Slowly people began to filter into the bar, as expected. From sunrise to sunset the hostel workers had been running around the place, it was no surprise when they came to settle in the bar. The sun was almost down, and while itās light was no longer beating down on the masses, a humid heat still hung in the air. Tati could feel the fabric of her stool stick to the back of her legs, the jean shorts she wore hardly covered her legs. Her dark hair weighed down heavily, matting with sweat at the base of her neck, she did her best to wrap up the messy locks but she had very little luck.
The staff behind the bar had their usual charm, Tati expected nothing less. The tight skin across Camās abdomen beaded with sweat, the girl fanned herself, mentioning the heat. Tati grinned, it was strange to hear an Argentine complain about the heat. Half of the year the northern part of the country was as pleasant as wading through a murky New Orlean swamp, although Budapest summers were intense, their longevity was nothing compared to their home country. āRe calor, claro.ā She affirmed Camās statement, āPero por cuanto aƱos vivĆ© en Argentina, chabon? Eso es nadaa.ā
Speaking with Cam was like a slice of home, she already was like family. Tati had grown up with Camās ex husband, their families would vacation together and spend every birthday and holiday together. When Tati heard of their divorce it broke her heart, she had always been fond of Cameron. The peliroja was a breath of fresh air for Tati, when her family would meet for birthdays Tati and Cam would be on the sidelines drinking beer and sharing spliffs. Tati had heard from relatives that Cam had plans to travel, so naturally Tati offered her a position at the hostel. It wasnāt long until the tattooed vixen found her way to Tatiās home and made it her own.
Max was serving the tables, Tati watched him out of the corner of her eye. While she hated to constantly be breathing over his shoulder, the free spirit had the tendency to piss around and leave the rest of the staff picking up his slack. His good nature made it difficult to yell at him, but when she saw him lifting the hem of his shirt she called out his name sharply. Either he heard her or lost interest because he laughed and carried on with his work, ending up in front of Bass, their longest guest at the moment. He was possibly the longest staying guest that didnāt become staff, but as a famous author he had no reason to work at the hostel. Tati never even offered because she couldnāt imagine the man folding sheets or making small talk with guests, it seemed surreal just to imagine it.
Tati finished the last of her beer when Elise and Keon joined the group. Keon had the same look of a lost puppy he always maintained, Elise just looked happy to be ending the day. Tati hopped to her feet, kissing them each on the cheek as a greeting - ruffling Keonās hair. āGood job today guys,ā she said cheerily. Two beers in thirty minutes, she felt like she could do better. She motioned to Cameron to give her another to take off the edge, it was a very stressful week for her.
A loud crash was heard behind her, she looked to where one of their guests was hunched over the piano. āOi. She threw the phone. Against the wall. Should Iāā Keon started, letting his sentence trail off. It took everything in Tati not to laugh, dealing with a woman in a crisis was perhaps not his strong suit. āAppreciate your initiative bebito, but Iāve got this one.ā She said, patting his cheek affectionately.
Before she walked away, Tati wagged her finger at the rest of the bar staff, āDonāt over serve tonight, remember we have to walk them to the boat from here.ā She warned, turning on her heel to approach the guest she recognized as Violette, the singer who was performing at the festival this weekend. She set down her half gone beer on a table and picked up Violetteās phone gingerly, setting it beside the girl on the bench. The music continued, and Tati didnāt dare interrupt it. She had her own love for piano, itās notes were filled with so much melancholy, eliciting goosebumps along her entire arms.
āImpressive.ā She said when the girl finally finished, Tati motioned to the phone. āHate to be this person, but probably not the safest thing to be throwing your phone at the wall. Tanto fuerza.ā She teased, making herself comfortable at the edge of the bench. āNervous about performing?ā Tati asked, glancing at her staff at the bar, with Max she always felt on edge to try and catch any shenanigans before they became a potential lawsuit. Reaching for her beer, Tati finished the rest and lit her cigarette, finally she felt like she would be able to handle the night.