𝐒𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐫 ✓ [𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐎𝐍𝐄]

✎ chapter one × turn heads, drop knees

ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇ́ɢᴀʟɪᴇɴ ʜᴏᴛᴇʟ
ᴘʜᴏɴᴇᴄɪᴀ ʟᴏᴜɴɢᴇ
ᴇɪɢʜᴛ ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ-sᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴘᴍ

━─━────༺༻────━─━

It's not hard to notice what goes on here, even with the clamor of music and conversation.

Keeping myself from squinting over the dimly lit ambiance to decipher the words of the guests as they converse is a challenge. One that I rarely overcome.

But I've trained myself to read the lips of the guests. They don't bother raising their voice for the attention of a bartender, but won't have the patience to deal with the lack of attention they might receive. I've watched exactly two co-workers get fired on the spot for accidentally ignoring a guest and I can say I wouldn't like to be added to that roster.

Because I have rent to pay and extrinsic motivations are more powerful than you'd think.

Borderline verbal abuse might not be fun. But when coupled with a fat paycheck, that's enough to keep me catering to the ridiculously elaborate whims of the hotels clientele.

When my arm starts to cramp from shaking the drink in my hand, I know it's ready to pour. I set the alcohol ablaze with a small torch and place the finished product in front of the woman seated at the bar. This is her third one, but she tips well and keeps calling me 'honey'.

As I clean off my station I adjust my top, pulling it down lower, so my cleavage is even more exposed. For some reason I always get more tips in a v-neck.

"Can I get a Pisco sour over here?" A voice calls.

I spot the general direction of the voice and almost don't notice who ordered.

"Elodie?" I laugh. "Shouldn't you be on shift?"

I look her up and down. Her usual neat black, blazer and pencil skirt are replaced by a glittering navy dress. Her straight dirty blond hair cascades down her back.

"I got off early. Charlie wanted overtime." She explains and waits for me to pour her drink. I garnish it then set it in front of her, and she sips with a content sigh.

"How much longer are you in for, again?" She asks, scanning her eyes over the crowd that grows progressively more dense.

"Only until ten. I couldn't take another twelve am shift. I might burnout." I laugh, then swiftly move to cater to another beckoning client.

By the time I slide a beer their way, Elodie has drained her glass at the other end if the bar.

"Another one, El?" I ask, teasingly waving the bottle of Pisco in front of her.

She laughs. "Put that bottle down before you break it." El adjusts the sleeve of her dress. "I'm not sticking around long. Probably going to hit a few clubs and try not get drugged. Wanna come with?"