Page 66 of The Token Yank

Chapter 20

Rafe

On top of reeling from Nathan’s entrance, Rafe was dealt a rough week of classes. He faced down a physics exam and a paper onMeasure for Measure. His Shakespeare professor had taken points off his last paper for spelling humor and color incorrectly, so Rafe had to do a “British spell check” before he turned in thisone.

By Thursday afternoon, he was extra excited to go into Apothecary for his shift. Thursday afternoons at the bar were incredibly slow since most students waited until night to celebrate the weekend. But these slow shifts had given Rafe plenty of practice as a runner. At work, he didn’t have to think about Eamonn or Nathan. He could just concentrate on keeping the bar inorder.

Apothecary’s owner, Alfie, was behind the bartoday.

“Where’s Sadie?” Rafe asked. Sadie was the usual barmaid during his afternoon shifts. She loved arguing with patrons about soccer teams, and she cursed more than Heath and Eamonncombined.

“She’s out sick.” Alfie wiped down the counter. “Or maybe she’s justhungover.”

“Do bartenders get hungover?” Rafe asked. “I thought being around alcohol so often made you immune orsomething.”

Rafe took a quick glance behind the bar and picked out what needed to be restocked. He’d trained his eye not to get distracted, but to focus on his areas. Ice, well drinks, garnishes. Pay no attention to the loud patrons or the bartender’s hands whipping around fixing drinks. He went into the stockroom and got more cocktail napkins and straws and replenished thebar.

“I didn’t even realize we were running low. Thanks,” Alfie said. He looked to be in his early forties, with thinning hair and a gut. Rafe couldn’t really tell someone’s age. They were either younger than him, about his age, or full-on adultage.

“It’s more to prepare for tonight. At least when business really picks up, you won’t run out sofast.”

“Good job.” Alfie put down his rag. “Rafe.”

“Yes?”

“Have you ever thought about working backhere?”

“Like as abartender?”

Alfie noddedyes.

Rafe had thought about it. He imagined two scenarios: one where he was king of the bar, like a male version of Jersey inCoyote Uglyspinning bottles in his hands; and the other where he was messing up left and right and chaos was breaking out and the bar burneddown.

“I can’t stand serving these feckheads. That’s one of the joys of owning a bar. I can stay in my office. Want to give it a shot?” Alfie threw him therag.

“Seriously?”

“You’ve been observing the bartenders while on your shifts. I think you know what to do. There’s a book behind the bar for making cocktails, but most people just want a pint. It’s dead right now, so it’ll be a good tryout. What do yousay?”

“Yeah. That would begreat!”

Rafe ventured behind the counter, and Alfie trained him quickly on how to pour, how to work the register, and how to deal with obnoxious customers. He returned to the quiet of his office. Rafe ran his hands over the bar. His bar. He was a bartender. He’d never feltcooler.

He chitchatted with the few customers he had during the rest of his shift. Sadie and Alfie were not ones to socialize with guests and ask how their day was going. Rafe figured his role was half-bartender, half-waiter. He had one patron take a picture of him mixing drinks, and he posted it to his Instagrampage.

But his high from this afternoon came to a screeching halt when Nathan entered the premises. He took a seat smack in the center of the bar. He grinned in amusement as he watched Rafe serve another customer, and Rafe avoided him as long as hecould.

“Look at you. This is honestly a surprise. I did not take you as abartender.”

“Well, I guess you don’t know me as well as youthink.”

“Guess not.” Nathan ordered a pint. Rafe felt his eyes on him as he poured, and not in a sexy way. Like a predator scoping outprey.

“Three dollars. I mean,pounds.”

Nathan gave him a five pound note and told him to keep thechange.

Rafe kept busy. He checked the well drinks and wiped down the counter and was extra-attentive to the one other person at thebar.