The Fuzzy End of the Lollipop

The Fuzzy End of the Lollipop: Chapter Four

"What the hell are you doing here?" demanded Ellias as he came into the kitchen.

Sally looked up startled. She was wrapped in an apron, with a potato in one hand and a peeler in the other. Her knuckles were covered in blue plasters and dark circles hung under her eyes.

"I told you not to come in this early," shouted Ellias as he inspected Sally's cut-up fingers, "You are not getting paid, go home and enjoy your sleep."

 "I don't mind," Sally protested, "Honestly."

 "You might not mind but my peelers certainly do, they are meant to peel vegetables, not overly enthusiastic girls."

Sally put her hands in her pockets, "I am still getting the hang of it."

"I can see that," retorted Ellias as he took the peeler away from her. "If you want to make yourself useful go polish the glasses or something, just leave my vegetables alone." Sally obeyed him and trudged out onto the pub floor.

As she pushed through the swing doors she came face to face with Lorenzo. "Darling, do you ever leave this place? You look exhausted. Tut tut, go get yourself an Espresso." Sally smiled but did not say anything. Lorenzo was right, she was exhausted but her two-week probation was coming to an end and she was determined to prove her worth.

"Please," Sally whispered as she leaned against the bar, "Please let me keep this job." Slowly, she crouched down and fished out a packet of crisps that was hidden under the till. Maya had shown her this hiding place a couple of days ago. Whenever there was a lull she would beckon Sally over and they would share a packet of whatever crisps had gone off that week. It was usually salt and vinegar but Sally did not mind, she was just glad to be a part of something.

Her short time at the pub had been full of instances like that. All the usual formalities of the workplace were somehow banished, letting relationships flow easily from colleague to friend. At first, Sally presumed it was some sort of trap. She had always used politeness and social norms as tools to protect herself and the loss of this tactic left her well-hidden vulnerabilities out in the open. Terrified, she braced herself for an attack but it never came making her barricade look ridiculous next to their open hearts.

"You alright Sally?" Came a voice from above. Sally jumped and looked up. Maya was standing on the other side of the bar, peering down at her.

"I thought you were supposed to be in at two-thirty?" asked Maya, as Sally offered her a crisp.

  Sally's cheeks burned, "I came in a bit earlier, I thought Ellias might want some help."

 "I bet he loved that," scoffed Maya. "Anyway, you coming tonight?"

Sally's stomach squirmed but she nodded regardless, "Yeah at the back table right?"

"That's it, Clyde will be so pleased."

"Okay," Sally nodded, determined not to back down again. Clyde had invited Sally to their legendary lock-ins every single day this week, but she had never had the guts to attend.

"If you are feeling lucky, he might make you one of his famous cocktails" grinned Maya.

"Don't do it Sally!" shouted Ellias from the kitchen, "You will regret it in the morning."

 Sally laughed and tried to breathe deeply. She knew her fears were exaggerated but they were certainly not unjustified. Before London, her past friendships had fallen together the way all friendships do when both parties are wounded. Their shared pain created a patched-up relationship that bonded over mutual hardships. A secret pact ensured the surface of their relationship was never broken, leaving each person's inner world untouched and unacknowledged. Selfishly, both parties used each other to keep themselves safe and distracted. It was a survival tactic and nothing more but Sally longed for something new. One day, she hoped to stay close to someone long enough for her roots to sink far into the earth, finally creating the foundation she needed to blossom.

That afternoon Maya joined Sally at the back of the pub for lunch.

"What have you got there? Asked Maya.

"Peanut and butter sandwich," replied Sally. "What about you?"

"My sister's boyfriend made this massive curry last night, so I got the leftovers from that."

"Very fancy."

"Yeah, the perks of having a boyfriend I guess. Are you single?" Sally froze. For the past two weeks, she had tiptoed along the fine line between colleague and friend but Maya's constant questions were making it more and more difficult to balance between the line she had drawn out for herself. 

"You don't need to answer if you don't want to," said Maya, "I just thought that maybe..."

"No, it's okay, I mean I am single, but yeah, are you?"