Was I Ever Here? ; jenlisa ff G!P

4

Jennie Pov

I walk into Sammie's from the back door with Rosè following right behind. I'm greeted by the same odor as yesterday. And the day before that...and the day before that. A mixture of sweat and yeasty stale beer that wafts up from the decades old carpet lining the front of house.

Sammies is a run-down pub close to Old Town. It's a popular hangout for the locals but far from a tourist attraction. The proximity to the water makes the rats fat and not the least bit shy. They mostly come out after hours when the bar is quiet, staying close to the dumpsters and making me yelp anytime I catch one sprinting across the kitchen floor.

I inhale deeply—despite the smell—and swallow my rising anxiety back down into the pit of my stomach where it belongs. I don't exactly hate my job, it's more like a general dislike of my entire existence. A low throb that follows me around anywhere I go. I never want to be here—wherever here is—at any given moment.

We cut through the kitchen, waving a quick hi to the cooks. Stifling a yawn, I push my way into the employee room.

The thought of pouring pints for the next eight hours is making my stomach lurch but I change into my work shirt anyway, pulling my shorts over my tired legs. The leftover shame from last night still coursing through my veins, I internally wince at the memory of Taehyung grunting into me. Steadying my shaky hands, I gather my hair into a loose top bun.

"I'm like, already over it and I haven't even started," I whine.

"Such a gloomy baby," Rosè teases, winking at me before she pulls her shirt over her head, her pink lacy bra on full display.

I roll my eyes. "You know I hate it when you call me that," I shoot back.

"It's funny 'cause it's true," she says, chuckling through her shirt.

I do a final check of my outfit in the dirty staff room mirror, then lean on one of the lockers as I wait for Rosè to change into her work shoes. Then, begrudgingly, we head for the door and clock in.

I'm cleaning the bar with a dirty rag when I hear the bell over the door clang. We're only minutes away from closing and I stifle a groan from the thought of pouring another pint foranotherlousy tip.

I'm the last one here aside from Ian hiding somewhere in his office, and I'm itching to clock out. I huff out a long exhale and mentally prepare myself for the night to drag on even longer. I look up, trying my hardest to slap on my best fake customer service smile but it quickly falters when I see three people standing near the door.

An ominous chill snakes down my spine as my eyes skip to the one stepping closer to me, her black hair slicked back, her dark eyes staring straight at me. My smile might have been fake but hers is eery, mischievous even, as if she's in on a joke that I'm not privy to.

I somehow manage to rip my stare away from her and survey the other two behind her. One man has bleached blond hair and a bored look on his face. The other woman has dark shoulder length hair, her eyes on her waist, busy unclipping her gun from her holster in slow, deliberate movements.

Terror freezes me to the spot, the rag I'm holding falling with a splat at my feet. Suddenly, I do the first thing that springs to mind—I duck behind the bar, a feeble attempt to protect myself from the danger buzzing in the room.

The silence is deafening, when I hear footsteps coming from the back.

"Have you started cleaning yet? I want to lock up soon," Ian asks, popping out of the hallway near the bar area. His eyes are fixed on his phone, but his steps falter when he sees me cowering near the sink. "Jennie, what are you doing ther—" A menacing laugh pierces the room, making Ian stop short.

"Hello Kai, long time no see."