Sarah looked at her watch; she was ten minutes early. The door to the bar, Smileys, was locked and she tapped on the glass. The door was unlocked, and a young woman poked her head round. She looked at Sarah and broke out in a smile.

"You must be Sarah, Nikki's friend? I'm Alice, we spoke on the phone?"

"Yeah, nice to meet you. Thanks so much for calling." Sarah said, shaking her hand. The girl smiled at her; she looked nice enough, short with short spiked red hair and an earful of piercings. This place was kind of a dive, but Sarah was desperate for money and any work she could get was gratefully accepted.

"Thanks for accepting at such short notice. We were going crazy trying to find someone; what are the chances of three people who work in the same place winning the lottery all in one go? Insane right?"

"I know." Sarah said, shaking her head in disbelief. "Well, it's my lucky day anyway."

"If you do well tonight, there's a permanent job here for you if you want it. So, you've worked in a bar before right?"

"Um, a couple of restaurants but it can't be much different right?" Sarah asked, frowning. Alice laughed, and Sarah wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad sign.

"You'll be fine." Alice told her dismissively. "Right, so this place gets pretty busy on a Saturday night so you'll need to be quick. You'll be serving drinks for a while then clearing tables. That sound okay?"

"Yeah, no problem."

"Great. So there's a uniform for you in the back, go put it on while it's quiet."

"A uniform?" In the other places Sarah had worked, she could just wear her own clothes so long as they were dark.

"Nothing too bad, just a skirt and a shirt. You're wearing a bra, right?" Alice asked, looking down at Sarah's chest. Sarah looked down too, then nodded.

"Uh, yeah?"

"Good, the shirt can get a little see through under the lights." Alice laughed. "It helps with the tips."

"You're making me feel real confident." Sarah said uncomfortably, and Alice smiled reassuringly at her.

"Don't worry, it'll be great. The guys who work here are all pretty nice, couple of other girls and just one man left now. Everyone's in love with him by the way, you'll get used to it."

"They are?" Sarah frowned. "Why?"

"He's English. You know how girls are suckers for that accent." Alice said with a grin, stacking glasses on the bar. Sarah watched her in amusement; Alice was loud and confident, and Sarah found her bluntness hilarious. "Just don't join 'em, he never dates anyone. Could be gay, could be married. I don't ask."

"Are you in love with him too?" Sarah asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh no, he's far too charming for my tastes. I only date guys with deep seated emotional problems." Alice said, a wicked grin on her face. "He's kinda cute though, in his own way."

"Noted." Sarah looked around. "Where is everybody?"

"You're early. We don't open for another ten minutes, and they were all due here an hour ago. Everyone's always late, it's kind of how it goes around here. Not me, I'm always on time. I live upstairs, I don't got an excuse to be late. I guess you're an early bird too, I like that."

"A habit of mine. I'm a terrible clock watcher." Sarah said with a shrug. "So, will you show me around?"

After a whistle stop tour of the bar, Sarah went to the back to change. It was already eight PM, and most bars were open by now. This one prided itself on being wild and out of control, and Sarah was terrified of messing up. Nikki, her friend who had got her the job, said that it would be a piece of cake - Sarah didn't trust those words anymore.

She was pulling her shirt off over her head when the door opened, and she heard a deep chuckle.

"Sorry, I didn't realize anyone was in here." A voice said, and Sarah froze. It was an English accent, so it was obviously the cute bartender Alice had mentioned.

"Well they are!" Sarah said, her head wedged in the head hole of her shirt. She was trying to remember what bra she had on that day, and hoped to God it wasn't the one with the tear in. "Can you leave? I'm stuck!"

"I've already shut the door, I'm not a pervert!" The man replied, still laughing. "Nice to meet you!"

"Yeah, I'm sure!" Sarah said, finally managing to free her head. She caught a glance of her reflection, and her face was as red as a fire truck. She quickly changed into the white t-shirt that had been left out for her, along with a name tag that said "Sara". Close enough.

"Opening in five minutes guys, get your shit together!" Alice called out. Sarah rushed out into the main area, and saw a couple of incredibly beautiful women standing behind the long, sticky looking bar. Sarah went behind it too, and stood next to them awkwardly.

"Hey." One, a red head wearing a crop top said, smiling at her. "You must be the new girl."

"That's me." Sarah said, feeling a little intimidated. "Sarah."

"Tina." The redhead replied with a wave. "And this is Ella."

The girl next to her was blonde, a mass of hair pinned up to the top of her head. She was stunning, and looked at Sarah from head to toe, appraising her like a race horse.

"Hello." She said indifferently. "Your shirt's on backwards."

"It is?" Sarah tucked her arms inside it, and turned it around. She stuck her arms back out, looking down. "Thanks."

"So, you at NYU too?" Tina asked, chewing gum with her mouth wide open.

"Yeah. A junior. You?"

"Senior. What's your major?"

"English. I have a big paper due, I don't even wanna think about it tonight." Sarah said; she should have been at home working on it, but the chance of some cash (plus tips) was too good to pass up. Her dad paid her rent, but everything else was up to her and since she'd been fired from her last job in an upmarket clothing store, money had been a little thin on the ground.

"It'll be okay, tomorrow's Sunday. Just work then." Tina shrugged. "I'm a Drama major, I do shows almost every week hungover out my ass. Just fake it till you make it."

"Yeah, I guess I'll do that. How long have you two worked here?"

"Just a couple months." Tina answered for both of the girls. "Alice has been here a while, same with Jerry."

"Jerry?" Sarah asked, confused.

"The English guy." Tina said. "The one who walked in on you with your tits out."

"He's a jackass." Ella said irritably, finally speaking up.

"Ignore her, he's fine. She just got drunk one night last week and hit on him and he wouldn't play ball, that's why she's bitter." Tina said, digging her friend in the ribs. Sarah nodded in understanding, biting her lip to keep her from laughing.

"I am not bitter." Ella said firmly, crossing her arms in defiance. Tina rolled her eyes, mouthing 'bitter' at Sarah from behind the other girl's back.

"He turned you down? You're gorgeous!" Sarah said in disbelief.

"So is he. He's older than us, like mid thirties, but he's still hot. He's got these eyes man, they just do something to you. And his smile, his teeth are a little weird but man, that smile." Tina said dreamily, and Sarah laughed.

"You're not making him sound that great. I'm sure he's not all that." Sarah said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh come now, they didn't mention my excellent body or my charming personality." A voice came from behind her, and Sarah jumped. Jerry emerged from under the bar, where he had apparently been the whole time. Tina and Ella fled, looking thoroughly embarrassed. "You must be new."

She turned around to face him, but he was facing the opposite way, fiddling with some glasses. He wasn't as tall as she had been expecting; of course, she had no idea what to expect at all, she'd only heard about him for the first time five minutes ago, it wasn't like she'd been building him up in her head.

"Yeah, I'm Sarah." Though he was still busy with whatever he was doing, he stuck his hand out to the side for her to shake. Those English really were well mannered.

"Jerry. Awfully sorry about earlier, I didn't realise anyone was in there."

"Um, that's okay." Sarah said, wishing he would turn around so she could see this face that had all the other girls so flustered. "I guess I better go and, um.."

"Get away from me?" He asked, as he walked down to the other end. His back was still facing her, and she could see his shoulders shaking with laughter. "Better get ready. It gets a little crazy in here, you know."

He hadn't been kidding.

Six hours later, Sarah's feet hurt so much she thought they would explode. The place was packed, every inch of the bar crammed with people. The line for the bar was five people thick, and everyone wanted shots. The bar was a haze of thick cigarette smoke, and Sarah coughed as it hit her lungs. It really wasn't good for her voice to be in such smoky places, but she couldn't be a diva about it.

"Is it always this busy?" Sarah yelled in Ella's ear as she came near her to grab a bottle of vodka.

"This is a quiet night." She shouted back, and Sarah watched as she expertly poured ten shots in a row. Sarah watched as the blonde knocked back one shot herself. Drinking on the job was allowed, but Sarah wanted to keep a clear head. The music was so loud that any alcohol would completely cloud her mind.

"That'll be two dollars please." Sarah told her customer, a girl who definitely didn't look twenty one. Fake IDs were rampant here, and Sarah had been told to turn a blind eye - within reason. No serving fifteen year olds, but college kids a couple months shy of legality were alright.

"Thanks."

The lights went up, and the crowd groaned with disappointment. Alice stood on the bar and called out "Last call bitches!" into the crowded room. Boos rang out from the drunk patrons, and Alice merely flipped them off and jumped down. She really was a showman, everything she did in the bar was dramatic, and Sarah could see that the patrons loved every minute of it.

The bar was flooded with people wanting to get a last drink in before they had to leave, and Sarah tried to pour as fast as she could. When the last person had been served, she staggered back, exhausted.

As the bar emptied, Sarah began to clear up. She spent fifteen minutes clearing away all the glasses, and cleaning up messes that she really didn't want to know about. The other girls were so drunk they could hardly stand, and she wondered how they got away with it. She liked to be professional, even if this job turned out to just be for a night. She looked around for Alice, but couldn't see her. She hadn't seen Jerry all night, save for a few glances of his back clearing up glasses or serving a drink; she still hadn't seen his face.

"How did it go?" A voice from beside her asked. She jumped a little, and glanced at him from the corner of her eye. It would look too weird to suddenly face him, and she'd sneak a look at his face as the conversation progressed. She didn't even know why she cared so much; it wasn't like she'd date him or anything.

"Would you stop creeping up on me? You're gonna give me a heart attack." She said, clutching her chest dramatically.

"Apologies. Did you enjoy yourself?" Jerry asked. "I know it must be rather hectic to a newcomer, but you get used to it."

"Not as much as those two, clearly." Sarah said, eyeing Ella and Tina dancing together in the empty, silent room. Ella was watching Sarah suspiciously, looking jealous.

"Do you not drink?" He asked her, and she shook her head.

"Not at work. You?"

"No, not on duty. After work, however, is a different matter. Can I buy you a drink?" He asked, and she thought for a moment before nodding.

"Sure." Sarah said, thinking that a shot of something strong would ease the burning sensation in her heels. She pulled two glasses out from under the bar. "What d'you want?"

"I feel like a whiskey. You?" He asked, grabbing a bottle from behind them.

"Whiskey's great."

He poured them each a generous helping, and Sarah moved around to the other side of the bar. She sat on a stool, spinning it round to face the other two girls. Tina was crying now, so drunk that she was slurring her words.

"Do they always get like this?" Sarah asked Jerry, finally turning to face him. He really was handsome; a little older than she had expected, though his voice did sound like one that belonged to a man of around forty. His face was slim, with a defined jaw, and he had a sweeping fringe over his forehead. She looked at his eyes, and she saw what the girls had been talking about; one eye was almost black, the pupil taking up all the space whilst the other looked positively icy in comparison.

"Yes, every Saturday. I normally end up walking them home." He told her, taking out a crumpled packet of cigarettes from his pocket. He placed one between his lips, lighting it. Sarah watched him as if in a trance; he really was exceptionally attractive, and there was something familiar about him that she couldn't quite place.

"Where do you live?" Sarah asked conversationally.

"Soho. They live in Greenwich Village, so not too far from my flat. It would be easier to just take a taxi, but I enjoy walking around the city in the early morning, it's so quiet. Plus the fresh air lets those two sober up a little."

"I live in the Village too." Sarah said, taking a drink.

"Well then, perhaps you'd like to join us on our walk home? Unless of course you have a boyfriend or someone who is coming to get you. I'd never let a lady walk home alone, the streets are mean around here. It would be a pleasure to have someone as beautiful as you join us, it would give me some intelligent company for a change." He said with a wry smile, and Sarah wanted to throw herself at him.

You barely know the guy. Just because he calls you beautiful doesn't mean he means it.

"No, no boyfriend." She said, a little too eagerly. "I can take care of myself. But yes, I'll join you. I can't afford a cab right now anyhow."

"That might be about to change." Jerry said with a smile, nodding to Alice who was walking in holding a stack of envelopes.

"Right, listen up. Good work tonight gang, especially since those rich losers left us high and dry. Sarah, you did great. So, its three hundred bucks a piece tonight." She said, dolling out the envelopes. Ella immediately dropped hers on the floor, giggling as she struggled to pick it up again.

"Three hundred dollars?!" Sarah asked in disbelief as she was handed her share. "In one night? That's insane."

"The tips are great here." Alice shrugged. "Your pay for tonight's in there too. Don't go spending it all in one place. Give me a call about coming back, you'd be welcome any time."

"Thanks." Sarah said, enjoying the feel of the envelope in her hand. It was thick with cash, and she figured the tips were all in small bills.

"Right ladies, shall we go?" Jerry called to the other two, who nodded vaguely, stumbling towards the door. "Sarah?" The way he said her name gave her shivers; he drawled it slowly, as if running his tongue over each letter.

"Uh yeah, just give me a second to grab my stuff." She ran to the back room, shoving her clothes from earlier into her backpack. She placed the envelope at the bottom of the bag; you could never be too careful. She threw her coat on, and with a quick glance in the mirror, she put her bag on her back and left the room.

When she got out into the main bar, Jerry was waiting for her. The other two girls had vanished.

"Ella got sick." Alice called out from behind the bar, seeing Sarah look around with a puzzled expression. "I put her upstairs on my couch, and Tina fell asleep on top of her."

"I was only gone two minutes." Sarah said, trying not to laugh. Alice shrugged, and disappeared into the back room, calling out goodbye behind her.

"A lot can happen in two minutes. Right, shall we go?" Jerry asked her, and Sarah felt butterflies in her stomach.

"Um, just the two of us?" Sarah asked nervously.

"We can get a cab if you prefer, but we'll be lucky to find one at this time of the night. Well, morning now." Jerry told her, and she shook her head.

"No, no walking's fine. Just don't mug me."

"Of course not. You have my word as a gentleman I shall return you un-mugged to your home." Jerry said, giving her a little bow. She laughed, hitting his shoulder lightly. He grinned at her, and there was something about his smile that almost seemed to tease her.

"Thanks. Let's go then."

They went out into the street, the autumn air chilly. It would be Winter soon, all thick snow and ice, but Sarah loved these last few days of Fall. Even in the dead of night in a city as big as New York, there was something magical about Fall.

"Right, this way. So, tell me about yourself. I've hardly spoken to you all evening and I've created all sorts of stories about you in my head."

"Well, I'm sure they're more interesting than my life." She said with a laugh. He was smoking again, the fog in front of his face making him look mysterious. "I'm twenty one, I'm from upstate. I have a seven year old brother, my parents are divorced and my mom lives in London. I major in English, and I do a bit of acting on the side. That's me."

"There are a few interesting things there, don't do yourself down love. What's your brother called?" Sarah felt a strange jump in her stomach when he called her 'love'. She didn't quite understand it, but it thrilled her.

"Toby."

"Are you close?" Jerry asked politely, and Sarah smiled at the thought of her little brother, all chubby cheeks and bruised knees from climbing trees all the time.

"Now we are. When he was a baby I hated him. Nobody wants to be stuck babysitting all the time I guess. Now, we're great. I wouldn't change him for the world."

"I suppose it's natural to hate your sibling."

"Do you have any?" Sarah asked, and he shook his head, cigarette held firmly between his lips.

"Me? No. Classic only child I'm afraid, entitled and brattish." He exhaled, and Sarah coughed a little as smoke surrounded her.

"Really?" Sarah asked with a raised eyebrow. "You don't seem so entitled to me. I mean, I've just met you but you don't seem that terrible."

"Well, I suppose I'm not so bad."

"Where are you from in England?"

"London." He said simply. She had guessed as much; his accent was typical London, a little Cockney but not quite.

"Where abouts? My mom lives there like I said, I've been there a few times."

"Brixton. Haven't been back in years, I've moved around a lot." He shrugged. "It got a little boring in dear old England."

"Where have you lived?" Sarah asked with interest; she had always wanted to travel.

"Oh, all over. France, Germany, here of course."

"Are you married?" Sarah asked.

"No. Never fancied it really. I suppose I should settle down, I'm not getting any younger." He said thoughtfully, and Sarah sighed.

"There's no point getting married just for the sake of it. Divorce isn't fun." She said, thinking of her own parents' messy and drawn out separation.

"Yes, that's a point. Loneliness isn't too fun either, of course."

"It's not hard to be lonely in a city like this. Surrounded by people but everyone's too busy to talk to each other." Sarah sighed, thinking of all the nights she had spent alone. "It's nice to have someone to walk with."

"Will you be coming back to work at the bar?" Jerry asked, and Sarah shrugged.

"Maybe. I'll call Alice tomorrow and talk to her about it."

"You're certainly a valuable addition to the team." Jerry told her. "An improvement on Ella and Tina, that's for sure."

"Ella said she hit on you, I guess you heard that." Sarah said, immediately wishing she hadn't. It made her seem like she was jealous, or at least curious.

"I try not to fraternize at work. I like to avoid gossip about my personal life." He shrugged. Sarah felt a little disappointed, and her face showed it. He looked at her with a knowing smile, and she felt herself flush red. She really wasn't a very good actress if she couldn't hide her emotions.

"I can't believe three people won the lottery. That's just the weirdest thing I've ever heard." She said, changing the subject dramatically. He gave her a knowing smile, but played along.

"Quite bizarre." Jerry said smoothly. "I suppose if they hadn't, you wouldn't have been offered a job. We usually run quite well if two people are off, but being understaffed by three is just too much."

"It's almost as though someone planned it." Sarah laughed easily. "Oh well, everybody wins. I may not have millions of dollars, but three hundred sounds pretty good to me."

"Money troubles?" Jerry asked, looking genuinely concerned. She shook her head.

"Nothing as dramatic as that. Just buying books and stuff really adds up."

"What's your favourite book?" Jerry asked conversationally, and Sarah thought about it for a while.

"I have a few. I get so obsessed with books, I just read them over and over again. When I was a kid, there was this one called The Labyrinth that I absolutely, have you heard of it?"

"I think I'm familiar with it." Jerry told her, and she noticed that they were walking very close together, their arms brushing against each other. He smelled nice, like cigarette smoke, leather and expensive cologne.

"I loved that one. I even convinced myself it was real, how crazy is that? I had a dream about it and for the longest time I thought it really happened to me. Bet I sound nuts right?"

"Not at all." Jerry replied. "I used to be quite obsessed with The Hobbit. I think it was to make myself feel better about being rather on the short side."

"Well, it's good to know I'm not alone."

"Not alone, no." Jerry threw his cigarette onto the street.

"You shouldn't litter." Sarah told him sternly, and he laughed.

"Dreadfully sorry, officer. Here," he held out his wrists, pressed together as if handcuffed, "lock me up and throw away the key."

She threw her head back and laughed, feeling relaxed for the first time in weeks. He made her laugh, something that many struggled to do. She had a reputation for being a little cold, but really it was more shyness than anything else. She didn't feel shy with him.

"It's freezing out here." Sarah said with a shiver, as a gust of wind blew around them. Jerry looked at her for a brief moment, and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. They carried on walking, chatting about nothing in particular and neither mentioning the fact he was pulling her closer to him as they walked. He lit another cigarette.

"I'm sorry, I'm a terrible chain smoker." He said, inhaling deeply. "I hope it doesn't bother you."

"No, it's fine. It's no good for you though." She told him, and he nodded in agreement.

"I know, I know. I'll give up soon."

"How long have you been saying that?"

"Seven years."

They reached her front stoop all too soon, and Sarah didn't want to say goodbye. It was almost five in the morning, the streets were getting lighter and in the distance she could hear sirens wailing.

"Well, this is me." She broke away from him and climbed one step. They were the same height like this, and she looked him in the eyes. She didn't want to go inside, she didn't want to go inside alone, and she didn't know why. "I guess I'll see you around."

"Yes. Perhaps at work." Jerry said, and Sarah felt disappointment in the pit of her stomach.

"Yeah, I guess. Work." Sarah said, looking down at her feet. Maybe she'd read the signs all wrong, and he wasn't interested in her at all. He turned to leave, and she started trudging up the stairs. She heard footsteps behind her, and when someone tapped on her shoulder, she veered round with her key poking out in between her knuckles, just like she'd been taught in self defense class.

"I come in peace." He said, holding his hands up and grinning at her.

"Sorry. I thought you were going to kill me." Sarah said sheepishly. He grinned at her, and she couldn't help but smile back.

"I'd like to see you again." He told her, straightforward and to the point.

"You would?" She asked dumbly, and he nodded.

"Very much."

"Oh. Okay. Um, well I could give you my phone number if you want."

"How about we meet tomorrow?" He said, and Sarah smiled at his eagerness. She shook her head, and his smile wavered a little.

"I have to do a paper tomorrow." She said instantly, and suddenly she felt very young. Here he was, a much older man asking her out and all she could say is that she had homework to do.

"What on?" He asked, appearing to be genuinely interested.

"Shakespeare."

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate.."

"I swear, everyone cracks that line out as soon as you mention Shakespeare's name. Anyway, it's due Monday so I really need do it. It's already getting light, I'll be asleep most of the day so I won't have much free time for socializing." Sarah said, wondering if he thought she was making excuses not to see him.

"Well, let me have your phone number and I'll give you call tomorrow night, just in case you've finished and feel like a drink."

Sarah took off her backpack and rummaged for a pen and some paper. She scrawled her number down quickly, checking to make sure it was right.

"Here you go." She hovered nervously, not sure what to do.

"Wonderful. Well, I'll call you tomorrow. Today, even." He said, as the birds started chirping merrily. "Sleep well."

"You too."

He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek, and she shut her eyes and enjoyed the feel of his lips against her skin. He pulled away and stared at her, as though he wanted more but didn't want to ruin things. They stared at each other, until he moved back.

"Goodnight, Sarah."

She watched as he walked down the street, and then turned around and let herself in. As the door shut, she smiled; there was something about him that was so familiar, yet she couldn't place it. Whatever it was, she liked the way it made her feel.

In the dawn, Jerry walked down the street, a grin on his face. He had been waiting seven long, painful years for this moment.

He stopped and looked around, checking nobody was watching. In an instant, his short hair had grown ten inches, his long coat and sensible clothing gone. In their place, a loose fitting shirt and tight pants, with leather knee high boots. Then, in a flash, he was gone.

A/N: This story came to my head when I watched The Linguine Incident - there were so many weird moments in that film that I was like "What if that was Jareth in disguise?" It's worth a watch, David Bowie's good in it.

The rating will most likely change in the future.

Please review!