Six months earlier

Los Santos, a city were dreams were either made, or lives were crushed, and me, well I was just thrown right into the middle of the two. Somewhere between living out my dreams and finding the nearest pier to throw myself off of, which these days, was starting to look like the better of the two options. Sure, I was living the decent Los Santos life, I had a somewhat shitty apartment, I had a car that ran, a car that some days managed to get me from point A to B, but the highlight of my life these days came from my job, the bartender of the Vanilla Unicorn. Now granted, this wasn't the job I had left home for almost a year ago now but hey, it paid the bills and left me with enough to support my shoe habit.

I came to Los Santos almost a year ago to get away from small town living and make something of myself, Vinewood was my goal. What I got instead were a few crappy extra jobs and a job slinging beers in a strip joint that I couldn't even cut it in as a dancer. Sure I had the looks, but when it came down to it, I couldn't parade around in heels to save my life without falling flat on my face, so I was quickly shoved behind a bar and soon enough I was slinging drinks for some of Los Santos elite.

That's when my routine began, get up, work behind the bar, sleep, repeat. Get up, get called into the bar early, "hey Laurie bring me a drink", sleep, repeat. That was all fun and games until now, when the thought of spending the rest of my life slinging drinks and fighting off rowdy drunk dudes every night for eternity, began to drive me insane. I needed change, I needed something to just come in and remind me that I was human and still alive and breathing again and not just surviving, because surviving just isn't enough, not any more, I needed something more, I needed someone more. Of course, I have friends in Los Santos, it is hard not to make a friend in a huge city like this, and sure I went on dates, with cheap losers in their twenties like me who had no idea what life was all about and all just wanted one single thing and it was not a relationship. I know there has to be something more to life than just casually fucking my way through my twenties.

And with that thought I knew that I needed to be heading to work, before I sat there consumed in my thoughts for much longer, so I rolled into my ran down vintage Peyote, with the faded and chipped pink paint and the convertible top down, and headed over to the Unicorn just in time for the shift change and the usual evening crowd to come in. I quickly made way in the front door and tried to adjust my eyes to the low lights and my ears to the loud music before heading to my spot behind the bar. I threw off my jacket to reveal my usual bar attire, a pink shirt tied up to reveal my midriff and my usual tighter than tight black shorts, the usual strip club bar wench attire.

"Hey FuFu long time no see! Are those some new enhancements I see there?" I called across the bar to one of my favorite dancers who was wearing a rather tiny bar to show off her latest 'enhancements'.

"YES! Aren't they amazing? Like the doctor told me that I shouldn't go bigger because of back problems and tearing and all that shit, but as long as they get some money in who cares? Am I right?" She replied leaning her new two enhancements on the bar before being propositioned for a lap dance from a sketchy bar fly, one of our regulars of course and someone who I am sure helped pay for her new fun bags. They made their way to the back as I began to pull my long blonde hair back into a pony tail. I knew if I wanted to make it in Vinewood I would have to put my morals on a shelf and sell myself to the industry, whether it be from turning my body into a silicone palace, or from sleeping my way around from studio to studio. I wanted to be big, but I couldn't bring myself to do it that way. Sure I had caved in some areas to the Los Santos lifestyle, sure I spray tan every chance I get, and I bleached my hair before I even unpacked my bags when I moved in to my apartment, but I couldn't let go of the little bit of dignity I had left, even if that meant working in a sketchy strip club to pay the bills.

"Two Shots of whiskey please." I was quickly snapped out of my daydream at the sound of the order and looked up to meet the deepest bluest eyes I had ever seen, and I quickly scrambled to gain my composure and pour the shots without spilling a drop. Those eyes had caught me off guard, and as I glanced up at him while I was pouring the shots, I could tell he had on a suit, which was not the usual attire for this dive strip joint, and the ones who were dressed up never showed their face in fear of being outed for being in this joint and ruining their reputations. I slid the shots towards him and looked up to make eye contact with him again.

"That'll be $10." I said with a smile, that he tried to return but I could tell something was off with him as he grabbed the cash out of his wallet and slid it to me on the bar.

"Thanks." He mumbled, staring at the shot glasses in front of him. I knew my job was not only to make drinks, but to make all of the guests here at the Vanilla Unicorn feel welcome, or at least that is what my job description said. I've always had an uncanny knack for reading people, I always knew who to approach, who to stay away from, who to talk to, and who didn't want any conversation. I could tell something was hurting him, but for some reason this mystery man was not sending me any vibes on whether or not to pry the issue. I quickly bit the bullet and began to tread the waters.

"So that whole bartenders being good listener's thing isn't just a stereotype you know…" I said getting a small chuckle from the mystery man who had just downed both shots

"I don't even know where to begin lady." He said back playing with the empty shot glasses. I grabbed two more shot glasses from under the counter and filled them up, sliding one over to him and keeping one for myself.

"Well, you can start with your name. I'm Lauren, your friendly bartender here at the Vanilla Unicorn. You aren't one of our regulars and let's be honest, something must have brought you out here on a Tuesday night. This ones on the house." I said as I downed the shot in my hand.

"Well you are right I did come here for a reason. The name is Michael, Michael De Santa. And no I am not one of your regulars, I try to avoid this place like the fucking plague but tonight it just called me in." He said downing his third shot of the night.

"So then, Mr. De Santa, what is it that brings you in here tonight to this 'fine establishment'." I said collecting the empty glasses and putting them in the sink behind me.

"Well, I caught my dear old loving wife in bed with another man today, a ripped young looking thing, oh about your fucking age, and I figured I would come here and have a peaceful evening of tits and drinks and forget all about but you Lauren are making that a little difficult." He said with restrained anger in his tone.

"Ah, I'm sorry to hear that. But if it makes you feel any better, you aren't the first angry man I've seen come in here to fuck strippers because of their lovely Los Santos brides, and unfortunately I am sure you won't be the last in this town to. And I hate to say it but all of the men in the 26 year old age range are mostly dogs anyways in this town, so it won't be long before he tosses your wife to the curb like yesterday's garbage." I say, pouring two more shot for us and then handing one to him.

"Well, Lauren, it sounds like you have everything figured out in this town." Michael said, as we clinked glasses together and downed the shots. I quickly began to feel the warmth of the drinks come over me, and suddenly I began to hate my body for disregarding my usual alcohol tolerance and making me feel the effects of the drinks almost instantly.

"In this town you have to learn early Mr. De Santa, not to trust anyone."

"Call me Michael, baby. Now that we've talked about let's get to know a little bit about you. How does a beautiful smart girl like you end up slinging shots in a dump like this, when I know you could make twice as much money over there on the pole, no offense." He said, catching me off guard. No one had ever asked me about my life before, never in the bar, and surely not in this town.

"Well Michael, I guess you could say I ended up here out of necessity. I ran off from home in Alabama about a year ago to chase my Vinewood dreams with my head in the clouds and when reality kicked in and I got knocked to the ground thankfully I landed on the Unicorns doorstep. It isn't glamourous, but it's a job, and those are hard to come by in this town." I explained as he leaned on his elbow on the bar listening attentively to every word I said, actually looking like he cared, a look I hadn't seen in a long time, or maybe it was just the alcohol making my moves for me as I stepped closer to where he was sitting at the counter.

"So no husbands or kids or anything I'm assuming?"

"Nope, none." I responded.

"No boyfriends?"

"None of those either."

"Girlfriends?"

"Not a single one of those either" I chuckled.

"Hey, you never know in this town. A girl as beautiful as you I figured someone must have had you, baby." He said with a smile, genuine this time, not forced like before.

"I haven't dated much since I've been out here, the guys my age are dogs and all the decent ones are married." I said leaning against the bar now, noticing that the lights were starting to come on signaling closing time.

"Say, how about you and me go somewhere else to chat before they kick us out of here?"

"Sure, just let me get my things I'll be right out." I said, surely the alcohol talking because the thought of going anywhere with a married man would have repulsed me if I had been sober.

"Alright it's a date then I'll be out front." He said with a wink as he walked out the door making my heart skip more than a few beats.