A Situation That Could Have Been Avoided

"Can I get a blue motherfucker?" the girl asked.

"Sure," I reply. I make the drink and set it on the bar in front of her. "That'll be $3.50."

Her friend approaches the bar and places herself directly next to her friend before the girl can hand me her money. They exchange very quick small talk, so I know that they're together.

"I'll have two long islands!" the girl demands of me, without me making eye contact or asking her what she needs. This, to me, is a clear violation of the well known (or apparently, not) rules of the bar.

Before I can tell her that there are several other people that are ahead of her in the virtutal bar line, she offers to pay for the drink I just made for her friend, as well as the drinks she just ordered. Making an exception, I quickly make her order and return, setting the drinks in front of her and quoting her price.

Again, before I can get my hands on the cash, a guy walks up behind the two girls, obviously with them both.

"Lemme get two grateful deads and another one of those," he says, pointing at the blue motherfucker I had originally made, again without my asking what he needed or making eye contact. Another vioation, I think.

"No!" argues the second girl, turning to face him. "I already got Shana a drink!"

"Well she said she wanted a grateful dead, not a long island!" he argues back.

"But she told me she wanted a long island, not a grateful dead..." she begins to whine back at him.

"Hey!" I interupt, waving my hand close to their face in order to get their attention. "Look, I need you guys to pay for these drinks I've just made. I've got other people waiting," I say with probably more aggravation in my voice than I intended.

I motioned to the ever-growing number of people at my bar with money or credit cards in hand, waiting patiently for their drinks. They've got their shit together. These people don't, and I'm quickly growing irritated because of this.

"Dude, I'll pay for the whole round if you just get my order," he says to me.

Begrudgingly, I agree and make their order. He finally pays for everything, with a credit card of course, and asks me to close him out. This seemingly simple act makes things take that much longer, and now because of their 3 minute ordeal, I'm now in the weeds and have to make up lost time with other people who are growing increasingly impatient. I drop their credit card slip and pen in front of them on the bar top and go off to help other people.

Several minutes later I spot the original girl hanging over the bar with the filled out credit card slip and pen, waiting for me to take it. This isn't necessary, but often people do it instead of leaving on the bar top. I come by quickly and take it from her.

"Thanks for being patient with us," she offers to me, with obvious sarcasm in her voice.

I give her a look with a raised eyebrow and look down to the well and continue with the order I'm currently preparing.

"Or...thanks for being a dickhead!" she yells at me, and quickly disappears into the crowd.

I laugh to myself and continue on.