A Bar Tender Tale (6 page)

“Why don’t you go back to The Hob?” Nathan asked.

“Kiss and make up?”

“No,” Gary said defiantly. “I’ve had enough of the in-house soap operas. I want a nice quiet life. Only… maybe not this quiet.”

Nathan nodded in understanding.

As a sign of the times, the pub didn’t get another customer until 4 p.m. The large telesales office just up the road employed an army of shift workers, and a lot of them kicked out at four. They included two more of Gary’s friends, who stopped in for a drink. Gary got behind his bar to serve while Nathan sat next to Sean and Leigh.

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Melanie Tushmore
48

“Haven’t seen you for a while, Nath,” Sean commented as they were having a drink.

“He’s been dumped,” Gary announced. “Come crying to Uncle Gary, he has.”

“Cheers,” Nathan rolled his eyes. “Why don’t you tell them about what
you
were doing last night?” Gary looked panicked. “Er, no need for that. You want a free drink, Nath? What d’you want?”

“Rum and coke, thank you.”

“Oh, by the way, Gaz,” Leigh said with a smile.

“Awesome footage of you and Tazz in bed.” Gary frowned at them. “Laugh all you want. Ha, ha, ha.” They all tried to hide their smirks as Gary grumbled to himself.

Before it turned 5 p.m., Tazz rolled back in, demanding to drain the Guinness line.

“You’ll get the runs,” Leigh warned him.

“It’s free beer!” Tazz replied, settling himself on a stool next to Nathan. “Hit me up, Gazilla!” Gary shook his head as he produced a pint of murky looking Guinness. “On your own bowels be it,” he said.

The pub slowly gained a few more customers, which Gary tended to, leaving his friends at the bar to talk amongst themselves. He had to unplug Nathan’s music and put on something a little more acceptable, a mellow mix of Madness and The Specials.

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Melanie Tushmore
49

“So what happened with your toy-boy anyway?” Tazz asked Nathan. “Last time I saw you, you were gushing about how great he was.”

Nathan winced at the memory, which wasn’t that long ago, either. “Next time I act like a school girl with a crush, will you please slap some sense into me?”

“Consider it done!” Tazz swigged back his beer. “We’ve all been there, mate.”

“Some of us more than others,” Nathan muttered. “I’m just a bit lonely. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have wasted my time on someone who
so
isn’t my type.”

“What is your type? Big and beefy like Gaz?” Nathan smiled. “No… I mean, I don’t really have a type. I just meant, someone nice who isn’t a total dickhead.”

“Bro, come over our place tomorrow night,” Tazz offered.

“No one's got any money, so we’re gonna get cheap booze and popcorn, watch all the Rodriguez films we can cram in, starting with
Planet Terror
. Don’t think you’re climbing in my sleeping bag, though!”

Nathan laughed. “I would actually love that. The film, not your sleeping bag… but I’m working.” Tazz shrugged. “Your loss. I’ll let you know the next time we do it.”

“You do that.”

“I will. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” Tazz stepped down off his stool. “I’m going for a dump.”

“Thanks for sharing that.” Nathan made a face.

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Melanie Tushmore
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Over the next few minutes, as Tazz occupied the small gent’s toilets nearby, occasionally holding the door open and shouting his progress to the rest of the pub, Nathan had to wonder why he was spending his precious day off here.

Then as the clock struck six, Auryn strolled in.
Oh yes,
Nathan thought,
that’s why.

Auryn stepped up to the bar, right next to Nathan. He had already shed his tie from earlier and opened the top couple of buttons on his shirt, the smooth skin of his neck exposed. He seemed relaxed and even more gorgeous than before.

“Hello again.” He smiled at Nathan before turning to Gary. “Where were you earlier, Gaz? What’s this video of you thrashing around in bed with a young man?”

“Argh!” Gary grumbled in answer as everyone else laughed. “Not you as well.”

“It’s had over three hundred hits,” Leigh informed them, checking the internet on his expensive brick of a phone.

Gary groaned. “I’m surprised my own mother hasn’t called me about it.”

“Come on, Gaz,” Auryn said. “That’s hardly the worst footage of you I’ve seen online. What about the one at that girl’s house?”

“Which one’s that?” Sean asked eagerly, as everyone looked up.

Waving his hands to silence him, Gary tried to close the subject. “Don’t tell them, Auz! I mean it. Have a drink and shut up.”

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Melanie Tushmore
51

“I will for now.” Auryn glanced at Nathan. “Is someone sitting here?”

“Only Tazz,” Nathan said. “But he’ll probably be a while yet.”

“Okay.” Auryn sat in the empty seat. “Pint please, Gaz.”

“John Smith’s?” Gary asked, reaching for a glass.

Auryn barely nodded in response before turning to Nathan. “I’ve thought of another one!” he said excitedly.

“Another what?” Nathan asked.

“Things Bruce Campbell was in!”

“Oh right.” Nathan recalled one of their many topics from earlier that day. “I thought we’d covered all of those?”

“I knew there was something bugging me,” Auryn explained. “We forgot about him playing Autolycus in all those
Xena
and
Hercules
episodes.”

“Oh,” Nathan said. “I never really watched those.”

“You’re probably too young, unlike
us
,” Gary commented.

Auryn didn’t acknowledge the remark, still talking to Nathan. “Sam Raimi was the producer, you see. He cast Campbell and also his brother Ted Raimi in recurring roles.

They’re also in his
Spiderman
films too, doing cameos.”

“You trying to outnerd me again?” Nathan laughed. “I know all about Raimi! Do you know where Ted Raimi’s cameo is in
Drag Me To Hell
?”

“He was the doctor,” Auryn said confidently. “I love that film.”

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Melanie Tushmore
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“Yeah.” Nathan smiled, swept along with Auryn’s enthusiasm. “Me too.”

“You know my favorite?” Sean chipped in. “I liked that one where Bruce Campbell was playing an old-age Elvis.

What was that called?”

“
Bubba Ho-Tep
,” Nathan and Auryn said at the same time, catching each other’s eyes.

Gary had placed Auryn’s drink on the bar and was waiting to be acknowledged, let alone paid. A frown appeared on his face as he was ignored. “Hey, Auz,” he said. “Nathan wanted to know if you’re a bit queer like him.” Nathan looked at Gary in shock, not believing his ears.

When he dared to sneak a glance to his side he could see Auryn was also looking at Gary in surprise. Sean and Leigh were trying to stifle chuckles into their pints. Nathan grasped for his own drink, starting to feel hot and flushed.

“Thanks, Gaz,” he muttered.

“Oh,” Auryn said quietly. “Are you…?” Nathan stalled for time by taking a swig of his drink.

Sean answered for him by muttering, “Is the Pope Catholic?”

“Oh, right,” Auryn said. “So am I. Gay, I mean, not Catholic.”

Nathan choked on his drink. Sean and Leigh also halted midswig as Gary’s jaw hit the bar.

“What?” Gary stared in surprise. “Are you joking?” Auryn shrugged easily. “No.”

“But… you never told
me
!”

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Melanie Tushmore
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“Sorry, Gaz. I didn’t realize I had to write you a memo. I mean, you did meet Tony before.”

“Yeah, Tony…. Your old house mate, Tony?” Auryn gave him a look. “Oh, Gaz. You plank. Tony was my boyfriend.”

“Oh.” Gary seemed at a loss. “Does Graham know?”

“Your brother? Yes, he’s aware.”

“Don’t tell me
he’s
gay?” Gary looked panicked.

“No, Gaz,” Auryn said in good humor. “Pretty sure he’s straight.”

“Oh right,” Gary nodded. “Well….”

A customer had approached the bar and required serving, and so Gary was forced to move away.

Nathan had been watching the exchange almost as stunned as Gary was. His hopes soared high upon hearing those two magical words,
I’m gay
. Unfortunately that meant his stomach was now twisting itself into knots.

Auryn turned to look at Nathan who quickly dropped his gaze, feeling an unusual wave of shyness come over him.

“So… um, that’s interesting.” Auryn was obviously trying to make light of the situation. Nathan wasn’t sure what to say. He nervously twirled his glass in his fingers.

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” Auryn said softly. “If you were… that way inclined, so to speak.” Raising his eyes curiously, Nathan searched Auryn’s face, trying to decide if he was being serious.

Was he hearing right? Auryn was interested in
him
? The man was simply gorgeous, and though he seemed confident, A Bar Tender Tale |
Melanie Tushmore
54

Nathan saw those brown eyes drop briefly, looking away.

Surely he couldn’t be nervous too?

Nathan’s pulse started to thrum at the possibilities.

“Well,” he said, attempting to sound cool and relaxed. “Now you know I am.”

Auryn looked back at him almost instantly, a small smile edging onto his lips. “Yes? Then I suppose my next question would be, are you single?”

Oh God, yes!
Nathan reflected the smile on his own lips, turning his body slowly towards Auryn.

“Yeah,” he said, feeling like his skin was tingling all over. “Actually, as of yesterday, I am very single.”

“Oh right.” Auryn shifted on his seat, his knee brushed against Nathan’s. He looked like he was about to say something more when everyone was distracted by the reappearance of Tazz bursting out of the gent’s, declaring he’d won the battle against his bowels.

“Disgusting,” Gary stated, moving away from the bar to inspect the gent’s. “If you’ve made a mess….” Tazz ignored him, already telling the tale of woe to Leigh and Sean.

Auryn leaned closer to Nathan and said quietly, “My next question would be, would you like to go for dinner?” Nathan felt like he was going to blush again. “Er, sure.

When?”

“How about now? Or would you rather stay here and listen to this?”

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Melanie Tushmore
55

“No, no,” Nathan picked up his drink and downed the last of it. “Let’s go. There’s a great little restaurant around the corner.”

“Sounds good,” Auryn said. They caught each other’s eyes as they slid off their bar stools together.

“Where are you going?” Gary called to them as they reached the door.

“Just nipping out for a bite to eat, Gaz,” Auryn waved at him.

“What?” Gary was incredulous. “You can get a curry next door!”

“See you in a bit!” Auryn called, striding out the door.

Nathan flashed Gary and the others a mischievous smile as he followed.

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Melanie Tushmore
56

Chapter 3

“I THINK we’ve upset Gaz,” Nathan said as they walked down the quiet road, past the various cafés and shops that were just starting to close.

“No,
I’ve
upset him,” Auryn said. “But don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll get over it.”

“He can take things to heart….”

“That he can. He’s a gentle giant.”

Nathan laughed in response. “
Gentle?
”

“Well… sometimes.” Auryn appeared to agree. “I find with Gaz, his mood depends on two things.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, if he’s seeing a girl, and how Wales is doing in the rugby.”

“Sounds about right.”

They had reached the end of George Street and now the bustling hub of St. James Street was laid out before them.

“I take it you’re leading me somewhere appropriate?” Auryn asked.

Nathan felt sure could hear a flirtatious edge in his voice. He liked it but also found he was battling with his nerves over what was happening. He hoped it wouldn’t ruin his appetite.

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Melanie Tushmore
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“If you like Indian—” Nathan pointed at a restaurant almost directly opposite. “—they're pretty good. Or there’s more places up the road.”

“Is it better than the Indian next to Gaz’s?”

“It’s much better,” Nathan assured him. “It’s got a buffet as well, all you can eat. Except they put a limit on Gaz

'cause he kept coming in every day and eating too much….” Nathan pressed his lips together to stop himself babbling.

“I’m happy if you’re happy,” Auryn said.

“Okay,” Nathan mumbled, leading the way.

The restaurant was blissfully quiet, as was usual this early in the evening. They were still offered a table at the back, however, seated in the far corner.

“Sorry,” Nathan said to Auryn after the waiter had left them with their menus. “I forgot they always shove me in the back here. I think they reckon anyone with tattoos will put off other customers.”

Auryn placed his menu down and looked at Nathan, who promptly averted his eyes.

“Are you sure that’s it?” Auryn asked. “What they were probably thinking was, uh oh, here’s Gaz’s mates. Better get them away from the food, quick.”

Nathan smiled. “Yeah, well. Sorry anyway.”

“I don’t mind. This is nice and cozy.”

“Er, yeah.” Nathan was immediately nervous again. He studied his menu intently instead of making eye contact.