Complicated | J.S (SLOW UPDATES)

One

ATHENA DROPPED HER brown luggage as soon as her feet were in Birmingham. Her dark brown hair blew in her face as the train left for another stop. She took a few seconds to breathe in the air, saying it smelled amazing or fresh would be stretch. The thought of it all it was amazing and fresh, compared to the life she had before. This place had possibilities, it didnt restrict her.

Athena started to walk out of the station, looking around her, trying to take in every bit of this new place. As her eyes wondered, she got bumped into. Quite hard. She suddenly went into reality and felt lighter. Not in the sense that the burden she felt before had left her, but actual weight had left. She looked down. The luggage.

"What the fuck?" She said looking around frantically. Where did one of the two big luggages gone? She looked around her, suddenly she ses a man running with a brown object.

"Fucking wanker!" Athena yelled as she sprinted after him. After a while, her feet started to ache so she took off her heels.

She saw him head towards a back alley with a lot of people, Athena knew this was her last chance to get her luggage. The man had caused a lot of attention. He had even pushed women and children out of his way, causing many of them to fall and hurt themselves.

Athena was about to loose hope when criminal was stopped by a tall man holding a broken chair. The luggage stealer had run right at him, thinking he could push him away like he did all the others. It ende with him lying on the floor and her belongings spread everywhere.

"What you up to mate?" The man dropped the broken chair and caught Athena eyes.

"Thats mine, sir." Athena voice croaked as the man held up the criminal by his shirt.

"Is that so, stealing from pretty young misses are we?" He said as he gripped the shirt tighter, the man shook his head and tried to get out of his grip. "Get gone."

The criminal was dropped onto the hard pavement, he scrambled on his feet and ran away. Athena came running over to pick up her belongings, the hero of the hour helped her.

"I am sorry about that, the pick pocketers are getting out of hand now." He said. Athena picked up her muddy clothes. The older man stood up after a while and shook his brown coat.

"I'm Harry, Harry Fenton."

"I'm A-" Athena panicked for a second, she couldnt let her real name slip. "thankful lady called Erin Manning."

"You from somewhere up north, your accent is very distinct." Harry said.

"I-I'm from Oxford." Athena smiled, trying sound as confident as she could.

"Oxford, huh?" Harry chuckled.

"I usually wouldnt ask a lady this, but could you help me carry out a few broken chairs?" Harry said carefully. First now Athena noticed the huge sign that said 'The Garrisons'.

"Of course!" Athena said joyful, following close behind him. She couldnt help but noticing a poster outside the door, asking for a bartender.

Huge things that Athena never took into consideration when coming to Birmingham is where she is suppose to sleep and where she will work. While she was at the train she read a few advertisments, but all were looking for young and fit men.

Athena walked inn and looked at the huge mess at the bar. Glass everywhere, broken chairs and barstools. It looked as if there had been both a robbery and a gang fight.

"Is there gangs in Birminghams?" Athena blurted out as she picked up pieces of wood that had been broken off. She looked over at Harry who was handling a bigger table.

"Peaky Blinders rule here." Harry walked past her. "But if you were thinking about this mess, the blues lost."

"Peaky blinders and blues?" Athena scrunched up her nose, she could hear Harry chuckling from outside. She took her handfull and placed it in the pile outside.

"The blues is the local fotball team, whenever they loose their fans cause chaos." He mutters. "The peaky blinders are a gang, but we are on good terms."

"Nobody messes with them, if they do they get hell." Harry says, "They are good guys, they served in the war."

"Oh." Is all Athena could say. Gangs is something that didnt sit well with Athena, her small village was filled with gangs and small wars with other villages.

$$$

After Athena had picked up and tidied up most of the bar, she stood there patiently waiting. Harry had told her to go hours before, but she had stayed and helped. In the chance of maybe getting the job as a barmaid.

"Thank you so much, Erin." Harry smiled, but he looked puzzled on why she was still here. "Oh how rude of me."

Harry walked behind the bar and grabbed a few pennies. He walked over to her and handed it to her. She shook her head and gave the pennies back.

"I couldnt help but noticing, mr Fenton." Athena spoke up, and looked him in the eyes. "You were in need of a barmaid."

"No, no no-" Harry breathed out as he visually became uncomfortable. "A male bartender, we already have a barmaid."

"No, but you've seen me work." Athena couldnt let this chance slip, this might be her only one. "I'm no afraid to get my hands dirty!"

"Erin, this is not Oxford." Harry shook his head. "The men here are also not afraid to get their hands dirty, expecially on a pretty face."

"You dont have to pay me the first months!" Athena said. "And if the other barmaid can take it, I can also."

"Miss Manning, you havent been around Birmingham men." Harry pointed at the men outside the pub. They were tall and wide. "And Grace, shes different."

"The men around here know not to mess with her."

"Well, let me see for myself!" Athena held her hands on her hips, trying to look as powerful as possible. "Let me show them not to mess with me."

"Okay, lets say you handle the regulars, the customers-" Harry spoke up with a more serious tone now. "What if one of the Peaky Blinders want to buy you for the hour, huh?"

"Let me test it out and see." Athena said with no hesitation.

Harry sat down on one of the non-broken wooden chairs and sighted. Athena stood there looking at him, layering argument upon argument. They were bickering for what felt like hours.

"Fine!" He yelled out. "You can be the barmaid, stubborn as you are."

"Thank you so much, mr. Fenton!" Athena ran over and hugged him. He rolled his eyes and tapped her lightly on the shoulder.

$$$

The rest of the evening until nighttime Athena and Harry got to know eachother better. After Athena lied and told him her house burned down from the Lees, he happily offered her a small apartment over the pub.

Harry told her about the Birmingham history, where she could get the cheapest food and what parts to stay away from.

Her first day was Sunday.