I smiled as I opened the cash register. $450 in cash lay in that drawer, just from this afternoon, and now the night shift was coming in. It was August of 2001, and the air-conditioned bar relieved many people of the rising temperatures. I looked at the clock. 6:30. "They'll be here in a few minutes, is everything clean?" I yelled to the people lounging in the luxurious back room.
"Yeah!" they yelled back. I owned the bar, Sinful's, and some of my best friends worked with me. The redheaded Dani, a fiery, intense dancer, was one. Dani was my first customer, looking for a job and decided to work here. Amaya, or Lola as we called her, was a quiet painter. She just cleaned the tables - she chose to, for some reason. Last but not least was my best friend, Chanel, or "Shanaynay" as we jokingly called her. We called her that because she talked everything in "ghetto" slang.
Now Chanel came up behind me and hugged me. "We're doing so good!" she squealed. I laughed. "Is Mark coming tonight?" I asked. She frowned. "No, I told you, I dumped him so long ago!" "Aah! I keep forgetting!" I hit myself on the head with my palm. She laughed. "You're stooopid."
A lone customer entered. "Here they come," muttered Chanel. She was right. Within the next five minutes, almost a hundred people had streamed in and positioned themselves around the bar. I noticed in particular two groups, a group of about 10, and a small anxious-looking group. I squinted at the small group. They looked pretty young. I smoothed my black halter top down and went over to them. They whispered amongst themselves when they saw me coming. "Excuse me, can I see everyone's ID?" I asked, smiling pleasantly. I expected what happened next. "Umm, oh, c'mon guys - we forgot to hit Saks! Sorry!" the leader, a tan girl with short, bobbed pink hair said nervously. She looked about sixteen. "Okay then, bye," I grinned. As they left, I rolled my eyes. Sinful's seemed to attract underage drinkers, but that was okay. I liked to see the weird trends on the young kids these days.
I walked back to the bar, swinging my luxurious black hair behind my shoulders, the blue highlights catching the blue strobe light. My hair was my second-best feature. The first were my eyes. I had large, amethyst eyes with extremely long lashes. The rest of me wasn't so great. I didn't have any hips and I was short. But I was slender and in shape, so I had an appearance that was above-average.
"Bloody Mary," drawled the patron in front of me. A Texan accent. How'd he get up here anyway? I shrugged inwardly and smiled at him, showing my small white teeth. He smiled back - showing not so white teeth. Dani, next to me, giggled. I elbowed her but tried to keep myself from giggling too. Quickly, I made the drink and handed it to him. I noticed the group of ten coming towards the front of the bar. "Hey! Bartender!" I glanced over at a blond young man grinning drunkenly at me. I walked over to him quickly. "Yes?"
"Gimme another beer!" he grinned. I sighed and passed him a Heineken. I noticed the 10 - that's how I'd come to think of them - waiting patiently, so I rushed back over to them. Scanning them quickly I saw three normal looking men, a dark fidgety guy, a portly, jolly man, and a few smaller dudes. I picked out one in particular. He was pretty short - only about an inch or two taller than me with my heels on - and he looked pretty young. I narrowed my eyes and headed over there. "ID please?" I asked. To my surprise, he pulled out an authentic ID. I looked up and smiled at him. "Welcome to Sinful's!" He grinned back at me. He must have just turned 21.
"Yeah!" they yelled back. I owned the bar, Sinful's, and some of my best friends worked with me. The redheaded Dani, a fiery, intense dancer, was one. Dani was my first customer, looking for a job and decided to work here. Amaya, or Lola as we called her, was a quiet painter. She just cleaned the tables - she chose to, for some reason. Last but not least was my best friend, Chanel, or "Shanaynay" as we jokingly called her. We called her that because she talked everything in "ghetto" slang.
Now Chanel came up behind me and hugged me. "We're doing so good!" she squealed. I laughed. "Is Mark coming tonight?" I asked. She frowned. "No, I told you, I dumped him so long ago!" "Aah! I keep forgetting!" I hit myself on the head with my palm. She laughed. "You're stooopid."
A lone customer entered. "Here they come," muttered Chanel. She was right. Within the next five minutes, almost a hundred people had streamed in and positioned themselves around the bar. I noticed in particular two groups, a group of about 10, and a small anxious-looking group. I squinted at the small group. They looked pretty young. I smoothed my black halter top down and went over to them. They whispered amongst themselves when they saw me coming. "Excuse me, can I see everyone's ID?" I asked, smiling pleasantly. I expected what happened next. "Umm, oh, c'mon guys - we forgot to hit Saks! Sorry!" the leader, a tan girl with short, bobbed pink hair said nervously. She looked about sixteen. "Okay then, bye," I grinned. As they left, I rolled my eyes. Sinful's seemed to attract underage drinkers, but that was okay. I liked to see the weird trends on the young kids these days.
I walked back to the bar, swinging my luxurious black hair behind my shoulders, the blue highlights catching the blue strobe light. My hair was my second-best feature. The first were my eyes. I had large, amethyst eyes with extremely long lashes. The rest of me wasn't so great. I didn't have any hips and I was short. But I was slender and in shape, so I had an appearance that was above-average.
"Bloody Mary," drawled the patron in front of me. A Texan accent. How'd he get up here anyway? I shrugged inwardly and smiled at him, showing my small white teeth. He smiled back - showing not so white teeth. Dani, next to me, giggled. I elbowed her but tried to keep myself from giggling too. Quickly, I made the drink and handed it to him. I noticed the group of ten coming towards the front of the bar. "Hey! Bartender!" I glanced over at a blond young man grinning drunkenly at me. I walked over to him quickly. "Yes?"
"Gimme another beer!" he grinned. I sighed and passed him a Heineken. I noticed the 10 - that's how I'd come to think of them - waiting patiently, so I rushed back over to them. Scanning them quickly I saw three normal looking men, a dark fidgety guy, a portly, jolly man, and a few smaller dudes. I picked out one in particular. He was pretty short - only about an inch or two taller than me with my heels on - and he looked pretty young. I narrowed my eyes and headed over there. "ID please?" I asked. To my surprise, he pulled out an authentic ID. I looked up and smiled at him. "Welcome to Sinful's!" He grinned back at me. He must have just turned 21.