Bartender pt.1
Taehyung x reader
PG-13 - angst? fluff?
alcohol, cigarettes, suggestive language
4244 words
In which you become involved with a hot bartender.
pt.1 | pt.2
HO NOTE: The first part of this is an edited re-upload.
It wasn’t like you to come to a bar by yourself, but after a long day of work, you decided to stop by for a quick drink. Your coworker was hitting on you’ll day, and had asked you out again. You declined, but on your way home, you spontaneously decided to get a drink by yourself at a bar you’ve never been to. It was a hole-in-the-wall type of establishment, but you’d heard that their drinks and live music were noteworthy.
You parked your car and looked at yourself from the car’s small mirrors. You were still in business clothes, but it didn’t matter. You didn’t have the time to care about people judging your appearance.
You took your hair out of its neat ponytail and sighed. My life’s been really boring lately. You didn’t want to admit it to yourself, but it was right. You didn’t mind your desk job. Work was mundane, but you were only a few years out of college and got into a company that you could move up in the hierarchy. Your job paid well, but you were too absorbed with your job to go out with your friends anymore.
You shrugged off your self-realizations before they became to bleak, and headed to the bar. You were greeted by soft piano music and relaxed decor. It wasn’t too grungy and hipster, like the bars you went to when you were younger, but it wasn’t too posh and pretentious either. You liked the aesthetic and vibe of this bar already. You headed towards the bar and sat down. There were a couple of people already sitting at the bar, waiting for their drinks. Otherwise, the bar was pretty much empty. The bartender’s back was faced towards you as he was preparing his customers’ drinks.
You skimmed over the bar’s specialty drinks, but decided to settle for a classic whiskey sour. The bartender turned around with his drinks and handed them to his customers. You only got to see the profile of his face. From seeing just half of his face in the dimly lit room, you knew that he was exceptionally attractive. He had a masculine nose and a firm jawline.
You cleared your throat and got the bartender’s attention.
He turned to greet you with a closed-mouth smile. “What can I get for you?” He was handsome, in a mischievous yet mature way. You didn’t know how to describe his looks. His dark eyes were piercing, and you were impressed by the long eyelashes framing them. His skin looked flawless, but he had a cute freckle on the tip of his nose. His striking looks momentarily made you forget what you were going to order.
“Uh, a whiskey sour, please.” You snapped back to reality. “Don’t skimp out on the whiskey. I’ve had a rough day.”
“Coming right up.” You watched him prepare your drink. His hands were large, and wrapped around the whiskey bottle easily. His fingers were long and a few were adorned with rings. You took note of his bare left ring finger.
“Do you want to start a tab?” He asked. You appreciated the soothing depth of his voice. It was a nice change, after listening to the whiny voice of your coworkers.
“No thank you.” You took a sip of your drink. It was refreshing after a tedious day’s work.
“My name is Taehyung.” The bartender leaned in just a bit closer to you. It was close enough for you to notice. “I remember all of the people who step past these doors. I’ve never seen you before.”
You introduced yourself and took a large gulp of your drink. “I heard that the drinks and music here were nice, and thought to check it out and my way home.”
He licked his bottom lip. What a sexy gesture.
“So how are they? The drink and the music?”
“Delicious. And I like the music. It’s relaxing.”
Taehyung smiled for a second, but reverted to his professional demeanor. His smile was wide and youthful. You thought it was absolutely adorable. How could a man be go from handsome to sexy to cute in a matter of seconds?
“So what do you do?” he asked casually. “You said you had a rough day.” He eyed your business garb.
“I just have a boring desk job. Work wasn’t too bad, but one of my coworkers kept flirting with me so I took longer to finish than usual.” He frowned.
“Well, of course he would’ve flirted with you. You’re stunning.”
You instinctively blushed. “You’re flirting with me too?”
“I’m simply stating facts. I’m not going to tell lies in order for you to tip me better.”
You looked down at your drink to hide your giggle.
He was a lot friendlier than you thought he’d be. The two of you chatted a bit as you slowly finished your drink. The bar was quite empty, since it was only a Tuesday evening.
“So you’re single, huh?” Taehyung didn’t bother beating around the bush, and you liked that about him.
You nodded. You weren’t embarrassed or particularly proud of your single life. It was what it was.
“Me neither. It’s not easy to find people willing to date you when you’re a complete night owl.” You nodded in empathy.
You checked your watch and saw that it was a lot later than you thought. You only had one drink, but you and Taehyung had spoken for quite some time.
“Tell you what.” You pulled out a scrap of paper from your purse and scribbled your name and number. “If you ever feel like going on a date, call me.” You slid the paper across the bar to him.
He raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth in the shape of a small ‘o’. “Pretty forward, aren’t ya?” He winked. You rolled your eyes.
“It’s the 21st century. Chivalry is dead.” You shrugged. “You’re hot and I want to see you again.”
“21st century girls these days…” He folded the paper and placed it in his pocket. “Make sure you’re free this weekend, Y/N.”
~~~
It was already Saturday evening and Taehyung still hadn’t called about plans for the weekend. You couldn’t help but think of him all week. By Thursday, you wanted to go to the bar to find him, but you thought better of it. You had to preserve your dignity by concealing your desperation to see him again.
Shouldn't someone call at least a day in advance to let you know about a date?You checked the time. It was about 9:30pm. By now, you figured that he wasn’t going to ask you out. If he wanted to grab drinks with me tonight, he would've invited me by now.
You shuddered at the last thing you told him,"Chivalry is dead" and wanted to smack yourself for saying such a lame line. You poured yourself a glass of wine to calm yourself.
It’s a Saturday night, I’m young and single, I live in a glamorous city, I have money, and I’m staying home? You shook your head and texted your friend Amber from college to see if she’d like to hang out. You haven’t seen her in a while, but your loneliness and boredom was getting to you. Screw dignity, you admitted to yourself, confirming your need to see Taehyung again.
Amber replied quickly that she was able to make it, and that she could give you a ride. You smiled and got ready. It’d be nice to catch up with her over a few drinks, you thought with a snarky smile, I’ll introduce her to a bar with great whiskey sours.
You decided to wear a black, skintight dress that cut off above your knees, tall heeled boots, and an oversized denim jacket. You decorated your eyes with dark makeup, intensifying your eyes.
Your friend was so excited to see you, that she insisted on coming up to your apartment and catching up before heading to the bar. At first, you felt bad for using her as an excuse to provoke Taehyung. However, now that you were catching up with her, you were enjoying her company and some red wine. You didn’t realize how much you missed her, and picked up on your friendship easily. The conversation quickly turned to their love lives.
Your friend asked abruptly, “so, do you have a boyfriend yet? Seeing anyone? Engaged? Secretly married? Fuck bud-”
“No!” You shook your head rapidly. “But I’m interested in someone. And I thought he was interested in me too.” You told her about Taehyung, and how he didn’t call you back yet. “I would call him to make plans, since he doesn’t seem to mind forward women, but I didn’t get his number!” To calm yourself, you poured yourself another glass of wine.
“Did you call me to hang out, or to use me as an excuse to go out and see him?”
“Both.” You answered honestly. You knew that your friend could take it.
“That explains why you look hoe-ier than usual.” You punched her arm. “Good.”
“He first saw me in my work clothes. I’m trying to seduce him.”
“Then what are we waiting for,” she stated, rather than asking.
When you arrived at the bar, you were worried that you wouldn’t be able to get in. It was packed and its music could be heard from outside. Amber wanted to find parking and dropped you off first; normally, you would've stayed with her, but you were too impatient to wait for her right now. You absolutely knew that Taehyung was inside, so you told her to meet up with you inside.
You made your way through the bar. There were many attractive people, boisterously having a good time. You ignored them and headed towards the bar.
His back was turned, like the first time you saw him. When he turned around to give his customers their drinks, he saw you staring at him. His jaw dropped in surprise, but he quickly recovered himself and tended to his customers. You got closer to the bar and leaned over it, ensuring that he’d see your cleavage.
“Y/N, were you too impatient to wait for me to call?” he smirked. You opened your mouth to speak, but he interrupted you. “What can I get for you?”
You frowned. “Two tequila shots.” You left out the ‘please’.
He brought over the beers and expertly poured you two shots. "Care to take the shot with me? I bought it for you." Taehyung sighed and reached for one of the glasses. You clinked glasses and took the shot, not noticing the burn of the alcohol.
"Two more tequila shots, and two of your darkest beers." Taehyung brought out the drinks quickly. As if on cue, Amber came and reached for a glass, clinked it against yours. You took the shot with her and handed her the beer.
Taehyung’s eyes narrowed, but you ignored him. You were being rude on purpose and didn't introduce him to your friend, but it didn't matter. Amber asked you to dance, and you followed her to the dance floor, hoping that Taehyung could see you.
You swayed your hips seductively to the song and flipped your hair at Amber. She had short hair and dressed so androgynously that many had a difficult time distinguishing her gender, which she didn't mind. From Taehyung’s viewpoint, it appeared that you were flirting and having fun with a well-dressed, attractive man.
As you continued to dance, and you felt the effects of your alcohol. You forgot about your handsome crush, and focused on having a good time with your friend. You jokingly practiced some sexy dance moves with her, forgetting that the bartender had a clear view of you.
The songs started to get slower, and people began to grind on each other. You and Amber took this as a cue to get more drinks. As you approached the bar, Taehyung was switching shifts with someone else. He gave you a scowl as he headed outside.
Without thinking, you followed after him. You found him smoking a cigarette in the small alley next to the bar.
“Taehyung?” you didn’t know what to say to him. You were drunk, and didn’t have a plan. You stood in front of him. The alley was so small, that he was only two feet away from you.
“What do you want?” his voice was low and dark.
“Uh- I- I don’t know…” you looked at your shoes. You knew that the combination of alcohol and Taehyung broke down your regularly cool exterior.
“Can’t you see that I’m on my break? Why don’t you go back to your boyfriend?” He spat the word ‘boyfriend’ as if it was venom.
“Taehyung, she’s not my boyfriend. She's a woman, and my friend from college. You know that I don’t have a boyfriend.” Your heart was pounding. Why is he so upset with me? you drunkenly asked yourself.
“Hmmmm... You play for the other team too? That’s cool too. I saw how you were flirting and dancing with her.” He turned his head away from you and took another drag of his cigarette. “Are you trying to make me jealous? You couldn’t wait for me to call you that much?”
You frowned. “We're not gay,” you mumbled. You didn’t think that you’d see Taehyung like this.
“What?”
“I’m being petty,” you said softly at the ground.
He snubbed out his cigarette on the ground. You felt his eyes on you, but you didn’t want to look up. He placed a hand on the wall next to your head and raised your chin with his other hand. His piercing gaze were enough to sober you up.
“Listen, Y/N. I like you. And you like me too.” You bit your lip to keep yourself from saying something stupid. “I’m sorry for not calling sooner.”
You didn’t expect an apology. You looked up at him with wide eyes. His dark eyes were staring at your lips and he licked his own. He took his hand from your chin to the wall on the other side of your head.
The alcohol in your system encouraged yourself to be truthful. “You’re right. I do like you. In fact, I’ve been thinking about you all week, hoping that you’d call or text me. So I did what I did. I decided to catch up with Amber tonight, here of all places.”
“You’re honest when you’re drunk too,” he smirked, “but you’re not as bold.”
He leaned in, and you delicately closed your eyes and raised your chin slightly for him to kiss you.
However, he stopped before his lips touched yours. You could smell the tobacco on his breath, the alcohol he was always surrounded by, and his spicy cologne. You opened your eyes slowly. His face was so close to yours.
“I’m sorry for not calling you. How about I make it up to you?” You blinked in response. “What about dinner tomorrow night?” You nodded. His scent was enough to make your knees weak.
His cheek lightly brushed against yours as he whispered darkly in your ear, “I’d love it if you wore something like what you’re wearing now.” You had to lean yourself against the wall to prevent yourself from falling.
Taehyung moved away quickly and checked his watch. “I’m afraid that my break is over. I’m looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. I’ll pick you up at seven-thirty.”
He stepped out of the alleyway onto the sidewalk. You followed and raised an eyebrow at him.
He innocently smiled his cute smile and walked back to you. “This time, I’ll be sure to call you.” He leaned in gave you a peck on your cheek.
You froze, watching him enter the bar without turning back.
Did that just happen?
~~~
You woke up late this morning and stayed in bed and thought about last night’s events, and felt giddy when you remembered that you had a date with Taehyung tonight. The excitement was instantly replaced with shame. You cringed at your acts of desperation. In an attempt to expel the negative thoughts, you tried to focus on him and your date. Although you looked forward to your date, you didn’t know how to face him after your shameful acts.
Everything about him is so sexy. I bet he'd be great in bed. Wait, do I want to sleep with him? Tonight? Does he expect sex on the first date? You frowned. Do I seem that easy?
You proceeded to have more doubts about yourself. You blamed your uncharacteristic nervousness to the fact that you haven’t gone out in a long time, and that you’ve never been more attracted to someone before him.
To rid yourself of such thoughts, you texted Amber that you were fine and that you planned on meeting Taehyung tonight. She messaged back to have fun, but not too much fun. Classic Amber.
In the late afternoon, you got a text from him.
‘This is Taehyung. How are you feeling? Did you get home okay?’
You rolled your eyes. Shouldn’t he have checked up on you earlier today? And shouldn’t he have made sure that she was fine last night before he ditched her in the alley? You ignored his text, but spontaneously remembered that he probably just woke up. You replied, but only after at least thirty minutes.
‘Yes. Did you just wake up?’
He replied yes quickly, and the two of you texted back and forth for quite some time. Taehyung was witty, but wasn’t offensive.Thankfully, didn’t seem to mind your sassy flirts.
You were texting him as you were looking through your closet to decide on what to wear for your date when you realized that you didn’t know what the dress code was. You shivered when you remember what he told you, “I’d love it if you wore something like what you’re wearing now.”
“Well, I was wearing my hoe costume last night ,” you muttered as you saw the wrinkled mess on the floor that was your hoe costume.
You casually texted him your concerns on the dress code, and he replied accordingly. You appreciated his understanding of tastefulness. Most men your age wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference between most things.
Actually, how old is he? you wondered. You didn’t know that much about him. When you first met, he wanted to hear more about your life, and what was said about his life was vague. You shrugged and made a mental note to ask more about him tonight. You proceeded to get ready for your date. Your phone rang; it was him.
“I think I found the right place. I’m downstairs in the black car.”
You peeked out of your window and saw the top of a shiny black car pull up in front of your apartment building.
“Coming right down.”
You performed deep breathing exercises on your elevator ride downstairs. You were annoyed with yourself for being so anxious about your date. You pushed the heavy glass doors of your building and were greeted by Taehyung’s warm smile peeking through his car’s open window. You were surprised by his car. It was a sporty luxury car, and looked very new.
Isn’t he just a bartender? How can he afford such a nice car?
You smiled at him, hoping that he’d think your natural blush was cute. You let yourself into the passenger’s seat and leaned over to peck his cheek. His youthful smile turned to cheeky grin.
“Hello, Taehyung.” Your cool front was up, and you felt more confident, like the first time you met him. He greeted you back just as stoically.
“I would’ve got out and opened the door for you, but you told me that chivalry is dead,” he said as he began to drive towards the restaraunt.
You agreed with him and briefly looked around the car. Soft piano music was playing from the car’s quality sound system. It even had the new-car smell. You’ve never been in a car this nice.
Your eyes wandered to the steering wheel and lingered on Taehyung’s hands. He was still wearing the same rings: one on his left pinky finger, one on his right index finger, and one on his right ring finger. His fingers were long, but his hands were masculine. You were now aware of your own hands. Much smaller than his, unpainted nails, and without jewelry of your own.
“Looking at my rings?” he looked over at you. “I don't wear them for aesthetic reasons, but for significant, sentimental reasons. I don’t think I’m that stylish to find jewelry on my own.”
You quickly looked up through the windshield and didn’t answer.
“You’re awfully quiet today. Are you okay?”
You replied yes. You felt your heart flutter at his concern. You were silent because you were containing your excitement on seeing him.
He didn't ask you anything else, so the drive to the restaurant was quiet and awkward.
However, he ordered you a tasty red wine at the restaurant, and you started to warm up. You returned his flirtatious banter. You two talked about all sorts of things, and you realized that he's much chattier than you thought he was. You asked him about being a bartender.
"I tried doing a desk job like you once. Just wasn’t for me. It’s not as freeing. I worked in one of those generic cubicles and didn’t have to talk to people all day. It was weird,” he chuckled. “I’d rather mix work and play.”
You nodded and sipped on your wine. As expected from a bartender; he had great taste.
"So when I quit my office job, I bartended for an older friend of mine. I didn't take bartending classes or anything, but with my drinking history, I knew a thing or two about alcohol. The job paid well, and I loved meeting new people every night."
"Eventually, I was able to open up a bar of my own, and invest in their small businesses. I like to work and have fun, so they tend to be geared towards nightlife."
He didn't sound like he was bragging, nor did he sound extremely humble. He was proud of how far he was able to come in a short amount of time. You didn't want to feed his ego too much, and changed the topic. You noticed that he was left-handed, and wore a ring on his pinky finger.
"You said that your rings were symbolic? What do they mean?"
"This one," he raised his finger as if he wanted a pinky promise, "was something my friends and I got in college. It sounds like I was a part of some fraternity, but we weren't. We’re like brothers though. I've known some of them from before college too. We originally wanted to get matching tattoos, but thought that was too cliché."
You laughed. "Matching tattoos sound lame at that age. But then again, I shouldn't be talking. I've had my fair share of regretful decisions in college."
"Like what?"
"Uh, I got my tongue pierced without knowing that it had erotic meanings." You cringed. "I thought it looked cool. I took it out after a year."
"Stick out your tongue." You followed his request without thinking. "You would look pretty hot with a tongue piercing. I approve the idea."
You hid your tongue from him and pouted.
He chuckled, "I won't tease you about it anymore. Past selves can be pretty disturbing."
Thankfully, he changed the subject. He gestured to his right ring finger. "This one was from my younger sister. She got jealous that my friends and I had matching rings, so she us matching rings too. She also told me not to marry anyone that she didn't approve of. That's why she told me to wear this on my ring finger. It was also a gift for opening up my bar." His eyes twinkled fondly. "She's twelve years younger than me, and saved up allowance money to buy us matching rings. I felt bad, so I gave our mom money to give to her for Christmas that year."
"She sounds adorable," you breathed. He was genuine and excited to talk about his close ones, which you liked.
He wiggled his right index finger. "This was my dad's. My mom gave it to me after he passed away."
You gasped and instinctively reached across the table to hold his hand. He didn't pull away.
"I'm so sorry, Taehyung. You don't have to talk about it. I'm sorry."
He smiled a closed-mouth smile. "It's alright. He passed away when I was in high school. This was the first ring I got. It probably got me started on the collection."
You didn't realize that your hand was on his until he laced his fingers between yours. You blushed, but you didn't retract your hand. You two silently held hands and looked into each other's eyes for what seemed like eternity. You couldn't read his face, and you knew that you looked flustered.
He leaned forward, bit his lower lip and licked it. "Do you wanna go somewhere and grab a drink with me?" His voice was soft and enticing.
You quickly glanced at his wrist, and saw that it was getting late. However, you agreed anyway. You'd probably agree to anything he wanted you to do.
"One drink couldn't hurt."
HO NOTE: I’m so sorry that the gif is so bad, but I really wanted to use a gif from 21st Century Girls, since the song and live performance is bomb. I made my own for the first time, and it was haphazardly done.