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“I don’t think I have seen you before.”
“This is not my main line of work,” she said, the lie easy. “Spirits, sir?”
“That’s captain to you!” the handsy man called out, no longer easily captivated and showing off in front of his boss. She had seen the likes too much in vampire houses. “You insult him by calling him sir when he is—”
The captain held a hand up. The handsy man clamped his mouth shut.
“Yes, lots of spirits,” the captain said. “For my crew and me. Pan here was too distracted to order ahead.”
Pan blustered, tried to explain, and ended up shouting at the bartender to get the drinks going. It didn’t take long for more men to file in, all wearing similar fancy clothes that couldn’t be mistaken as anything but pirate wear. Their swords were polished and gleaming. The hymn they whistled was the same, the sense of cheer dark and giving her the shivers.
“Three yellow spirits,” she said, taking advantage of the preoccupied bartender. Another one burst out of the kitchen to join him.
“If it’s not for them, then no. They should leave. Stupid to stay.”
She detected the nervous tone, edged with testiness. She noted the other bartender hissing at him to be quiet and watched them fly into preparation and realized the other barmaids had scampered away, no longer strolling the tables to flirt and giggle.
“Who is he?”
The two bartenders halted as they gaped at her in disbelief. The testy one narrowed his gaze.
“You must be new. Damn Dino didn’t inform us. Jesus.”
The second bartender nudged him again and went to her, expression kinder but urgent.
“He’s an ass, and he’s right. Their orders will be prioritized.”
“Again, who are they?”
“Theyare the crew members of that man.Thatman is a regular of our boss and shouldn’t be crossed. That’s all you need to know.”
“Jesus,” the testy bartender repeated, shaking his head. “Maybe you should head to the back—”
“No,” Nicola cut off, trying not to glare at him. “I will be polite. I need the money.”
The lie was enough to get the two back to their task, and she took pity when the barmaid with the first tray had her butt and boobs grabbed too many times to count.
“Let me take the next tray, sweetie,” she said. She swerved and sidestepped the booty grabs, laughed heartily, and winked when a few were successful, and was pleasant for someone who wanted to rip their limbs to shreds. Someone took out a knife and ripped her skirt when she wouldn’t let him grab her, and the groups of tables whistled as she headed back to the long bar with the skirt now barely covering her.
“Newbie—”
“I got this, grumpy man.” She took two aprons and covered herself on both ends, then repeated the drink delivery process. At last, she intercepted the barmaid about to deliver a second tray and smiled. “I will have that.”
What did this crew do that they would sigh in relief like that?
She set down the tray and swerved before the handsy man, Pan, could make a grab for her. But she didn’t leave.
“I heard you were pretty important around here, Captain.”
A hush fell over them, the neighboring tables turning their attention to her. Pan, to his credit, didn’t protest, though his eyes flashed with indignation. The captain was calmer, perusing her.
“You heard right. Don’t you know about me?”
She shrugged. “I heard stories, but I was too young to care about them. Not anymore, obviously.” She ran her hand down her side for good measure, emphasizing her curves. Several eyes followed, including his.
“Obviously.”
“Maybe you should enlighten me on the real ones, Captain….”
