Jack's Place Ch. 01

Author's Comment: Parts of this story has been roaming around my mind for a couple of weeks, so I thought I would put my thoughts down and make a story out of it. It's about a man's life after getting out of the service and trying to put his life on track. Hope you enjoy it.

I'm breaking it down into three short chapters. I hope you stay and read all three chapters. I'll submit another chapter when the previous one is published.

Hi! My name is Jack Balo. I live in Zanesville, Ohio about sixty miles east of Columbus off highway I-70. I own a tavern or I guess you can call it a bar and grill. I think our English cousins would call it a "Pub."

I would like to share with you about my start in this business as well where it took me. For more background, I will share a little about my past a little later in the story.

Well, one day, about the middle of the afternoon, I was behind the bar cleaning up some glasses and restocking fridges. I looked up and, neatly dressed and very good looking woman, walked up to the bar.

"Can I help you?" I asked.

"Yes please, my name is Jill Bishop and I would like to speak to the manager or owner," she replied.

"Glad to meet you, Jill. I'm Jack Balo! I own this humble abode, I am both the manager and owner," I said with a slight smile. "What can I do for you Mrs. Bishop?"

"It's Ms. Bishop now as I'm recently divorced; and please call me Jill. I'm looking for work and since I have previous experience work working in a tavern, I would like to fill out an application. I was a bartender in Kentucky and can make most any drink. I'm also willing to work any shift and even part-time to start if you like."

I looked closely at her and she looked friendly. To be honest she was also really pretty, maybe in her mid-thirties. "Before you fill out an application, I would like to talk to you and get to know more about you. I know there are new rules about want an employer can ask and if I accidentally cross that line you don't have to answer it. Let me tell you about my bar; it might help you decide if you're interested in working here.

"As I said, I'm the sole owner. My brother Will works with me; he is here on the night shift starting at six 'til we close. He's also the assistant manager; and is responsible for that shift. I have two other men who work the bar and four women who are waitresses, but a couple of the women are able to work the bar if needed.

"My workers are all part-time, except Will, but some weeks they work quite a few hours. Oh, I also have an older fella who comes in at closing and cleans the place up. He's also full time. I run the day shift. I open at eleven and we do serve lunch. We work six days and are closed on Sundays since we all need a day of rest after a very busy week constantly on our feet.

"Speaking of food, I forgot to mention that I have a short order cook and she has a helper. We basically serve sandwiches and Mary, our cook, serves something up special each day. What I'm looking for is someone else to help more or less full time, on the day shift. They would start at ten and work till six. We are rather a busy place and sometimes rent the place out for parties and receptions. We pay good wages with benefits and the workers keep all their own tips. They must be reported for tax purposes.

"During your shift there is no drinking alcoholic beverages but you would be entitled to eat lunch here at no cost.

"Since we serve food, employees, if they smoke, they must smoke outside.

"No free drinks are allowed to be given out without my or Will's ok. If you have a guest here for dinner they can eat at half-price and the same goes if you want to eat but are not working. Now it's your turn, tell me a little more about yourself."

"I was born and raised in Kentucky at Olive Hill, just outside of Cincinnati Ohio, but on the other side of the River. My parents died a few years ago. I have a sister who lives here and a brother who still lives in Kentucky. I went to college and graduated with a degree in business management. I was married for ten years to my husband Joe. We owned a small bar that we inherited from his parents. I thought we had a good marriage until I caught him cheating. I tried to forgive him but then I caught him again with his friend's wife. He tried to get me to go to a swingers' party but I outright refused. We argued over and over and then I asked for a divorce. Luckily, we never had any kids since I unfortunately had to have a partial hysterectomy a year after we got married."

"He went to his lawyer and got the divorce papers. He told me if I signed the bar over to him and agreed to filling out the divorce papers under irreconcilable differences he would agree to the divorce.

"I filled out the papers and signed them. There wasn't any kind of financial settlement or alimony. We each had our own bank accounts. I left that night with my personal things and I moved down here.

"My younger sister's husband passed away two years ago of cancer and it was hard on her and her two teenage kids to make a go of it. I'm looking for a job to help her meet expenses. That is why I am out job hunting. Please may I apply for that job?"

I handed her an application and asked her if she would be able to start the day after tomorrow. I told her I would put her on as a 'temporary' for a couple of weeks and see how she worked out and if she liked the work environment.

After filling out the paperwork, Jill gave it back and left. As she headed out the door for her sister's place one thought stood out: 'For some reason I really, really want this job. I so much want to fit in here.'

Things went very well. All my other employees liked her; especially the guys. For work she wore nice blouses and slacks or jeans. She always dressed nicely (she looked good in anything) and seemed to always have a warm smile for everyone. She was so nice that her personality exuded friendliness.

As an experienced and truly professional barkeeper, she was a good listener, but also knew how to keep control of conversations while keeping her mind on her job at all times. She obviously had a very strong personality and certainly was not shy as I would learn again and again.

During her trial period a few of our regular customers ordered a lot of odd ball drinks just to see if she was able to make them, and she never failed, delivering them with her infectious grin. More importantly, she was very helpful with the waitresses and helped them as she could when they were busy. Not surprisingly she did quite well with the tips. The customers really related to her soft accent and bubbly personality. It certainly was infectious. She was so nice and her personality exuded friendliness. Not only men, but also women seemed to gravitate towards her. I noticed that more first-time visitors became return customers than previously.

Quite a few customers flirted with her but, I noted, she was able to handle it quite well. I did tell her that if she had a problem to let me know

After her first two weeks, she asked to talk to me privately. I took her back into the small office.

"Is there a problem?" I asked as we sat down, "Is there anything special you want? I know your two weeks are up and I was meaning to talk with you, and let you know how glad I am that I hired you. Is there anything I can do for you. If I haven't told you directly before, your work is outstanding and both customers and staff really like you. You are planning on staying with us, aren't you?"

I really did like her a lot but was trying to keep a strictly professional manner with her. I had to admit it bothered me a lot when customers flirted with her. Even my brother was thinking of asking her out. I just didn't want to face the fact that it was jealousy, caused by how strongly I was attracted to her.

She gave me that radiant smile that just warmed my heart. "Jack, I love my job and you have been an excellent boss, a very good manager and the other employees have all been really helpful. But I have a big problem. I would really like to get to know you better. I noticed you had no wedding ring but your brother told me you had a daughter. He also mentioned that you were in the service. My sister thought you were a hunk when she met you and asked me why I hadn't asked you out. I really do like you and wondered if you would like to go out for dinner with me and tell me more about yourself. A lot of customers as well as your brother have asked me out, but it's you I'm interested in; getting to know you personally and not just as a very good boss. So,... well to be direct, would you like to go on a date with me?"

I was flabbergasted that this very special woman wanted to date me. "Wow! I wasn't expecting that. Jill, I like you a lot, but... (I stammered)... I've always had a policy not to date my employees. Doing so never worked out well in the past."

"Well, could that change?"

"I suppose... I could think about it. Who knows maybe some time in the future that policy could change. But Jill,... well you are a very good employee with many talents and... well... just know I will always be here for you and will always have your back. I certainly do want you to be my friend. Are you ok with that?"

She blushed and looked down for a moment. "Yea, thanks, I guess. I'm a bit embarrassed now after being so direct, after all when a girl sees something very valuable she desires,... well, it is hard not to say something... but don't worry about me" With a catch in her voice she added, "I'm a big girl. Thank you for being so honest and nice."

I just didn't know what to say next, so the conversation ended. She got up to go back to work. Somehow I felt badly like I had really let her down. It bothered me for some time.

A couple of months had gone by and everything seemed to be okay. I really did know deep in my heart that I had developed a strong attraction to Jill but wasn't ready to act on that feeling.

One day a customer came in who often flirted with Jill. He asked her out again and she gently but firmly told him she wasn't interested in dating him. He got loud and belligerent and asked her if she thought she was too good for him.

Jill appeared to be getting nervous so I stepped in. "Carl, don't you get it? She's not interested in dating you. Christ, the way you act toward her no wonder she wouldn't want to date you. If you ever act like that toward her again, I'll ban you from my bar." Surprised by my vociferous defense of her, he quickly apologized to Jill and also to me.

Later Jill thanked me for stepping in. Damn she was a pretty woman. She even leaned in and gave me a kiss on the cheek. A couple of days later I heard Will ask her out. She told him she was sorry but she never had luck dating fellow employees. I had to laugh since she used my line on my brother.

It was about a month later when Mary my cook told me that we hadn't received our food and supplies delivery that morning. She said the company had called and said their truck broke down and they wouldn't be able to bring our delivery until two days later. She said she might make it through one day but not two and wondered if I could send somebody to pick up the things we would desperately need from their warehouse? I told her, "no problem" I would pick it up myself.

It was somewhat of a slow day and I asked Jill if she would like to come with me in the van to the supplier's warehouse, that way she would know where to go if we needed to send her there some other time. I even promised her I would even throw in a lunch. Needless to say, she said she would be very happy to go with me. We picked up everything but the refrigeration products as Mary said she could wait for the new delivery time since she had enough to get by until then.

We headed out to the market and got all our supplies and dry and canned food stuff, then went to a nice restaurant nearby for lunch. After ordering, she began asking me more questions about my life.

"Jack a good-looking woman came in the bar yesterday," she said with a look of some concern. "She went up to Will but she called him Uncle Will. I asked him later if that was your daughter and he said it was but if I wanted to know more, I would have to ask you."

"Jill, yes that was my daughter, her name is Kim. She is engaged and wants to know if she can have her reception at 'Jacks Place'."

After a pause I decided to tell Jill my story. So, while we eating, I took the opportunity to fill her in about some more of my past.

When I was in high school, I admitted I had become somewhat of a bully. I got in fights quite often and my parents said I was a bad influence on Will. They sent me to live with my uncle Bob to see if he could help me change. He owned this tavern. I lived with him my junior and senior years and worked at the bar cleaning it up after school for the evening's rush that started with happy hour.

After I graduated, he told me I should enlist in the army. He said that I needed more discipline in my life and the army would certainly teach me discipline; make a real good man out of me.

I did join the army and went to basic training. I got a couple of weeks off after basic training and saw my parents and my uncle. While visiting I dated a couple of girls. I then returned to base and soon we were headed overseas to Iraq.

Entering a war zone, I couldn't contact anyone for a few months. When I did finally get a letter from uncle Bob, he asked me if I knew a woman named Cathy Something-or-other? He said she stopped by the bar and was pregnant and claimed I was the father. He gave me her address and I wrote to her.

I remembered that we did go out once when I was home on leave after basic training and she was one very aggressive hot number; but for me it was just sex. Unfortunately I was careless and it was unprotected sex. Over the next few months, we corresponded. I went to my CO and he had my DNA sent to her. After the baby was born, I got a letter, a copy of the baby's DNA and a picture of the baby. I was the father.

I had the baby added to my army health benefits and also had monthly support payments deducted and sent to her bank account. I promised Cathy that I would support my baby but that we wouldn't be getting married. On my first leave to the states, I went to see Cathy and my baby. She was quite surprised to see me, but I really wanted to see my baby girl. She was amazing. I have to say she was the prettiest baby I've ever seen. She was already walking and had the prettiest smile. She even called me "dada".

Cathy told me that she had become engaged to get married in a few months. Her fiancé

wanted to know if I wanted to give up my parental rights so he could adopt Kim. I told Cathy 'HELL NO!' She was my baby girl and always would be. I realized Cathy's husband would play an important role in raising her, but I wanted her to know me, too.

I visited with them two more times before having to go back overseas. It was the hardest thing I ever did to that point in my life, to leave my baby girl just as we were getting to know each other.

When my four-year enlistment was up, with nothing better to do, I signed up for another four years. I thought about going home to be with my baby girl but I didn't want to confuse and mess up her childhood. What did I have to give her? I did keep paying child support and when Kim started school Cathy sent me her school picture every year. Whenever I got a leave to the United States, I always went to see her. Cathy even let me take her to meet her paternal grandparents. They fell in love with her.

When I had less than a month to go to finish my eighth year, I got a call from Uncle Bob's ex-wife. He had gotten divorced two years before. She said he was dying from pancreatic cancer. She said he had changed his will and he was giving me the bar. He died as I was flying home to see him. I did make it to the funeral. I've seen a lot of death of those close to me in the last eight years but no loss hurt me as much as losing my Uncle Bob who was like a second father to me.

"Well Jill, that's enough for now. I think Mary is probably wondering where her supplies are. By the way, I'm thinking of changing one of my rules."

"Which one? You don't have that many."

"The one about dating employees." She gave me the most loving smile I had ever received. It melted my heart and made her even more attractive.

When we got back, we unloaded the van for Mary. She said it took me long enough and then smiled at Jill. Jill blushed!

End of chapter 1, chapter 2 is on it's way

Thank you for reading my story. Comments are welcome and appreciated.

DG Hear