Bar Girl Ch. 07

"Twenty necklaces," said the waitress, pointing at the man with the spectacles, who waved amiably at Amor.

His expression dropped when he saw the look of horror on Amor's face. Amor looked desperately at Danny.

He looked blank for a few seconds, then jumped up, pointed at No 25, and waved a bundle of notes in the air. "All the Sampaguita you have, for that girl."

He looked from waitress to waitress. One by one they, raised their hands and shook, and called, "Wala."

The whole bar tuned in to the drama.

"Anyone with Sampaguita?" he called.

The waitresses looked from one to another, and shook their heads.

As the number meandered to its end, and the contest was completed, the bespectacled man was looking around, asking, "What's wrong ... have I done something wrong?"

Blen slipped from her hiding place, and slid up to him. "She has her boyfriend..." She pointed to Danny. "... but now she is the prize."

"Aw shit," he responded, "What a fuck up. Here, give him my tickets."

The whole floor was by now, riveted by the unfolding events.

"Here, take my tickets," the bespectacled man called to Danny.

Danny immediately called out, "Any lottery ticket for 30 pesos. All you've got."

"Here, take mine. Don't worry about the pesos," called a voice.

Several more joined in. Blen, taking the bespectacled man's tickets, rushed around collecting the proffered tickets, even the compère offered his. Some parleyed with Danny for his tickets, others sat pat on theirs, considering the chance of a night with Amor not to be passed up for a few trifling pesos.

The compère made a tardy introduction to the result while Danny got in as many tickets as he could. "Well, we have to bring proceedings to an end, so now, in the traditional manner, in reverse order, these are our winners today."

Blen had gone to sit with Danny, and they were attempting to put the tickets in some sort of order.

"Third prize goes to No 8 with 33 necklaces. Come up and get your prize No 8," called the compère.

He interviewed No 8 briefly - name and club - and presented her prize of 500p.

"In second place, No 25 with 42 Sampaguita, come up No 25," he called.

No 25, delighted, climbed onto the stage to accept her 1000p.

At last, he announced, "And finally, in first place with 45 Sampaguita, No 32. Step up No 32."

Amor stepped up, looking dejected.

"I've never seen such a miserable winner," said the compère, "If 3000p can't make you smile, I don't know what can."

He asked her name and bar, and then said, "Well, there's just one more event before we wrap up this evening. Amor is not just the winner of our Dirty Dancing contest, she's also the first prize in tonight's prize draw. The lucky winner will have a free night with Amor to bar-hop, or watch TV, or whatever he can think of to pass the time. But I can tell you this, I overheard Amor introduce herself downstairs as Miss Boom-Boom. Is that right Amor?"

Amor nodded.

"Well, that's the way she plans to spend the evening. And, who will be the lucky guy to put his boom into Miss Boom-Boom tonight. I can tell you this; we have sold all our necklaces this afternoon, that's 1000 pieces. Nearly everyone here has a ticket, and has a chance to take the lovely Miss Amor away."

Danny looked down at the tickets massed in front of him. At most, 200, he thought. The odds were four to one against. He looked up at Amor, and shrugged hopelessly.

The counterparts of the draw tickets were all deposited in a large glass bowl, which was placed in front of the compère. He placed his hand in the bowl, and wriggled it around.

"OK, I'm closing my eyes," he said.

Round and round went his hand, and the counterparts flew about in the jar, then he closed his fingers, and pulled one out. He handed it to Amor.

"Would you read out the number of the winning ticket?"

Amor read haltingly, "Five, four, seven."

"Would the person holding ticket 547 come forward and claim your prize," he intoned dramatically.

Around the bar, customers riffled through their tickets. Blen helped Danny, because he was holding more than anyone else. No one claimed the prize. The compère waited patiently.

After a few minutes, he looked up at Danny, "Have you finished checking your tickets, Sir."

Danny nodded.

"The rules of the draw are, that holders of the ticket must be present and in possession of the ticket at the time of the draw, and must claim their prize within two minutes. If no valid claim is made, a second ticket is drawn, and so on, until we get a winner. The two minutes are up. Last time of calling, does anyone have ticket 547?"

There was no response.

"I will now draw again," he put his hand back into the bowl.

As before, with closed eyes he twirled his hand, drew out a ticket, and handed it to Amor.

"Two, three, six," read Amor.

"Whoever is holding ticket 236, you have two minutes, starting now, to claim your prize, the lovely Miss Amor, also known as Miss Boom-Boom. Would the lucky guy please claim his prize, now?"

Again, tickets riffled, and time passed.

"You have one minute left to claim your prize," intoned the compère.

"30 seconds."

"15 seconds."

" 10... 9 ... 8 ... 7 ... 6 ..."

A high pitched scream shredded the nerves of everyone in the bar. All heads turned. Blen was jumping up and down with her arms in the air, a ticket clamped between the thumb and forefinger of her right hand.

"There's a lady on the right, at the back screaming," announced the compère, "I'm pausing the countdown at 5, to see if this is significant."

Blen continued to shriek, and ran toward the stage, the crowd parting in front of her. She hopped up onto the stage, and handed the ticket to Amor. Amor looked at it, and screamed. She hugged Blen, and they both screamed, and jumped up and down. Amor broke free, and following Blen's route in reverse, ran over and claimed Danny.

"I think we have a winner," announced the compère. "For the remainder of the draws, could you just raise your hand if you hold a winning ticket."

Blen settled up beside Amor and Danny.

After much hugging, and mutual congratulation, Danny turned to Blen. "That was a ticket you were given, wasn't it? If you can remember who's it was I'd like to buy him a drink."

"It was a blue ticket. I think the blue tickets were given to me by..." she paused, frowning quizzically, "... by the compère, I think."

Three heads turned towards the stage. The compère looked over and gave them a theatrical wink.

As the minor prizes were distributed the Tropical Island girls resumed the stages, and the guest dancers changed and made their way back to their home bars.

Outside Tropical Island, Blen said goodbye to Amor who had been bar-fined by Danny, and Girlie who had been bar-fined by Belle, and walked back down Fields to Talent Spot. As she changed again for her evenings work, she reflected with a twinge of jealousy that Precious, Girlie and now Amor were forming attachments while she languished in Talent Spot as resident blow-job girl. She felt lonely and yearned for a boyfriend.

Shortly after beginning her first set, a guy sat up at the stage and flagged her. She bent forward to see what he wanted.

"Hi Blen, I'm Jordan, you may remember me from the Wet-T. I was the videographer."

"Yes, I remember, Siir."

"I'd like to do a photo-shoot with you. Well, with you and your twin actually, I've just seen you both at B.O.W. I think you'd do a good shoot."

"What sort of photo-shoot is it Siir?" queried Blen.

"It's a glamour shoot. We make you look very pretty, and we use the sets on our web sites. Our members like to see shots of pretty Filipina girls, so we do portfolios of one or two girls from various bars every month. I think our members would like to see you."

Blen was reticent. "Is it bold photos?"

"It's very tasteful, you don't have to do anything you don't want to, they're the sort of shots we use to promote tourism," Jordan assured her.

"Where is it?" asked Blen.

"We have a house with a big photo studio, and garden, and a nice swimming pool, we'll do the shoot there. We arrange a car to pick you up and bring you back, and you get 1500p each. Does Monday week suit you, the 2nd of October?"

"Amor has Hygiene on Monday, Siir," said Blen.

"What time does she get back?"

"Well, by two."

"We'll pick you up at two at the lady-house. Tell your twin we would like her too."

"I will ask her, Siir," said Blen, and Jordan bade farewell.

The events at B.O.W had successfully raised awareness of Talent Spot. The dance team, with 'the twins' featuring prominently, had provided the biggest collective tease of the afternoon. A Talent Spot girl had won the dirty dancing contest, and the drama of the prize draw served only to promote the image of Talent Spot girls to the customers. This reflected itself in footfall, and the evening proved busy enough to make Daddy less grumpy.

When Blen returned from the booth with her second customer, Amor and Danny were sitting at a table with Girlie and Belle. They called her over. She waved in recognition, then walked her customer back to his seat, and when he was settled, made her excuses, and went and sat with the two couples.

On one side, Amor leaned into Danny, and he draped his arm around her, and in a mirror image, on the other side, Girlie leaned into Belle, and Belle draped her arm around her. All their eyes shone mistily from glowing faces. For the first time Blen felt a little excluded by her friends. She would have expected to have been sucked into a sisterly clique with Amor and Girlie, but they clearly felt they were part of a couple, and their attention was primarily directed to their partners.

Blen was burning to know the reason for this outbreak of unconfined contentment, but the conversation did not steer itself in that direction. In fact, the conversation positively flagged as the couples basked in the pleasure of each other's companionship. Blen began to feel she was a gooseberry, only there for politeness sake. She finished her drink, and indicated she had business in the rear. She was offered another drink, and for the first time since she started work in the bar, refused it.

As she walked off, Amor and Girlie bestirred themselves, realising that Blen was upset. They made excuses to their partners, and followed Blen into the changing area.

"Blen," called Amor, as they caught up with her, "we have news for you."

She was embraced by her friends in the familiar way, and they squatted down together to exchange gossip.

Girlie went first. "Belle wants me to be her wife."

"But you are not a tomboy," was Blen's startled response.

"She does not want a tomboy. She like me because I am not a tomboy," Girlie explained.

"So what does it mean? How will you be her wife?"

"She will rent an apartment for me, and she will support me, and I will keep a home for her. She will come to stay with me in her vacation."

"And will you work also?"

"Yes, I tell her I like to be with my friends, and she says it is OK," said Girlie.

"When will she rent your house?"

"At Christmas. She will go home tomorrow, but next time."

"Congratulations," said Blen, "but what if you meet a guy?"

"I do not know..." Girlie shrugged her shoulders. "... he must be a nice guy, Belle is nice, and she is so good to me."

"And do you have news also?" Blen turned to Amor.

"Yes. Danny is my boyfriend."

"Oh," said Blen, "Did he tell you?"

"No, but he taked me in his hotel and give me boom-boom. Twice."

"Does that mean he is your boyfriend?" asked Blen, doubtfully.

"It is the way he do it," Amor told her, "He make love to me."

"How do you know that?" Blen remained doubtful.

"You are a cherry girl, you do not understand," Amor said, abruptly.

"Oh!" Blen felt wrong footed, once more, by her virginity. "Then will you want to be in a photo-shoot. It is one week on Monday after Hygiene."

She explained the proposal to Amor, who thought for a few moments. "I will ask Danny," she said.

For the next few days, Blen saw little of her confidant Amor. Amor had captivated Danny and he kept her close. The happy couple would drop into Talent Spot every other night during their daily barhop, but Amor did not return to the lady-house. On Monday evening, they lingered longer than usual in Talent Spot, and Danny bought a couple of ladies drinks for all Amor's house mates. He was leaving on Tuesday.

Girlie's relationship with Belle proved less simple. Belle did not keep Girlie close. Some nights she would bar-fine her, some nights she would invite her to a sneak out after work, but Belle continued her promiscuous enjoyment of her tomboy friends.

Blen kept company with Precious, who returned to the lady-house the day after the B.O.W party. She had accompanied Darren to Manila airport to kiss him passionately farewell as a true girlfriend would, on the hard stand outside departures, while the taxi controllers tried to hustle her away. The taxi had then born her back to the lady-house with her neatly packaged acquisitions, which she locked safely in her locker, together with the gifts showered on her by Klaus.

Blen's locker remained occupied by the few possessions she had brought from Desbilla. She was aware that while Precious and Girlie, and even Amor, with the encouragement and aid of their customers, had begun to adapt their attire to their new lives, her own street dress remained that of a simple provincial girl. Precious sported a watch given her by Darren, and a necklace, and most importantly, a cell phone given her by Klaus.

It seemed ironic to Blen that Precious had had only two customers, which had resulted in two boyfriends, whereas she, who had, had over fifty customers, had not achieved a hint of a relationship. She pined for the day when she was no longer a virgin and could offer complete fulfilment to a chosen customer, as Amor had done to Danny.

Several times the sleeping girls had been disturbed in the night as Precious's phone rang. She had hurried downstairs to chat with Klaus. The following morning Blen would look forward with curiosity to hearing the details of the call.

On Sunday morning, Blen rose early to make her way to morning Mass. While she changed downstairs to avoid disturbing the others, Precious joined her.

"Was that Klaus last night?" Blen asked.

"Yes. He was came home from work and he was lonely, so he called to me. He is missing me."

"Why does he call so late?"

"Because in Europe it is day when it is night here and he is lonely in the evening," said Precious.

"Will he bring you in Europe, then he will not be lonely?"

"He is thinking. He like to be with me, but he does not yet know how?"

"But, he can marry with you. Will you marry with him?"

"He telled to me, that it is not simple like that. He want to be with me, but he has a family at home and there may be jealousy. He has a ex-wife, and he has children. So I must wait his plan."

Blen reflected that even for the most lucky the path to their goal was not smooth or easy.

"I have send a postcard to my mother," said Precious, "she will respond with the Digi-Tel number of Rozel's store, so we can call to our families on my cell phone."

This news lifted Blen's spirits as she badly missed Jesusa and wished to hear how she was benefiting from her remittance.

When Blen left for church, Precious went back to bed.

Blen lit candles, and prayed for Jesusa and her family. She prayed that Klaus would take Precious, Danny would take Amor, and Belle would take Girlie, and she prayed that God would send a good-hearted foreigner to take her away to a better life. Again, when she pressed a 1000p note into the charity box, she wondered, guiltily, how such a small contribution could bring about the transformation of even one miserable life.