A/N: This is an experiment - the translation of my first German TVD fanfic. I hope you'll enjoy reading, and please, leave some reviews. I like to play with the vampire/witch thing, but this one has a totally different twist to it. And I'm not a specialist in bourbon - writer's freedom... The song lyrics are supposed to reflect the sentiment of the chapter. Helen Corey is my own invention. I do not own the Vampire Diaries material – I'm just playing with it.
Partynight - (Helen)
Girls just wanna have fun, by Cindy Lauper
"I come home in the morning light,
My mother says "When you gonna live your life right?"
Oh,mother,dear, We're not the fortunate ones,
And girls, They wanna have fu-un.
Oh,girls, Just wanna have fun."
Music blasted out of the speakers, filling the room with heavily booming basses that had the glasses dancing on the bar counter. The dance floor was crowded and a mass of people pushed and shoved in front of the counter to get their drinks. It was Saturday night and the Bluebonnet held a dance party on the outskirts of Baton Rouge. Drinks had been reduced since midnight and the party had almost reached its peak. Three hours more to go before my shift was over and the bar would close – thank god! Tonight was real hard work and without Jeremy, my part-time bartender sharing my shift tonight, I wouldn't have made it. „Jer', I need more ice", I shouted. „Got none", he shouted back. „Damn it", I murmured and scanned the crowd for Jake, our boss. He stood in a corner, talking animatedly to a guest and didn't see me waving nor my glances. „No chance, Helen", Jeremy called. I cursed inwardly. We desperately needed the ice, but we couldn't leave the counter because of the mass of guests. I took an ice cube and aimed at Jake. „Are you nuts?" Jeremy asked. „Got a better idea?" I returned. He shook his head. „Thought so" I mumbled and wound up. The small piece of ice landed securely in Jake's collar and he spun around. I waved at him with a big smile, signaling that we needed him here. He excused himself and made his way through the crowd.
„Helen, are you completely crazy?" he complained while he stepped behind the counter. I opened the ice drawers and pointed to them. „We can't leave, but we need supplies", I said. „Hey, service!" some guest called from behind. „Hold on" I replied, signaling him to wait. „Hey, bitch! Move your ass over here! I want a beer!" he shouted at me. Jake and I spun around simultaneously and he grabbed the man's shirt collar. „I don't like your tone, buddy! Apologize immediately or leave", he growled. The guy gave in. „Okay, okay, I'm sorry, really." I was already drawing his beer. „Acknowledged", I returned. „I'll get the ice", Jake said while he moved past me. „Great, and, I'm sorry", I answered. „No problem, glad you're such a good thrower." He grinned at me. Around 2 a.m. business smoothed out and I had time to replenish the liquor stocks in the cabinets. I moved between the storage and the counter while Jeremy kept serving. Another hour later, most guests left and just a handful of regulars still sat at the bar, chatting amicably. This was normal business for our area and on a Sunday morning like this, the Bluebonnet closed around 4 a.m. anyway. „I'll help Jake clearing the tables. You okay alone?" Jeremy asked. „Sure", I said and put another bottle away.
Jeremy and I kept a certain order to our cocktail ingredients and hard liquor. All the cocktail stuff stood in the back row and those being sold as shots in the front row of bottles. I was still busy assorting them and didn't notice that we had a new guest. „Bourbon, please." The voice sounded pleasantly low and I raised my head. He was young, around his mid-twenties, with dark, fashionably tousled hair and chiseled features. His most attractive attribute were his ice-blue eyes. Their expression was young and old at once and for one moment I got caught up in their intense gaze. Then I found my voice again. „Any special brand?" I asked. He scrutinized me. „Wild Turkey, if possible", he replied a little more throaty now. „Anything's possible", I said with a smile. God, he looked so serious! „The 101, 8 or 12 years, single barrel or straight rye?" I asked, listing all the sorts of Wild Turkey I had available. He blinked puzzled, but then he rolled his eyes. „All of them, in reverse order", he demanded and shrugged out of his black leather jacket. I just raised an eyebrow and fetched one of the heavy tumblers.
I had specialized in bourbon over the years and had managed to convince Jake to buy quite a stock of popular high quality brands. After a short while, word had spread that the Bluebonnet was the place to get a good bourbon and quite a few regulars came because of this. „Rye straight up or on the rocks?" I asked. "Straight up." He tapped his fingers impatiently on the counter. I shrugged and handed him the drink. He gulped it down in one large swallow and closed his eyes. Inhaling deeply he handed me the glass. He seemed a little more at ease now and I took a new glass for the single barrel. A piece of our special ice made from spring water, which I kept in the drawer right in front of me, got added to this bourbon. Jake had declared me insane until he'd tried various bourbons with and without spring water ice. After that, he'd given me free reign.
The stranger looked at me and raised his eyebrows when I handed him the tumbler. „Trust me", I said and nodded. When he raised the glass, I put a hand on his arm. „Give it time to unfold its soul." The single barrel was too precious to be gulped down like just any hard liquor. He let the drink swirl a bit and then tasted it slowly before he swallowed. Giving me a brief smile he put the glass down. „What's your name?" he asked. „Helen." He looked pensively at me. „I've been drinking bourbon all my life, Helen, but I've never heard about a soul." I kept polishing some glasses and listened. „Everything has a soul. Liquor is the ghost of its ingredients." I had to smile when I saw his expression. He probably thought I was a lunatic. „Interesting idea", he finally said and emptied the glass. „But dead is dead." He put the glass down and jostled it to me. I just shrugged. „Depends on the viewpoint", I returned and left it at that. It wasn't my job to discuss beliefs over the counter.
I poured him the next one. „And how do I drink this one?" he asked, tongue in cheek. „Naked and hand-warmed." I grinned suggestively. „Helen." I heard Jeremy call and turned around. „Coming", I replied and cast a short glance at the stranger, but he just nodded and stared into his glass again. „What's up?" I asked Jeremy. „I'm through with everything here. Are you balancing the cash tonight?"I looked around. Apart from me and the stranger there were only three regulars left, already signaling me to settle their bills, and Jake. „Sure, no problem. Hit the road, Jer." He beamed at me. I knew he was eager to get home to his girlfriend. „And say 'Hi' to Caroline for me!" I waved at him when he grabbed his jacket and ran out of the bar. I had just settled the bills with the other guests and wanted to return to my stranger when Jake came out of the kitchen. „I'm through with the kitchen and the storage. Can I take the cash?" he asked and threw a glance toward the stranger. I nodded. „Yeah, no problem. He'll have a few more glasses of bourbon that's all. Just leave a little change in the cashier, okay?" He pulled the cassette out of the slot in the cashier drawer and put a set of coins and bills inside. „Alright. I'll take it with me and you'll close the bar, okay?" I nodded. „Sure. Get home safely, Jake." He grabbed his jacket and turned to leave. „You too, Helen", he replied and took the back door.