chapter 4

I woke up refreshed. Feeling more at home now, than what I did yesterday. After putting on some pants, I went to the kitchen and found Emmett packing a lunch in the kitchen.

"What time is it?" I asked, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

"It's a little past nine," He spoke, his mouth crunching into an apple.

"Where is everyone?" I spoke, putting on the kettle.

"I think Zac's at work and Burney's at university," he spoke, placing his lunch into his bag.

"I've got to go, Ali. I would offer you breakfast, but I've got to go to uni," Emmett continued, strapping his backpack around his shoulders and picking up another bag at the door.

"Are you still okay to drop me off at work later?" I asked quickly.

"Of course! I'll see you before five."

I shouted a quick goodbye as he was leaving and listened as his truck roared to life and drove away.

I made my coffee and brought it to my bed to drink while I watched a movie on N*****x. I planned my outfit for work tonight and let my hair out of its bun to airdry before straightening it.

By midday I had glossy pin straight hair that fell almost to my hip and by the afternoon I was starting on my makeup. I decided to do a dark eye with a bright lip, trying to make a good impression for my first full shift working at the Bar.

I went to the kitchen to hunt for something to eat and heated up left over pizza from last night. After what happened last night with Zac slamming the door in my face, having dinner was very quiet. We all took a share of pizza on plates to separate parts of the house.

Halfway through eating at the island, Burney came home.

"You look gorgeous," he said, as he went to the fridge to get a bottle of water.

"Thank you," I smiled.

"Were you at university today?" I asked to make conversation.

"Yes," he said.

"What are you studying?"

"I'm studying to be a nurse. It's hard work, but I love it."

"How often are you at uni?"

"I'm there four full days in the week, but sometimes I like to go there just to study," he said. "You'll soon know why I do after you live here for a while," he laughs a silent joke to himself. Before I could ask what he meant, the door opens and Zac comes in.

"Hey guys," he says, before seeing my plate. "Yum," he says, taking a piece of my pizza.

"Hey!" I yelped, pushing him away with my hand, and we laughed.

I noticed he was wearing a light blue buttoned up shirt with his name written on a nametag.

"How was work?" I asked, watching him finish the rest of the pizza, and I slide my last slice towards him.

"Okay." He took the seconded piece gladly. "The shift went quickly which is great," he laughed, and I smiled with him.

His laugh made me stop where I was to stare at him.

I left the kitchen area to get changed in my room when I saw the clock in the kitchen; Emmett should be home any minute.

I chose a black lacy bra under a t-shirt with whole strategically in the right places, and my tight black jeans that shaped my hips. The dress code was all black, but the last time I was there the dress code seemed lenient. I put on my black heeled boots and put my hair up into a tight ponytail when I heard the front door open.

I stepped out and saw Emmett at the front door.

"Five on the dot," I laughed at Emmett.

He placed his bag down at the front door and looked me up and down.

"Jesus, Ali!" He said shielding his eyes with his hands. "Couldn't you wear a singlet underneath or something?"

I laughed, but a slight hitch in my laugh caused his eyebrows to pull together.

"What?" he responded almost immediately.

"Is it too much?" I asked with my hands out.

"It's okay," he shrugged.

I groaned. "Leave in ten?"

"Sure," he said before heading to the kitchen.

I put on my leather jacket and grabbed my bag and headed out the front to Emmett's car. Emmett came out and jumped into the front seat and we headed off. The Bar wasn't far away, only a couple blocks away. Before I knew it, Emmett came to a stop at the front of the Bar.

"Alright, here you are," Emmett said. "That'll be fourteen dollars," he joked with a smug smile."

"Put it on my tab," I joked back. "Thank you for driving."

"See you at two?" he asked.

"Yes, please, if that's okay?" I asked, reluctantly. I would be fine if he said no and I had to walk, but if there was another alternative then that would be good.

"Sure, I'll be at the front a little after three."

I gave him a quick smile before jumping down from his truck. The front door already had a bouncer at it, a tall, muscular man with dark long hair tied up. He seemed almost taller than Emmett.

"Hey, I'm Ali," I spoke to the bouncer. "I'm a new bartender."

"I heard about you," he smiled, his eyes were kind. "I'm Koby, I'm the bouncer."

He stepped aside from the large black doors and opened one to let me in.

Th Bar was a large bar. The first thing you see when you walk inside is the large dance floor. To the left was a small strip of bar and at the back was a larger bar; both had black stools lined against the two bars. At the far back left was four pool tables and to the right was tables and chairs. The Bar already had a couple people inside with drinks; a small group were playing around the pool table.

"Hi lovely, how are you?" A lady with striking features asked. She picked up a spray bottle and a rag. She was wearing what appeared to be a black leather corset that accentuated her breasts and her long blond hair was curled around her shoulders to her waist. She looked as if she was in her early thirties.

"I'm good, thank you!" I smiled. "How are you?"

"I'm great," she giggled. "You must be Alison, our new hired bartender."

"Just Ali please," I smiled, taking her outstretched hand and shaking. I remembered seeing her when I was training here, but I never spoke to her.

"Well, hi Ali, I'm Stevie Rae, but just Stevie is fine," she smiled broadly. It was only then that I could hear she had a southern accent.

"I'm the manager at the Bar so I'll be in the back-office majority of the time that we're open. Follow me, lovely," She smiled and started walking towards to the largest bar that stripped the back of space.

She gave me a quick run through of where everything was, I dropped off my jacket and bag into the employee locker room and reminded me of the location of the drinks. Every employee that we passed she gave me a quick introduction and I waved at them quickly.

"We'll start you off at the smaller bar for tonight and you'll slowly work your way are to the larger bar," she smiled. "The smaller bar doesn't get as busy, but it's a start. After a while of working there, you can work your way up to the larger bar." She leaned into me as she walked. "The large bar gets the best tips."

She walked behind the smaller bar to where another employee was.

"Hey Maddie, this is our new bartender, Ali," she said between the both of us. The music was much louder here and I could feel the bass in my chest. "Ali, this is Maddie."

Maddie was cleaning some cup and leaving them on a rack to dry.

"Hi Ali, it's nice to meet you."

Maddie was very pretty. Her black lace top shaped her slim figure and was able to show off her tanned skin. Her short brown hair was curly and bouncy in a half up half down style. The ends of her hair stopped just below her ear and a small silver stud glistened in her nose.

Stevie turned to me. "Maddie is very good at her job and she'll be helping you if you need anything. She usually works the large bar, but for today she'll assist with you." She came in closer to me. "Cute top, by the way, but tits get tips." She giggled.

"Don't be a stranger, Ali" Stevie smiled and talked to Maddie before walking away to her office at the back.

"If someone asks you for a drink, serve them, but generally whoever is on your half of the bar is yours. You trained here, didn't you?" Maddie asked, she had a hard voice, but her smile was sweet.

"Yeah, but only once."

"If you need any help, just give me a shout..." her eyes wondered my body. "Didn't Stevie tell you that tits sell tips," she laughed.

"Yeah, just now," I smiled with her.

"Apparently, the more skin you show, the more tips you get." She smiled.

"I'm shocked," I said with sarcasm in my voice and I laughed.

"Hmm, you seem like you'd be fun to work with."

"Thanks?"

"The last couple new people we got in were so boring and they could never handle the heat of being a bartender." She looked my body up and down. "Can you handle the heat?"

"Yes," I said with more confidence than I felt and turned to see a customer taking a seat in front of me.

The girls and I walked out with Koby at our side. The night was cold, and we all clutched our jackets to our body. I met two other girls who work at the Bar, Mia and Holly, and we were chatting on the way to the cars. The employee parking was down the side of the Bar and Koby dropped us off before he walked me to the front of the Bar where Emmett was waiting in his truck.

"How was your first night?" He asked.

"It was great." And it was. The smaller bar did not get as busy as the larger bar, but it was busy. I dropped two bottles when doing a few tricks, but nothing shattered which I thought was a win.

Emmett walked me to the passenger door and waved at Emmett when he shut the door behind me.

"Thanks, Koby!" I shouted.

"See you tomorrow." He said before he shut my door.

"He seemed nice," Emmett said, driving off.

"He is," I laughed.

"How was work?"

"Great, I only dropped two bottles," I said making him laugh.

"That ten less than the last time you worked."

When we got home, Emmett said how tired he was and went straight to bed. My ears were ringing from the loud music and I smelt horrible from working, so I took a quick shower before heading to bed.