Impress Me Not: Neon Underground

Chapter 7

He didn't even know why he was going to this thing. This was stupid. Mateo waited the whole day, bored to tears. He tried to pass the time productively. But looking for beach houses was still going nowhere, and he didn't have anywhere in this damn city that he wanted to check out. Even reading wasn't helping time move. Instead, he wound up just watching the time pass.

He didn't know why he even tried to read. It was a stupid hobby that got you nowhere in life. His parents weren't right about much, but they were about that. Mateo didn't know why he had even let himself be convinced to get back into it. All it ever did was make trouble for him. His parents' nagging would still ring in his head every now and then when he picked up a book. It didn't help.

Anton was the one who had convinced him to pick up reading again. Mateo couldn't believe he even went with it. He hated to say that he had good memories of reading with him around. Laughing over a crazy romance book was the first time he truly felt connected to someone in a long time. That's how he had gotten to buy a bunch of different books, just so that he would be able to talk to Anton about them.

He wished he could burn them all now.

The club was its usual disgusting place. Mateo couldn't believe this stuff was even legal. If it were up to him, the place would be closed down. And the owner would be thrown in prison.

"You're here early," Alex said right when he sat down.

"I'm just trying to get this over with," Mateo rolled his eyes at her. She was almost as cocky as Melvin was, only she had no right to me. "I still can't believe this place opens every night with how disgusting it is."

"Says the man who comes here every night," Alex laughed. "And for someone who also paid for a private room with the owner of this disgusting establishment, I'm surprised you want to simply get it over with."

"Why wouldn't I want that?" He asked.

"Because it's not every day that Melvin offers his services," she told him. "There are plenty of workers back there. You should feel honored that he chose you."

"Are you here every night?" He slitted his eyes.

"Why?" She looked so amused by him, it only pissed him off more.

"Because I need to schedule my days for when you have them off."

"You aren't going to do that, even if I tell you," Alex laughed, cleaning one of the glasses that was behind her counter.

"And why do you think that?"

"Because you like arguing and insulting me too much," She batted her eyes at him. "And it gives you free access to getting to see the owner of this club as fast as possible."

"Don't be ridiculous," he scoffed. "Why would I want to see him?"

"You should ask your wallet," Melvin's voice came from behind him again. Melvin was still wearing a turtle neck shirt, as per usual. This time, however, he wasn't wearing sleeves. The muscles hid just a little under his skin, but Mateo could tell that they were there.

He could remember just how strong the man was too.

"I'm surprised you even showed up," Mateo spat at him. "I thought you were going to just throw my money into your register and disappear for a week or something."

"You see, that's where you and I are different," The man smirked at him, his arms crossed. "I'm an honest businessman. I don't simply steal money from others and disappear. If I remember my research correctly, though, your company did that quite a lot, though, didn't it?"