"From city to city
I got my people with me
You know we gonna stunt
When I come to your town, yeah, yeah
I said I got one question to the ladies
Which one of you is gonna be my baby?
Tonight, I gotta know, where the pretty women at?
Where the pretty women at?"
Lil Nathan & The Zydeco Big Timers—"Where The Pretty Women At?"
Kris tucked the ten-dollar tip into her black server apron as a young gold-toothed busser swept through to clean down her booth. She grabbed a napkin from the napkin-holder on an unoccupied table and dabbed her forehead and cheeks before tossing it into a trash can near the bar where she picked up some cranberry martinis for a table of older women celebrating a birthday.
Erik was behind the bar helping out the rush with three other bartenders and his face was focused on creating cocktails and keeping the drinks flowing. Kris passed by a small round table that Erik's girlfriend was perched at with her girlfriends and she looked happier than the last time Kris saw her crying by a pool table a week before. She had to give it to him, the man knew how to pick beautiful women, and she admired Daisy Dukes's ability to overlook Erik's wandering eye.
"Here you go ladies," Kris said handing out martini's and taking used glasses away.
Greg appeared by her side with three other servers. He blew into a whistle that hung around his neck that Kris hadn't noticed before and drew everyone in Kris's section's attention.
"Cowboys and Cowgirls and Cowpeople of all ages around the world, today we have a very special birthday for a very fine filly who is today year's old. Please join us in wishing her a very Happy Birthday!"
Kris watched Greg and the other servers and most of the customers sing a version of Happy Birthday that made the birthday girl, Mary Alice, smile with the biggest sixty-year-old smile ever. Greg presented her with a small marble cake with enough spoons for each of her friends. A single slender white candle was in the center of the cake and the woman blew it out among shouts of congratulations.
Nathaniel the DJ took over the set as the guest band from Shreveport took a short break. A snappy little horn-heavy funk song came on and Kris grimaced as she saw the other servers get in position to do their little coordinated dance routine. Kris felt her face get warm and her tummy fill up with slight cramps as customers grinned at the staff. The music cue came on and Kris did her best to try and remember the steps, but she bungled most of them and just forced herself to rock back and forth on her feet hoping no one was noticing her lack of dance skills.
Even the bartenders were jamming to the music and the catcalls, and she saw Erik rolling his shoulders while he continued mixing drinks. Kris clapped her hands in time to the beat and told herself to practice over the weekend when she was off. The servers did three different dance routines for a full two minutes before Nathaniel released them with some bounce music that had younger folks flocking to the floor.
Kris gave a deep sigh as she survived the staff dance. Hopefully, the crowd blocked her from getting clowned for her poor skills. She was never that good at choreographed dancing beyond the basic group dances like the Electric Slide or the Chuck Baby that she learned in D.C. when she was heavy into Go-Go music. She grabbed some check holders with credit cards and went to cash out some tables.
"You were on struggle mode," Erik said moving past her as she used a register.
Kris closed her eyes.
"I'm still new and learning," she said.
"The good thing is you're petite so I don't think folks had to suffer."
She stopped swiping the touchscreen and glared at him.
"I'm teasing," he said moving past her as he grabbed some cognac glasses.
"Could you not make comments about my body…please?"
Erik stopped what he was doing. One of the other male bartenders heard her and he moved away from them quickly.
"Sorry. Won't happen again."
"Thank you."
Her fingers swiped across the register screen hard and she collected the receipts she needed and left the bar in a huff. Checking on her tables she made her way around to the kitchen to pick up some riblets and potato poppers. She delivered the food and had a moment to just watch her small station as people ate, drank, and wiggled in their seats in time to the music. She checked her watch. She only had two hours left to work.
Collecting tip money and credit cards to cash out tabs once more after thirty minutes, Kris headed back to the bar. There was a lull in the action and the bar staff was using it to wipe down the long counter and replace shelves with clean glasses.
"Hey, Kris…"
Erik stood at the end of the bar sipping on a coke can.
"Yeah?"
She kept her eye on the register and then tucked check holders with credit cards inside her apron.
"Sorry about what I said about your legs and shit earlier."
She nodded and spritzed hand sanitizer on her hands from the bottle sitting near the register.
"I can get a little too comfortable with people here, and you don't know me like that."
"Glad you know how to hold yourself accountable. Being the owner and all."
She saw his lips get a little tight but then his woman came up to the bar.
"You owe me," the woman said reaching out for Erik's hand.
Erik looked over at his male bartender, Mickey.
"Aye man. I'll be back. Taking, Vanessa to the floor," he said.
He squeezed his can of coke and threw it away. Moving around the counter he clasped hands with Vanessa and headed to the dance floor. Kris watched them move through the sea of people and take to the center of the floor. The band started the music off slow and she saw Erik pull Vanessa in close to his chest. His right hand ran along the small of her back and she snuggled closer to him. A stocky chicory root-colored man with a gorgeous smile known Snap Bean to everyone on staff began running spoons along the corrugated metal washboard he wore over his chest. The lead singer, Scott, squeezed an accordion and the drummer kicked in a fast beat and the floor came alive.
Erik and Vanessa were so in sync with their dancing and it made Kris feel a little envious that she couldn't move like that. She had two left feet most times and watching her boss twirl and swing out with a gorgeous woman had her stewing. She wished that she could dance like that with Jordan. He was a great dancer.
Even though Kris was rooted in Texas and Louisiana, she just didn't grow up with zydeco with her parents while being raised on the East Coast. The music was around when she was sent down to visit family, but she never experienced it like the way they were cutting up in the TLS. It was Black country, backwater bluesy, and so Creole-heavy that she was in awe of how they all moved. The spinning, hopping, and hip-twisting…the hard-driving electric guitar rhythm that amped up the crowd even more…the shrill calls to other dancers to encourage them to show out…it all had Kris toe-tapping behind the bar. She moved back over to her tables to check on her customers and all of them were on the floor, their food half-eaten and waiting for their return. She kept watch over their things as she leaned against the dance floor barrier.
Granny May was always trying to get her to spend more time in Mariscal to soak up the culture. Cowboys, Creoles, and ballsy women were all around her as she snapped her thumb and middle finger together. Her eyes studied Erik. Although her tarot cards revealed a sorry future for Brandy, she started to see what the other women saw in him from afar. The attentiveness was alluring. Every woman she saw him interact with, even Brandy, Erik made it look like they were the only woman in the room. Even when he was clocking several at one time, his flirtatious nature seduced the women away from noticing that. Staring at him, Kris saw him gaze into Vanessa's eyes as the music segued into something slower. He whispered in her ear and Vanessa tilted her head allowing him to kiss her neck. She could see those full lips of his planted on the woman's skin and not leaving it. Shit. He was sucking on her neck in the middle of the dance floor.
Kris looked away and scurried over to her tables as a few dancing guests returned to their seats to eat. She refilled water glasses and brought over new cocktails. Her shift ended and she clocked out. She took a tall barstool seat at a round table in front of the bar to wait for another server whom she was carpooling with. Her wait was only an hour, so she took that time to watch the dancing again. She took off her cowboy hat and sat it on the table with great care. One of the servers in that section brought her some chips and guacamole just to be nice. She snacked and minded her business until Erik meandered her way and stopped at her table.
"I'm off," she said when he glanced at her hat on the table.
"I wasn't going to say anything."
His eyes watched her face.
"What?"
"Nothing. You look chill."
"I'm free."
His fingers grabbed one of her chips and dipped it in the guacamole. She frowned.
"Stingy," he said wiping his fingers on a napkin.
He sat on a stool next to her and she fixed her eyes back onto the dancing. They shared her snack in silence and she felt antsy the longer he stayed there.
"Don't you have to work the bar right now?"
"On break. I close tonight."
"Oh."
"Tryna get rid of me?"
"It just feels weird having you sit here. Did you want to ask me something or…?"
His head cocked back and his eyebrows furrowed like he was confused or something. She decided to switch up the conversation.
"Did your cousin make it home okay?"
"Biandro? Yeah. Selena ended up taking him herself."
"You said he was heartbroken?"
"Yeah. He's been in love with a woman who doesn't love him back. She's the mother of his only child and it's been an ongoing issue for him."
"That's sad."
"He could have a choice of so many women here…ones who actually want him, but he's stuck on that woman."
Erik's eyes darted over to the bar and then he stared at her again.
"He's not being rude again, is he?"
Vanessa slid over to their table and rubbed her shoulder against Erik's.
"No. He's being good—"
"Talking about Biandro," he said.
"Oh…yeah. Poor thing."
A small frown went across Vanessa's face as she said Biandro's name. The band struck up another hot tune and loud shouts erupted from the dance floor as people got down again. Kris bopped her head and popped her fingers. Erik caught her bouncing in her seat.
"Get out there," he encouraged.
"No…I can't do any of that."
"Yes you can," Vanessa said.
"I've never been good at partner dances. I don't know how to let a man lead me."
Erik smirked.
"The steps are easy, all the extra stuff comes later," Vanessa pressed.
"True," Erik said.
"Take her out there," Vanessa suggested.
"No," Kris said.
She hopped down from the stool.
Vanessa's friends rushed up to her with drinks in their hands and she followed them to the dance floor where they sipped their drinks and did a line dance amongst themselves separate from the partner dancing.
"She seems like fun," Kris said pushing her chips away on the table and stacking their used napkins on top of them.
He nodded.
"Does she know you asked my cousin out?"
Erik's head really tilted as he took in her smug expression.
"Ain't none of her business."
His tone was rough.
"That's your girlfriend, right?"
"Nah."
"Does she know that?"
"Yeah."
Kris was surprised at his answer.
His eyes ghosted over her hair and he reached over and tugged on one of her braids.
"You remind me of Jessie from Toy Story," he said.
"A white doll?"
"You know what I mean."
She gave him a smile to let him know she wasn't offended.
"Cute," he said.
Kris tapped her finger on the table. She wanted to leave. But then she didn't want to leave. She pulled on her hat and stepped back from the table. His eyes turned to the floor and she saw him check out Vanessa and her friends. He stood up and reached for her hand.
"C'mon, I'ma show you the basics," he said.
His warm fingers entwined with her cool ones and she pushed back on her heels trying to get away.
"No, I can't…I suck…"
He pulled her toward him.
"It's easy. Lemme teach you."
Erik pulled her toward the dancing and she could feel her boots sliding on the wood floor. Her hand felt so small inside his and she watched his back as he led her to brighter lights and louder sounds. Kris felt a tightening in her chest and her stomach knotted in a painful ball.
"Relax, Kris," he said looking down at her.
His dark creamy brown eyes made her feel like she was floating. They were on the right side of the dance floor where they had space to move without bumping into others who were throwing down.
"I don't want to do this."
She felt her hands shake in his.
"Just try."
His voice was soothing and made her have goosebumps by the way it flowed into her ear.
"You just mirror what I do," he said.
He stood back from her and showed her the basic steps. She moved with him without touching him.
"This doesn't look like what everyone else is doing," she said feeling more and more self-conscious.
Her eyes darted around to see if anyone was watching them.
"No one is looking," he said.
She followed his simple lesson, rocking back on her feet and stepping forward in time with him. He led her into a pattern on the floor and she did okay watching his black sneakers move.
"Now let's add the hands," he said.
She rested her hands within his.
"Side step…back step…mirror my leg…good…side in…you got it…let that waist loosen up girl!"
Kris grinned as Erik led her, but she grew more nervous when he pulled her in tight as the floor became congested with new people.
"Keep doing the basics," he crooned.
She tried to relax more but grew more agitated when she saw Vanessa swinging by dancing with another man. They were doing more advanced steps and it threw Kris off.
"Focus on me…us…" Erik said.
The raspy quality of his voice made her stare up into his eyes.
"I'm going to swing you out and pull you back in. Just go with the flow."
She nodded and felt him release her left hand. She turned and felt her feet betray her and she made a clumsy return to his arms.
"That wasn't bad!" he said all excited.
He did it once more with her other hand and she bumped into Vanessa.
"Sorry!"
Vanessa ignored her and shook her hips with her partner. Dropping low to the ground near them, the woman became a little extra showy and it made Kris anxious about messing up again.
"Don't look at her," Erik whispered in her ear as he bent down.
The soft heat of his breath made the shell of her ear tingle and she felt out of wack when he pressed against her. Her breasts mashed into his chest and she became aware that he was very aware of their softness next to his body. Erik's midsection was full of heat and muscle and Kris's lips parted trying to take in more air.
"Okay Tinker Bell, you got it," he quipped.
"Tinker Bell?"
"Kris!"
Startled, Kris glanced behind her and saw Jordan standing against the dance floor barrier. He waved at her and she waved back.
"My boyfriend," she said as Erik's eyes narrowed while staring at Jordan.
Erik still held onto her right hand and when she pulled away from it, he took a few seconds longer to let her go.
"Thanks for the lesson," she blurted out fast as she rushed away from him.
Jordan threw an arm around her when she greeted him. Her heart was beating so fast and she could feel her armpits sweating profusely.
"What are you doing here?"
"Got bored at the house and decided to check this place out."
"How long have you been here?"
"Just got here about twenty minutes ago. One of the bartenders said you were over here somewhere."
Kris touched the top of her chest. Her heart was still thumping out a crazy rhythm.
"Guess what?"
"What?"
"I picked up an application for the bouncer job. You were right. This place is wild."
Jordan was wide-eyed as he took in the saloon.
"That was the owner. The guy I was dancing with. He was teaching me how to dance to this music."
"How'd you do on the staff dance?"
She rolled her eyes and Jordan laughed. He seemed to be in a good mood.
"I was getting a ride home with Rekia."
"You can ride with me."
"I'll tell her. Wait for me here," she said making him stay near the dance floor where she could find him easily.
Kris went to the other side of the bar and pulled Rekia aside and gave her ten dollars for gas money that she was paying for ride-sharing. She grabbed her purse from the office and said goodnight to the assistant manager Katrina.
Erik was back at the bar cashing out. He saw her heading home for the night and Kris could feel his eyes sliding across her form once more. But this time, it didn't bother her. He spoke to Greg and she snuck a look at his chest and savored the memory of her breasts pressed up against him. Shaking her head, Kris tried to banish the thoughts. He was her boss. Brandy wanted him. She had a boyfriend. He had…Vanessa and whoever else.
"Ready?" Jordan asked.
"Yeah. Let's go."
On the ride home in her own car, Kris went over the dance steps in her mind even as she pictured Erik pulling her in close and oh so slow.
She closed her eyes and felt her stomach unknot.