Part 23

All of the bar staff at The Void were dressed as ghouls which meant their usual attire teamed with some very well applied make up. Delaney stared at Max’s painted face, appreciating the details of the stitches across her forehead.

“I never thought of stitches,” Delaney said as she sat back. “Though did Harley Quinn have a lobotomy? I know she was broken but a lobotomy?” She frowned down at her red and white argyle sweater that she’d teamed with two tone tights, a denim mini, and her combat boots.

“Not sure.” Max frowned then shrugged. “Your eyes look incredible though, Brett did a great job.”

“Well she had plenty of time,” Delaney stirred the straw in her drink a couple of times then looked out at the dance floor where her room mate aka Clark Kent was dancing with one of the many Batman’s in attendance. “That is so wrong,” she muttered with disgust.

“Mitch said the same.” Max grinned and leaned on the bar to chat. “Though genius on her part.”

Delaney couldn’t disagree; throwing a suit over a Superman logo tshirt, slicking back her hair, and sliding on thick rimmed glasses had taken Brett mere minutes to get ready. “Pretty decent last minute effort,” she said.

“Brett was always scary smart and super creative,” Max said.

“Still is.” Delaney gestured to the dancefloor without looking. “She can dance too. We should hate her you know.”

“Ha! I bet you have some moves,” Max scoffed. “Why aren’t you out there with her?”

“I have a sort of, a thing,” Delaney said uneasily as she hunched her shoulders in a shrug and looked down at her drink.

“Sort of a thing eh?” Max smirked. “I had one of those with Mitch you know.”

“What?” Delaney looked up with surprise.

Max nodded. “Completely deluded myself thinking it was just a casual sex thing.”

“Oh no.” Delaney shook her head with a grin. “Though I totally get that with Mitch, I mean why wouldn’t you?”

“Hey,” Max protested with a laugh. “That’s my future husband you’re talking about.”

“Yeah, lucky you.” Delaney giggled. “But that’s not the sort of thing I mean. Have you ever been catfished?”

“Catfished?” Max frowned for a moment then surprise took over. “You mean the internet dating thing where the hot girl turns out to be a fat old guy?” Delaney nodded. “Well you are obviously not a fat old guy so…” Max trailed off so Delaney could fill in the blanks.

“There’s no fat old guy but there is a guy. And I thought…” she looked away not sure she wanted to have this conversation with Quinn’s sister but she couldn’t talk about it with Brett. Brett knew her too well and would know there was more Delaney wasn’t saying. Then she’d poke and prod until Delaney told her everything and then… well Delaney wasn’t sure what would happen then, how Brett would feel about Kelly being Quinn. She met Max’s curious gaze and went with, “I thought he was just a nice normal guy but he’s gorgeous completely out of my league.”

“Oh.” Max’s eyebrows went up. “I don’t know that anyone is out of your league Laney, you’re stunning.”

Delaney grinned and toyed with one of her Harley Quinn styled pony tails. “I do try,” she said with a flutter of her eyelashes. “But this guy dates supermodels and…” she waved her hand in the air as she tried to think back to who Quinn had been linked with. “Fuck, I don’t know actresses.”

“And you apparently,” Max said as she looked down the bar and straightened up. “Whoever he is, he has good taste. Hold that thought,” she added and went to serve a few drinks.

Delaney turned to watch the dance floor as she sipped her second and last drink for the night since she had work in the morning.

“So this thing with this guy?” She turned back at Max’s question. “I wouldn’t worry about who he’s dated in the past. Did you know that Mitch went on a date with my cousin Zander before I met him?” Delaney choked on her drink a little and Max grinned in delight. “I love telling people that. So you see my point?”

Delaney nodded and took a small sip to soothe her throat. “Like I said, lucky you!”

“I know it,” Max said with a smile then pointed at Delaney’s glass. “Get you another?”

“No thanks. I have work in the morning,” she declined.

“I don’t think you’re alone there.” Max sighed. “Not everyone has your regard for work I guess.”

“Well, when you have to deal with people and food, I find it’s better not to be crusty from a big night,” Delaney explained.

“You’re a waitress right? Do you enjoy it?”

“It’s mostly good, you meet interesting people, you know how it is.”

“I hear a but in there?” Max prompted.

“My plan was to work a normal job and then have time to work on my art, send out submission and actually draw. But I work six days a week and it’s exhausting so the other stuff isn’t happening.” Delaney rolled her eyes. “Don’t mind me, I’m just feeling sorry for myself.”

“It’s understandable,” Max said sympathetically. “Did you know we only open four nights a week?”

“Ah, no? That’s… interesting.” Delaney smiled, bemused at the change in subject.

“Yeah.” Max smiled back. “And our customers tip really well. I wonder if you could make the same in four days as you do in six.”

“Really? Oh, really?” Delaney looked around the club then back at Max and stood up to lean over the bar. “Is what you’re wearing the staff uniform or what they’re wearing?” She jerked her head towards the floor of the club where the staff were wearing tight leather and lace in different combination.

“It’s kind of a personal choice.” Max gestured at her fitted black tshirt with the club logo in acid green that she wore with black jeans. “Basic black, splash of colour if you want it.” She shrugged. “If you’re interested we can oraganise a time for you to come in, meet with the other managers, make us a few drinks.”

Delaney didn’t hesitate to say, “Sunday is my day off, will that work?”

Max agreed that it would and promised to organise a time and get back to her before she moved off to serve again. Delaney picked up her drink and sipped it, wondering why she was even thinking about working for Quinn’s sister. It wasn’t like he frequented the club though, kind of hard to do when he was on tour. And the lure of only four days work… if she could make enough to live on and have time to pursue her art, it would be worth the risk of seeing him occasionally anyway.

Read from the start here