The One Weakness (manXman)

2. The Customer

I was really surprised to see how many people had read the first chapter. Like stunned. I thought no one was going to read it, so I didn't even bother to check before today. So here is a late update. This will be mostly boring filler.

Picture of how I imagine Chris.

Happy New Year!

The light shining through the dingy windows woke Derek. Blinking he sat up and discovered he was laying in the middle of the floor in his pub. Derek groaned, he felt sore in places he didn’t even know he had and his head felt heavy and foggy. “Why the hell am I in the pub?” he mumbled with a croaking voice. The pub looked fine, the door that had been destroyed was replaced with a new – and sturdier – one, the place even seemed cleaner somehow. It was all weird as fuck, and made Derek wonder if it had all been a dream.

Derek carefully stood and cringed – he smelled like a barn and was still wearing the same clothes he had been when he was, well, kidnapped. A shower would have to come first and hopefully it would help clear his head.

After having dragged his body upstairs and down to the bathroom, Derek threw his clothes into the washer and entered the shower. Forty-five minutes later he was wearing clean clothes and was even more confused. He had definitely been taken by the mafia for some trouble Chris got in – Derek didn’t know if Chris had gotten away or what had happened to him – but why would they let him go? There were countless rumours about the mafia, the Ocurs; they never let anyone who had been to their headquarters live to tell the tale, they were ruthless and not shy to use torture, and above all their leader was known for taking pleasure in killing. Of all the people in the Ocurs Derek had heard that the boss was on a whole other level in killing.

Derek jogged downstairs and out the door to get the newspaper. Nothing looked amiss. No mafia. No thugs. Just a normal quiet morning. Derek opened the newspaper while heading back inside. It had been two days since he had been attacked and kidnapped, which was not good. Rent day was coming up, and money was tight as it was without missing two days of income.

Derek used most of the day cleaning – just to be sure and check everything was as it should be – and buying more liquor. By the time it was late afternoon he had already been standing in the bar reading and cleaning the counter.

Suddenly the door opened and Derek jumped, his heart pounding, but he quickly composed himself and put on a polite smile. This man hadn’t been among the thugs yesterday and he certainly didn’t look like one. He had thick brown shoulder-length hair, a light stubble, and deep brown eyes – he was quite handsome.

The man sat down at the counter and stared at Derek. “Can I get you anything?” Derek asked politely and smiled. The man stared for so long Derek thought he wasn’t going to answer. “What do you recommend?” That took Derek by surprise. He had never been asked that before, it wasn’t exactly a café or restaurant he owned and most of his customers already knew what they wanted.

“That depends on your taste and what you’re in the mood for,” Derek said, but he couldn’t read the man’s face at all. It was devoid of emotions. “What do you like to drink?” The man asked, still staring. Derek thought for a moment and then turned and bent down to get his favourite drink. Derek stood and placed the berry-smoothie in front of the man. “This is my favourite drink, are you sure you want that?” The man actually smiled – or at least Derek guessed that was what that peculiar little stretch of the mouth was. “That will do.” The man took a gulp of the smoothie. “Leo.” Derek had gone back to wiping the counter, but looked up. “Uhm, my name is Derek.” The man looked ever so slightly frustrated, but mostly expressionless. “Yes, but my name is Leo.”