Proposal

Chapter 11

If he got one more call today about the casino, he swore he'd break his phone. Over and over he'd been bombarded since he woke up with calls from employees telling him that an Overlord was asking to use the casino for a personal party, something he didn't allow. He'd though he'd made it very clear publicly that The Dead Man's Hand was not a place to be rented out, bought, sold, or otherwise commandeered. Turning his phone off, he carelessly tossed the device under the bar and continued to wipe it down. At least he'd lasted this long, right?

After a few minutes, he heard footsteps approaching from the hallway and casually sat down on the stool. Pulling out an empty bottle was a subtle touch for him, because he hadn't actually had a drink all day. He simply hadn't felt like he needed one, and he was creeped out about it enough. He definitely didn't need Charlie seeing this fact and freaking out about it like she tended to do. The girls walked into the lobby and wasted no time coming straight for him. "Husker! I have something I wanna talk about with you, is that okay?" The blond leaned over the bar and was in his face the moment she noticed he was there, forcing him to lean back to avoid her.

"Do I have much of a choice?" Charlie didn't hesitate to sit down at one of the stools, Vaggie sitting down beside her.

"Perfect! So, I was thinking about the rest of the hotel and what we could do for those rooms that you told us we should fix up too. I figure, we could fix everything all at the same time, that way we don't waste any time and money and stuff, you know?" Alright, he could feel the need to pull out a drink coming up again.

"You know I'm not an interior designer, right? I'm a bartender. I've just... seen a lot of places made for guests is all." He wasn't lying to her, even if it wasn't the full truth. The way the princess pouted her lip and her eyes grew large made him uncomfortable.

"Please Husker? I have no idea what I'm doing and I could really use some guidance for these little things. I don't know anyone else to ask." There was a slight whine in her voice that had him fighting a groan.

"Alright, alright. What rooms did you wanna talk about?" Now, he was pulling out and opening a drink, taking a quick swig as the blond pulled out a map of the hotel's first floor and started pointing to places.

"So, I was thinking about what you said about fixing up necessary places first and so I think starting with the ballroom would be the best bet, don't you?" Husker rolled his eyes but Vaggie put a hand on her arm and smiled softly at her before he spoke.

"Hun, I think what he meant is things that are needed for... you know... basic living stuff." Charlie blinks before looking down at the map in confusion. Husker pointed to a specific room on the map and tapped it.

"After the lobby, do the kitchen. Or, start with the kitchen, since it is the most necessary place in the hotel. Your kitchen is the heart, not the lobby."

"Really?" He nodded.

"People will come in if the lobby is nice. They're more likely to stay if the food is good. And to make good food, you need a proper kitchen and a good chef." The woman hummed and pulled out a notepad and a pen. He sight of the items confirmed for Husker that he was going to have an excruciatingly long day.

Hours. He'd ended up talking about the possible updates with Charlie and Vaggie for hours, and he definitely could say that he learned a few things. The two women weren't always what they seemed, which was nice to know when it came down to it. Charlie had calmed down and started talking to him seriously, which he hadn't seen yet from the blond. Every so often, Vaggie would add something or as a question, and a few times she even made jokes. Another thing that took him by surprise. When they'd talked over all of the renovations for the kitchen, they'd decided that was enough for the moment. After all, they would need the money for the renovations anyways, and they didn't exactly have any plans for that. Yet.