𝐒𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐫 ✓ [𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐎𝐍𝐄]

✎chapter four × drinking on the job

ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇɢᴀʟɪᴀɴ ʜᴏᴛᴇʟ
ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜʀᴇʟɪᴀ ʀᴏᴏᴍ
ɴɪɴᴇ ғᴏᴜʀᴛʏ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ ᴘᴍ
━─━────༺༻────━─━

"An Old Fashioned, please ." A man orders

I nod towards him with a polite smile, struggling not to show the panic my eyes. This was the eighteenth order I'd gotten and we were only thirty minutes in to this 'party'.

All of the guests arrived in a wave and ordered just the same. My fingers were sore from unscrewing the heavy, unopened bottles of alcohol. To make it even harder, no two orders were alike. Each contained a different mix of contents that sent my 5 foot 3 frame struggling to reach the bottles.

In some ways it was exhilarating, especially when my hard work was reciprocated with a sizable tip. And these guest were feeling particularly generous.

I'd run the bar alone every night if it meant getting tips this good.

Besides my drinks, h'orderves were being sent in. I had eaten a full meal before arriving, but the little finger foods look good enough to risk the stomach ache. But, my appetite is quickly squelched by the heavy cigar scent that settles in the air. Thick as the smell is, I can tell they're authentic. My dad's Afro-Cuban and used to get cigars from his cousins there.

I hate the smell of them, but it's permanently ingrained in my head and nose what a good Cuban cigar smelled like.

In the middle of shaking up another cocktail, I'm distracted by a clinking sound coming from across the room. I, as well as most of the guest, draw attention there.

Red Tie stands at a head table, glass in hand. Quickly, everyone quits conversation and sets their drinks down. The silence is almost erie. I stop mixing my drink too, worried the sound will be a distraction.

Red Tie adjusts his namesake and settles a confident smirk over the crowd.

"Thank you, ladies and gentleman, for joining me tonight. I'm sure you're all wondering what I've dragged you here for."

The crowd laughs almost instinctively, like a paid studio audience.

"As you all know, business has been a bit hectic lately. And with the transfer of ownership, things have been getting even more out of order."

Red Tie adjusts his namesake nonchalantly, swirling the drink in his hand.

"But I'm proud to say that the business side of things went smoothly and the associated properties, affiliate contracts and wealth have transferred to me. Including the very building we are standing in."

The crowd is silent for a second, I can't tell if it's out of disbelief or disapproval but, an uproarious cheer comes from them a noticeable second later.