayal snapped.

  “I don’t know, maybe with luck on my side, I might.”

  As a bartender, wasn’t it like a rule that she had to come home with someone at the end of the night? Live life to the fullest, and all that?

  When his glass clinked against the marble bar as she sat his drink down, he grinned at her and Daria swore her breath got stuck in her chest. Did she even ask him to pay for the drink? She’d be damned if she could remember.

  Then she was standing in front of the card machine, holding a card belonging to... Andrew Lukens. Oh, guess I did ask him to pay.

  Or did he want to open a tab?

  Shit.

  “He wanted to open a tab.” Truth saved the day with what she imagined was a smug smile.

  “Thanks.” Now, she didn’t have to look like an idiot and have to ask again.

  Remembering Allegra’s instructions from earlier, she tapped the appropriate buttons. The screen smudged under her fingers, and she promised to wipe that down later too.

  After entering his drink and swiping the card into the tab system, she turned and narrowly avoided crashing into Allegra, whose hands were occupied with drinks filled to the brim. She squeaked and backed up, avoiding the catastrophe of a cleanup.

  More carefully, she tapped Allegra on the shoulder as she passed behind her, letting her know not to back up until she cleared the space. Then she was sliding Andrew’s card back across the bar with a smile on her face—hopefully not too stunned as she focused on him again.

  Damn, he’s handsome.

  “I’ve seen better,” Truth said.

  “You have? I’d like to see them.” And almost laughed again, her lips twitching.

  “What’s so funny?” Andrew asked as he sipped his drink and leaned forward, his forearms cutting into the edge of the bar.

  “Oh, nothing. Just thinking about something I said earlier.”

  He cocked his head as if trying to read her. “So, you’re laughing at yourself?”

  “Well... no, I mean—it was something someone else said, obviously. It’s just funny and it happened to pop back into my head and—I’m gonna stop talking now.” Daria quickly turned back around, shaking her head to herself and stepping away from the bar.

  “What the fuck was that?” Betrayal asked her. Their laughter trilled through her head and she gritted her teeth against their amusement.

  “I told you, pretty people make me weird! I’ll get over it in a minute!”

  For a while, Daria tried navigating the intensity of Andrew’s gaze. Once she had a lull in customers, she moved back over to check on him. “How’s it going over here, Andrew?”

  He cocked his head at her use of his name, but she shrugged. “Noticed it on your ID.” A grin twisted his lips and she smiled in return. Before he could answer her question, his phone buzzed on the counter by his drink, the glow of the screen cutting through the low lighting of the bar.

  “Gotta take this,” he muttered before slipping out the front door.

  Daria watched him go the whole way, shamelessly checking out his ass in his tight, dark wash jeans and boots. Then her gaze caught on another handsome customer staring her way and she offered a polite smile.

  An odd pressure built in her chest, and Daria lifted a hand to massage the pain away. Movement caught her attention, and Daria glanced over, noticing Allegra was making her way across the floor with a tray full of beers. Right before her eyes, Daria watched a customer clip her shoulder as she walked, ruining her steady balance. With wide eyes, she stared as one of the tumblers teetered on the edge of the tray, before falling over and crashing to the floor in an explosion of foam and yellow, sticky liquid. The resignation pulled Allegra’s shoulders down as every single tumbler glass followed suit. Allegra groaned before she slung the tray down beside the shattered glasses, annoyance evident in the stiffness of her shoulders.

  Daria made a drink quickly for the customer who’d just walked up, before grabbing the mop bucket out of the back and meeting her beside the scene of the accident. The pressure in her chest subsided, but with all the craziness, she hadn’t even noticed.

  After squeezing Allegra in a tight hug in the back room, and wiping her frustrated and embarrassed tears off her face, Daria returned to the front. It had to be mortifying for her. Once, Daria had dumped a mug of coffee on herself during a promotions meeting. Most embarrassing moment of her life, and she’d never forget it. Allegra deserved a few minutes to let the flush fade from her cheeks.

  When Andrew returned, he flagged her over for a refill once he sat down again.

  “Sorry about that, work.”

  “Understandable. Where do you work?” He gave her an odd look and she motioned around the bar before shooting him a flirty smile as she made his drink. “What? It’s only fair. You know where I work.”

  His deep chuckle made her breath catch before he answered, “True enough. I work at a PR firm.”

  Daria stiffened, but tried to speak as if otherwise. “Oh yeah? I used to be in PR. What firm are you with?”

  He tilted his head to study her before an
swering. “I’m in the IT department of J & J Marketing.”

  Breathing a sigh of relief, she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear before flashing him a genuine smile. It wasn’t her old firm, so she was in the clear. “I’ve heard they’re pretty good. Don’t take this the wrong way though… ” Daria made a spectacle of checking him out, well, what she could see of him above the bar. “You don’t look like an IT guy.”

  “Oh no?” he asked with a smirk. “What do I look like then?”

  “Like you’re no good for me.” Crossing her arms, she leaned on the bar to press her cleavage together after she slid his drink to him.

  He took the bait, and something dark flashed over his eyes. “You’d be right about that.”

  Before she could take the flirting further, a group of young women approached for refills and Daria excused herself to pour another round of tequila shots.

  She didn’t know if it was just because he was so fucking hot or if it was the way his eyes tracked her as she made drink after drink for new customers, but she flushed every time she met his gaze. The constant attention of someone so handsome was throwing off her game.

  “Dora’s fucking box, can you stop with the lovesick glances?” Betrayal grumbled in her mind.

  Unbidden, her eyebrows arched as she scooped ice into the drink mixer.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Just do your job and stop trying to eye fuck the guy at the bar. It’s your first day.”

  “Really? I expected Truth to be this much of an asshole. Congrats, you can carry the crown now.”

  Her gaze slid to Andrew’s again, and she thought of the hours he’d spent there, ordering drinks. As if he was prolonging his time at the bar. Her bar.