Mix Club. 11:00 PM. 24 Rue de l’Arrivee. Paris, France. The night has not even started before the day begun. The club is empty, other than a few lingering bodies standing against the bar. It, like all Parisian nightclubs, was for nocturnal dwelling only and would soon be inhabited by an early morning landscape of drunken behavior and other hedonistic activity. But right now it was desolate, depressing even, nothing more than the murmurs of small conversation and a semi-drowned out upbeat soundtrack. Later on, the atmosphere would be much different.
Another Friday night. Another eight hour shift. Another evening wasted away. He was not the one consuming the provided beverages, but instead dedicated the past two years of his life to bartending. Two years of pouring and mixing strong drinks for people who already had too many. Two years of watching people have fun as opposed to being within the joyous, intoxicated crowd. And within the crowd tonight was a familiar face he hadn’t seen in years.
She came in with another man. He was the type he had seen there before: elegantly dressed, obviously wealthy, and with a superiority complex that was exuded in every nonchalant action made towards someone doing him a service. She acted as if they were strangers. At this point, it felt as if they really were. They used to come to this club together. But now he was on the other side of the bar, watching her instead of being with her. There was always too much activity, the music too loud, and too many people; but all of his sense were fixated on her. He had to get away. He retreated to the smoke room even though it was prohibited during work hours. Puff, puff, puff. Was that really her? Puff, puff, puff. Did she recognize me? Puff, puff, puff. When he returned, she had gone. Maybe she hadn’t been there after all. Maybe he imagined her all along. The static rainbow lights coming from the dancefloor were starting to overwhelm him with extreme emotion. Soon enough the sun would rise, the club would close. The process would start all over again as if so much yet so little had happened that evening. Just another Friday night in Paris for the bartender of Mix Club.
