Nick filled the tray with mojitos, whiskey sours and beers. Sara carried them to the table of well dressed Friday nighters laughing loudly. The music was pumping and everyone was having a good time. There were people lined up and down the bar waving twenties at him yelling out for tequilla shots and Kamikazes. His hands flew throwing ice in glasses and grabbing bottles tossing clear liquids that promised forgetting hard work weeks.

"OK, one beer, one whiskey and a glass of wine. That's $14.50" he yelled out over the music to the side of a woman's face who was distracted by a group of men in the corner.

She looked back at him and smiled "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

She was beautiful he thought. Not like the other women in here that were sexy and attractive like a puma after a milk bath but more like she was beautiful the day she was born. Her eyes smiled before her plump lips did. She was pale and pink like she was too warm in her cardigan. Her eyes were like that of a doll, oversized and clearer than most people's were after a few drinks.

"I said $14.50" he yelled over the music.

She jumped a bit and her eyes changed to that of concern.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to yell, it's just crazy in here tonight."

"Yeah, it certainly is. I have never seen it like this before."

He was surprised he hadn't noticed her if she was a regular. He took her money and handed her the change. She turned in the direction of the group of guys in the corner as she picked it up along with the drinks and walked to a few tables away.

Nick turned to look back down the bar and saw three people with frustrated looks on their faces waiting for their orders. He pasted a smile on his face and started working his way down the line forgetting about her as he went.

An hour later things were calming down. Sarah and Nick were using the breather to fill trays with dirty glasses and mugs from the tables that needed washing. Nick barely noticed people when the place was this packed. He tended to notice the louder more obnoxious ones because they usually spelled trouble. One of the tables in particular had a group of guys that were starting to feel a little bit like a frat party gone wrong.

He took his empty tray and began to load it with wine and shot glasses, and a few beer mugs. He didn't notice the woman sitting in the booth until she said rather loudly "hey".

He looked up. It was her again. She was smiling up at him.

"Looks like things are calming down a bit."

Nick smiled and shook his head "yeah, for now. There will be another wave at around 11."

"Really? You know these things?"

"Well, the late night dinner people who get reservations at nine will be finishing up and heading to a bar next. They are the eleven oclockers. Next are the one oclockers and they are the super drunks that are rushing bars before last call."

She quietly laughed.

"What? Yeah, kinda dumb I know that but you learn things after awhile. Watch, I guarantee it."

"OK. How about we bet on it?"

He liked where this was going. She was so pretty and her smile kind of made him feel shy. "How much?"

"Just a drink. I probably have had too much already but hey, why not?

Her eyes had turned a bit sad when she said that but she looked straight at him and smiled sincerely.

"Alright, a drink. When we close so that when you have to buy mine, I can actually drink it."

"Well then, you had better bring me some water or I won't last that long."

"One water, coming up."

Back at the bar he placed a shirley temple on a tray and asked Sarah to bring it over to her along with a wine glass filled with ice water and a lemon.

He kept his eyes on his dishes knowing she would look at him when she got it. He felt ridiculous now that he had sent it over and avoided eye contact with her for the next hour.

Right on cue, the 11 o'clockers arrived. They were an older crowd usually just a one cocktail set. As he moved up and down the bar filling orders he looked for a gap so he could look at the table with the beautiful girl hoping to shoot her smug smile.

She wasn't sitting there now. His felt disappointment immediately as he looked at the couple occupying her space. They were pretty, polished and shiny like models.

He filled some large mugs for some big guys and as they turned from the bar to leave he saw her behind them. She was so tiny they completely blocked her from his view.

"Hey, did you come up here so I could point out the current time and new crowd to you?"

Without skipping a bit she replied "hey you haven't won yet mister."

"OK, ok, what can I get you?"

"Um, wine I guess."

"You guess? You think you want wine but I see you eyeing these bottles wondering what else you should order."

She blushed slightly "yeah, you're probably right."

"Well, wine is for earlier in the evening. Now you're with the 11 o'clockers and they don't drink wine because they had that with dinner."

"OK then what are they drinking ... this mythical crowd that eat dinner too late?"

"Well, I'm glad you asked an expert" he said throwing in a wink while he was at it. "This crowd is full so they don't want fruity cocktails. They just want the alcohol so it's usually something on the rocks."

"Um, I don't really like straight liquor. I get way too drunk too fast. I am kind of a light weight actually."

She was adorable he thought. Definitely not the kind of girl you get super drunk and take home.

"Alright, so you are allowed a mixer then. How about what you had earlier with some vodka?"

"Yeah, I can handle that. By the way, thanks for the drink. That was nice."

"Sure, no problem. I just wanted to make sure you could make it to closing without puking on one of my tables."

She looked at the ground hiding her face. What had he said? He swallowed hard thinking he needed to be careful with this one. She reminded him of a bird with a broken wing.

"Alright, here you go."

She handed him a $10 that he immediately waved away.

"Nope, we'll settle at closing. This way you cannot skip out on our bet just because you lost." He threw in his best grin hoping she'd take the bait. She did and looked back up at him shyly. "OK" she nodded her head, smiling back.

She turned with her drink and walked back to the table with the shiny couple and sat a bit on her own towards the edge. He had tried not to look at her legs coming out of her short skirt but yeah, he looked. Whistling, he turned back to the throngs of people vying for his attention.

Later as things were winding down, he saw the shiny couple leave through the front door obviously heading home, together. He scanned the bar for the girl but couldn't find her. Feeling defeated he began to clean up the and think what he needed to do to close for the night.

He carried the receipts and money from the register back to the office to put in the safe. Walking down the hallway he could hear a very drunk dude chatting up a girl.

"Come on babe, you know you wanna come come home wit me. It's been too shlong. Pweeze, come on."

He could still hear him talking as he opened the safe and put the bag of money in.

"I told you no. Why are you playing these games with me. It's unfair."

He recognized the voice as the girl with the legs. His ears perked up and his head turned towards the door. He closed up the safe and walked back turning off the light in the office. He moved very slowly hoping to catch more of the conversation.

"You're sucha a tease babe. U just sitting there looking all good staring at me."

"I wasn't staring at you, I was wondering why you were acting like such a jerk actually."

Nick popped his head around the corner so they could see him "hey folks, we're closing up." She was almost pinned against the wall with her arms crossed in front of her and one of the obnoxious guys from the corner booth leaning over her.

Drunk guy turned towards Nick "Yeah dude, we're leavin, right babe?"

She looked at Nick with somewhat pleading eyes and said "no, I'm not leaving."

"Hey pal, I think she wants you to move on. Why don't you do that."

"Whatevs, I'm out. You're a whiny bitch anyway." He turned and stumbled his way down the hallway.

Nick stood there in the hallway leaning against a wall with his arms crossed making sure the door shut behind the jackass before he turned towards the girl.

"You OK?"

"I've been better" she said with a sigh blowing air up into her bangs.

He smiled at her tight lipped. "Well, how about you come and sit with me at the bar while I finish cleaning up."

"OK" she said rather shyly again.

Sitting on the stool nearest the register she messed with her hair and avoided his gaze whenever he was nearby. He felt like she needed a friend more than anything. He took a napkin and filled it with orange slices and cherries and filled up a bowl with peanuts and put them in front of her.

Her eyes got wide at the gesture and she nodded a thank you towards him.

"So I noticed the one o'clockers came and went. They were pretty drunk I guess that means I owe you a drink." Her voice seemed cheerier than before.

"Ah, you caught that did you? Yep, I'm a pro at this thing." He looked at the ground feeling like a dumbass knowing that was a stupid thing to be a pro at.

"Yeah, you are" she said quietly looking back at the ground.

That's when he noticed her shoulders slump and her chest begin to heave. Leaning over the counter he put his hand down flat to get her attention. "Why don't you tell me what's making you so sad tonight."

"That guy, isn't it obvious?"

"Well, OK, so."

"He's my boyfriend actually. Well, sometimes he's my boyfriend. Sometimes he's a jerk."

"Yeah, I can see that part."

"I know. My friend doesn't like him either and I don't know why I keep hanging in there. He used to be so much nicer. We're both in the teaching program and we met in class. At first it was all puppy dogs and hand holding. Then this past year, I don't know, it's changed."

Nick now understood why she kept looking sad tonight surrounded by so many people having fun. He also not understood that she had only flirted with him to get back at her boyfriend. Ah, Nick, what a fool.

He brought her another glass of ice water and they sat and talked for a long time. Eventually he saw her yawn and he finished up his cleaning and began turning the lights off.

"Hey, how you getting home? Can I give you a ride?"

"Um, I can just call a cab."

"OK, here's the number but I don't mind driving you if you want."

"OK, if you don't mind."

"By the way, my name is Nick."

"Hi" she said putting out her hand "my name is Jess."

This story was inspired by imeantsomethinglikethat's piece called 'Nice to Meet Ya, Doll'. Please read that story, if you haven't already, as it is very well done. Thanks for your time. -Mayalala