The Set Up

Prologue

The sun had just gone down when I emerged from my apartment well,motel room technically but I'd been living here for damn near close a year. It wasn't much, a room with a kitchenette and bathroom. I had the basics, clean towels and toilet paper, plus free wifi, cable, and a shitty breakfast bar in the lobby's dinning area everyday. It served my needs, a bed and shower, roof over my head, place to deal my drugs, and most of all, low key. I could feel my hands getting clammy from the chilly humid Florida night air as I walked over to my parked motorcycle. I looked down at my phone screen and sighed heavily. Mounting my bike, I hoped I could get to work on time.

Reeving up the engine, I bolted out of the parking lot. My apartment was on the outer edges of Gainesville and I had only 15 minutes to get to the heart of the partying college town where I worked at an arcade bar as a under the table bartender. My life may have seemed interesting but it was very boring and inconspicuous. I kept to myself, no friends, and dealt and worked to keep things going in my life. My side business was good, cause of the constant need for my 'party favors', and my tips at work were descent allowing me what I wished which was to live life strictly on cash. No bank account, no contract phone plan, no lease on a place to live. I was existing but at the same time not. The only thing I kept truthful was my first name and that's it.

Pulling up and parking in front of the bar, I shut off the motorcycle and walk in at a fast pace. It was only a little after 6 but the place was already packed with hot bodies holding their drinks and playing on the many arcade cabinets and pinball machines. I jogged up the stairs, going straight past the second floor and directly up to the third where another bar was. This floor was more for being social with others. It was a dimmed room with an almost blue hue, less games, and more tables. In the back corner I could see tonight's DJ setting up.

Cutting through the crowd, I ducked under the bar entrance and came up on the other side. The other bartender, Joseph, a 26 year old college student with a Hispanic heritage, spotted me as I placed my stuff under the counter.

"Sam! Bout damn time you showed up with your late ass!" Joseph barked over the music.

"Hey, its only by a couple of minutes! Besides, I got held up by the football crowd!" I yelled back, referring to the orgy of people walking to see the tonight's game.

"Fine, fine! But go clean yourself up real quick, you look like you just rolled out of bed with that hair. We're gonna be busy tonight so you need to look your best!"

Groaning, I walked behind the DJ and through a door that said 'EMPLOYEES ONLY'. I headed down the hallway and past the break room, straight to the bathroom. Mark was all about the employees looking good, saying how we represented the business. Looking in the mirror, I groaned as I saw my once straightened midnight blue hair was now fuzzed up. Damn helmet. I quickly ran my fingers through the collarbone length strands before checking on my makeup. I put very little makeup on but it was always dark. Pale foundation, dark lip stain and mascara, no blush. Staring into my bright green eyes I sighed before shaking my head to clear it. Straightening my plain gray v neck shirt out, I turned in the mirror, checking my butt out in my torn black jeggings. I smiled. I was very full figured, healthy but also not afraid to eat another McChicken and this helped me earn my tips. Wearing form fitting clothes showed off my round chest and just as round ass.

Satisfied, I went back out to the bar where I proceeded to take orders. Our half off deal tonight was the sex on the beach so I wasn't surprised by the time I had made almost 20. It was booming tonight due to the DJ and I was collecting another tip, sticking it in my bra, when the DJ started talk.

"Hey, y'all doin' good tonight?" He yelled into the mic.

The room filled up with drunken screams and 'Woos'.

"Good, good! Here's a favorite!"

Placing the mic down while shutting it off, Deadmau5's Ghost n Stuff blasted through the speakers, causing everyone to throw their hands up and cheer. I joined in cheering as I passed off a Jack and Coke to the man in front of me. People started putting down the hands, some returning to talking with each other or to the few pin ball machines on this floor, others starting to dance with the music. It was as the hands fell that there was a clear view to this floor's entrance stairway. A clear view to someone coming up, someone with paper white skin and toxic green hair that caused the blood to drain from my face and my stomach to fall into my feet, along with a rush of the memories that I had been working hard to run from.