My Protector

Eleni's Pov

“Are you listening to me!” The red haired man barked.

I was dozing and nearly jumped out my skin at the sound of his voice.

“Sir?” I asked startled.

“I have just given my order! I expect you’ve taken it all down. You better have because I don’t like repeating myself. It make me mad.” He sneered.

He was sitting round the table with five other men. They had been there drinking for hours, going from one brand of wine to another. He had ordered another one but I hadn’t been listening.

My heart skipped. I had seen him get mad once with another customer and the guy ended up with a cracked skull, so I definitely didn’t want to be on the receiving end of that anger. My skull won't stand such a crack.

“I will get your order right now.” I stammered.

“What did I order for? Repeat it!” He demanded.

He was looking at me with his mean narrowed eyes, he must have guessed I hadn't heard a word he said, and I knew this was the moment he’d been waiting for to get back at me.

His name was Sweet, why he was called that I had no idea because there was nothing sweet about him. He was a mean asshole who'd had it in for me ever since Christos Makris had taught him a “lesson”

"I asked you to repeat my order!" He sneered.

I felt myself loose some color and my mind raced thinking of a way out of this, when one of his companions, a thin bald man called Stick, said,

“Don’t stand there staring at us, go get the bottle of Raminsta.”

Sweet glared at him, furious his chance for revenge was gone. I sighed in relief and mentally thanked Stick.

“Of course. Two bottles of Raminsta coming up.” I said brightly

I turned and hurried to the bar, feeling the eyes of most of the customers on me. I wasn’t surprised. The skirt of the waitress uniform I was wearing barely covered my ass, and I was constant trying to pull it down but it kept crawling back up.

My top too left nothing to the imagination. I hated the uniform but I had no choice. As long as I worked at The Brothers Bar, I had to do what I was told. I also had to put up with the leers and unwelcome touches of drunken gangster. If I protested I would be ridiculed.

“Stop complaining you whore! If you don’t want it why dress this way?” They would ask.

It is the dress code moron! I won’t be walking around half naked if it wasn’t! I felt like yelling. But I didn’t. I didn’t want an offended customer reporting me to the Makris brothers. They were brutal and dangerous. I had seen them punish staff for less, although Christos seemed to have a soft spot for me, but I didn’t want to push it.

At the bar I gave the barman their order and waited. I eyelids felt heavy as I looked round the crowded bar and I struggled to keep them open. I had been on my feet all morning and afternoon behind the cash registers at my first two jobs, then had rushed home, jumped into the shower, and rushed to the bar where I would work till 6am.

This had been my routine for more than a month. I rarely ate dinner and hardly slept. Now it was beginning to tell on me. I had lost weight and was utterly exhausted, but I had no choice. I needed the extra income if I was going to have a chance at paying off my debts this century.

“Are you okay?” Rich the bartender asked, handing me the wine.

I nodded. “Yes I’m fine.”

“You look exhausted. You need to get more sleep during the day.” He said. I could hear the concern in his voice.

I smiled weakly. “I will be okay.”

I picked up the tray, feeling unsteady on my feet, and turned and began walking to where Sweet and his companions sat. Then,

Crash!

I had walked right into trouble.