Disclaimer: I own nothing.
I need Banana Liqueur, coconut rum, Peach Schnapps, Pina Colada Schnapps, and Pineapple juice. Gross. Whether it was all that went into the drink or the drink name itself, it was gross. Yet I knew how to do it. My tongue had already done the tasting, what seemed like a lifetime ago, and now the rest was up to almost basic instinct. My hands did the mixing, my mind created the concoction/measuring precision, my mouth did the talking, and together they all meshed together as the perfect person for the job.
"So, where's your girl now, Tan?" I asked the slumped over man at the center of the bar while I poured all that I'd gathered into a mixer.
He let out a long exaggerated sigh and glared at some guy who bumped into him as he passed by. Like a defeated dog, he let it go. "Still in New York, I think. I don't know."
Okay. I inwardly rolled my eyes. "Let's forget that then." Shaking his drink up just right, I then poured it into a chilled glass and placed it in front of him. Tonight was starting out pretty slow, not that it really mattered to me, but it was always a nice change of pace. "Let's talk about you."
"You're friends with her, right? Is she still there?" Tahno ignored my suggestion and opted for taking a guilty sip. "She hates thin crust."
My hand came up to smack myself in the forehead. Seriously! Instead of answering him right away, I looked around for the next person who needed a drink. To my gratitude, another guy voiced his option and I nodded in affirmation to him. Club Soda, Vodka, and Charmbord. I was already mixing that one by the time I got back to the lifeless idiot I was talking to.
"Look, I don't know if she's still there and I'm quite positive she's not eating a whole lot of pizza." She's in prison for crying out loud! I kept that last part to myself because it would have been redundant to say.
"Kor! I'll have my usual!" Another older guy showed up and slapped his money down on the table. I dropped the first one's drink off before smoothing my way over to the old guy since he was such a dear and sat closer to the secret stash I made especially for him.
"Hiya, Bumi!" I chirped, slapping at his shoulder. "I got your stuff right here." Taking three shot glasses from behind me, I didn't hesitate to expertly slide them in front of him before flipping two separate bottles into the air and finishing with both of them mixing into the last one. "No Bum-Ju tonight?" That was his pet rabbit who usually went everywhere with the unpredictable guy. I say unpredictable because there was no telling what he was going to do or say and whatever way it went, usually had good results.
"Nah. I had to take him to the vet earlier." Bumi answered in slight defeat, which he drowned out by taking the first shot. "Whoo! That's good." The next one was tossed back and he placed it back on the bar top bottoms up. I refilled the first one since it wasn't upside down.
"He okay?" I felt compelled to ask.
"He's good. Dehydrated is all." Bumi took the last shot and secretly pushed the one I'd just poured back to me. "Drink."
"I'm telling you that rabbits drink water, Bu." As much as I didn't want it, I took the shot. Only because he was nice enough to buy it for me. Like a machine, my brain instantly spit out all the different kinds of ingredients that went in to make Bumi's so-called Hog Monkey Bomber and I smoothed it over with an empathetic smile.
"I always thought it would be cool to have an animal that drank soda with me." He belted out a laugh that had me shaking my head.
"Just please don't do that anymore with him. He's a rabbit for Raava's sake!" I joined in before placing a glass of Ginger Ale (complete with two cherries) in front of him that time.
"Yeah, yeah. I miss the little booger even though we fight all the time." He chuckled and waved me away so I could tend to someone else.
"Can I get a Cubra Libre?" A woman asked just as I came up to her. The order registered in my mind, making me spin around to collect the items.
"That's pretty fancy of you." I grinned over my shoulder while mixing white rum, coke, lime and (my own signature for such a thing,) a splash of hot sauce.
"I learned that one last night." She answered cheekily.
Placing the drink in front of her, I then leaned over to whisper to her. "Try the Witch Doctor next time."
"What's in that?" She asked, taking a drink and I got the pleasure of seeing her eyes brighten at the taste.
Dark Rum and Dr. Pepper with hot sauce. " Nothing special, but since you're actually the first person in forever to order a Cubra Libre, I thought it would be good to give you another fancy name to use next time." Be it here or somewhere else.
"Duly noted." The woman smiled at me.
"Kor, can I get a Touchdown? I promise that's it." Tahno called me back.
"It better be." I scoffed, already reaching for the drinks. "Because I have no problem getting my girl Kuvira to toss you out of here."
"Alright!" He threw his hands up, but when I set the glass in front of him, he leaned in with bloodshot eyes. "How did she seem to you? I know you went to visit her." He wasn't talking about Kuvira.
"Hey, Eva owes me some money so I went to see her about it." I rolled my eyes, mixing his last drink for him. "And she's an idiot. Let it go."
"Korra." Tahno sneered at me.
I grinned playfully while pouring the concoction into the glass. "What? I gave her advice and she didn't take it." Poking his forehead, I continued. "You gave her love, she cheated on you. No offense man, but I'm not fan."
"I miss her." Was his pathetic whine that made me growl exasperatedly at him.
"Well, find a distraction!" Slapping my hand down, I turned a few heads, but ignored them. "Find something that doesn't involve moping around, eating crap, ruining your liver, and playing League of Legends all day."
"Get laid." Another patron added, making me gesture to him gratefully.
"That's it. Find someone else." I smirked at the other man who winked at me. He asked for another Shock Top and I had it to him in record time.
"I'm not ready." Tahno shook his head.
"For what? Sticking your best friend in something new and cute and it moving around? All guys are ready for that." The guy chuckled.
"Hey, hey." I shot him a pointed look to which he held up his hands in surrender, claiming he was single and couldn't help it. "Don't be a jerk. And you?" Pointing back at Tahno, I tried not to slap some sense into him. "Get on with your life."
Those pale colored eyes of his lowered away from mine as he mulled it over. On the other hand, the guy sitting next to him passed me a coaster with his number on it. I sent him a sweet smile, but left it there to get a rag so I could clean some of the messes left behind from other people who got there earlier.
"You're right!" Tahno announced, making me cock my head in his direction as I wiped off the counter. "She cheated." He scoffed like he couldn't believe it. I nodded in agreement. "She lied. Why am I holding on?"
"Ya got me." I answered, migrating back toward them, but not before rinsing my rag out.
"Prison changed her." He was now practically draped around the other guy who was nodding like he understood what Tahno was talking about. "Prison changed her. It did weird things to her."
"I heard that." The other guy reached around to pat Tahno's shoulder.
"I mean, she wasn't a lesbian anymore. Not with me."
"What?" The guy pulled back to gape at him. I snorted and tossed the rag back into the sink.
"Yeah." Tahno nodded. "And then she's in prison, for what, a few weeks? Bam! She's right back to it."
"Could be bi." I winked at him when he glowered at me.
"Shut up, Kor. Go make something." He muttered. I raised my hands with a wide grin and left them to themselves. Hopefully his new friend could talk some sense into him so I didn't have to.
Another order had me turning back around to go to the very end of the bar. Vodka, peach schnapps, cranberry juice, and orange juice. My brain snapped back to attention faster than my hands did, but it didn't take long to fix the gap and soon enough, I was back to wiping the few empty spots. By now, the bar was beginning to fill up, so I rolled my neck and popped my knuckles in preparation for what was to come.
"See ya, honey!" Bumi called out over the growing crowd. Tahno followed after him, but not before granting me a fat tip. Sweet!
"Bye, Bu! Tan!" I waved at them before tossing a bottle of Vodka into the air, catching it flawlessly and poring it into a glass to finish off a Sea Breeze. There were cheers that resounded because of it, but I barely heard it thanks to my brain telling me that I needed two shots of Crown for the newest girl that showed up. Not to mention, raspberry vodka, Sprite, and Rose's grenadine syrup for a Bend Over Shirley that had been ordered by someone else.
My body moved on autopilot as I joked around and told some telltales to whoever was interested, all the while, keeping up with conversations I'd held off to serve another and basically running the bar like I owned it. That was my specialty. I liked my job, but I didn't like the drink. Sure, it was an odd quirk, but since I'd experimented enough when I was younger, I had no problem switching a Strawberry Stripper for a cherry-flavored Icee on a Friday night. Ever since I caught myself dissecting every single detail about what made up my drinks when I drank them...it sort of ruined it for me.
I still had the occasional glass of wine now and again, though.
"How you holding up?" A voice said by my ear, causing me to glance at her.
"Hey, you. Come to give me a hand?" I asked the spunky green-eyed girl before checking the time. "Whoa!" 11:50pm. My shift ended at midnight. Awesome. It was nice to get caught up sometimes, especially when time flew like that.
"Yeah." Opal rubbed her hands together enthusiastically. "Whatcha need, cutie?"
"Dirty Mother there," I pointed to the one and then next to him, "Red Balls for her." We set to work and didn't slow until the gap was filled again and once it was, Opal and I were already arguing that Bones was better than Castle.
"Bones came out first." Opal crossed her arms defiantly.
"But Castle has the better love story!" Another shouted before taking a shameful drink for having said that out loud. Others booed the poor guy, embarrassing him further while the rest of us laughed at him.
"Bones is more intelligent." I tossed a bottle of Southern Comfort into the air and caught it just because I could. "And the fact that she's a forensic anthropologist is a plus."
"Yeah. The other guy should be done with his book now shouldn't he?" Opal smirked, taking her turn at wiping the counter.
"But Castle's fun. Who doesn't like fun?" A girl put in that time.
"And it reminds me of a show called His Girl Friday." One of the older guys said.
"Who doesn't like looking at dead bodies?" I chuckled after everyone tried to decipher what the man said.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the Nerd among us." Opal came over to wrap me in a half hug before planting a kiss to my temple. I pushed her away with a snicker and then glanced at the clock. 12:26am.
"Great. Because of you I'm got some OT." I twisted a rag up and snapped it right at my friend's butt, which made her yelp. The patrons either cheered or laughed at that, but I was too busy trying to smash myself into the corner as the red-faced girl strutted toward me.
Fortunately, just as she got into my face, she jumped back and all but squealed. "I love this song!"
'You put me on a roller coaster, fly me on a plane. You send me to another planet, get inside my brain. I knew right when I met you, I would never be the same...'
I thought she was distracted enough for me to sneak away, so I tried to grab my bag and get out of there, lest she do something unspeakable to me. I shivered thinking about it.
"Kor-ra." She drawled those two syllables dangerously to make me gulp and slowly turn back to face her.
"Hmm?"
"You can make it up by making one more drink, can't you?" Her head tilted to the side as her lips curled into a scarily sweet smile.
Yikes. "N-no problem, Opie." I saluted her and retreated to the furthest end of the bar, closest to my deliverance. "What'll it be, sweetness?" I asked without really thinking, leaning casually against the counter with a signature lopsided smile on my face.
'You make me crazy, and I kinda like it. You show me that apple, girl, I wanna bite it. So crazy I gotta have it...'
"Can I get a Coke?" Came the soft reply. I was mostly paying attention to the song, so when I finally decided to make eye-contact, I felt my throat dry up like the Sahara Desert.
Green.
So green.
Seriously. Opal had green eyes, but these eyes. Raava, I couldn't even place the actual color off the top of my head. They belonged to a girl. I knew that much, but I was much too enthralled by her hypnotizing eyes to really register anything else. Had she even placed an order? Yes. She had to have. Otherwise she wouldn't have been staring at me like I was slow to respond. I was.
'You...you make all my screws come...loose. Got me perfectly con...fused. Always find a way to mess me up and drive me wild. I love the way you make me lose my mind.'
"U-um, was that a Jack and Coke?" For once, my brain wasn't spouting anything at me. It was surprisingly silent as I continued to gaze into those enchanting eyes.
She shook her head. "Just a Coke."
Just a Coke? The request didn't register in my mind and instead made me question again. "Just...Coke?" My body refused to move.
"Is it so wrong to order a non-alcoholic beverage at a bar?"
Her voice..."No!" I winced at the way I'd basically shouted that. "I-I mean, no. Of course not." A nervous chuckle left my mouth as I turned to get her drink. Alright, Korra. She's pretty. We've established that in less-than-flattering ways. Just don't mess it up! As my hand reached for the cup, I couldn't help but overhear a conversation that took place just after I left.
"Can I buy you a drink?" The random guy asked, making me peek over at them. The guy wasn't bad looking whatsoever. His dark hair was gelled into fine points atop his head and his eyes glowed a soft amber in the flickering lights. Shoulders were broad and firm looking. But the girl in no way seem interested enough to give him the time of day. I'd seen that plenty of times, but never did anything about them. Only this time I felt the need to. No matter how handsome the guy next to her was.
Her on the other hand.
Now that I wasn't busy getting sucked into those lethal eyes, I could now see that she was beautiful. No, gorgeous, amazing, stunning...she was the most exquisite human being I'd ever laid eyes on. She was a marvel. What with those eyes alone, her perfectly shaped face, those full, Cupid's Bow lips, the skin tight red dress she wore and spirits that hair! It tumbled well past her shoulders in thick, glossy waves and I was sure that if she even attempted to flip it, I would be on my butt faster than a cheetah running after it's lunch. And that red lipstick? Drop. Dead. Sexy. No. Downright attractive. I didn't even know!
"I just asked if you wanted a drink. You don't have to be so stuck up about it." The guy snorted obnoxiously at her. And then I remembered him ordering a few Coronas and a shot of Jack earlier. At the time, I'd thought he was pretty attractive too, but seeing him trying to win over a girl that clearly didn't want to be won, made me huff in annoyance. The girl said something to him that was drowned out by one of Opal's signature tricks and when I looked back, the guy was even closer. "Well your so-called boyfriend shouldn't keep a sexy person like you waiting all night." He smiled devilishly. "There could be someone better for you right here."
That's it! My nose flared and my jaw set as I began to make my way back. But before I knew it, I was practically skipping and had one of the biggest grins plastered on my face. "Babe, you made it!" I stopped short of hopping over the bar and instead delicately placed her drink on a coaster. "Got your usual right here, love." My voice took on a more familiar tone, nearly right where it needed to be in order to tip anyone off that her and I were madly in love. I didn't hit the mark like I could have, mainly because she had discretely given me a questioning look and I all but lost it and ran away.
"Wait, what?" The guy looked from me to her in confusion. "You, Korra? You're dating this woman?" He asked skeptically.
He knows my name? Well, I was a pretty popular around Tightrope. I gulped. "G-got a problem with that?" I would have asked his name, but it was a bit late, so I ended up slinging my bag over my shoulder and stepping through the side. Once I was out, I skirted directly beside the woman and gingerly wrapped an arm around her waist with a bold kiss to her temple. "Seeing as you didn't believe her in the first place-"
"She said boyfriend." He pointed out, making me roll my eyes.
"It wouldn't have worked either way, wouldn't it?" I pointed an accusing finger at him, drawing the attention of a few others. "You would have gone on shamelessly flirting with my girlfriend (and making her very uncomfortable by how badly you were doing it,) had I not stepped in."
A few others covered their mouths with drunken snickers. "Bring the Heat!" One of them shouted, causing me to let go of the woman so I could stand between them.
"Should I? Kuvira hasn't tossed anybody out yet and I feel she's starting to get pretty randy right about now." I gestured to the rest of the bar. "And these people want a show just as bad."
"You win, you win!" Amber eyes widened at me and he didn't hesitate to step off. The patrons at the bar jeered their disapproval at not having any immediate fun, but one look from me had them raising their glasses respectively.
"We love you, Kor!" Another shouted. I shook my head at them before turning back to the woman who hadn't said anything since I showed up, half expecting her to have vanished without a trace already.
To my surprise, she was still there. Sipping on her Coke.
"That was impressive." A quick glance at me from her caused a blush to form on my face.
"Well, you know." I chuckled nervously. When there was nothing else to say, I licked my dry lips and prepared to say 'bye' when she turned to me.
"Waiting for a reward?" She asked, giving nothing away with her blank expression. It did, however, make me feel like the world's biggest idiot because...was I? Well, I saved her, didn't I?
"Uh-" I cleared my throat and scratched the back of my neck awkwardly. What am I thinking?! Why would someone like her waste time on me? "N-no. I was just on my way out." My voice was a little rough, but I ignored it by giving her a brief smile. Leave. Turning my attention to Opal, I shot at her with a finger gun and backed out of my place beside the woman. "Enjoy your drink." Get away before you make it worse!
"Wait." She stated as I passed her and even reached out to catch my wrist to stop me from gaining my freedom. My eyes automatically dropped to her hand. She's touching me. "I was only teasing, but if you have somewhere to be?" Those eyes tried to trap me. Somehow I managed to play off my previous failure with a smirk.
"Not exactly, though hanging around your workplace after over time is kinda pushing it." I chuckled, noting that she had yet to let go of my wrist. She also shared a giggle that left me feeling warm all over and a little more confident that before. "But, you know, if you have somewhere to be. Or are actually waiting for that boyfriend, then I...I'll leave you to it?" Crash and burn. Maybe I should have left when I had the chance.
"I thought you were my 'boyfriend' this morning." She let her lips curve into a smile. I felt lightheaded and I knew for a fact that a blush was visible enough on my dark skin. Sweet Appa!
"Well, if you need more protection." I shrugged a shoulder before ducking my head. "But I really am serious about getting out of here." Looking back at the bar, I used my free hand to point at the person who had taken the spot I was just at. "Without tasting or even making it myself, I know that guy ordered a Kansas Slammer."
"Woof." She wrinkled her nose, but then looked back at me curiously. "What's in it?"
I cleared my throat, choking down a complaint about using my knowledge without warning. "Vodka, white grape juice, tequila, a bit of lemon juice on the rocks with a slice of lime." Nibbling on my lip, I kept from mentioning that it was a little girly and strong for someone like him to order. To each his own, I guess.
"I see. And her?" The woman gestured to another on the other side of the bar.
"Long Island Iced Tea." I didn't even blink. "That's Opal's specialty."
"What's your specialty?" She asked out of plain curiosity.
"I don't have one." I answered. That time I shifted my stance before another thought occurred to me. "Unless you count just Coke's, then I think I found my new favorite order." I almost fell over when she let out a more genuine laugh.
"I'm sorry. I'm supposed to be the Double D tonight, so..." She shrugged too, finally letting my wrist go so she could twist around in her chair. "See the one tossing her hair around?"
I followed the jut of her chin to see who she was talking about. Whoa. "Unfortunate." Leaning back in, I whispered to her ear, "She's the one that asks to dance on the bar doesn't she? And then, when they tell her 'no,' she complains about that one movie where they get to do that."
"Yes. And she also has favorite spots to puke her guts up." The woman's fine teeth glittered in the lights, making me return her smile.
"Got your very own ticket to Where's Fluffy, huh?"
"I just need to wait until she's partially passed out in the back of a van to get directions."
We shared another laugh and then she surprised me by taking my hand. Without really asking, I knew she wanted to dance, but really! Me? I was the worst dancer ever! The most I did was the chicken dance back in elementary and that was still horrifying enough for Opal to tease me endlessly.
"Um, I-I-" I tried to protest, but as she passed me, I caught a whiff of her perfume. It was intoxicating enough for me to toss my bag back at an astonished Opal who immediately catcalled after me. Alright, Korra. Don't mess it up. I stumbled over nothing in particular. I'm in for it. I thought helplessly as she continued to pull me through the crowd. Maybe I should have taken a few shots after all!
Before I knew it, the girl had moved away from my front and instead pressed into me from behind. Glancing behind me, I caught her tossing that glossy mane over her shoulder to see if I was still there. I definitely was. I don't dance! I gave her an unsure smile and gulped thickly when she playfully pressed against me once more. My response wasn't at all skilled, but I refused to move away. To do that meant that I gave into my instincts and I didn't need that right now. Don't think. Just feel. I tried to coach myself, actually summoning the strength to turn so she could feel me there. Ugh! We're both sober! Mostly. My last shot had been around 9:30. Get it together!
She backed up into me.
I'm done. I gulped because she was right up against me with those incredible curves that were enough to give me a nosebleed ten times over. Biting my lip, I glanced around nervously like it would actually help me with my current situation. I couldn't believe it! This was happening. Yeah, so what are you going to do about it? Swallowing back my overall apprehension, I lifted my hands and prepared to place them on shapely hips, but froze halfway. What if she gets offended? Gah! So my hands stayed there for a few hesitant moments as I mulled that over. What if it's not okay? But SHE brought me out here! Why?
Slowly enough, I lightly placed them on her waist instead, playing close attention to her response. Nothing. Safe! I breathed out in relief before trying to move along to the beat that was playing in the background. It thought it was okay and we continued to together for a few more moments until I felt her hands on mine. My eyes widened at the silent instruction they gave and I couldn't help but feel my own hands turning a little clammy because of it. More? She wants more? How? I felt so inexperienced right then and there. Maybe she was better off with that guy. The thought made me grit my teeth. No. No way. Without thinking, I pulled her closer until I could follow the movement of over curve my daring hands began to explore. Wow, these curves...
Her dress was fairly tight and the fabric was so thin that it left very little to the imagination. My hands suddenly dropped to her hips, fighting the urge to do something more, like press my fingers into her flesh as we went through a sway. She's so hot. I bit back a groan when I felt just how hot she was. My fingers roamed over the dress that didn't have a hitch of fabric anywhere on her hips. S-she's not wearing- the rocking of her body into mine left me nearly gasping for breath. No panties! My brain had officially caught up to me and I stopped moving. What's her name anyway? Oh, crud! I'm touching someone who's name I don't even know!
I'd never done anything like this before. I just work the bar!
And the hard part? The woman felt so good.
I wanted nothing more than to use my hands, mind, and other senses to thoroughly explore this woman's body until she was gasping my name. I wanted those long legs wrapped around me. I wanted my mouth to explore her stomach..those hips. I craved knowledge of this woman's amazing body and that scared me. I mean, if it scared me, imagine what it would do to her! I backed off immediately, causing her to look over at me curiously.
"I-I'm sorry." I chuckled awkwardly, feeling my face heat up like an engine. Without waiting for her response, I was already pushing my way back to the bar. I can't do this, I can't do this, I can't do this! "Bag!" I yelped at Opal, who tossed it to me without hesitation.
"You okay?" Concerned green eyes caught mine.
"I need to get out of here." I waved her off. She nodded in affirmation before looking past me just as I felt soft fingers wrap themselves on the inside of my elbow.
"Is everything alright?" The woman who make my stomach do somersaults asked with the same concern.
"I-I just remembered I needed to get home. Dog to feed." It felt like my tongue was too big for my mouth, but the gentle way she kept hold of my arm had me nibbling on my lip. She was pressed up against me. My hands tingled, making me take a step back. Get away before you scare her.
"It's alright, Kor." Opal's voice made me snap my head back to her. "Hey, what'd you say your name was, dearie?" She asked the woman. My hesitant eyes slid back to the taller woman who looked from me to Opal.
"Asami." She answered with a smile, catching my eyes once more.
"A pretty name." Opal commented.
"Very." I added. "But I still have to go, Asami. I'm sorry."
"That's okay." Again, she stepped closer with that smile refusing to leave her lips. "Yours is Korra, right?"
"Right." I finally managed to return her smile. Now there's a name to your pretty face. Almost instantly, I felt myself relax a little. "Um, I-I work tomorrow too-" An awkward cough "Just FYI. In case you want a free Coke."
She laughed and let go of my arm. "I like the sound of that, Korra."
"And for the record: I don't dance." I admitted sheepishly, feeling my face warm up all over again.
"But you were doing so good out there." She joked, forcing an unconvinced chuckle from me,
"You're a charmer." I shook my head. That time, I managed to take a step back, figuring that I had done enough damage to the poor girl and that I needed some form of sleep so I didn't end up passing out at work. "So, I'll see you tomorrow? Tonight? Minus the crazy friend and jerky wannabe boyfriend?"
"Sounds perfect." She sent me a shy smile before turning away and getting eaten by the crowd.
"It's a date." Opal grinned at me.
"No." I stuck my tongue out at her. That's just wishful thinking.
A/N: Insomnia does things to people...like make them reminisce about college days^^
I own nothing.
Anyway, I wanted to put another Korrasami story up there somewhere and this is what happened. But I don't know if I want it as a one-shot (Hence the length) or perhaps a two-shot...it's been awhile since I've done smut. (not saying that it'll happen...but it could...)
*sigh* it's almost 3am and maybe I'll have a better idea after y'all give your opinions and whatnot. (it's in your hands,)
Thanks for reading and we'll see, huh?
Tootles~