If I were smarter I could tell the whole story all at once

"Why do you always have to be fair?"

I wanted to ask what the matter was with being fair but I knew the answer and I knew I didn't want to hear it spoken out loud.

The question came after she asked if she should serve the hung over waitress the shot glass with the most peach stoli in it. The waitress had stepped out for a cigarette and I had asked if we could wait for her to return before knocking one back. The waitress had asked me earlier if I would do a shot with her but at the time I had to hold off. I've never had a drink to lessen the symptoms of a hang over so I don't know if there is a fine balance of the amount of alcohol that will help or not. "You would know better than I," is how I answered.

The truth is that I don't have to be fair; it's just something that I chose to be. It's a constant struggle of turning away and then turning back again. There are many times I don't want to be fair, I just want to turn away and leave it at that.

...

I'm starting to no longer enjoy it there; too many strangers know me. Too many strangers want to be my friend.

....

"How's your watered down ginger ale?"

I just shrugged.

"He likes it better that way" the waitress laughed.

I thought it was because the ice was melting.

It was a slow day

.....

She let me know she wasn't having a good day. I saw someone walk pass the window and knew her day was about to get worse.

It turned out that not only the bartender's day got worse but also for some of the regulars as well.

Other than his smell, the guy doesn't bother me too much. I've pretty much mastered the murder of the casual conversation.

He carries a portable DVD player with him which he doesn't mind setting up on the bar to watch a movie. I don't know if he watches the whole movie or just parts; I'm never around him long enough to find out.

If I were management I would put up a sign that said 'No Outside Entertainment'.

......

"Where's you partner in crime?"

"I don't know. He might be by or maybe not he's in one of those 'I'm important' moods."

"I love it when you tell him that people just don't care about what you guys do."

Mostly, people in charge don't want to get angry phone calls and you don't get credit for all the angry phone calls you have prevented, you get hollered at for the ones that you haven't, and if you were gone, as in fired, when the angry phone calls came in then the bosses will just say "Sorry, we don't have a person that does that anymore."

They would like to see you gone, most likely.