Chapter 2

They both started laughing. When I got back out to the floor, I saw Pedro waving me over. He was a short, fat man, almost bald, and always dressed in silk shirts. He looked mean but was anything but mean. He was a kitten of sorts.

“Hey Les, the private rooms are all booked; I need you and Candy working them. Room four needs bottle service. “That’s yours, and room five is Candy’s,” he said.

“Sure, I’ll let Candy know. Anything specific from 4?”

“2 Billionaire Vodkas and one Isabella Islay whiskey,” he said, smiling a knowing smile.

That meant the room was billionaires. He always gave me those rooms because it never mattered to me who or how rich they were. I did my job and my job alone. I headed to the bar and grabbed the order and headed up. When I walked into the room, five men were there, but I didn’t pay attention or look at them. I just did my job.

As I was about to leave, my hands were already on the door handle when someone grabbed me, spinning me around. I pushed him away.

“Please don’t cross the line.” I said clearly.

“Come on, you’re a bottle girl; this should be part of the job too.” He said, smirking. Suddenly a loud noise was heard. Then the sounds of gunshots took over. The men started scrambling; I opened the door and ran out.

The VIP room doors were open, and people were running and screaming. I started moving towards the door when the sound of gunshots started again. And I started screaming. Someone grabbed me and pulled me to the side. I was trembling now. I was terrified because this was the first time something like this ever happened.

“Don’t move,” the voice said. It was a man. I didn’t dare move a muscle. He was tall, taller than the average tall guys I've come across; he was basically shielding me.

“Are you hurt?” he asked. I couldn’t answer if my life depended on it. He grabbed me and pulled me into a closet space. I was full-out panicking now. It was pitch black in here.

“Are you hurt?” he asked again.

“No,” I whispered.

“Where are your friends?” he asked. What friends?

“What friends? I work here.”

We heard scuffling outside. And then his phone rang. He answered it. The light from the phone let me see his outline.

“Yes, good. “I’ll be there,” he said, ending the call.

“It’s safe; you can go,” he said. I didn’t hesitate; I opened the door and ran out. I ran straight down and went to look for Candy. I found her in the lounge, shaken up. I hugged her, and she held onto me, crying. We were all shaken up.

“What the hell happened?” Halie asked, looking at us.

“No idea,” I said.

Pedro came over to us. “Sorry girls, I really am. It’s only eleven, but let’s call it a night. The cops are here, and I doubt anyone will want to stay after that. Don’t worry, you’ll be reimbursed for it. “Go on, all of you; make sure you get home safely,” he said. We just nodded.

When I stood up, I noticed it. “Umm, Pedro. “My name badge is missing; it probably fell off in the chaos,” I said.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll get you another one,” she said reassuringly.

On my way home, I was still shaken up, but what could I do? It wasn’t that late, and the roads were still busy; it was Friday night after all. As I walked past the Italian restaurant, I slammed into something. I had my head down.

“I’m so sorry; the fault is mine. “I wasn’t paying attention,” I said, not bothering to look up. I walked past the person, hoping they didn’t try to cause a scene. When I got home, I dropped onto the bed and let sleep consume me.

I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing; it was Candy. “Hey, morning.”

“Morning, check the news, check online,” she said.

“Okay, give me a minute,” I said, grabbing the remote and turning the TV on.

“LAST NIGHT THE CITY OF CHICAGO WAS DISTURBED BY A SHOOTING AT THE FAMOUS ONYX ROOMS UPSCALE CLUB OWNED BY THE ARREAS FAMILY OF CHICAGO. IT HAS BEEN RUMORED THAT THE ARREAS FAMILY HAS TIES TO THE UNDERWORLD, BUT NOTHING HAS EVER BEEN PROVEN. FROM WHAT WAS SHARED, IT WAS A BUSINESS DEAL THAT WENT WRONG WHEN THE INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS NOT NAMED BEGAN SHOOTING UP. FROM WITNESS REPORTS. KIAN ARREAS WAS PRESENT AT THE TIME OF THE MEETING. THE ARREAS FAMILY WAS CONTACTED, BUT NO COMMENTS WERE MADE. WE WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED AS THE STORY UNFOLDS.”

“Jesus, Les. I believe they really are a Mob family.” She said quietly.

“Hey, that has nothing to do with me.”

“Nutcase. Want to grab breakfast?” she asked.

“No can do, I have laundry to do, plus I have my shift at Cosmos, and I have to prepare for my exams.”

“Okay fine, another day then later, babe,” she said, hanging up. I went about my morning tidying up and getting my laundry done. My apartment was small but modest. It had a small kitchen, one bedroom, one shower and bath, a small one, and a small living room, and I was grateful for it. Englewood was on the less glamorous side of Chicago, but it was still home.

Thankfully the apartment came with its own TV and other appliances; all I needed was a mattress. This has been my home for the past five years.

“Mr. Green got sick, and his daughter took over management, and it was good. When I made good tips, I made sure to pay two months' rent in advance, and she was appreciative that I did because I was the only tenant that had stayed this long, and she had had no issues with me.

 I came to Chicago when I was eighteen. I had a plan: work and study, and that was exactly what I was doing. I made the hard decision to get a laptop because if I intended to get out of this life, then studying was the way.

 I worked. I did all types of jobs. In the beginning I would skip meals for days just to save money. Then one day I was working my shift at Cosmos when I ran into Candy. She frequented the restaurant often, and somehow we just clicked, and after a while she told me about Onyx rooms. I was hesitant at first but decided it could be worth a try.

The day I walked in, Pedro was kind and concerned. He didn't give off that "I'm only interested in making money" vibe. He cares about the employees. That was the day I started working at the club and have been ever since.