Chapter 3:
Help wanted
It's funny when you think of it, and with funny I mean sad…..that even down in hell, if you want to make things even a little bit more bearable for yourself…..GUESS WHAT?! YOU HAVE TO FIND A FUCKING JOB!
It's almost like wasting away from 9 to 5 a day is incredibly mind numbing and soul crushing hahaha…..OH WAIT IT IS!
So, tough little lesson, buuuuuuuut…
Lesson nr3: like it or not….but swallow your pride and get a job…trust me, your future self will thank you…
After leaving the comforts of cannibal town, Pink had been sort of roaming the city for a few days now, pangs of hunger gnawing at her insides, knowing that dying of starvation wasn't exactly a thing, tho that didn't make this feeling any less pleasant.
That was until she finally came across a building with a sign upfront.
Looking up at the marquis hanging above the door, she'd narrow her gaze as she read the words "Hmm…..divebar "the aftertaste"….this place looks like shit…." As her gaze shifted down to the sign in the window "Help wanted" as she thought to herself "Well….it's better than nothing, I suppose…."
She swallowed her pride, puffed up her chest and strolled inside, pushing the door open and walking up to the bar with purpose.
As she entered, there hung a dingy smell in the air, like you'd find in a damp basement, the wooden floorboards creaking under every one of her steps.
Letting her gaze wander more, she'd become aware of the wooden wainscot on the wall being poorly maintained, the wallpaper on the walls above it almost peeling off, the few bits of exposed drywall, as well as the ceiling stained yellow from years and years of cigarette smoke.
The entire place looked gross, grungy and in a rather poor state, which made Pink wince as she wondered that if this was what the general bar area looked like, she definitely did NOT want to see the state of the bathrooms. In fact, Pink was surprised at that there were actual customers inside at all, sitting at tables, drowning their sorrows.
"Why do people even come here? This place is an absolute shithole" she mumbled, before the sound of a throat being cleared caught her attention.
Turning towards the bar, her eyes met those of a man looking somewhere between a ragdoll and a voodoo doll, as he gestured to the sign hanging above the bar, showing the list of drinks and the prices.
"Ah…..cheap booze….that's why…" to which the man behind the bar smirked as he piped up "Why else?" as he put his hands down onto the bartop and gave her a smile "So, what can I get ya, new girl?"
Cocking up an eyebrow, Pink strolled up to the bar and sat down on one of the stools "You're the 3rd one today to tell me that, is it that obvious?"
The ragdoll looking sinner chuckled under his breath with his eyes closed in a cocky manner "You kidding me? You still REEK of the living world, it's a dead giveaway"
Giving him a narrow eyed, confused look, Pink Neon lifted up one of her arms and gave her armpit a few sniffs "I….don't smell anything"
The man just laughed "Hehe, yea we've all been there at some point, trust me, trust me, after a few years, you'll recognize it when you smell it" as he leaned down onto one arm on the bar top "So new girl, is this a "lets let loose" or a "drinking to forget" kinda night?"
Sighing, Pink spoke "More a "I gotta figure out how to spend the rest of eternity" kinda night" which caused the man behind the bar to ponder "Well….i can whip up something new…." As he began to pull out bottles of various boozes and began to mix and match, whatever the drink was becoming….it was strong…
Eventually, the man finished his creation and slid it towards the pink skinned woman, who took a curious sip "Hu….not bad….could use a hit of sweet still tho"
Raising a curious eyebrow, the ragdoll sinner took a sip too "Oh…oh shit you're right" as he whipped out a bottle of almond liqueur and added half a shot "Anything else I might need to add?"
Pink Neon quickly found herself connecting with this man as not long after, she had climbed over the bar, joining him as by now, she herself was mixing up something of her own creation.
Finishing her little "franken-cocktail" she poured 2 glasses as she handed the sinner bartender one "Here's to hoping" as she held up her glass. Giving her a smirk, the man dinked his glass against hers as he piped "Cheers sister, I'll drink to that" and as they both took a big gulp, they both started coughing.
"Holy shit, that puts hair on your chest!" the ragdoll man spoke.
Pink barely managed to catch her breath as she wheezed out "Chest? This puts hair on your fucking EYEBALLS!" tho she's take a careful second sip "It's….not bad tho…."
Chuckling, the man would join her "Yea no, you're right, it's pretty good" as he too took another sip, now knowing what to expect "What're ya naming it?"
"Well…." Pink thought "This week has been an absolute shitstorm…..how about "the shit-storm special"?"
Releasing a loud laugh, he patted her on the back "wow…"the shit-storm special"…I like it"
A little later and Pink once again found herself on her barstool as the man was now cleaning a few glasses "So…I saw the sign upfront….in the window"
"Oh shit, you here for the job hu?" the man spoke.
Pink nodded as she looked behind her at the few patrons that occupied the establishment "This your bar?"
The man chuckled "Mine? Nah, I'm just a humble bartender, I just work here, owner's name is Hudson" after which he grumbled under his breath "The fucking cheapskate bastard…" before his mood once again returned to normal as he held out his hand "The name is Terry by the way" to which the succubus like sinner eagerly shook it "Pink Neon, pleasure meeting ya"
Hearing her name, Terry too a step back and gave her a once over "Hu….not many people who can live up to their name" as he chuckled before he asked "So…"Pink Neon" …excluding your little creation from before…ever made cocktails?"
At this, Pink awkwardly began rubbing the back of her head as she giggled uncomfortably "Uhhhhmmmm…mommy and daddy were kinda loaded….never had to work a day in my life…..until I pissed off the wrong folks and ended up at the bottom of a lake with a cinderblock tied to my neck…."
Wincing, Terry just spoke "….yikes…." at which Pink shrugged "Eh….was kinda asking for it, I was a major bitch…..kinda got a reality check when….well…" she gestured outside of the window "….when my behavior got me send to literal hell….."
Giving her a finger snap, Terry nodded "Touché'" as he gestured to the spot next to him behind the bar "Hop on over, girly, ima show ya the ropes" and as Pink once again hopped over the bar, Terry handed her a apron similar to what he was wearing as he began to put down bottles.
"Alright, let's start with an easy one, ever had a "Sex on the beach"?"
To which Pink chuckled "You mean the activity or…..?" as Terry gave her a playful pat on the back of the head, imitating a smack as he joked "I meant the drink, blondie" he'd smirk at her attempt of humor.
Pink chuckled as she spoke "Alright, alright, I yield" before giggling "And yes to both" which caused Terry to snort out a laugh as he began to instruct her on how to make the drink.
As the 2 of them spend a good portion of the day practicing making drinks, eventually, Pink couldn't help but wander "Wait…if this bar isn't yours….shouldn't your boss be the one to hire me?"
Terry shrugged "Eh, Hudson really doesn't give a shit, he's the one owning the place and paying folks….ok it's as little as he can get away with but pay is pay….so if I told him I hired ya, he's not gonna care, as long as you show up on time and do your job"
"Is he really that bad" Pink asked.
She'd quickly get her answer as Terry began to laugh loudly before suddenly dropping to a monotone, serious tone "HAHAHAHAHA , you have no idea….." with a deadpan face "He kinda owns this block, rents out the apartments on the floors above, and the bottom floor? That's his "pride and joy"…" as Terry gestured to the dingy state of the bar.
"The after taste" he spoke "Atmosphere is shit, there's mold everywhere….but hey, booze is cheap and you got a roof over your head" Terry hadn't finished his sentence of the sound of heavy footsteps could be heard approaching as a large, lumbering shadow blocked the light shining through the opaque windows of the front doors as Terry began to mumble
"Uhg….when you speak of the devil….."
