DreamInColour
© 2004
There was one week where I worked almost 62 hours. Bloody ridiculous I know. We had this sale going on and unfortunately most of the time I’m the only one who can get the job done right so I’m there till it’s finished and I am a control freak that hates to have others do her job. During that week I hardly saw or spoke to Lij or Orli for that matter who never calls me on weeks like that. Says he values his hearing and his life too much…wanker.
Anyway it was at the end of this particular
week when the proverbial shit hit the fan. It was after eleven o’clock and I
had just finished the shift from hell. Some new bloke had buggered up the till
something awful and it took me almost four hours to fix it. By the end I just
thought, fuck it all, and the plan was to go home find a good book kick back
with some wine and relax.
Unfortunately me stupid blighter of a cousin
came home that evening and decided to have a party. I recognized Dom, Frankie and Shane’s cars as I drove
onto the drive. Luckily for them none had taken my spot. I distinctly heard
female giggling when I walked in me front door and everything went downhill
from there.
A Frankie stumbled by with a woman who looked
at me strange and said, “Oo is she?”
“I live here who the fuck are you?” I spat back
at her.
“Allo Soph!” Frankie said with a grin and a
kiss to my cheek. I ignored him; he’s right annoying when he’s sober let alone
drunk.
She just glared and stumbled with Frankie
through to the front room. I could hardly hear over the music and got
progressively angrier as I made my way to me bedroom. This is where I found Dom snogging some redhead, “Ah soddin’ hell
Dominic get that out of me room you wanky bastard!” I hollered.
“Oi! If it isn’t me favourite girl!” He
slurred.
“It’s only quarter past eleven and you’re already
completely blinkered ya git.” I shook my head as I dragged the protesting woman
out of my room and shut the door after her, because he’s Dom he can stay…for
now.
He watched with a smug look on his face and
didn’t even move to stop me; “I just got back from an audition where they gave
me a part!” He announced as I pulled me jacket off.
“The villain role?” I asked with a raised
eyebrow.
He nodded. “It’s an Italian independent film.”
“Good on ya.” I said with as much of a sincere smile
as I good give me drunken mate. I decided then and there I was going out to a
bar, any bar, somewhere, anywhere away from this bloody party.
He jumped up and spun me around with a whoop,
“It’s exactly what I wanted!” He said with a giggle.
After he put me down I tried to regain my
balance as I pulled open the door to my room and pushed him out, “I’m going out
for a bit Dom, and you will NOT be in my room when I get back.”
“Right!” He agreed with a weird salute then
found the redhead again and continued snogging her in the hall, one of these
days he needs to find him a real woman.
“Orli!” I shouted as I walked towards his room.
“What!” He called back from the front room.
“I’m borrowing a shirt.” I said and headed into
his walk in closet without a pause.
“You’re borrowing one of MY shirts?” He asked
as I came out of the closet pulling the fleece I’d been wearing over me head.
“I liked the one that last designer sent you.
It looks good with these jeans yeah?” I said throwing him the fleece replacing
it with his shirt.
He caught it and nodded, “Sure it does. Aren’t
you even going to say hello and tell me how happy you are to see me?” He asked.
I rolled my eyes, “I don’t know how happy I am
to see you when you turn the flat into a party without telling me.”
He pulled me into a hug anyway, “I missed you
too Soph.”
“Orli?” A female asked from the door, she had a
distinct scowl on her face. It’s so cute when they get jealous.
I wrapped my arms around his neck for affect
and smiled at her. Yes I was being catty, so sue me. “I’m getting out of here
for a bit I’ll be back later.”
“Oo is she?” The woman asked him as she entered
the room.
He totally ignored her for a second and held
onto my arms, “Are you sure you don’t want to stay? I have that new beer I
wanted you to try.”
“Maybe another time.” I patted his cheek and
stepped past him.
“Bye Soph!” He called.
I waved over my shoulder and headed back to my
room to grab my purse. I shut the door firmly then plucked Dom’s hat from his
head and put it on me own. I don’t think he even noticed it was gone; the
redhead must have been an experienced snogger. It was this gorge old newsie hat
and I decided it would look better on me. I was pulling on some boots in the
front hall trying to figure out if I’d forgotten anything when he found me.
“Aren’t you going to join the party?” He looked
so edible leaning against the doorframe with a beer in one hand and a cigarette
in the other.
I shook my head, “This is not my scene.” I
indicated the noise coming out of the front room.
“It’s not really mine either but I’m too drunk
to care.” He said with a little giggle.
I went to open the door then remembered
something, “Bloody hell.” I mumbled
He grinned at me, “It’s hot too…” when I looked
at him funny he continued, “…hell that is, it’s bloody and hot.”
“Funny.” I rolled my eyes, “I forgot me soddin’
jacket in my room.”
He shrugged off the jean jacket his was wearing
and handed it to me, “Wear this I was hot anyway.”
Why not? I’m in me cousin’s shirt and Dom’s hat
it’s only fitting that I top the outfit off with this man’s coat. I nodded and
put it on, “Cheers mate.”
He tapped the beer to his forehead and smiled,
“Cheers.”
“Lij will you do something for me?” I asked as
an afterthought.
“Sure.” He nodded
“Make sure Dom stays out of my room.”
He laughed; one that actually didn’t sound
forced and grinned, “Of course.”
I just shook my head as I walked out of the
flat. I have spent many hours trying to convince myself that I’m not at all
interested in that prat and then he has to blow it all by being so sweet. Of
course I’m the one who asked him to do that for me, honestly what’s wrong with
me? For starters, I need to find me some better taste.
I called a cab from my mobile and told the man
to take me to a good bar: one that wouldn’t have too many soddin’ idiots in it.
He dropped me at a place called, The Kiwi, I liked the look of it so I gave him
a nice tip and went inside. I managed to find a quaint corner of the bar and
was surprised when a few seconds after I sat down there was a drink in front of
me.
Looking up I was even more surprised to see a
woman bartender, my age or not much older, smiling at me, “I have a feeling
you’ll like it.” She indicated the drink.
“I’ll try almost anything once.” I said with a
shrug.
“You sound like someone I know.” She raised an
eyebrow at me, “Are you the cousin then?”
The glass was to my lips and I was almost
tasting the drink, “I’m sorry what?” I looked at her funny.
She laughed a melodious laugh that I think
would make any man fall in love with her, “A very good patron of mine says
that, except the funny thing is he only drinks one brand of beer…” She trailed
off.
“…until recently.” We said in unison.
I put the glass down and regarded this woman
with a stare I reserve only for those women of his I see on more than one
occasion. In short I don’t use the stare that often, “Just how do you know my
cousin?”
She winked, “You’re Sophia then?”
I nodded, “Who are you?”
“Nila Simon at your service.” She extended her
hand, “I own this bar. Your cousin and his rowdy mates frequent it from time to
time.”
I accepted the gesture with a bit of
reluctance, “I was trying to get away from them tonight.” I groaned and downed
the whole drink she’d given me.
“The party get a bit much for you?” She asked
as she flipped some bottles around making drinks for other patrons at the bar.
“He rarely has them.” I just went with the fact
that this woman seems to know everything. “Whatever that drink was I want
another.” I tapped the empty glass.
“Coming right up.” She said with a laugh,
“Aren’t you usually right in there when he does though?”
“On most occasions yes, but I just got off a
long ass week and was looking for some peace and quiet. Instead I find Dom
snogging some bird in MY room.” I trailed off, “Is everything all right?” I ask
this because she visibly flinched for a mere second and a glass slipped when I
said that bit about Dom.
She nodded with strong composure, “Fine, that
must have been shocking yeah?”
“That really wasn’t the problem.” I mumbled.
“What was then?” She seemed a bit more
interested then your regular bartender would be, then again I don’t know all
that many bartenders.
“You’ve got company down the end of the bar.” I
tried to change the subject.
She put a full glass of whatever that drink was
in front of me and smiled, “You see the depth behind the eyes don’t you?”
I just grabbed the glass from her and glared,
“I don’t need anybody reading me soddin’ horoscope thank you.”
She just winked and went to serve some more
customers. I think I’d found kindred spirit and worst enemy wrapped all in one
package. The thing that made her my enemy was that she seemed to read me
bleeding’ mind. The thing that made her my kindred spirit was that in reading
my mind I think she related to me and it had something to do with that flinch.
For the next few hours I drank that mysterious
drink and wallowed in my misery. Don’t get smug on me my misery didn’t solely
consist of the blue-eyed wonder. It also consisted of some bloke who’d been
chatting’ me up for over an hour and couldn’t seem to take my ignoring his
every word as a hint.
“…so after I met the Sugarbabes I thought for
sure that our band would get signed. I guess it took an almost chance encounter
with Robbie Williams before I realized we had to…” That basically was the
extent of what he’d been saying for God knows how long.
“Listen Carl is it?”
“Chad.” He flashed me a perfect white teeth
smile.
“Whatever. This is fascinating but…”
“Have you seen Lord of the Rings Sophia?”
Lord he’s trying this angle. He’s completely cutting
off my only hope of a nice segway out of this conversation. “This tree you’re barking up Cameron it’s…”
“Chad.”
“Whatever. It’s the wrong tree so if you’d…”
“If you’ve seen LOTR you look exactly like an
elf. Perfect features.” He did not just say that did he? This isn’t happening!
All right I tried to be nice, no more Miss Nice
Sophia. Besides he’s giving me the perfect opening for an exit. I took his
hand, “Thank you Craig…”
“Chad.”
“Whatever. Elfness actually runs in my family.”
Finally he’s speechless and looking at me
funny, “I’m sorry.”
I dropped his hand, “It runs in my family
pretty boy…elfness. In fact my flat right now is overrun by an elf and some
hobbits. I’m not at my flat so I hope that you can guess that if I REALLY
wanted a run down of celebrities and who they run into I’d be there, at my
flat, talking to actual celebs about it. Now if you please I’d like to enjoy my
drink in private, so you’re going to have to find a different bird to brag to
about shagging a Kerry McFadden lookalike because I’m not interested.” I turned
my head and concentrated hard on my empty drink.
The glass was replaced by a bottle of water; “I
think she made it quite clear she’s finished with this conversation Chad.”
“Sorry Nila.” He muttered and finally left.
“Where were you over the last hour?” I muttered
taking a long drink of my water, “…and why did you take away my booze?”
She laughed and leaned forward on the bar, “I
was working and now I’m closing love. I don’t serve after I close.”
I looked around me and saw through cloudy
vision that the bar was emptying, “Fuck.” I muttered, “I’m pathetic.”
Laughing Nila shook her head, “You’re not
pathetic Sophia, just infatuated. He is rather wonderful.”
“How come you aren’t captivated by him then? Oh
wait, probably because you want a piece of me cuz right?”
If she keeps laughing at me I’m gonna form
meself a right complex, you know if I weren’t so drunk. “He’s a sweetheart and
has solely been the reason I’ve hired four more bouncers, but no alas I am not
after him Sophia. You can relax.”
“So how do you know I’m not pathetic?”
She took the water from me and took a drink
herself then leaned across the bar, “If you were pathetic you’d be at home
following his blueness around like he hung the bloody moon. The fact that you are
here drinking alone means you aren’t pathetic. I’d say more frightened.”
I was getting very sick of her articulating my
life so perfectly so I decided, in my wise drunken state, to turn these
proverbial tables. “Speaking of frightened why aren’t you going after the one
you want.”
“Whatever do you mean?” She sounded coy but her
eyes weren’t nearly as tight on me as they had been.
“Practice what you preach love.” I stood up and
almost lost me balance, “What are you going to do about your fear?”
She just chuckled and motioned with a finger to
a bouncer, “Get her a cab Luke.” She came round the bar and put an arm around
me, “Go home and face yours first Sophia, then we’ll talk about mine.”
“Is that a promise?”
“That’s a guarantee.”
I don’t remember paying for the cab but he
didn’t seem to care so I guess Nila got it. I half expected the place to be as
loud as it was when I left, but it wasn’t. I looked at the clock on the
microwave and realized why…it was 4am. I heard snoring in the front room and
tried to remember Lij ever snoring before, then tripped into me own room. I
didn’t need to turn the light on just removed my jeans and crawled into my bed
to pass into a deep sleep.
I thought I was dreaming when my eyes struggled
to open the next morning because my pillow’s heartbeat had been what woke me
up. Wait…pillow…heartbeat? That doesn’t go together does it? My eyes flow open
and I shot up, I then put a hand to my head because it hurt as my eyes focused
on where my head had been.
He looked at me sheepishly, “Umm, good
morning?”