Gin Fizz

☾︎✯☽︎

I cringed at the sound of the glass shattering on the floor.

“Damnit, Ollie! That’s the tenth lowball glass you broke this week!” Jennie, our lovely bar manager, exclaimed frustrated. She wore an exasperated glare over her sharp facial features as she strode towards the bar.

“Sorry,” I responded.

“Sorry is not going to unbreak the glass you clumsily dropped,” she criticised. “I expect this type of thing from Felix.”

“Hey! I never broke a thing since I started working here!” Felix yelled from the tables.

“Again, I’m sorry. It’s been a work-long week trying to balance regular work and freelance work,” I sighed.

“Well, get it together. The next time you fuck up or break something, it’s coming out of your pay check.” She said before turning her heels to leave for her office.

“As long as it’s coming from just my pay check and not my tips,” I muttered under my breath as I made my way to the back of the bar to retrieve the broom and dustpan. Chaeyoung had already arrived at the bar by the time I returned to clean up the mess.

“Mind the shattered glass,” I cautioned her as I kneeled and got started clearing the glassy mess into the dustpan.

“What happened?” she asked.

“Someone was being clumsy and now we have broken glass on the floor. That’s what happened,” I responded.

“That clumsy person being you?” she mused. 

“Bingo.”

“Seems unlike you.”

Well, everything seems unlike me these days and not even I understand why that is, I thought as I got up on his seat and walked over to the nearest trashcan. Once upon a time, I was just a simple guy with strong morals who knew how to separate his work and personal life. Then all of a sudden, I found myself in a weird situationship with a co-worker and I don’t even know how that happened.

Well, I did. I was just trying to wrap my head around how and why I let it happen in the first place.

“Everything okay?” Chaeyoung asked.

“I’m fine, Chae. Just having a weird week is all.” I answered.

“Or it could be a girl,” Jin chimed into the conversation as he took a seat at the bar.

I arched an eyebrow. “What brought you to that conclusion?”

“Because you’ve been like this ever since Lisa kissed you. That and I’m a bored troll looking for drama and tea,” he smirked mischievously. 

I narrowed my eyes at him. I wasn’t at all surprised by his response, but I was annoyed at him, nonetheless.

“So, who is this lovely but mysterious lady who’s occupying your headspace, hyung dearest.” Jin placed his chin on top of his interlaced hands.

“No one you should be concerned about, Seokjin,” I answered bluntly.

“My, my! Using full names are we? Must be serious?” he wiggled his eyebrows.

“No!” I said forcefully but caught myself. “No, we’re just talking.”

“So there is a girl?”

There was a brief pause before I mumbled with a slight blush on my cheeks, “I won’t confirm nor deny that fact.”

“Oooh! Don’t be shy. Fill my cup.”

“You don’t have a cup.”

“Shut up! You know what I mean.”

There was another pause and I shrugged. “She’s just someone I’ve been talking to for some time but it’s nothing serious.”

“Is it Lisa?” he teased.

“No! That ship sailed and sunk after that kiss. You know I don’t date co-workers,” I snapped.

“Alright! Jeez. Defensive much,” Jin rolled his eyes before turning to Chaeyoung. “You’re awfully quiet.”

“Hey, leave me out of this,” she raised her hands and walked away.

He rolled his eyes, “Anyways, so what’s the deal with mystery girl then?”

I averted my eyes from his and brushed my fingers through my hair, looking a bit lost in thought. “I don’t know. As I’ve said, we’ve only talked and hung out a few times. She’s good company to have around, but I don’t know if it’s anything serious. It’s too early to tell.”

“Why?”

“Because I have a problem liking a girl and stopping halfway the moment the crush or interest wears off and becomes nonexistent.”

Jin gave me a perplexed look. “Have you ever been in a relationship before?”

I shook my head. “Never saw the need or the appeal for it. It’s not really my forte and I don’t see myself committing to anyone.”

“So why bother entertaining this girl if that’s where your mind is at, hyung?”

I wish I knew.

Suddenly, my phone started ringing in my pocket. I sighed when I saw my father’s name on my screen. “I gotta take this.”

I quickly made my way to the back to answer the call. “Hey, Pa. Now is not a good time.”

“When is it ever a good time?” I could sense him rolling his eyes. “I thought I could check on my one and only son, but apparently my presence is a luxury.”

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.

“Anyways, there’s something I want to talk to you about,” his tone suddenly became serious.

I arched an eyebrow. Unlike me, my father isn’t always the serious type of man. He’s usually upbeat, jolly and jovial for the most part. The only time he’s ever acted out of his usual self is usually when he brings up serious, difficult and potentially touchy subjects when it was necessary.

“What is it?” I asked.

“It’s about your mother.”

I froze. I clenched my jaw and tightened my grip on my phone. “What does she want?” I asked, my voice void of any emotion.

“She reached out to me recently and said that she wants to talk to us both,” my father said gently and cautiously. “She didn’t go into the specifics as to why other than that it was important.”

“I see…” I answered.

There was silence between us. Dad must have been waiting for my response knowing how I felt about him bringing my estranged mother and why he even bothered entertaining her in the first place. So, I took a deep breath and thought very carefully about what I wanted to say.

“While I do appreciate you telling me this, I want nothing to do with her.”

“Ollie—”

“I’ve moved on with my life, Pa. I don’t see any benefit from revisiting the past and I certainly don’t see why she thought she could just waltz back into our lives and act like she never left us.”

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. I could hear him breathing slowly and steadily. I knew that he was going to respect my decision and not impose, but I also knew that deep down he hoped that I was going to give it a chance and at least hear her out. He may have thought that it would help with seeking closure for both of us, but in reality, it was he who wanted closure. I had already made peace with her absence and moved on.

Finally, my father spoke, “I understand, son. I won’t impose this on you if it’s not what you want. But just know that if you ever change your mind, she’ll listen. I’m sure she’s changed.”

“I doubt that, but thanks,” I smiled bitterly before hanging up the phone.

I stood outside, thinking about the conversation I had with my father and decided to push it at the back of my head and focus on the present. I had a life to live, one that didn’t include my estranged mother.