[REDACTED]

III

chapter title: 1

Reverse three months

ok, it could be worse right, I could be completely broke. I should still have some money in my bank account right I mean, I haven't been spending on anything.

The bar, dangit the bar.

nevermind, I have been spending the money. Ok, so I can't quit right now, but that's not to say that I won't do it soon. I mean despite what I did in college I still went. Maybe that can help me get a job somewhere better paying. Though, it would have to be kinda shady if I didn't want them finding out about old me.

"Liam! People are waiting to get an order in out there." I turned and smiled at Lilly before flipping her off and then walking out of the kitchen doors and into the restaurant with the fakest smile I could muster. I walked up to table 4 first. "Hi, how is everyone doing? Can I get anyone anything?" The two kids had 'finished' their food and were playing tic-tac-toe with crayons on the back of the paper menu. The father was on his phone texting while chewing, and the mother was digging in her purse.

She turned to face me for a quick moment, "Yes two to-go boxes and the check please?" I smiled, "I'll be back soon mam." I then turned to walk to table five. I asked all my tables what they needed, what they wanted to eat or drink, and so on. Eventually, four hours pass and I was down to my last table until a man in a black suit walked into the room. I tried my best to hold in the internal scream, and I did so it barely came out as a tired sigh.

The people I was talking to now only needed their check, so once I gave it to them I walked over to the man in the black suit. "Hi, looking important are we?" He didn't smile at the joke and my smile left as well tough crowd. "We close in an hour, and the chef has already started packing up would you like to make a reservation for another night?" He shook his head, "No thanks, but how many seats are at the bar?" I counted on the small tablet, "Ten." He smiled, "Ok, I have nine other people showing up soon, so we will just have some drinks at the bar if that's ok." I thought about it for the moment, tall man, black suit, only drinking, he has to have money.

Money means tips, tips means getting tip-sy. "Of course, I have to help these last two people and I'll be over there shortly." He smiled and left in the direction of the bar. I walked back to the last people, swiped their card, and then they left. I quickly cleaned up the table and pocketed the $15 tip. That's a bit more than normal, maybe the wine did them better off than it normally does me. Once those dishes were put away I walked over to the entrance to the bar from the back. There was a note on the door.

"Hey Liam, I just wanna let you know I had to leave early, so if there are any angry people let me know and I'll give you half of my tips I get when I come back ok?"

I smiled, ironic since she knew I couldn't reply to the note. Then I took it down and shoved it in my pocket for physical proof. I retied my apron around my back and took a deep breath before walking into the bar area.

"Hello, anything important happening tonight?" The person in the black suit had been texting on his phone, but when he paused to look at me he seemed to scan me up and down. "Nothing somebody of your... financial range would need to know about." I literally had to try not to laugh, if only he knew. "Hey, no need to get mean, I'm the one making the drinks right." He wasn't amused. "I'm gonna be on my phone unless you need something, the only thing I can 'cook' is fries so don't get hungry."

He went back to texting on his phone so I quickly walked to the back. I dug in my locker, which I'm not supposed to do during working hours, and got my phone and AirPods before walking back to the bar. I connected them and started to listen to some music. The first song to come on Spotify was 'miss the rage', not a bad one, but definitely not expected seeing as my phone was turned all the way up. I decided to let it play through.

The person in the black suit, who I still hadn't learned the name of, slammed his phone down onto the counter, I'm pretty sure I heard some glass break. "Uh, are you ok?" He looked at me for a moment, "Screwdriver, make it strong please." I looked at him for a moment longer before slowly nodding and beginning to make the drink. I wasn't slow at the bar and had his drink done what I thought was a moment later, but when I looked up there were three more people than a moment ago sitting at the bar.

I set the drink in front of the man in the black suit, and decided I should get his name so I didn't have to keep calling him, 'the man in the black suit.' "What's your name by the way, so I can write it for my hours?" He glanced at the people next to him, "Nick." That's all he said before he started to drink the screwdriver. I didn't expect him to talk to me but apparently that is what he had planned. "What's your name?" I hesitate for a moment, "Liam." He didn't respond for a moment, I thought that he might be onto me, "Ok Liam, this conversation is entirely confidential and won't be going anywhere, understood. Turn off all the cameras in the restaurant and if anyone asks you were already off of work."

I was gonna just do it until I realized I can't cut off extra hours, I was barely earning enough to keep my own rent paid, no way I could give in extra hours. "Nick, I can't afford to not get paid for extra hours." He looked at the blonde sitting across from him and they seemed to have a conversation with their eyes. I saw his hand leave his glass and then Nick pulled something out of his pocket. He set a gun on the counter, it didn't phase me, it wasn't like my life hadn't been threatened before.

I sat there looking at him. He scoffed and pulled something else from his pocket, he set a stack of money on the table. "5 grand." I looked at him and then the money in pure shock, I couldn't respond so I just nodded my head. He smiled, but it wasn't a genuine smile, more of a face that said, 'you're lucky I didn't just kill you instead' He smiled that smile, "Well then you better scurry along and turn off those cameras huh." I grabbed the money off of the counter and walked into the back room, I quickly shoved the money into the locker and then turned off the cameras in the control room.

When I returned there were now ten men sitting at the bar, all the seats were taken. I sighed knowing that this was gonna be along night. Nick still wasn't done talking to me though. "So, I trust that whatever is said here will stay here? I'm asking you Liam, can you keep all of the information you may or may not hear confidential, if not I have no problem finding and killing you, then leaving your family in a debt." I nodded and then he smiled, the tension in the room seemed to also instantly dissolve.