Coming Clean 6

"Mr. Maubef?" Marius called as he entered the shop.

"Ahh... Marius, how are you on this fine day?" Mr. Mabeuf greeted Marius, "and who is this lovely young lady?" he smiled at Éponine who had done her best to look nice, dressed in a plaid pleated skirt and a white button up shirt.

Mr. Maubef leaned down to whisper to Marius, "Is this pretty girl your sweetheart you've told me so much about?"

Marius immediately became very flustered, "What?!? No, this is my friend 'Ponine, she's looking for a day job."

"Ahh, you have a candidate for the vacant clerk position," Mr. Maubef smiled, "well you set to work and I'll give your friend an interview."

Within twenty minutes Éponine had been given the position of clerk and was being shown how to run the register by Marius.

"So does that make sense?" Marius asked.

"Uh huh, I think I've got it," Éponine smiled, "I think I'm ready to go!"

Marius smiled and returned to his own work while Éponine began to check out customers who had decided what to buy. All the while she smiled to herself because she was working in such a close proximity to Marius for what would be about three days a week when he was in the shop. Maybe just maybe he would actually take notice of her, see that she was responsible and could do more than mix drinks. These thoughts floated her mind as she continued to work the register for the rest of the day, and as soon as it was over she dashed back to her apartment to get dressed to work at the Corinth.

Walking into the bar that night she was stopped by Mr. Huchelop, "Evenin' boss!" she greeted him happily.

"Éponine, I've got a new job for you," Mr. Huehelop smiled.

"New job, sir?" Éponine looked at him in confusion.

"Yeah, I wanna reopen that second bar in back," Mr. Huchelop cheekily explained, "getting more traffic back there with those boys constantly taking over the place."

"Sir, what does this have to do with me?" Éponine asked.

"I want you to run it," Mr. Huchelop put his hands on her shoulders.

"M-me?" Éponine replied nervously.

"Yes you, they seem to be taking quiet a shine to you," Mr. Huchelop smiled, Éponine gulped.

"There isn't even a working tap back there," Éponine tried to come up with an excuse.

"All in good time, all in good time," Mr. Huechelop chuckled, "I've already stocked it up with some of our overstock, you'll do fine!"

Éponine sighed knowing that she had  the battle and trudged back to the former speakeasy. Opening the door she found the room empty, the boys hadn't arrived yet, she smiled with relief and began to acquaint herself with the bar. It was quiet lovely and she could smell the fresh lemon scent of it having been freshly waxed, perfect for sliding drinks to customers.

"Well look who we have here!" Courfeyrac chuckled as he entered following his friends, "watcha doin' back here doll face?"

"Courf can you not talk like you are a gangster from the 30's?" His blonde friend with brilliant blue eyes turned to him, if she recalled correctly this was Enjolras, the one she called the Great Stone Dragon.

"Well excuse me for growing up in Brooklyn!" Courfeyrac replied haughtily.

Éponine tried to conceal her laughter as Courfeyrac sauntered over to the bar, "so what brings you back here?"

"Since you guys started frequenting the use of this room so much, boss wants me to run the bar," Éponine smiled.

"Really now? Well then you must get acquainted with all of us!" Courfeyrac declared, "now where to begin?" he turned to the young man with light brown curly hair, "Jehan my main man! You've met 'Ponine right?”

“Yes, how are you this fine evening miss?” Jehan greeted her politely.

Before Éponine could offer him a reply Courfeyrac dragged her away,“There we have our physicians in residence, Combeferre and Joly,” Courfeyrac introduced the two men dressed in button up shirts, slacks, and ties, and both had glasses. “You know Joly, have you met 'Ferre?”

“Yes, he introduced himself to me last week dragging out the drunk one,” Éponine smiled, but was slowly becoming overwhelmed with the large number of people now present.

“This is Marc Laigel,” Courfeyrac then introduced a man with very short hair, “better stay out of his way while your serving, he is a bit of a klutz.”

“Hey, the last time I knocked into a waitress was because you pushed me!” Marc replied but Courfeyrac ignored him.

“Don't mess with Bahorel, he'll kick your ass, plays football for NYU,” Courfeyrac introduced a somewhat burly looking young man, “Grantaire still appears sober...” he pointed to a man with curly black hair and bright blue eyes, it was the drunk from the week before.

“Okay,” Éponine was still trying to take it all in, but if they were going to be regulars she was sure to learn their names soon enough.

“And you should tell your friend... What's his name?” Courfeyrac tapped his chin.

“Andre?” Éponine suggested uncomfortably.

“Right! Feuilly! Tell him he can join us any time he likes!” Courfeyrac smiled.

There was a sinking feeling in Éponine's stomach recalling what had happened over the weekend with her and Andre, remembering how she had rejected him, still she smiled back at Courfeyrac, “I will.”

“Good, now I've had the strangest craving for a pint of Guinness, can you quench my thirst?” Courfeyrac waggled his eyebrows flirtatiously.

“Well then I have to go out front, our tap,” Éponine pointed at the tap built in the bar, “hasn't been used since prohibition.”

“What ever you say doll face,” Courfeyrac smirked.

“Will you not call her that?” Enjolras approached him.

“Aww come on, what's wrong with dollface?” Courfeyrac rolled his eyes.

“She has a name,” Enjolras began, “don't demean her like that.”

“Demean her?” Courfeyrac scoffed, “my dear 'Ponine, is it demeaning for me to call you dollface?”

Éponine smiled, “No, I don't think so.”

“See,” Courfeyrac grinned, then he looked between the two of them, “wait, have I introduced the two of you yet?”

Éponine had met him briefly, and she desperately hoped he didn’t remember that he had been the one to hand her back her recent purchase of smack at that point in time.

“No, but I have met Miss... I'm sorry, what's your name?” Enjolras asked.

“Ha!” Courfeyrac shouted before Éponine could reply, “so you don't really know her name!”

“Just her surname,” Enjolras glared at Courfeyrac.

“It's Thenardier,” Éponine smiled at him, but she was taken aback when Enjolras didn't do the same, it didn't sit well with her one bit.

“I see,” Enjolras gave her a curt nod, “Miss Thenardier.”

Éponine quickly regained her composure, “So before I head out front to get your friend his Guinness as there anything I can tempt you with to parch your thirst?”

“No,” Enjolras replied coolly, “I don't really drink.”

This confused Éponine, he seemed to be the “president”, or “leader” of this little social justice group, surely he had a say in it's location? Why pick a place like a bar if you don't drink? Especially a bar in alphabet city? Then again she'd seen some fancy business men frequenting the dive bars near her apartment.

“Alright, well then I will be right back,” Éponine offered him a saccharine smile and ducked out of the speakeasy. As soon as the door shut she let out a sight of relief, that man baffled her to no end and she did not like it one bit. Putting it behind her she returned to the bar, grabbed a glass and filled it with Guinness and swiftly brought it back into the speakeasy. When she opened the door she didn't expect what she saw, the men had all clumped themselves together and seemed to be in discussion.

“Well that was fast,” Éponine muttered to herself as she quietly walked over to where Courfeyrac was and quietly set the beer beside him before walking back to the bar. She busied herself with cleaning the glasses and pouring shots for Grantaire but she kept catching snippets of their conversation.

“America has always prided itself as being a sort of “shining city of the hill”,” Enjolras spoke loudly and confidently, “that we are exceptional, but in truth we are no better than anyone else.”

Éponine watched as the students seemed to cling to his every word.

“No one ever bothers to acknowledge the problems that we face within our own country, children who go hungry at night, people who can't go to school because tuition goes up and up,” Enjolras continued.

Éponine completely froze when she hear him say that, she recalled how during her senior year she worked her ass off on her college applications, she had gotten in but in the end her foster family wasn't willing to put her through college, so she moved to the city and had been struggling ever since.

“There is murder and robbery on our streets, for gods sake we have shootings in elementary schools!” Enjolras added, “why don't we look at the problems in our own country? So that it is not left like an open would that will only fester.”

“Well said my friend,” Combeferre smiled and fixed his glasses, “Miss Thenardier, is there something you would like to say?” he turned to the bar girl.

“Who me?” Éponine asked, “no.”

“Are you sure?” Combeferre asked, “you seemed very keen on listening.”

“Nothing of interest to me,” Éponine lied.

“Very well,” Combeferre smiled at her.

Éponine exhaled and simply went back to work all the while trying to block out what the young men were talking about just so she could do her job properly. She had been very interested in his speech, but she had no real interest in getting involved with them, as nice as they were she was going to try and keep them at arms length, like she did with the rest of the customers.
xxxxxx
"Andre, Andre, are you there?" Éponine called into the phone.

"'Ponine?" Andre replied groggily, "is something wrong? Why'd ya call me now?" he punctuated the end of his sentence with a loud yawn.

Éponine glanced at the clock on the wall and it dawned on her that it was two in the morning. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry, I just got off work and I wanted to talk to you, I'll just call you later if you-"

"I'm up now, so let's talk," Andre cut her off.

"Really?" Éponine responded.

"Just talk or I'll hang up," Andre replied yawning once again.

"I wanted to apologize, for the other day," Éponine began, "I just, it was so much all at once and I-"

"You love Marius," Andre cut her off.

"Thought- Wait, who told you that?" Éponine blushed, she never told anyone that.

"Your friend Courfeyrac, the one from the bar," Andre laughed slightly, "I just thought because he has girl that maybe I had a shot with you, because I really-"

"How the hell does Courfeyrac know?" Éponine wondered aloud.

"Well it might as well be written across your forehead," Andre replied.

"What do you mean?" Éponine steadily got more and more embarrassed with each passing moment.

"That day in his apartment, I saw the way you were looking at him," Andre answered her, "but looking at him he doesn't feel the same way," Andre paused and sighed, "please don't let yourself wither away pining over him, you are too beautiful and any guy in this city would be damn lucky to have you."

Andre's words started bringing tears to her eyes, "No one's ever called me beautiful before," she remarked.

"Well then I guess I'll make it my job to remind you of that fact every once in awhile," Andre replied.

Éponine smiled to herself, "Thanks Andre."

"Anything else you need to tell me?"

"No... Wait! Courfeyrac says he'd like you to come to their meetings, they will be meeting again tomorrow at the Corinth, and..." Éponine tried remember anything else when she glanced over at the guitar, "I really do want to thank you for the guitar, it means a lot to me and I hope we can remain friends."

"Whatever you say 'Ponine, just use it well, just if you get nominated for a Grammy and you don't have a boyfriend  can I be your plus one?" Andre asked.

Éponine giggled, "Sure, fine."

"Well I must get some sleep, good night 'Ponine," Andre replied.

"G'night Andre," Éponine then ended the call.