Berries and Greed

Back on the street, I sighed and kept walking, feeling a little dejected. Maybe I should go back and just ask. A job was a job. Maybe he’d actually be really nice, or sympathetic, or even impressed if I told him I’d spent years making wine.

I stopped and glanced back at the wine merchant uncertainly. I needed to get a damn job. I couldn’t keep letting Greid buy us dinner every night and pay my share of the bills. I should go back and ask. I had to go back and ask. It was the one thing I actually had a modicum of experience in.

Just as I was about to turn back, a place across the street caught my eye. The fancy sign above the door declared it Abyss, and it looked dark through the windows, but I was pretty sure I could see bottles lining the back wall.

Maybe it was a competing wine merchant. Maybe this owner wouldn’t be so snooty. After checking for cars, I hurriedly crossed the road and peered into the window. My shoulders slumped with disappointment. It wasn’t a wine shop, it was a bar. A swanky-looking bar, with lots of low leather seating and stained-glass lanterns waiting to be lit on dark wood tables. A big gleaming bar stood in the centre, and there was a single demiurgus standing beside it, polishing champagne glasses.

I stepped back so I wouldn’t look like a creep peering in through the windows at her, but as I began to walk away, my eyes snagged on a discreet sign by the door.

‘Vacancy – bar staff,’ it said. ‘Enquire inside.’

My pulse leapt. Holy crap. There was a real job being offered in this place. They were actually looking to hire someone. My heart started hammering in my throat as I peered inside again. It looked fancy—old-fashioned in an expensive, intentional way.

Palms sweating, I reached for the door. I had to. I had to go in and try.

You’re brave, Beryl. I suddenly heard Greid’s voice in my head, steeling my resolve.

Be brave. Be brave be brave be brave.

My face flamed red when the door wouldn’t open, body prickling with heat. The demiurgus looked up at the sound of the handle rattling, setting the cloth and champagne flute down on the bar to walk over and unlock the door.

She gave me a polite smile as she pulled it open. “Hi there. I’m afraid we’re not open for brunch yet.”

“Oh, I’m not—” My cheeks grew even hotter. “I just wanted to ask about the job?”

Her yellow eyes sparked with interest. “Oh, great.” She held out her hand, her claws painted a deep, subtle blue. “I’m Mani, the manager.”

“Lovely to meet you. I’m Beryl.” I shook her hand and tried to give her a confident smile.

“I have about…” She checked her watch. “Twenty minutes before we open, if you want to have a chat now?”

“Sure, sounds good. Thank you.”

I followed her over to the bar, and we both perched on the plush stools with metal backs. Mani smiled at me again, her gaze slightly assessing as she looked me over, before asking, “Do you have your resumé with you?”

I managed to suppress my wince. Greid had offered to help me write a resumé, but it had felt so pointless as I’d read the endless, impossible job listings online.

Knowing I was already about to fuck this up, I said, “I don’t, I’m afraid. I actually—I recently moved here and it’s… been a big change.”

That didn’t even make any sense, but Mani just looked at me in silence for a few seconds before sitting back.

“Okay,” she said evenly. “Well, why don’t I tell you a little about the job?”

I nodded, swallowing around the lump in my throat. I already felt pathetic. Why had I ever thought I could do this?

“It’s a full-time position, which means day and night shifts. We open at eleven for brunch, when we serve some small dishes to soak up the booze.” Mani waved a hand. “And we’re open until four a.m., but it’s only the demiurgus staff who take the last shift.”

Hesitantly, I asked, “So you have other humans working here?”

Mani gave me a tiny smile. “One human, yeah. He’s always asking if we can take on another so the older ladies stop flirting with him so much when they’ve had a few too many.”

I managed a weak laugh, knowing I wasn’t selling myself at all. My leg was bouncing nervously, and I saw Mani glance at it before she gave me another small smile.

“I have been thinking about taking another human on to try and mix up our clientele a bit.” She gestured toward the windows. “More humans come into this part of the city now, and the bar down the street caters to them more heavily, so they get more of their business.”

“Oh, right,” I said, then forced myself to add, “Yeah, I’ve noticed a few humans in this area.”

“So you moved here recently?”

“Yes.” I cleared my throat. “I was… Yeah, just a couple of weeks ago. It’s a really nice area.”

“It is,” she agreed, then leaned forward and lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Lots of yuppies with too much money and a propensity for drinking away the stresses of their high-powered jobs.”