One Friday night a bartender named Machito finds himself at a bar with a woman named Mari. She walked in wearing a beautiful red dress with a pair of black Converses. He notices a look of sadness in her as if her face were melting as she walked up and sat down. Mari looks directly at Machito and demands a shot of tequila. You don't look like a drinker says Machito as he's wiping an empty glass. Mari smiles and says and you don't look like a man who listens very well. Machito smirked and said A shot of tequila it is for the wise lady. Machito then pours her the shot of tequila and she gulps it down quickly and looks directly at him. Excuse me is something wrong asks Machito. Mari says all you men are the same always taking advantage of us and thinking we can't live without you guys. Machito looks at her shocked and says so you'll condemn the whole world of men over a few bad apples? Mari then demands another drink and says I would chop the whole tree down if I could. Machito felt her heart and handed her another drink at half price cause you know business is business. He noticed her slouching over with a slur in her voice as she demanded another drink. Machito then grabbed a bottle of water and put it in the glass then mixed it with a very small amount of tequila and gave it to her in the house. She drank it but Machito suggested that she should stop drinking already. She looked at Machito with her hair all over the place and said you men always want to be in control of everything! Machito remained silent. Mari then got up from her seat and started heading towards the exit. Machito noticed her tilting left and right like a penguin or a ballerina unable to do a full spin. She was frail and unbalanced it was as if she was trying to skate on butter. Machito then realized that she had forgotten her keys and put them in his pocket. When he saw Mari walk back into the bar he smiled while wiping a cup. She came back to him and Machito already knowing what she was going to say acted stupid and said you need to stay away from drinking look at you coming back for more. Mari looked at him and said have you seen my keys? Machito said no and if I saw them I wouldn't give them to you because you're drunk and you could hurt yourself. Mari started looking around and Machito determined to calm her down said I'll take you home just stay put a little longer and when I find your keys I'll bring them back to you and place them in your mailbox. When the bar was closing Machito woke up Mari and drove her home he walked her up to her door and noticed that her house keys were attached to her car keys so he opened the door to her house and she went in and in her final words before Machito closed the front door she said you better find my car keys! Machito contained his laughter as he closed the door stuffed her keys in her mailbox and left a note saying get a taxi and take your car back home with you your keys are in the mailbox. The next night Machito sees Mari walk back in the bar but this time in a pair of loose jeans and a white top with some blue Converses. She sits down and demands a drink and the same thing happens like the night before only this time an older man who notices that she's drunk decides to sit next to her and try to flirt with her. Now Machito was pretending to not be listening to their conversation as he was spinning bottles and doing cool bartender tricks to impress the people but as soon as he heard the man say let's go over to my place for a while he quickly stopped what he is doing and interrupts their conversation by asking Mari a question “So Mari how is your husband doing?” The older man looks at Machito confused and Machito responds saying yeah she's married with three kids and he works for the government bro ohh she didn't tell you did she? The older man gets up and leaves. Mari looks at Machito and scolds him saying what's wrong with you? Machito then looks directly at her and says YOURE DRUNK MARI and that man just wanted to have sex with you if you had gotten pregnant by this guy you would have regretted it. Mari then gets up frustrated leaving her keys behind and heads towards the exit wobbling from one side to the other. Once again Machito grabs her keys and puts them in his pocket. Mari then comes back into the bar and looks directly at Machito with fire in her eyes and makes her way towards him and says where are my keys I know you took them? Machito says I don't know and you're drunk you shouldn't be driving I'll take you home. Who do you think you are? Replies Mari. Machito smiled and said, I'm just a bartender lady. Now after the bar closed he took her home again and used her keys to open her front door. Mari went inside and said you better find my keys Machito as he closed her front door and placed her car keys in her mailbox once more. Now on the third night as Machito was wiping an empty glass he saw Mari walk-in wearing a pair of black jeans and a cool top with the same black converses as the first night. Mari sat down and looked at Machito quietly. Machito said will you have the usual? Mari replied saying no tonight I want to try something different. Machito said we have water if you like that with a smirk but Mari smiled and said I want to get to know you. Have you already been drinking at another bar? Replied Machito. Mari said I saw how you left my keys in my mailbox the first night you took me home I have cameras and realized how kind you are but wanted to see if that would change on the second night I came back but you did the same thing and I think you could change my mind. Machito looked at her calmly and said just don't leave your keys at the bar while wiping an empty glass Mari with eyes of determination took out her keys and left them on the counter then looked at Machito smiled and headed towards the exit. The older guy who tried hitting on her a day back noticed the keys on the counter but Machito fixing up the bottles noticed him and said “Don't even think about it.”
(To be continued) (warning this is a story do not attempt to actually do something like this if you work at a bar)
© Machito