The Barmaid

CHAPTER THREE

i predict a riot // kaiser chiefs

S I E N A

I spent the majority of my day thinking and evaluating over last nights shift. What sort of place am I working for? Who is Domenico? Am I going to die? Thankfully, I managed to get some sleep, and awoke naturally at 6pm with the warm sun breaking through my blinds. June is soon on the way.

I admire my outfit, running my hands over my black, wetlook leather skirt. It's warm today, and the worst thing I could think about doing right now is running around a bar in this heat. To keep the theme of black, I've paired it with a sleeveless, black tank top, and my knee-length black boots. I look hot. Once I've finished with my hairspray, I head out to the car, smiling to see Bill once more. "Good Evening, Bill."

"Good Evening, Miss Xander." He grins, holding the door open for me.

I've come to enjoy the journey to and from the club. It's a sweet half hour to forty minutes I get to myself, and I find it kind that my Boss - whoever they may be - has arranged transport to keep us safe. I smile at the guards who open the doors for me, becoming familiar with my face, and offer the same smile to the gentleman who walks me up to the club. As I enter the club, Ezra looks over at me.

"Evening, Sax." He shouts, looking down at an iPad on the bar. "You heard the news?"

"No?" I frown, pulling my bag off of my shoulder and walking over to him.

He turns his iPad around to face me, showing me a BBC news article. "Your old work place burned down."

"What?" I ask, rushing to sit down at the bar. "Do they know what caused it?" I look over the picture of the burnt wood and collapsed brick.

"Electrical fault apparently." He shrugs, turning it back to face him. "Boss wants to see you, by the way."

"Oh God, already?" I cringe. "I can't already have messed up."

Ezra chuckles, placing the iPad behind the bar. "Nah, don't worry. You'll have known by now if you messed up. He's in the back in the office."

I nod and jump up from the barstool. I enter the back of the club, and drop my bag by the cloakroom and then carry on to his office. As one hand anxiously plays with the material of my skirt, I lightly knock the door with my other.

"Come in." I hear shouted through the thick wood.

I gulp and push the door open. "Ezra said you wanted to see me?" I ask, closing the door behind me and looking at the back of my Boss.

He was sat on his chair, facing away from me, and looking out the window. His feet are up, resting on a small cushion, and his hands are tackling through paperwork like no other. "Take a seat."

I sit down opposite the desk, crossing my hands together, and crossing my leg over the other, resting them on my kneecaps. The silence is bitter. "Is everything okay?"

He turns to face me. I'm almost relieved and shocked to see it's Domenico from last night. His eyes look over my shoulders and chest and he pulls a small face of disgust. "That's not work appropriate." He licks his lips afterwards.

I blush, pushing my hair out of my face. "I'm sorry. I didn't realise that it would be a—"

"This is a high-end members only club. I don't want someone who looks like a common tart at my bar."

I gulp and my eyes widen. I was not expecting that. "Well, I-I don't have anything—"

As I speak, he opens a drawer on his desk, pulling out a man's black dress shirt and tosses it onto my lap. I pick it up and hold it out in front of me. It'll be baggy, but as I'm five foot ten, I'm tall and men's shirts surprisingly fit me well. "Thank you." I mumble, standing up and throwing it over my shoulders. I button it up and tuck it into my skirt, then dipping my knee and smiling awkwardly at Domenico who's watching my every move. "Better?"