"Fiona! Quit flirting with your girlfriend and get back to work."

He waved around at the immense crowd they had tonight. There was a football aka soccer game on tonight and the pub was full of both ex-pats and regulars. There was even a couple of large parties squished to varying corners.

Fee gave a sheepish grin as she stood up straight. "Sorry!"

"Uh huh, rub yer cute arse relationship in my face another time. When we arenae swamped!"

Fee kissed the girl at the far-end of the bar and with a wink went back to actually tending the bar. Said girlfriend, Beatrice, shrugged and smiled at Jack.  She was a tall and statuesque prima ballerina. Her strawberry curly hair was in a tight bun and she was dressed far too elegantly for this crowd. She sipped wine and went back to watching her cute little feisty girlfriend.

Jack sighed feeling a ping of jealousy. It'd been awhile and he was kind of getting sick of the occasional hookup. Of course he never brought those home, it was always somewhere else. But he was beginning to feel maybe he wished there was someone in his life to come home to. Aside from Abby of course. Even if it was just him and her, he'd be okay but he was only human.

Abby now on his mind, Jack briefly spoke to his other bartender Keane that'd he'd be right back. He shifted through the crowd and laughed slightly awkwardly as one little bachelorette party tried to squeeze his ass. He rubbed his bum a little as he finally made it to the backroom office.

"They pinch hard..." He mumbled with a frown as he opened the door. He peeked inside to see his precious daughter busy doing homework at the cluttered desk. It reminded him that he needed to do the finances. "How's my wee plum?"

Abby glanced up a moment then went back to what she was doing. "I'm good."

He pouted and wandered closer. "How about I just hang out here with ye? The crew has got this." He grinned.

Abby glanced up and gave him her usual look. "Dad. I'm nine, I'm perfectly fine. Don't shirk your responsibilities."

"How do ye even know the word 'shirk'?!" I somehow feel like a total dullard. His inner self cried.

"Light reading," she said absently and scribbled more on her notebook.

Really? Who are you? How are we related? "Right...um, so how's school going?"

"It's okay. I like my teacher."

So do I kid, so do I. "Oh yeah? That's good. Are ye making any friends?"

Abby was quiet for awhile and then shrugged. Jack sighed a little and folded his arms. His heart felt heavy. She has always struggled with that and it often worried him. But he hadn't wanted to put any pressure on her. He settled on the edge of the desk a moment, his eyes gazing at old photos hung up on the wall. His eyes lingered on an old one of him as a lad with his father.

"They all suck huh?" He chuckled and glanced over his should at his daughter.

She smiled a little but shrugged again. "None seem worthy, sire."

"Ah yes, but who could hold a candle to ye, m'lady," Jack said with a grin and a wink. They both giggled for a moment.

"By the way, dad, we're having this school cultural event thing in a week and we're all supposed to ask for parent support and stuff." Abby put down her pencil and glanced up at him.

He always tried to avoid those things but remembering who her teacher was gave him pause. Second chance to impress? "Well tell Mr. Fujimori to sign me up."

"Really? You usually fight me on school spirit stuff..."

"Really, really. Now get back to yer homework, I have a pub to run. Give me the deets later, pumpkin." Jack rubbed her head like she was still four years old and walked back out. He didn't think she really needed to know about his intentions to flirt, did she?