05. The man in Black

Chapter 5

Eva's Pov

“You?” He wiped the counter lazily. “Work here? You won’t last an hour.”

Two girls behind the bar turned to look at me. Their eyes moved slowly over my blouse, my jeans, my tired face.

“You’re too old,” the bartender added with a laugh.

“Too old?” I repeated.

He grabbed the form from the counter and glanced at it.

“Twenty-five,” he scoffed. “We usually hire girls who look… fresher.”

A blonde polishing glasses beside him snorted.

“Meaning under twenty-two.”

The group behind the bar chuckled.

Heat crawled up my neck, but I didn’t move.

I needed this job.

The bartender leaned forward on his elbows.

“This isn’t a café job, sweetheart.” He jerked his chin toward the dance floor.

The music thumped through the bar and across the stage where two pole dancers under the spotlight. The men crowded around the tables, cheering and throwing bills.

“Customers grab. They spill drinks, they don’t care who they touch or what they touch,” he said flatly. “Girls quit after two nights.” His eyes flicked back to me.

“You look like the type who cries after the first drunk grabs your arm.”

For a second, Adrian's face flashed in my mind. A drunk man once bumped into me outside a restaurant and he had him arrested before the night was over.

“I will work,” I said.

The bartender studied me for a moment, but before he could answer, the front door opened and a girl walked in.

She couldn’t have been older than twenty with long legs and glossy blonde hair.

“I’m here about the waitress job.” The bartender’s entire expression changed.

“Well now,” he said smoothly. “That’s more like it.” The girl glanced at me briefly.

“Oh,” she said. “I didn’t realize this was a competition.” Heat crawled up my neck as her eyes moved over my decent clothes again, no sympathy wasn’t in them.

“You might want to try somewhere quieter,” she added. “This place eats people alive.” I clenched my fists.

“I’m not leaving.” She shrugged like it didn’t matter.

“Suit yourself.”

The bartender sighed and scratched his jaw.

“Manager’s the one hiring tonight anyway,” he muttered and pointed toward the back hallway.

“Wait over there.” Relief washed over me.

“Thank you.”

I stepped away from the counter and moved toward a darker corner near the wall.

My phone buzzed, a call from Dad.

I shifted uncomfortably. It had barely been three hours since he left.

I declined the call. What if something happened to mum?

My chest tightened until breathing felt painful. I grabbed my inhaler and took in two quick puffs.

I couldn't panic, not now. I’ll get the job and earn money. I’ll fix this.

Two waiters stood near the dark bar mixing drinks. Their voices were low, but when the music dropped, I heard them.

“Security’s insane tonight,” one muttered.

“Of course it is.”

“Salieri invited them personally.” The first waiter looked around nervously.

“You mean the Grey family?” I shifted uncomfortably. Everyone knew Salieiri and the Grey family to be the underworld masters. Even the government stayed out of their affairs.

How hadn't I noticed this was the infamous Salieiri’s bar. What was I thinking?

The second waiter lowered his voice even more.

“Not just them. Salieiri invited their boss, the leader of Grey.”

A third waitress leaned closer.

“Seriously? Who?”The waiter hesitated and then whispered a name, I didn’t catch it.

But the way the others reacted made my stomach tighten.

“Holy shit.” One said and my heart lunged forward. This was my only chance to save my mum, else I would have left this place.

“Exactly. If that man walks in here tonight, nobody better screw up, else your head is on a stake and the government, not even the president can do anything about it.”

Another waiter laughed nervously. “I just want to see the woman he’s bringing.”

“Woman?” someone asked.

“Yeah, I heard he’s obsessed with her.” Something about that sentence twisted inside my chest and for some reason, Adrian flashed through my mind again.

Men like him belonged in places like this. Not with someone like me.

A hand suddenly grabbed my arm and I jumped.

A girl in a tight black uniform stared at me.

“You Eva?”

I nodded quickly.

“Yes.”

She tilted her head, scrutinizing me, before motioning down the corridor. “I’m Zee, Manager wants to see you. Follow me.”

I followed her as the music faded behind us. Girls in high heels brushed past us, laughing loudly. The hallway smelled faintly of perfume and alcohol.

We stopped outside a small office and the manager sat behind a desk, flipping through a file.

“You Eva?” he asked without looking up, by his side the young glossy haired girl from earlier and the bartender stood.

“You know this isn’t easy work, we have long nights, demanding customers and no dramas.” He leaned back in his chair.

“Can you handle that?” I gripped the strap of my bag. “I can.”

He studied me for a moment longer.

“Why do you want this job?”

Because my mother might die tomorrow. Because my father is a monster. Because I have nowhere else to go.

But I only said one thing.

“I need to work.” He studied my face carefully.

“This place breaks people,” he said flatly.

“I won’t break.”

A long silence stretched between us. Then he finally sighed.

“Fine. One shift. If you fail, you're gone.”

Relief rushed through me so quickly I almost staggered.

“This is Lily,” he said, nodding to the blonde. “And Rage, the bartender.”

"I’m Eva.”

“You two start tonight,” he added. “But listen carefully.” His voice hardened.

“You falter once and you're gone.”

“I understand.” I said and he nodded toward the hallway.

“Uniform’s in the back. Go change.”

We stepped out of the office and followed the waitress into the changing room.

She tossed a black outfit to me and when I unfolded it, my eyebrows shot up.

“This is the uniform?” It was barely more than a dress.

The waitress laughed. “What were you expecting? A winter coat?”

Another girl smirked from the mirror where she was applying her make up.

“You’ll get used to men staring.” My pride twisted painfully in my chest. But I needed this job and no one here knew me. No one except my mother… and Adrian.

I changed and stepped back into the bar counter, still tugging the short black dress lower over my thighs. It barely moved.

Great.

The music from the bar had grown louder and faster. Voices overlapped everywhere.

“Move! Move!”

“Table seven needs drinks!”

“Where is the manager?” The atmosphere felt different now and rushed. Something was happening.

Rage shoved a heavy tray into my hands the moment I stepped behind the bar.

“New girl,” he barked. “Table fourteen.”

The tray was stacked with glasses. My wrists dipped under the weight.

“I…”

“No time. Go.”

I swallowed and lifted it carefully. The bar floor was packed now and my heels wobbled slightly as I stepped through the crowd.

I kept my eyes down.

Don’t spill anything, don’t embarrass yourself.

Behind me, waiters suddenly started whispering.

“He’s here.” I looked around, whoever this man was, everyone looked ready to kneel.

The dancers slowed and even the bartender stopped pouring drinks.

The back door suddenly slammed open and two men in black suits stepped in.

My heart skipped for some reason.

“Shit, move the VIP section!”

“Where’s Salieri?”

“Did security clear the entrance?” Their voices rose into nervous chatter.

“Relax,” someone muttered. “It’s just the Grey fam—”

“Just? Are you stupid?” Another voice hissed urgently.

“Don’t say his name so loud.” I frowned slightly but kept walking. I had no idea who they were talking about.

The front door opened and the music went off as the people turned.

“Shit.” someone whispered, taking some gradual steps back. “He’s here.” My attention flickered toward the entrance for half a second.

That was enough, before my heel caught the edge of the carpet and the tray tilted.

“Oh…!”

The drinks sloshed violently as I stumbled forward and crashed straight into someone.

The glasses clattered loudly and drops of whiskey splashed onto a dark suit.

My stomach dropped to the floor.

Oh no, no, no.

Strong hands caught the tray before it fell.

I froze and slowly, I looked up. A tall man stood in front of me.

He wore a perfectly tailored black suit and an expensive watch and didn't move an inch, just stared at me with calm eyes.

Security men behind him instantly stepped forward.

“Sir…”

“Step back,” the man said quietly. His voice was smooth.

I quickly lowered my head.

“I’m sorry,” I blurted out. “I didn’t see…” My voice died when I realised the room around us was silent and all eyes were fixed on us

One of the waiters whispered behind me.

“Oh my God.”

Another voice followed.

“She just ran into him.”

“Is she insane? I knew she was bad news.”

Then, the manager ran forward and fell to his face, trembling.

“Victor Salieri.” My fingers went numb.

I had spilled whiskey on freaking Victor Salieri, and judging by the way everyone around us was frozen, I knew I was in trouble.

He looked down at me slowly and then to my surprise… he smiled.