Exhausted Encounter
Mixed Drinks and Emotions
It was a little after nine o'clock in the evening when a steady stream of people began filing into Tigress Bar & Grill. The scent of cigarettes and alcohol with just a hint of strong cologne lingered in every inch of the dimly lit room, and slow jazz song was barely audible amongst the shouting, laughter and flat screens that were broadcasting the current sports segment that had piqued the interest of many patrons. Glasses clanged, inebriated men talked raucously and the customers were served in an overall hectic scene.
The heavy glass plated door of the establishment opened and a young woman with eye-catching blonde locks briskly entered. formed a deep frown at the all-too-familiar strong smell. A few of the waitresses greeted the new-comer as she maneuvered her way around the customers and towards the Employees Only room. There, she changed into her uniform; a white collared shirt and a black pair of slacks along with a matching black bow tie. Quickly, she flung her blonde hair into a passable ponytail and headed out to begin her late night shift.
"Hey!" she heard someone beside her say as they slapped her shoulder,"You ready for another long night Hyo?"
Hyoyeon grinned and nudged the fellow bartender.
"I think we can handle it Sica"
The two girls immediately got to work as people began shouting orders here and there. Hyoyeon was preparing the drinks quickly; serving them with considerable skill and ease. Jessica worked at a slower pace, but the male customers didn't seem to mind just as long as she flashed them a pretty smile every now and then.
There seemed to be an endless amount of requests with few breaks between and by closing time they were exhausted. Jessica slumped down into a chair, resting her head in her arms as Hyoyeon chose to take the seat across from her.
Jessica yawned, shielding her open mouth with a dainty hand before peering at the blonde with weary eyes.
"Yah, Kim Hyoyeon, I dont know how much longer I can put up with this." she mumbled with a voice deflated and weary.Hyo nodded "Its only been a week since Yunho left but it feels like months. When's the boss gonna hire a new bartender?" Hyoyeon groaned and propped her head up with the palm of her hand.
"Soon, I hope!" Jessica piped up grumpily."Hey! You two can go home! We'll clean up tonight."
Hyoyeon and Jessica looked over at the two waitresses who had begun wiping down the tables. The taller of the two smiled and gave them a thumbs-up.
"Thanks Sooyoung, thanks Tiffany!" Jessica accepted the offer with a wide smile, truly relieved for the break.
"Thanks guys. We'll clean up tomorrow night." Hyoyeon added.
The waitresses gave their tired co-workers a smile before returning to their chores.
Hyo got up slowly from her seat and gave her lethargic friend's shoulder a squeeze.
"C'mon, I'll walk you home."
Hyoyeon dropped Jessica off at her place and started her 20 minute journey home. She usually enjoyed the walk since it gave her some time to herself and allowed her to think things over without distraction, but this week had so far been an exception. Work left her tired, sore and ready for bed. However,tonight seemed a bit special and her coworkers' earlier kindness had Hyo feeling better despite the fact that she was exhausted. Not to mention, It was one of those rare, cool summer nights, and a soft breeze replaced the normal sticky humidity. Hyoyeon took a deep breath and held it in. The streets were quiet and she felt relaxed. Moments like these were rare for her nowadays.As She stepped off from the middle of the sidewalk to cross the small side street, the loud humming of a motor nearby made her jump back just in time to avoid the vespa that had suddenly turned the corner.
Her reflexes were quick, but unfortunately she was unable to keep her balance and promptly fell on her with a loud yelp as the contents of her bag spilling out in the street. The driver of the vehicle, having realized what happened, parked his bike and began walking back to see if she was okay.
Hyoyeon sat on her sore and began glowering at the person. It was a man about her age from what she could tell but she couldn't quite see his face due to the streetlight's glare that was shining from behind him.
Qucikly, she tore her gaze away and began picking up all of her scattered belongings; shoving each item back into her bag with unnecessary force.
She bid farewell to her good mood.
She bid farewell to her good mood.
"Are you okay?" a voice, clear and fairly deep asked from above.
Hyoyeon didn't look up and instead continued gathering her things with a scowl plastered on her face.
The man knelt down to help and picked up what remained. Hyo snatched her belongings from his hands and looked up to shoot him a mean glare. He was up close now and she got a good look at him; smooth skin, dark hair and even darker eyes as well as a nice jawline- - Hyoyeon stopped admiring, shook her head, and closed her bag before pulling it up on her shoulder.
What is this? Another reckless guy who thinks he can do what he wants because he's handsome!? She thought to herself as she gave him one more peek from the corner of her eye.
Hyoyeon looked away and made an overly loud and clicked her tongue disapprovingly.
"Don't you think you're being a bit childish?" he asked, mild amusement filtering through his tone.
Hyoyeon balked and looked at him with wide eyes. She was even more shocked to see him grinning at her.
Hyoyeon balked and looked at him with wide eyes. She was even more shocked to see him grinning at her.
In a flurry, She rose to her feet and pointed her finger at him accusingly.
"Y-YAH!? Childish!? You don't even know how to drive properly!!!"
"Y-YAH!? Childish!? You don't even know how to drive properly!!!"
The driver also rose to his feet. He was trying to control his expression seeing as how she was clearly angry, but a defiant smile still crept at the edge of his lips.
She continued on furiously. " And you-! You didn't even apologize after nearly running me over!"
At this, he cleared his throat.
"I'm sorry for frightening you," he said with a slight bow " but you were the one crossing in the middle of the street. So technically, you were wrong." he continued, clearly pleased by the girl's expression which had become befuddled by his evident remark.
Hyoyeon averted her gaze, crossed her arms, and mumbled something about how there's usually no one out at this time so she never really had to watch.
The boy was amused by her feisty temperament and he found himself studying her appearance under the street light- Long blonde hair, pretty brown eyes and an even prettier lips, although at the moment they were pulled into a deep frown.
Hyoyeon finally grew tired of arguing with the strange boy and her heels with a loud huff. She hastily walked away from the driver- head held stubbornyl high and she resisted the urge to glance back at him.
"Hey, wait!-"He called out but there was no stopping her. The young man watched the retreating girl with immense curiosity and a gummy smile on his face. As he walked back to his vehicle, a curius object lying in the street caught his eye. He picked up and the pamphlet and surveyed it briefly.
"Tigress bar and Grill..." was scrawled across the front in bright red letters. On the back, there were a few random nmbers and calculations made with feminine handwriting. He furrowed a brow- it could have easily been some rubbish, but it could also be a clue to the peculiar blonde he'd just met.
Finally, the young man smiled to himself before driving away on his vespa with the pamphlet shoved in his back pocket.
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There you have it! First chapter. I'm trying to go with current appearance so Eunhyuk has his dark black hair. Also, "Tigress Bar & Grill" --I justmade it up on the spot, sorry for my lack of creativity when it comes to names. Hope you guys like it so far. ^-^;;
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