Day 29: First day in the Fearless Hog

The sign said this was it: the Fearless Hog. The bar seemed pretty quiet, Eldwyn thought, but then again, it was only just getting dark. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves, then entered through the main door before she could change her mind.

She halted in the door opening, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the gloom. It was indeed quiet: there was one Elven man sitting on a bar stool, and a young Human couple in the corner talking quietly.

She approached the bar.

"Evening," the bartender said. "What'll it be?"

"Um, nothing. I was looking for Audrey?"

"Audrey! You've got a visitor!" He shouted over his shoulder.

"On my way!" Audrey's voice came from the back room. After a moment, she emerged around the corner. "Eldwyn, you made it! Here, Percy, this is the girl I told you about."

She turned to Eldwyn. "This is Percy, he tends the bar most evenings."

Eldwyn shook his hand. "Hello."

"Nice to meet you," he said, not hiding his interest as he looked her up and down.

Audrey jabbed him playfully with her elbow. "Behave."

Percy grinned, not at all taken aback by the rebuke. "Yes, ma'am."

"Come on, let's get you a uniform," Audrey said, taking Eldwyn's hand.

She led Eldwyn into the room she just emerged from, then down a staircase and into a dressing room. She locked the door behind them, then opened a dresser and took out a complete ensemble. "Here, try this one."

She picked up on Eldwyn's hesitation. "It's just the two of us here, and I've already seen you naked, remember."

Eldwyn slowly undressed. She was right, of course, but she could feel her face burning with embarrassment.

The uniform was pretty comfortable: a deep red blouse with a black, buttoned-up vest, a pair of black flats, and a pair of tight, black shorts. It was only that last item that made her a little anxious when she looked at herself in the mirror. At least it wasn't a skirt, but what if someone tried to feel her up, and discovered she had a little more between her legs than most women?

Audrey must've picked up on her apprehension, because she put both hands on her shoulders and made eye contact with her in the mirror. "Are you all right?"

"What if someone figures out I... you know, have a penis?"

"Don't worry, these shorts are tight, but they're pretty sturdy. Look, this is a bar, so I'm not going to make it any prettier than it is: you'll certainly get a drunk making a pass at you every now and again. I've got the usual crowd pretty well trained by now, though, and they know not to take it further than that. And even if they do, I have a standing rule that anyone who helps a waitress in distress drinks free the rest of the night, so if someone does anything you don't like, scream and half a dozen burly men will come to your aid."

Eldwyn couldn't suppress a shy smile at the mental image. "That... doesn't sound so bad."

Audrey turned her around and held her at arm's length, giving her an intense look. "You have nothing to worry about, Eldwyn. You're doing great. You make a wonderful girl."

Before Eldwyn realized what was happening, the other woman's lips were on her own. Her eyes barely even had a chance to widen in surprise before Audrey hastily drew back.

"I-I'm sorry," Audrey said, stumbling over her words. "I shouldn't have done that. I'm really sorry. Let's... let's pretend that didn't happen."