︎✯ ︎
"Fuck!" The woman screamed, rolling her eyes back and aching her naked body
The bed was creaking.
The smell of sex and sweat was lingering in the air.
My grunts and groans were mixed with her high-pitched moans.
She dragged her nails down my back until she gripped my ass.
I reached for her leg and threw it over my shoulder to give me more access to thrust deep inside her.
Her tight core started clenching around my hard crotch as we were nearing our climax until my phone rang, killing the mood instantly.
I cussed, letting out a breath while the woman beneath me whined when I pulled out and reached for my phone only for her to slap my hand.
"It's rude to leave a woman unsatisfied, you know?" she scolded me. "Your call can wait."
"I highly doubt that." I reached for it anyway despite her protests.
I checked the caller's ID on my screen. It was Christian again.
I wonder what kind of trouble he got himself mixed into this time. I thought with a sigh as I pick up the call. "What did you do?"
"Wow! Not even a 'Hey, Christian. How are you?' Some friend you are."
"What did you do, Yu Ba Rom?"
"Alright! Geez, you didn't have to my Korean name. And you can't be mad at me if I tell you."
"Depending on what crime you committed, I make no promises. So spill."
"So I had a gig. I had a couple to plenty of drinks and things kinda went a little crazy and now I'm at the police station."
I inhale a sharp breath, closing my eyes and pinching the bridge of my nose. "Why didn't you call Mei?"
"She's with her parents and won't be back for another week."
"What about Chaerin?"
"Hell no! I choose life. That woman will send me to meet Jesus if she finds out!"
"She will send us both to meet Jesus now that you got me involved by telling me, you prick!"
"Come on. You gotta help me. Just go to my apartment and get my bail money. It's underneath my bed."
"Where did you get the bail money from?"
"Oh, would you look at that? My time is up. Make sure you get here with the bail money. Bye!"
"Christian – "
He hung up.
I cussed for the second time and turned to the woman underneath me. "I take it that you're not in the mood to finish where we left off."
"After awkwardly listening to your conversation, pretty much." She answered with a grimace.
"Fair enough." I rolled off of her and got out of bed.
"You're leaving?" she asked, sitting up and covering her breasts with her bed sheet.
"I have to." I gather my clothes and put them on. "My friend got himself into some trouble and I'm morally obligated to help him."
"Okay, but at least give me your number or something."
I met her pouty gaze and gave her a tight smile. "I'm afraid I can't. As much as I enjoyed our time together, I make it a policy to not get too involved with the women I sleep with. It's better that way."
"I'm not like other women."
"Sure you're not." I grabbed my jacket and strode towards her door.
"Will I see you again?" she asks.
I look at her one last time and said, "Probably not." And left.
︎✯ ︎
"Ollie! You came for me!" Christian rushed to the bars of the prison cell with a grin on his face by the time I was escorted inside the precinct.
"Friend of yours?" the police officer asked me.
"Unfortunately," I said with a tight smile. "I'll take him off your hands, thank you."
The police officer walked over to the cell and unlocks it, allowing Christian to get out. "Be sure to grab your stuff at the reception," he tells him. "I better not see you here."
"You got it, officer." Christian gave him the finger guns before turning to me.
"Don't." I raised my hand before he could say anything that could potentially deplete my brain cells. "Let's just go."
"I thought at the age of thirty-two and being engaged would make you'd learn to be a bit more responsible and act your age, but that's a fucking lie," I said as we got into my car. I started the engine and reversed out of the parking lot and drove into the road.
"Fuck you! You're one to talk. You recently turned thirty, yet you stick your dick in anything with a vagina." He retorted.
"It's a seasonal thing. Stop making it seem like I'm a nymphomaniac." I retorted back. "Even if that was the case, I go about it responsibly. I always wear protection to prevent catching any STDs and unwanted pregnancies, I make my intentions clear to avoid drama and misunderstandings and I make sure to avoid having sex while drunk."
He scoffed rolling his eyes. "That reminds me for whatever reason – aren't you supposed to be at The Coup d'Etat sometime today? Chaerin set up a job interview with the owner for you if I remember correctly."
"Oh yeah. I almost forgot about that." I replied.
I was in and out of employment while doing a couple of side hustles and freelance work to get me by for the past couple of months, but I still needed a stable job with a stable income. So Chaerin graciously referred me to a friend of hers who runs a bar.
"You know she will kick your ass for wasting her friend's time." He reminded me.
"Nah! She loves me too much to do anything." I grinned. "But not gonna lie, she may be a sweet ray of sunshine but she's an ice queen when she's mad."
We both shuddered at the thought of it until we arrived at Christian's apartment complex.
"Thanks again for bailing me out, mate. I appreciate it." He said.
"Anytime. We both know you wouldn't last long in prison anyway." I taunted him with a smile.
"Fuck off!" he got out of my car. "And make sure you shower before heading to your interview. The smell of sweat and after sex is too strong."
To say that I was surprised after seeing the bar Chaerin's friend owned was an understatement. The place was fucking huge! Big enough to be a fucking hotel. Even walking inside felt like I was walking into a hotel. Glass chandeliers hanging up the ceiling, expensive-looking furniture and spotless porcelain floors. Whoever owned this place must have been loaded with a lot of money.
"Hello, sir. How may I help you?" the dark-haired lady at the reception snapped me out of my state of awe.
"Hi. I'm looking for Kwon Jiyong. I have a job interview with him." I told her.
"May I have your name, please?"
"Ollie Wu."
"One moment."
I tapped my finger on the reception desk, looking around the place still not believing that I was going to work there – if I got the job that is.
"Come with me." She stood up and led the way.
︎✯ ︎
"So, is this place a hotel or something?" I asked.
"It was previously before Mr Kwon bought it and converted it into an entertainment centre." She explained.
"An entertainment centre?" I crowed arching an eyebrow.
"Yes, The Coup d'Etat has combined nightclubs, bars, sports clubs and casinos."
Damn! I thought.
We finally made it to one of the clubs and went inside. It was quite busy. The staff were moving up and about rearranging the furniture and setting up the stage and equipment at the DJ booth. A few of them were carrying crates and canisters of alcohol to the bar, where we found a man standing watching everything.
"Mr Kwon." The receptionist caught his attention as we approached him. "Someone's here to see you."
"You must be Chaerin's friend." He acknowledged me.
"That's me. Nice to meet you." I extended my hand for a handshake, which he accepted.
"Likewise." He smiled, turning to the receptionist. "Thanks, Jisoo. I'll take it from here."
She bowed briefly and left.
"Have a seat." He gestured his hand towards the empty seat beside him.
"A bit unprofessional to be having a job interview here, don't you think?" I commented, taking a seat.
He waved his hand dismissively. "Professionally hasn't always been my strongest suit. Besides, my office is pretty dull and I need to make sure everything is set before we open for the night."
"Well, if you put it like that, I guess that's pretty fair. You are the boss Mr Kwon."
"Just Jiyong is fine. Or GD. Whichever you prefer." He leaned in and whispered. "But my employees call me Iguana man because of the number of times I've died my hair." He ruffled his long shaggy blonde hair with pink highlights at the tips.
"What does GD stand for?" I asked.
"G-Dragon. G from my name Jiyong and dragon from my family name 'Kwon'."
"Ah! I see."
"Enough about that." He changed the subject. "Chaerin told me that you bartend. How long have you been bartending?"
"About ten years. I read many cocktail recipe books when I was in the military and decided to put them to good use when I left." I answered.
"And you never worked permanently at any bar or club?"
"No. Sometimes the pay wasn't satisfying. Sometimes I didn't vibe with the management at the bars and clubs I worked at. And sometimes I was forced out of employment because of health inspection issues and bankruptcy. I got retrenched from the previously worked at a couple of months back and I've been freelancing ever since."
"I see." Jiyong rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Tell you what, how about you work a shift tonight? I wanna see you in your environment and how you handle things as a bartender. Pass this test and consider yourself hired."
I leaned back a little, feeling a small twinge of pride take over me. I'm not one to brag but I consider myself the best at what I do as a bartender and I pride myself on that. And one thing about me is that I never back down from a challenge.
"Sounds easy enough," I said.
"Don't get cocky. I may be laid back and chill, but I can be strict if I have to. I don't just hire anyone." He told me. "Come on. I'll escort you to the locker room and give you your uniform."