I sigh and slump against the bar.
“Twelve hours down, hundreds to go,” Red says with a crooked smile, giving me two thumbs up. Brexley frowns at her before snapping to and offering me two thumbs up in solidarity.
“Girls,” a sharp voice gets our attention. Rap strides out from the back room. Snow is on her heels, looking wary, but she rolls her shoulders back as if readying herself. “Ready to concoct delicious potions for all the poor unfortunate souls of Boston tonight?”
Cinder and I straighten and salute her like she’s our captain. Snow’s gaze bounces between us before doing the same. Rap’s eyes narrow. We honestly can’t tell if our boss loves or hates the gesture, but she doesn’t tell us to stop.
With a curt nod, Rap’s soft-looking mohawk dips with the movement. How does that thing stay up without an obscene amount of hair gel? I asked her once. She gave me a secret smile and said, “Magic.”
“Then let’s make magic,” Rap says and nods to one of our bouncers to open the doors to the Poison Apple.
Chapter5
Welcome To The Poison Apple
GOLDIE
As the bar picks up, we run around, making drinks and shaking our hips to the music pounding through the club.
When the clock strikes midnight, the emcee appears in a vibrant burst of blue powder on stage by the massive lantern lit tree. The crowd hushes as they turn their attention in that direction.
In a cobalt blue top hat and coattails, with no shirt underneath to show off his muscular chest—Geanie enters bodybuilding competitions in his spare time, but here he is our emcee and self-proclaimed ringmaster.
The swirling whirlwind of magical sparkles and vivacious colors isn’t real magic, they are all illusions for humans, by humans, as Rap puts it.
The room dims, and a spotlight focuses on Geanie, casting elongated shadows that playfully tease the anticipation of the crowd.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, sprites and spriggans!" His voice booms, suddenly the live pulsating heartbeat of the Poison Apple Bar itself. "Welcome to the most enchanted spot this side of Fairyland, where dreams meld with reality and the night blooms with bewitching allure. And where I can guarantee you ain’t never had a friend like me.”
The lights dim down as Geanie lays on his side, head propped on one hand as he croons into his mic. “Here at the Poison Apple, we welcome all wandering souls, all those who have run away from home to escape the mundane.”
Like every night, Geanie has the audience in the palm of his hand as he seduces each and every patron. He picks a man and makes intense eye contact as he goes on. “Here is a place where you can unleash the desires hidden in the crevices of your heart, where you can do whatever the fuck you want, a playground where every dream finds a voice, every yearning finds a home.”
Then Geanie jumps to his feet without using his hands, the spotlight growing bright as dance music swells. “So step right up, folks! Allow our Lost Girls to weave their magic, to mix you a poison that titillates your titties, a concoction that caresses your cock.” The crowd laughs even as they lean closer to our charismatic emcee.
With a fluid agility he flips in an audacious somersault off the stage, landing perfectly on his nimble feet, a testament to the acrobatic prowess that earned him the job. He strides toward the bar where we are. “But first, let us meet the original lost souls who ran away from home.”
A graceful flourish of his hands beckons a cloud of sparkling gold dust that materializes enchantingly over the bar, setting the stage for the entrancing spectacle to come.
Next, the emcee waves his hand towards another pulsating portal. " First up, we have the fiery maiden from the forest, a vision in crimson and burgundy. With a flick of her wrist, she can summon flames of passion in the coldest of hearts." Red climbs the short set of stairs behind the bar to get up into the spotlight. She strides forward, a mischievous smirk on her face, her hands gracefully maneuvering an array of fiery bottles. "Get ready to be entranced, for Red will mix you a mocha martini that will make you wanna slap your grandma and say godsdamn!"
Twirling effervescently, the emcee directs the crowd's attention to Cinder, who steps up next to Red. Her violet eyes flicker, casting a secret smile that sends the crowd into a frenzy of cheers. Expertly flipping a glass, she catches it effortlessly, her charisma undeniable.
"Behold, our exotic enchantress, who journeyed here from the vibrant lands of the east, leaving behind any semblance of inhibitions. Cinder is the mistress of the midnight moon, creating concoctions so potent, you might just leave with one less shoe!"
Red pours a dash of liquor into the outstretched glass, Cinder knocks it back with a seamless grace.
“Last but not least. . . ”
The spotlight shifts, bathing the bar in an entrancing golden hue, calling me forward. A flutter of anticipation dances in my stomach as I ascend to the pinnacle of the bar, joining Cinder and Red, who dance and work the crowd.
". . . please welcome our sweet golden girl who traded cornfields for skyscrapers, found her spice in the big city lights, and transformed from a sugary maiden to a sassy sun-kissed vixen!" Geanie's voice vibrates with a tantalizing tease that prickles my skin with exhilaration.
“Her signature drink? The Golden Ratio. Where the portions of this sassy sunny blonde are always just right. It’s a blend that will wrap you in a golden embrace that seduces your inner romantic.”
With a whirl of excitement bubbling within me, I take center stage. The crowd's energy electrifies the air, fueling me up. With a twinkle in my eye and a smile that promises adventures in golden lands, I grasp a cocktail shaker in one hand and a bottle of liquor in the other.
Then, in a display of grace and fiery spirit, I start my dazzling performance. With impeccable precision, I spin the bottle high in the air, its golden contents reflecting the mesmerizing lights of the bar, casting fleeting golden rays that dance with the shadows. As the bottle descends, I catch it behind my back without missing a beat, pouring a golden stream into the shaker with a flourish that draws gasps and applause.
