SUEDE MARTIN

I sighed as I unlocked the doors to Buck's and stepped over the threshold, the familiar smell of stale beer and cigarettes welcoming my arrival. I grabbed a broom, knowing I completely abandoned my responsibilities last night after basically running screaming from one Dallas Winston. I swept the peanut shells and cigarette butts into a pile in the center of the floor before grabbing the dustpan and sweeping away all the remnants of last nights festivities and throwing it out into the wind.

I really hoped Dallas had already woken up from his slumber and left for the day so I wouldn't have to see or much less interact with him at this hour.

I then busied myself with checking all the liquor in the bar, moving the emptier bottles forward and the fuller bottle backward. I refilled the refrigerators under the lip of the bar with different types of beers or other things to be stored in a fridge. I checked the ice machine and turned the back up on just in case this one malfunctions or we happen to run out tonight. I set out bags of peanuts and pretzels, but not pouring them in the bowls yet, knowing they'd go stale by the time tonight rolls around, and remembering I'd always hated stale offerings when at a bar.

Finally, I cleaned out the ashtrays that hardly anyone ever uses and replaced them back where they were before I grabbed a cloth and started washing all the dishes and glasses that were used and left unwashed in the past few days. I started humming to myself quietly while washing and drying the dishes. I dried all of the cups very meticulously, making sure there were no water stains that would appear on the glass when it dried. I'd always hated seeing water spots on a glass I was using, made it seem like it was only halfway cleaned.

I heard the front door squeak open and peeked around the corner, but couldn't see anyone. "Not open!" I yelled, hoping whoever might hear me and just leave on their own. When I didn't hear the front door open again, and in fact heard more steps and creaking wood, I sighed, setting a wet glass down and abandoning the task at hand to see what the hold up was.

"Excuse me?" I asked a complete stranger who was just standing in the bar looking completely clueless and a little underage. "I said we're closed, and no judgement, but its 10:00 AM. You also look a little young, so - not to be rude - but you need to leave." I stood staring at the boy. When he didn't budge or even speak I just cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm here for Dally." The boy finally spoke and I screamed internally at the mention of that imbecile. "Do you know where he is?" He asked. Probably upstairs in his bed. I mentally replied, my voice dripping in sarcasm.

"I'll go get him." I sighed instead, deciding it better not to be rude to a person I just met. And so I trudged upstairs to where I knew the only other occupied bedroom besides Buck's would be. Of course there were others, but those were guests for the people who were too drunk to even walk home some nights, and one for me, in case I ever needed it. Buck truly was too nice for his own good. This bedroom, though, I was told was specifically off limits.

As soon as I found the bedroom, I saw the door was open slightly and peeked through the tiny crack, not seeing anything. I put my hand on the door and pushed a little before I was flipped around and shoved into the wall behind me.

"Trying to spy on me, sweetness?" Dallas whispered, his lips against my ear, his breath sending unwelcome goosebumps down the side of my neck. I put my hands against his chest and pushed him back as far as I could, which albeit, wasn't very far, but at least I could see his face now. I now noticed his hair was dripping and a slight sheen covered his body, with only a towel slung lowly on his hips.

"Your eyes just dilated. Tell me, do you want me Suede?" Dallas spoke in a sultry tone as he looked my body up and down.

"Uh, n-no." I cleared my throat and cursed myself for stuttering, for showing weakness in front of him. I spared one last glance at his face before swallowing hard and turning to the side, focusing my attention on a miniscule floor tile. "Y-your friends are here for you." And with that I pushed away from him and ran down the steps to the main floor.

"H-he'll be down in a minute." I stuttered and cleared my throat again in front of one of Dallas's friends whom I had no idea the name of. I went back into the kitchen to finish my task from earlier. I heard thudding on the stairs and sighed in relief at the prospect of him finally leaving.

"Who was that? She seemed shaken. Playing mind games with her too Dally?" I heard a hushed whisper from the front and the squeaking of the hinges on the door.

"Nah, Pony, she..." their voices trailed off and I couldn't help but wonder about the rest of the conversation, about what they would say about me.

(it was down between 'she's different' and 'she actually seems to not want me' and those were both waytoofuckingcliche for me, so feel free to just make up or imagine the rest of the conversation yourselves)

.::.

Tonight was busier than usual, with more new faces popping up around the bar than usual. I groaned internally at the rush around the bar, but smiled nicely at my coworkers, happy to have what little help I could.

"I still have more questions." I heard from across the bar and turned to see Dallas's smirking face.

"And I still have to work." I rolled my eyes.

"C'mon Suede...." He drawled out my name and sounded like he was begging me.

"No." I scowled in return and walked off from the bar, going to another end of the room and tending to other customers there.

"Hey Matthew." I smiled at a coworker of mine and looked as he smiled back politely. He was probably my best friend here.

"Can you tend my side of the bar for me, and I'll cover yours?" I asked him and he looked between the two sides. I knew any normal person would agree immediately because my side was less packed than his.

Normally he'd refuse vehemently, telling me that I shouldn't have to take on more than I need to, but today I guess he saw the exasperation on my face, because he only nodded before walking over to the place where I was previously.

"Suede." I heard behind me as I was setting drinks down at a booth of five people.

"I'm working." I replied, recognizing the voice as Dallas's. I walked away from him, going to another table and taking orders for another group of people. I did my best to ignore him as he kept following me around like a lost puppy, bothering me and not shutting up about these damn 'questions' he has.

"Fine. I'll make you a deal," I turned to him, a hand on my cocked hip, finally aggravated and fed up enough with his incessant talking, "I'll answer one of your questions - only one - every day for as many days as you have questions as long as it fits these criteria; you have to ask the question while you're sober, the question cannot be anything inappropriate - and remember I'm the final judge of that - and you have to leave me alone the rest of the night. It's one a day though, so make it a good one and make sure you ask it whenever you won't be tempted to bother me again. Do we have a deal?" I asked and held out my hand to shake with his as he thought over the terms and conditions.

"Those the only rules?" He asked and I nodded. "Okay." He nodded and clasped his hand together with mine before giving it one hard shake and dropping it.

.::.

SO uhhh, I got sixteen answers on a fifteen question test and basically I don't know how to count. so that's nice.

ALSO, I'm shopping on zaful, but I don't know if its a trustable website or if it ships where I live (it's inside the US, but it's like really small not-even-a-dot-on-the-map type town.) so if anyone has had experience with zaful, feedback would be nice and very appreciated. I have been ripped off/scammed by other websites before, so I'm bit pre-cautious.