The drinks are on me


    On his last day, Geoff left work early - he’d been taking it pretty easily for most of the afternoon anyway. He wanted to get to the pub to arrange payment for the drinks, as well as stake out a corner of the bar for the crowd he was expecting to help celebrate his resignation. After nine years he had finally built up the courage to leave Eastwest Finance. He was starting his own business - a mobile handyman service.
    “I want to set up an account,” he told the woman at the bar. “I’m expecting a lot of people here pretty soon, and I want to cover their drinks.”
    “And how did you want to pay for that?”
    Geoff thumbed through his wallet while making a series of calculations in his mind. He only had about twenty dollars in small notes and change, and was expecting around thirty people. At two drinks each he would need well over a hundred dollars.
    “Credit,” he replied, after a moment, handing the woman his plastic card.
    Geoff bought a drink for himself, then found a prominent spot at the bar where he was sure to be seen. He stood there clutching his drink, and surveyed the crowd. At this hour the bar was filling with people, mainly young men - dirty, sweating workers from the nearby industrial estate. They were coarse and loud, and Geoff let himself be pushed aside as they gathered along the bar. He had told everyone to come at six o’clock, but by quarter past he was still alone, feeling increasingly uncomfortable. By the time the first of his work colleagues arrived, Geoff had been relegated to a far corner of the room.
    “Why are you hiding over here?” asked Mary. “We almost didn’t see you!”
    Mary had come with Jeanette. They were part-time workers from Processing. Both in their forties with husbands and children. Geoff didn’t know either of them very well.
    “Where is everyone?” said Geoff loudly, over the din of the crowd.
    “We saw Ray out in the carpark,” replied Jeanette. “And I think some of the younger ones are on their way.”
    “Would you girls like a drink?”
    “Nothing for me, thanks Geoff,” said Mary. “I really can’t stay long.”
    “Just a Diet Coke, thanks,” added Jeanette.
    As Geoff pushed his way to the bar he caught sight of Ray, the Assistant Manager of Eastwest Finance, wading through the crowd towards him.
    “Hi Ray,” he called. “Can I get you a drink?”
    “Just a light beer, thanks Geoff,” nodded Ray, as he joined Mary and Jeanette in the corner.
    Geoff hadn’t expected to see Ray Bartlett. A bitter and difficult man in his fifties, he was one of the few people in the company who had fully embraced the management’s new regime of ruthlessness. He and Geoff had argued regularly in recent months. But with the backing of the hierarchy in Head Office, these disagreements were invariably won by Ray. He was one of the main reasons Geoff was leaving Eastwest.
    “You’re going to be missed,” said Ray, sipping on his beer. “Although I’m sure Theresa will do a good job. She’s got a great future.”
    “Yeah, I’m sure,” nodded Geoff.
    His position had already been filled by one of the supervisors - Theresa from the Accounts Department - a dedicated and hard-working woman who had long coveted a management job in Sales. With the full endorsement of Ray and Head Office, her appointment was a formality.
    “Is Theresa coming?”
    “She was still working on some reports when I left,” said Ray. “You know Theresa. You’ve got to drag her away.”
    As the group slipped into an awkward silence, a shouting from across the room caught their attention. It was Colin, Tim and Jill, three of the junior clerks from Geoff’s department.
    “Geoffrey! Geoffrey!” called Colin, in a mocking voice, as the others burst into laughter. Colin was the clown of the branch. Geoff found him tiresome, probably because he seemed to bear the brunt of Colin’s jokes. “We couldn’t find you, so we went over and had a go on the pokies.”
    “I’ve been here since quarter to six,” replied Geoff.
    But Colin had already shifted his attention to Ray, and they were busy slapping each other on the back and wisecracking. Colin had mastered the knack of being able to endear himself to the people who mattered - Ray Bartlett mattered, Geoff did not.
    “The drinks are on me,” said Geoff, to Tim and Jill. “Just tell them you’re with Eastwest Finance.”
    “We’re right, thanks,” replied Tim, holding up the glass in his hand.
Jill grinned and nodded. She also already had a drink.
    “Do you know if anyone else is coming?” asked Geoff. “Kay and the girls? Dean? What about Barry?”
    “Nah! Bazza can’t make it,” said Colin, overhearing Geoff’s question. “He’s got something else on.”
    “I think Sharon said she was coming,” offered Jill. “I don’t know about the others.”
    The group fell into conversation then - Mary and Jeanette talked about their kids; Colin, Tim and Ray about football; while Jill asked Geoff about his plans for the future.
    “Nine years, eh!” she said, after asking Geoff how long he had worked at Eastwest Finance. “I was still in Primary School nine years ago!”
    “Yeah, it’s a fair chunk of time,” he replied, then upon noticing that her glass was empty. “Can I get you another drink?”
    “No thanks, I really shouldn’t. I’ve had a couple already. I’ve got to drive home.”
    “What about a soft drink?
    “No thanks, I have to get going soon.”
    Geoff turned to ask the others if they wanted a refill, and noticed for the first time that they had been joined by Kevin - one of the clerks from Accounting. Geoff had only spoken to him a couple of times. He was funny looking - with thick bushy hair, big nose, and squinting mole-like eyes - but seemed nice enough.
    “Oh...er...Kevin, can I get you a drink, mate?”
    “A lemon squash would be great, thanks Geoff,” blinked Kevin.
    As Geoff pushed his way to the bar once again, he reflected on the disappointing turnout. What had happened to all the people who had said they were coming? Bruce and Julie and the two Gregs! And there was no-one from Admin! Of course, he hadn’t expected to see the Branch Manager, Stan Thede. He never came to these sorts of functions. Stan’s goodbye had consisted of a quick handshake while Geoff had been using the photocopier.
    “A lemon squash, a Diet Coke and a VB Light,” said Geoff at the bar. “Put it on my account.”
    By the time he returned, Mary and Jeanette were getting ready to leave.
    “All the best, Geoff,” waved Mary.
    “Thanks for the drink,” added Jeanette.
    Kevin shuffled alongside Geoff, sipping hesitantly at his lemon squash.
    “So, your last day, hey?” he said.
    “Yep,” nodded Geoff. “My last day.”
    “And you’re starting your own business, aren’t you? A mobile mechanic, wasn’t it?”
    While Geoff explained his plans to Kevin, Jill also decided to leave, disappearing with a brief wave and shout of “goodbye”. Geoff had known Jill since she started with Eastwest three years ago. He had imagined a more heartfelt farewell from her - maybe even a kiss! Ray’s football discussion with Colin and Tim seemed to have fizzled, and they were staring awkwardly into their drinks.
    “Well, I’d better make a move,” announced Ray, draining the last of the beer from his glass. “The missus will be wondering where I am.”
    “Good luck,” he said, shaking Geoff’s hand firmly. “I hope it all works out for you.”
    “Thanks, Ray,” said Geoff, then adding to the others, as Ray disappeared into the crowd: “Can I get you guys another drink?”
    “Nah! We’re gonna get going too,” replied Colin.
    “We’re meeting some people in town,” said Tim. “Y’know, check out a few nightclubs.”
    “Okay...well...er...sure,” said Geoff. “Have a great time then, I guess.”
    They shook hands with Geoff and left, already deep in discussion about their plans for the evening. Geoff turned back to Kevin, who was busy blowing his nose. He recalled the conversation he’d had with his daughter that morning; “I’m having farewell drinks at the pub after work tonight, so I’ll be home late.” He looked at his watch - it wasn’t even seven thirty.
    “Is anyone else coming?” said Kevin, as though reading Geoff’s thoughts.
    “No, I think this is it,” said Geoff, with a shrug. “I guess a lot of people couldn’t make it.”
    They both took a sip from their drinks, and looked off into the crowd, which was growing more boisterous as the evening wore on. A group of workers from the local real estate office were celebrating a birthday. They sang loudly and tunelessly to an embarrassed young woman whose face had turned scarlet. Then they presented her with a gift, and cheered when she tried to thank them - her eyes filling with tears.
    After watching the group for several minutes Geoff realised that he had been ignoring Kevin, who stood awkwardly by his side nursing an empty glass. Geoff spoke suddenly, as though snapping out of a trance.
    “I might just settle my account with the bar,” he said, emptying the last of his Diet Coke. “Did you want another of those?”
    “No, it’s okay thanks. I’ve got to get going myself,” replied Kevin.
    “Sure.”
    Geoff made his way to the bar, and after waiting several minutes, was served by the same bartender who had helped him earlier.
    “That’ll be sixteen dollars fifty,” she said, after tallying up his account. She held his card, about to run it through the imprinter, but added: “Did you still want to charge that to your credit card, or would you rather pay in cash?
    Geoff opened his wallet, fingered the few notes, checked the small change. He didn’t know why, but the answer embarrassed him, and he felt he was sharing some terrible secret with the woman. He blushed as he handed her the notes.
    “Cash.”



original image courtesy Kevin Connors @ www.morguefile.com



Return to Fiction