Ultraviolet

Chapter Five: The Bostonians

Jessica's co-manager seemed to like the idea of hiring some new female staff when she asked her the next day. Or at least Jessica claimed she was. The co-manager was apparently a busy woman, something I found understandable, considering how violent the club's security guards were. They were probably being sued constantly. I didn't mention this to Jessica.

But after spending my first day here just hanging around the apartment alone, I wanted nothing more than to have something to do.

"I'm going out today," Jessica explained as she pulled on her coat. "Hadeon can show you around the club while I'm gone."

I could hear Hadeon groaning at the idea from the living room.

"Ignore him." She rolled her eyes.

Hadeon stomped over, stepping between Jessica and I without excusing himself. I headed back to my room as he started berating her. Hadeon seemed to have an issue staying home while Jessica went out, even if she was with Jack.

I changed into a sweater and jeans before meeting Hadeon in the kitchen.

"Lets go." I said. "I wanna be an expert by the end of the day."

"Let me be clear about this." Hadeon growled as we hurried down the stairs. "I don't like you being here, I don't think you should be working here, and I am only doing this because Jess asked me to."

"Believe it or not," I started as we walked in to the club from the back door. "You have already made that abundantly obvious."

The back door went through to a storeroom with kegs and cases of drinks, along with a comically giant plastic jar full of pretzels. The club was empty and bright, light streaming in from the windows. We walked behind the bar and I took in the club.

"I've never been in a club before." I noted.

It wasn't what I'd expected. There was exposed brick on all the walls and the bar as well as the tall tables placed sporadically and the booths lining the back wall were all a deep mahogany. From behind the bar I could see mini fridges squeezed underneath the counter top and taps labelled as water, soda water, and multiple brands of beers atop it. The actual bar was higher than the bartenders counter and on the small splash-back between the two hung recipes for different types of drinks.

"The bartenders don't know recipes off by heart?" I asked, a finger pointed at the printed instructions. "I guess that makes my job easier."

"You're not going to be bartending." He scoffed. "No, you will be setting up in the afternoon and cleaning up in the morning."

"No, Jess said I'll be bartending." I assured him.

I was certain, we'd only just discussed it this morning, before Hadeon woke up. I don't know if he doesn't have a home or is genuinely concerned that someone is going to break into the apartment. I was too afraid to ask if that was a real possibility. I'd rather just be oblivious.

"Thats..." He shook his head. "No, we don't need another bartender. I'll talk to her about that."

"No, you wont." I protested. He turned to me, his dark eyebrow perched halfway into his hair line, willing me to simply accept his decision. Hadeon was harmless, I'd learnt, and I won't be backing down. "I want to be a bartender. This is Jessica's club, she made this decision."

"God, why do you have to be so infuriatingly stubborn?" He growled.

"Why can't I be a bartender?" I demanded.

"For one thing, you're not twenty-one yet."

"Jessica explained that there's a loophole that allows me to work with a supervisor who is twenty-one." I didn't quite believe it, but between the overly-violent guards and the few small plastic baggies littered on the floor, I don't know if legality is really a concern for Jessica. And for all I know, everything I'm doing is perfectly legal. "Any other excuses?" I dared.

"A club in Boston isn't somewhere you, of all people, should be working."

"Me "of all people". What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I laughed. "Think I can't handle a couple of drunk guys? Or what, that I'll spot some coke on the bathroom sink and have some mental breakdown? I'm not as naive as you think."

Hadeon narrowed his eyes, starring down at me.

"I'll let you know if it's all too much after my first shift." I spat. "Now show me how to work these tap thingies."

Hadeon backed-down, for now, and spent the morning showing me the basics of bartending for a moment, but most of the time just told me where to find the cleaning supplies and had me water down the some vodka. Everything was fairly simple, but having Hadeon glare at me the entire time made me jittery. I was so used to being waved off that being the focus of someone's attention, especially if it wasn't positive attention, made me uneasy.

Hadeon pulled a mobile phone out of his back pocket and checked the time on the lock screen. "Okay," He rushed. "Thats it, you can go back upstairs now."

"What?" I laughed awkwardly at his sudden urgency. "What about that room?"

I nodded to a red painted door on the opposite wall to the bar, halfway between the mens and womens bathrooms. I started to walk towards it with the cleaning supplies before Hadeon grabbed my arm and twisting me around to face him.

"Never go in that room." He warned, the real worry in his voice striking fear into my veins.

"It doesn't need to be cleaned?" I questioned.

"Not by you." He sighed. "Look, I know you like to go against anything I say but I'm serious right now. Do not go in there."

I nodded, unwilling to argue about this.

"Thank you." He hummed, genuinely grateful.

A group of men, all dressed in black, suddenly rustled in through the back rooms and out to the club. They were laughing amongst themselves when they saw me.

"Oi, March! Are you serious right now?!" A short buff guy in front of the group sung out. Hadeon quickly let go of my arm and spun around. "Bringing a girl to work, that's not like you."

"Fuck off, Andy." Hadeon growled.

"Don't mind us." He smiled wide and threatening like a shark. "We'll wait back here and watch."

I felt the colour drain out of my face as I realised what he was insinuating. Hadeon remained emotionless, the only movement on his face being the clenching of his jaw.

"With Jess's sister, no less." The bouncer from my first night here, Quincy, grumbled.

"Oh shit!" Andy laughed. "You sly dog."

"Nothing is going on, shit-for-brains." Hadeon complained as Andy stepped up to me.

"I'm Andrew." He smiled, this time friendlier, and reached out a hand. I took it and shook.

"Violet." I introduced.

"Oh, I know." His eyes were bright blue and his hair was light blonde. He almost reminded me of a cherub from a renaissance painting, but he seemed far from angelic. "The boys told me you can take quite a beating." Again it seemed like he was insinuating something, but I didn't want to know what.

I cleared my throat before taking a step back and addressing the rest of the group. "Hadeon was just showing me around the club, I'm going to be working here." I explained, a nervous smile on my face.

"Just bartending." Hadeon added quickly, eyeing down the group. What else would I be doing? "Violet, go upstairs."

"Why?" I shot back. I worked here now, I had a right to know what was going on in here.

"We're just having a quick chat, all us security guards." Andy explained. There was far too many people here for them all to be guards, but I didn't say this out loud. "Boring stuff. Logistics and what not."

"Oh," I nodded. "Well, bye then."

"It was nice meeting you, Violet." Hearing my name come out of his mouth made me uneasy, and at that point I was more than happy to go out the back and up to the apartment.