3

[Why Do You Shine Like That?]

Claudio Azurine

These days are long and boring. The bar’s mostly empty during the evening, and the daytime is filled with people who want to party or get drunk. 

The same thing every day. 

My social life has grown ever since graduation, but so did my boredom. 

But I can’t not let the boredom get to me, so every day before my shift, I get my head together and make at least one drink to prepare. 

And yes. I drink that drink.

With less alcohol, of course. I don't really like the taste of it.

During my shift, like every other waiter here, I go to the entrance, take a person, and lead them to the bar or a table. If it's the table, they wait for another waiter. If it's the bar, we talk and drink. 

I often get compliments on how I look, but I don't exactly like them. They always tell me I look stunning or "interesting". Some even say graceful. I'm not at all graceful... What am I to you? Those little colorful fish who poop in the water once in a while?

Sigh.

People come and go. We serve them what they want. They leave. Some are nice. Some are rude and mean, but that doesn't mean we don't serve well here. 

But one day, this man called Edward... Edmerd... or something like that, came to try out this place. He's somewhat famous I think. People come and go to get his handshake or a signature. 

He's been coming back ever since we first met. Maybe three times a week, possibly four. But he's a nice man, always greeting everyone and treating everyone respectfully, and he doesn't drink as much unlike most people who come here. I wonder why he loves it here so much, but I figured it's fine since we get more customers nowadays.

We’ve gotten to know each other, but it’s nothing much. We’ve become friends as he continues to visit my counter. I wonder about him sometimes, but I don’t think I need to ask, since I’m at work. 

So one day I'm working at my counter and I spot him as he's sitting there, drinking something from another one of our bars. It looks similar to the one I made him the first time, like Blue Fin. He looks nice today, dressed in a suit and lets down his hair. The woman who works at that counter is giggling. She seems to be flirting with him. He smiles at her politely, then slightly looks over to me. I realize I'm staring, so I give a little wave, and he waves back, then turning to her to say something. 

I return to washing dishes, but all of a sudden he appears opposite to me of the counter. 

"Guess what?" He suddenly says with that sharp, deep voice of his. 

I jerk my head up quickly, a little startled, dropping some things in the sink. "Edward!!??"

He grunted. "Edmund." 

"Oh, Edmund. Sorry..." I scratch my head, embarrassed a bit. The millionth time I forgot... Ugh. 

"That's alright." He sips his drink, then looking to me with that weird expression again. I almost laugh at him, then going back to picking up the dishes and washing the rest of them. After a moment of silence, I ask him, “So what was it you where gonna say?" 

"I gave you twenty stars last time...”

I laugh. 

"And wrote a review."

I’m quiet.

"I said you make the best Blue Fin out of all the waiters." 

Hah. What? Really? 

“Oh.” I smile, out of courtesy. "Thanks."

He says, "You’re better than the others. I know it. Don't let them take you down, Claud." He does that weird face again. Although he’s handsome, that face doesn’t fit him well.

I nod. Why would he say that? It’s not like I was going to do this job as a professional. I don’t even know that much about drinks. Much less, people.

I stare at him as my mind wanders. But he winks at me. I blink and shake my head. What in the world is he trying to do? So he flips open the menu, pushing the blue drink towards me. I catch it and smell it, wondering why he’d hate it so much. It has the essence of overly-strong perfume. I flinch at the smell, but look back up at him. He laughs. “Think of how I had to drink that”, he chuckles. He licks his thumb and turns the pages slowly. I wait for an answer, staring at him. His every move lured me for some reason, like I want to stare at him all day. He is like a beautiful, gentle giant, touching his hair once in a while to move it out of the way. No wonder why the women always look towards him. He has his charms. I wonder how must he feel with all those people always surrounding him. It must be stressful to see a crowd of people constantly looking at you like a work of art. I can’t imagine it.

I finish washing the dishes and get ready for the drink he’ll order. 

“Red Dragon”. 

I quickly grab two bottles, one named Dragon Fruit mix and the other called Bloody Whiskey. I mixed those in a cup and poured it in the shaker. Then I add some sugar- 

"No sugar please. I like it raw." 

I put the sugar away, then grabbing a couple of cherries, a half a kiwi, and a whole skinned dragon fruit and putting them in the shaker. I mix and mash them up, then put them in the blender and add some ice. I blend them together and it comes out smoothly into the fancy glass with a cherry on top. 

He watchs like a dog, admiring every move I made. Once in a while he'd peak at my face with his oh-so-handsome smile. Is it getting hot in here? I blush, like the anxious man I am, while I slide the drink over to him. I don’t think I can even look at his face like that.

He tastes it, bringing the glass to his lips slowly. His eyes admire the different angles it has. 

"Mmm. Mildly sweet and a little tart from the whiskey... Isn’t that just a beautiful mix!"

"Haha, Thanks Edmund." 

He leans in. He looks right into my eyes in a tempting way and whispers to me, "I'll give you fifty starfish tonight." 

I gasp, but control it with my hand at my mouth. He always flatters me like this.

"Edmund, no. You don't have to do that again!”

“I’ll always do it for you, Claudio.”

“Oh stop! That’s too much.”

He looks at me with that face again. I noticed his charming look in those misty eyes. He is quite good looking, isn’t he? I smile at him, and he winks back, then continuing to his tasting. As I cleaning the shaker and blender, I thought to myself, what's he thinking? Why does he look at me like that all the damn time???

As he finishes his drink, he asks, "May you walk me to the door, Claud?" 

"Sure." 

He stands and as I walk around the counter, he gives me a hand as if he were greeting a gentlewoman, possibly out of habit. He bows like a noble man. I stop at my tracks, shocked.

He reverts the hand quickly back behind him and laughs nervously. 

"O-oh, sorry about that Claud, uh- Let's go. Together."  He grunts at himself, standing straight.

I smile, looking around. I’m embarrassed again. People over there seem to stare at us, but laugh after a few seconds. It can’t be helped. 

I sigh, walking him through the hall of blue. As we walk towards the door, there are less and less people around. At the end, he taps me on the shoulder and I turn, looking back to him. Suddenly, he comes close for an embrace. I gasp, and my whole face becomes bluer. His huge chest squeezes my cheek, and his arms cover me completely. His body’s very warm. Comfortable...

Meanwhile, my short, tiny arms can’t even reach his shoulders. I try to pat him on the back. He smells like men's perfume, which relaxes me. Edmund lets go, and I'm breathing fine. He stands back and bows again, then making his leave. I watch him leave, then looking down at my hand, seeing a one hundred dollar bill. I smile as I walk back to my counter. 

Hmph.

He’s an interesting man I guess.