Chapter Twenty (20)

Chapter TWENTY – Head Bartender

Richie was behind the bar when Jack walked in just before 4:00 pm. The music was on, and the Bee Gees hit ‘Stayin’ Alive’ was playing loudly. Jack had come around to tolerating the disco genre, even liking some of it like the Bee Gees.

The disco scene was what the dopers of the day called “a real trip.” Some who were only into acid rock would have called it a “bum trip.” Jack eventually learned to disco dance a little. With the right woman he even enjoyed doing ‘The Bump,” but he stayed far away from some of the more popular dances of the day, particularly those group dances like ‘The Hustle’ and ‘The Bus Stop.’ He thought the people who really got into that shit were suffering from group hypnosis. He knew that was stretching it a bit but, in his mind, dancing was a personal mode of expression. Or, at least, that’s what he told himself.

“Hey buddy! Thanks for coming in early,” Richie said.

“Sure thing. Is Eddie off today?”

“Eddie ain’t with us anymore.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah, really. He was dipping into the stock. We caught him red-handed and had to cut him loose.”

“Damn. I never saw that coming.”

“I did. I never thought he’d go out like that, but he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. I thought he might self-destruct at some point.”

“You got a replacement?”

“Well Bud and I were thinking that you might make a great head bartender. Are you interested?”

“What about Jaycee, Teri or Dan?”

“Hey, they are great bartenders, but we don’t see any leadership qualities and we need someone sharp who can think on their feet. You were a manager before the Army, weren’t you?

“Yeah, at a Mr. Steak restaurant but that was back in high school.”

“Well, if you showed your stripes as a teenager then you probably still have them. We think you are the man for the job. And if it works out and you like it after 90 days Bud wants to move you up to Assistant General Manager. What do you say?”

“When do I start?”

“As soon as you punch in.”