#LILY FUCKIN WROTE THIS FOR ME AS A CHRISTMAS PRESENT

[daniellesimagines]

Outta My Bar (Maxx Danziger) (Bartender AU)

submitted by @palayeeeroyale

“What about him?” I discreetly point at the man who’s alone at the table located on the opposite side of the bar.

“Hmm,” Maxx ponders, “Clearly is in his late thirties. Wife divorced him, kids never call him. He got another girlfriend who cheated on him with the barista at their favorite coffee place. He feels like he can’t be anymore depressed so he relapses from his 10 month streak of not drinking alcohol.”

“So why did you give him some Gin?”

“Because this is a game and the chances of me being right about him is slim-to-none.” I giggle and take a sip of my regular Sprite. 

Everyone says that it’s really ironic that I’m straightedge, yet I’m dating a man who bartends his own bar. But Maxx doesn’t drink that much either, he just likes making the drinks.

I spend most of my nights at Danziger’s Grill And Bar, talking to my boyfriend of 3 and a half years, playing the What’s-Their-Backstory? game with him. To regulars here, I’m pretty sure that they think that I’m an alcoholic. But nope: just a girl who loves her man.

“You want anything to eat?” he asks me, seeing as I’ve been here for about an hour and a half and I’ve only had some sodas.

“Nah, I’m not very hungry.”

“C’mon, it’s been awhile since you’ve eaten. How about just a bag of chips?” I roll my eyes and groan. 

“Fine,” I drag out the word like an annoyed teenager. I quickly smile at him to make sure he knows I wasn’t serious with my attitude. He smirks back at me and goes to the kitchen to grab me some chips that he knows I like.

I get out my phone and just fiddle with my apps until I feel a presence appear beside me. I look to my right and see a pretty tall guy standing there. He had pretty blue eyes, brown hair, and reddish beard. He wore a smirk that made me a little uncomfortable.

“Hey there, gorgeous,” his voice was deep and had a hint of an Irish accent to it.

“H-Hi...?”

“What’s someone like you doin’ here all alone?” he scooted closer to me, which made me instinctively move back.

“I-I’m not alone, actually,” I start peering into the kitchen to see if i can see Maxx or someone walking out of it.

“No need to lie to me, love. I’m just wantin’ to talk to a beautiful girl. Why don’t I buy you a drink?”

“I-I-”

“Hey, Rex. You’re clearly making her uncomfortable. Why don’t you give her some space?” Maxx seemingly pops out of nowhere, which makes me jump a bit. But his presence puts me more at ease.

“Maxx! Good to see ya!” Rex, apparently, greets my boyfriend. He turns back to me and says, “I was just trying to have a chat with this lovely lady-” He winks at me. “-Why don’t you give her a scotch on the rocks, on me.” He holds out a twenty to Maxx, but the bartender doesn’t take it.

“How about you go for someone else here?” Rex rolls his eyes and puts the twenty back in his pocket.

“Maxx, c’mon, bud. I just want to get to know her.” 

Maxx is visibly getting frustrated with Rex’s persistence. If looks could kill, then he would be six-feet under.

“Why don’t you ‘get to know’ someone who looks interested in you...?”

“What’s your problem, man?”

“My problem is that you’re flirting with my girlfriend who doesn’t wanna be anywhere near you. If a girl says she’s not alone, then back the fuck off whether she’s lying to you or not. If she’s lying, then she’s definitely not interested, so take the fucking hint and leave her alone. Now, walk away before I kick you out of my bar.” Maxx scolds the man, being quiet to not cause a scene.

“Oh, shit, sorry man. Didn’t know she was your lady.”

“That’s not the point. Even if she wasn’t ‘my lady’, which is a pretty disrespectful way to put it, you should still leave her be if she doesn’t want you around her. Now, for the last time: Walk. Away.” Maxx’s teeth were grit together to keep him from screaming at Rex. 

Rex takes one last look at me – who's just been sitting there silently, watching them talk to each other – and finally moves away to another place in the bar.

Maxx takes a deep breath before facing me, “You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Thank you for making him leave.”

“Hey, you don’t need to thank me. I don’t want you or anyone who enters my bar to be a victim of scums like him.” 

He hands me a bag of Lays Original chips that I forgot that that was why he left in the first place. The situation made me less hungry than I already felt, but I opened up the bag and took a bite of a chip anyways.

Maxx scans the bar for a bit before nudging my arm, “Girl with blonde hair, green jacket by the pool table...”