Yup, I am trying to start something even though I have two WIP. I'm sorry. And I don't know if this will go anywhere but here it is. Unbeta'd.

Disclaimer: I do not own HO. I thank fuck I don't.

"Brendan!" Mitzeee screeched. "Hold the bloody second!" He sighed and turned to look at her. It was a fairly comical sight watching the small brunette run in her seven inch heels. She finally reached him and fanned herself multiple times, gasping for some breath, a small layer of sweat forming on her skin. "D'you want me to break me ankle or somethin'?"

"Anne, I'm not in the mood." He growled.

"Yer never in the bloomin' mood yet somehow I always get what I want. I've got news and you will better shut your mouth and listen to me." Brendan huffed but he crossed his arms and eyed the small woman silently. "I'm gonna be in Vogue." Brendan blinked at her a couple of times until she slammed his chest hard enough for him to stumble backwards. "Congratulate me, yah nitwit!"

"Congrats. Why does this affect me?" Mitzeee shrugged.

"I just thought you'd be interested in the fact that I suggested your ridiculous club as my venue."

"What do I care?"

"Ugh, you're a menace. I'm giving you some good news and you are utterly unimpressed. I swear. This friendship is wasted on you." She strutted ahead of him. Brendan groaned but followed his best friend. "I heard yer Eileen is sticking her nose around the village again. She better not be trying to take the boys away again. I will cut that slag." Brendan shook his head.

"Think she wants our marriage to work again." He murmured earning a snort from the brunette.

"She's bloody mental, she is. How's Cheryl doing?" Brendan didn't reply. He just stared at his shoes. "Tell her I miss her, alright? I'd pop in but with the shoot I'd just be too busy."

"Sure." He let her lie to him. It was obvious Mitzeee wasn't comfortable with the younger Brady anymore but Brendan wasn't keen on being near his sister himself so he didn't really have a right to judge.

"D'you want to get a drink tonight? I'm feeling a bit bored lately."

"I can't. I'm going to do interviews for the club, right now. New hires, innit."

"Ooh! Let me come! I would be such a good interviewer person." She grinned at him and put her hand through his. "We would be such a good power couple, you know. Everyone'd be jealous. I mean, they already are because look at me but you could get some attention too." Brendan unhooked his hand from her grip and looked at his club.

"I only like my children and this club, Anne." He looked down at her. "You are not getting anywhere near it." He debated it for a second. "But you can have your shoot there. It'll be your birthday present."

"You are buying me those shoes you promised." She immediately jumped in. "Do not think for one second that you are getting out of that, Brendan." She kissed his cheek quickly. "I've got to meet that witch Nancy. She wants to know who I am now that Vogue is calling me. Don't scare the new employees too much, Irish." She patted his arm and run off on her heels towards the college cafe. It was the only coffee shop in the village and run by Tony Hutchinson who employed college students because they were cheaper to hire.

Brendan stared after Mitzeee until she disappeared into the building. He had a habit of doing that now.

The Irishman took a deep breath and walked into his club. It was dark which meant Jacqui McQueen wasn't in yet. She was the club's assistant manager and even though her personal life was an absolute wreck, her professional one was actually pretty amazing. She always turned up on time, made sure the club was clean and empty at the end of the night, never took shit from anyone, flirted when it was useful and basically helped Brendan keep the club running.

So he really wanted her at the interviews but she did say she might not be able to make it because of Mercedes being insane again.

Brendan poured himself a scotch before he walked into the office. His phone buzzed with a message from Declan.

'Mas asking paddy if he's been eating veggies & he threw a broccoli her #parentsbeware'

He huffed a laugh at that. Declan wasn't really a huge fan of Eileen's anymore since the divorce but Paddy never got along with his mother. Even in the womb, Paddy kicked to get away from her as soon as possible. Brendan looked around the dark room. The interviewees would start coming soon hopefully. He got three CVs that seemed competent out of ten but he figured everyone could have a shot.

He got his shot thanks to dealing coke for Danny Houston. Getting out of that business was difficult and it involved a shit load of police.

"Mr Brady?" A small blonde knocked on his door, smiling shyly. "I'm here for me interview." Brendan stood up and smiled at her tightly. "I figured I'd get an early start."

"Sure." He searched for her name in his memory pointing at the chair in front of him. "Sorry, your name's escaping me."

"Rae Wilson." She said confidently and sat in the chair. Brendan found her CV on top. "I actually was wondering if I could apply for the position of the DJ instead of bar staff. I've got a lot more experience there and I'm a music student at college. I've got references if you need that." Brendan looked over the large print. There wasn't a lot on there. She seemed pretty young as well.

"Sorry, Rae." He smiled again. "I'm looking for bar staff not a DJ so if you've come for that, you can leave straight away." The girl deflated immediately putting on a glare.

"Don't you even want to listen to my work? I could be great and you'd just be giving up an opportunity." He touched his forehead, lightly annoyed by the girl's attitude.

"You could. Keep on believing that. But I'm not going to hire ya." He passed the CV back to her. "Thanks for coming in." She stared at him with wide eyes and a disbelief written on her face, not moving, so he stood up again and opened the door for her. She stormed out of the office but stopped next to a boy who was sitting on a bar stool. In fact, there were a few people mulling around. Brendan sighed and pointed at the man closest to him. "In." He was starting to get a headache already.

"Ashworth, right?" The man hummed in agreement as he closed the door and sat down in the chair. "You've got experience working before in the Dog. A club is different than a pub. It's louder, you need to be quicker as well."

"Yeah. I'm really good with that. Don't mind being pushed to the limits." The man seemed eager to agree with Brendan's every word.

"I'm gonna cut this short because I'm getting bored already. Why do you want this job? Don't give me any bullshit like wanting to try something different." Rhys dropped his eager attitude immediately and folded himself in his seat.

"The pay is really good."

"No it ain't."

"It's better than my current job. And Jacqui." He murmured. "I'd like to work with her if she would let me."

"You trying to pull that? A McQueen ain't that difficult." Brendan said wanting to get a reaction from the man. He cared about Jacqui but if the guy wanted to stalk her, Brendan would knock him out. Rhys frowned at that.

"I'm not." He said quietly but with defiance lingering in his tone. "I just think she's alright." Brendan smirked.

"Fine, you're hired. Start tomorrow at six. Now get out and sent someone else in." He closed his eyes and sipped his scotch. He wouldn't last very long at this rate. Another young blonde walked in. Theresa McQueen. She flirted and smiled but Brendan knew the girl was still sixteen. He got out a firm 'iNo/i' before she even talked about the job. She sulked as she walked out, her heels making too much noise and giving him a headache. Next was Ash. She was annoying but she knew her way around a bar. After that it was Joel Dexter. Warren Fox's long lost son. He was hired off the bat purely to piss Foxy off. Theresa was standing outside the door waiting to hear if the next prey she set her eyes on was hired and squealed in happiness as he walked out.

Brendan hired Kevin Sacre, a small blonde lad who was annoying but had good references. He hired Doug Carter, an American who dealt for him in the past but now couldn't get work anywhere because of his drug scandal. Brendan felt sorry for him. But the rest he turned away. None had enough experience, had a bad attitude and seemed to fear him. He wanted employees who would do their job well even if they were shaking in their boots, not ones that would piss themselves the moment he raised his voice.

His glass was empty by the time he finished and walked out of the office feeling glad that he could go home. The club was closed on Monday nights thankfully.

However when he stepped out of his office, the boy, the first blonde's friend was still there. Brendan eyed him wearily. The boy was scrawny and bruised up, his dirty blonde hair brushed to the side hiding half his face, his eyes vividly blue and lips plush like pillows. Not that Brendan paid attention to any of that. He paid attention to the young boy's glare.

"You need something?"

"Nowt." The boy spoke with a thick Manc accent. "Just here for me interview." Brendan tilted his head to the side, watching him and trying to recall who he was. "Name's Ste. Hay." The boy stood up and he was surprisingly not that much shorter than Brendan. The Irishman's brain triggered something. The Hay boy. Brendan never crossed paths with him, he was council trash but worked at Tony's cafe. He also had two kids and an ex he liked to use as punching bag.

Brendan never gave the boy a thought.

"All positions are taken, Ste. Why don't you scurry along now?" Ste crossed his arms.

"You've upset Rae." He said simply. "I'm not going anywhere till you apologise."

"She your bird?" Brendan smirked. "Bit of an easy lass, ain't she?" The punch came quick and didn't even inflict him much. He stumbled backwards purely because of the shock. He didn't expect the young boy to lash out. Ste was breathing heavily through his mouth and had a furious expression on his face.

"You don't say that, yeah! You've no fucking right to judge me or Rae!" He screamed in Brendan's face, the Irishman too stunned to do anything. "You're just an a rich knobhead who thinks high of himself. But you know what, Brady?"

"I'm sure you're going to enlighten me." He murmured unimpressed.

"Everyone in this village knows what you are!" Ste spat still too close for comfort. "Just a drug dealer with no drugs since you sent Danny Houston to jail. A fucking narc s'what you are!" Brendan felt his fists ball up but he wouldn't hit the boy. With a history of a council rat, he'd probably use it to blackmail Brendan or something. "You're no better than any of us, Brady!" Ste pushed him back and Brendan again let him for some reason, before the young boy stormed down the stairs and there was an echo of the door being slammed closed downstairs.

The Irishman stared at the spot where Ste was standing just a moment ago confused as to what just happened.