I'm so sorry, I know you guys probably got used to the everyday updates! I'm playing the mother-in-law card on this one, for any of you who are married you should understand the hell I'm going through right now... Unfortunately I don't know when she is leaving so the updates may still be sporadic. The good news is the next chapter will be the fabulous everlark 1st date! YAY! Warnings: Adult Language, Sexual Harassment. I still don't own The Hunger Games. I'm un-beta'd so all the mistakes are me! I do run spell check though so hopefully it should only be grammatical errors.
On a more serious note, I don't want to read hateful guest reviews. I'd love to hear happy reviews, constructive reviews, or even "I don't really care for this" reviews. But if you are just going to leave a review saying this is trash and the hunger games are trash, don't waste your time because I'm just going to make fun of you on tumblr. I respect your right to not like my story, but you don't have to be an asshole about it.
I wait until around 4 on Tuesday to go to Abernathys, he didn't really specify a time so I figured anytime after he opened at 2 would be good. Its a small well kept billiard hall, I've never actually been inside until today. There are 6 pool tables, a shuffleboard table, a handful of electronic dart boards and a few ticket only slot machines. A long bar takes up one wall manned by a fierce looking brunette woman who is serving a few patrons that look as though they are permanent fixtures.
"I'm looking for Haymitch, he told me to stop by today."
The woman looks at me as though I just threatened to kill her cat with a glare that makes me wonder how many people she scared away each night.
"Do I look like his fucking secretary pretty boy? I'm a bartender not that drunk assholes' bitch, find him yourself." She spits with enough venom it makes me believe I did in fact kill her cat. I stand there slack jawed for a moment before one of the older patrons points to a door marked employees only and says "check his office". I thank the man before making my way over and knocking on the door. I hear muted cursing before the door swings open revealing Haymitch.
"Clove, what the hell- oh hey boy, sorry I thought it was the banshee again. Come on in." He wanders back over to his desk and tells me to close the door, it looks like a stock room full of liquor bottles on shelves with a small desk tucked against one wall with a computer atop it. The room smells like old liquor, I'm not sure if it's due to Haymitchs' excessive intake or just the fact that it's the stock room, I'd put my money on Haymitch.
"So your old man gave you the boot huh? Looks like his line of successors is about depleted now ain't it?"
"I suppose, he didn't really fire me, it was my Mother, but it's not like he did anything to stop it either. I guess they'll just sell the place when they get too old to manage it. Anyhow, I don't have any experience in bartending, I'd be willing to learn of course if you'd be willing to show me the ropes."
He waves his hand in dismissal "I'm not looking for a bartender, well not yet anyway, gotta prioritize, I need a good cook before I start lookin' to replace killer out there. Take a look." He pulls up a surveillance program on his computer, the screen is of what appears to be the bar kitchen occupied by a middle-aged balled guy, he's cooking on the grill with a metal spatula in hand, the kitchen seems to be an utter mess, definitely not where I'd want my food coming from.
"Is this real time?" Haymitch nods and I look back to the screen just as the balled guy scratches his plumbers crack with the spatula.
"Oh god, that is fucking disgusting Haymitch!"
"Yup, so as you can see I need a cook. My bar used to stay full, now I'm lucky to get my regulars in anymore, gotta get this place back in order. So what d'ya say? Can you cook a burger, a steak, wings, yada yada?"
"Well yeah, I'm better at pastries and bread, but I'm pretty sure a monkey could do a more sanitary job than that guy!"
"I'm sure, but Brutus asked for the job before I got a chance to interview a monkey after my other cook went off to college. Want the job? You'd get Sunday & Monday off, no benefits $12 an hour. Ain't much but if we can get this place back to it's heyday I'm sure we can renegotiate."
"When do I start?"
Haymitch grins and says "How about Thursday, gimme tomorrow to get fat head outta here."
"Sounds good, but I won't cook Thursday, I'll be here at open and there needs to be 4 gallons of bleach and probably a dozen sponges here. I'm not cooking shit in that kitchen until every piece has been completely sterilized." That earns another grin from him and a nod.
"Alright, sounds good boy I'll see you Thursday, now get the hell outta my office so I can get some work done." At this he grabs a bottle of vodka out of his bottom drawer and unscrews the lid "Liquid courage, make it hurt a little less when Brutus punches me in the face for firing him."
I shake my head and smile at him "Alright, see you Thursday Haymitch." I leave him to his drinking and manage to get past the bartender without anymore dirty looks, I'm sure working with her is going to be just super. Maybe he'll find someone to replace her too, because she is honestly the most horrid bitch I've ever come across, I wonder what in the hell made her decide bartending was a good fit for her. Whatever it was, she severely miscalculated.
I know it's not a glamorous job, or considering Clove even enjoyable for that matter, but I'm excited anyway. I feel like celebrating my new crappy job, it feels like the first thing I've done on my own. I mean my parents put me to work as soon as humanly possible and the military wasn't going to reject a physically fit, right minded 18 year old. I'm taking it as an accomplishment, fuck anyone who doesn't think so. Before I pull out of the parking lot I text Finnick to see if he has plans, he texts back saying yes, he's actually taking Annie out for dinner tonight. I think about calling my brothers, but again the long drive for them makes me stop before I even really consider it. I know Johanna is at home, but I don't think we are quite to the point of friends that celebrate alone together yet, if ever. Her lack of modesty kind of frightens me. Katniss is working tonight so that's a no, unless of course I go celebrate at Legs. The idea isn't as unsettling as it was when my brothers took me, it actually sounds pretty fucking great come to think of it. I get to see Katniss, complete with her tight little panty shorts, I get to have a few drinks, then I have an excuse to ogle Katniss some more while I stick around longer to sober up. Yes, that sounds like an epic idea.
The parking lot for the club only holds a few cars, not surprising for 5 on a Tuesday I suppose. Inside there are only 2 tables taken one with a white haired old man and one very obese man with a comb over. I take a seat toward the back of the club and Katniss spots me immediately, she strides over to my table with a small smile playing at her lips.
"Hey, I didn't expect to see you here, you didn't seem all too enthusiastic to be here last time."
"Yeah well I wasn't really, but now that I know you work here, I'm much happier with the establishment."
"Want a drink? Or did you just come by to see Foxface hump the stage?"
"I didn't come here to watch the strippers Katniss, I actually came to see you. I got a job at Abernathys'."
"Really? Are you replacing that cook he keeps bitching about?"
"Yeah, that guy is absolutely filthy, he actually scratched his ass with the spatula!"
"Oh don't tell me that I've eaten there!" I laugh at her completely disgusted face, she looks as though she may actually vomit for a minute. Before I get a chance to respond a man with black hair and a very strange beard comes up behind her "Katniss, are you going to get this man a drink or not?"
"Yes Mr. Crane." She masks all familiarity between us when she asks "What can I get you to drink sir?"
"Bud light please." Mr. Crane wanders back to whatever corner he was hiding in and I watch Katniss' ass as she walks up to the bar to get my drink. When she returns she mouths 'sorry' before going to check on her other customers. As she goes to walk away from the white haired old man he reaches out a smacks her ass. Hard. It's loud enough to cause the dancer on stage to fall off the pole and turn Katniss' face into a very angry red as she stands stock still, I assume fighting the urge to turn around and beat him in the face with her tray. I get up to go and kick his ass for her, because obviously I'm still love sick, and now pissed off, and I won't get fired so fuck 'em. Before I can get halfway across the bar to him the muscled bouncer gets to him and drags him out of the bar by the back of his collar. Which sucks because now I'm standing here, pissed off, adrenaline pumping quickly though my veins and nobody to beat the shit out of. Maybe coming here wasn't such a good idea. I sit back down and take a short drink from my beer, twisting my hands opposite ways on the bottle as if I was giving it an Indian burn trying to calm down. Katniss makes her way back to my table as there is only me and comb over now.
"Sorry, sometimes they just don't understand the whole 'don't touch' thing." She says obviously embarrassed.
"Does that happen often?"
She shrugs "Not really, well, not to me anyway, but when it does Thresh takes care of it. Do you want another beer?"
I shake my head and try to give her a small smile "No, I just wanted to stop by and see you really."
She gives me an embarrassed smile "So what's the plan for tomorrow?"
"It's a surprise."
"I hate surprises."
"You'll like this one, I promise." She grins and shakes her head at me before going to check on comb over, I leave a $50 on the table, just because I can and go home for the night before someone else touches her and I end up spending tomorrow in jail instead of on a date with Katniss.
