Glass Hearts || Noah Sebastian

7.

  "I'm off in like twenty.." I try to reason, giving him big eyes and a nonchalant smile.

  "Yeah, but this client specifically wants you, and you do kind of owe me for bailing out early the other night"

   And there it is, sweet tone replaced with the malice one I know all too well. Although he's giving me a wide smile I know it's anything but friendly. He knows he has the ultimate power over me and I can't tell him no. I'm disposable to him, we all are. It's a fact that he uses to his advantage. My blood boiling with rage at his entitlement to me and my time, but I can't do anything but bite back the annoyance on my face. A repugnant rash of goosebumps breaking out along my flesh as I look eyes with my greaseball of a boss.

  "when am I needed?"

His evil grin growing wider at my words, knowing he has backed me in a corner and won.

  "Thirty minutes"

I just nod my head in agreement before watching him walk away, satisfied with his manipulation. As soon as his body exits through the threshold I let out a loud sigh, rolling my eyes and throwing my middle finger up in the direction he was just in.

  fuck that bastard.

After my brief moment of enragement, I turn back to my mirror. Touching myself up for the longer than expected night I'm about to endure. Shawn has a habit of setting me up in the red room with complete scum, having no regard for all the bullshit they bring. He doesn't care who they are, how repulsive they act or if they're complete pervs. All he sees is the money signs, the bigger the pay the more comfortable he is turning  a blind eye to it all. Why would it matter to him anyway? It's not his problem after all.

   I begin to put on my lipstick, the faint sound of house music echos in the distance as dread sits in my lungs, making it hard to breathe. Getting lost in thought as I stare at myself I begin to wonder what life outside of this could look like. It's hard to imagine. Aside from relying on Jasper for most of my early adulthood this is all I know, the only way I've been able to keep myself above water. It would be so much easier to just leave it all behind. To start over. Again.

   "What did that rodent want?" I see Mel approaching me as she speaks, pulling me from my scattered thinking.

  "I've got red room in thirty" rolling my eyes as I speak, Mel taking the empty chair next to me.

  "Are you serious? You're supposed to be off by that time" voice raising as she speaks, it's easy to read that she is also outraged at his inconsiderateness.

  "Oh him and I both are aware. This is how I redeem myself for taking off early the other night" 

  She doesn't say a word but the look on her face speaks volume. Her brows raised in surprise, as her eyes squint with anger. Her ivory skin reddening as her temper begins to reach a boiling point.

   It feels good to know she shares my frustration. She's been working here longer than I have and has seen how much of my life I have dedicated to this place. Never taking a sick day in the entire two years I've been employed, and even coming in a lot of the time on my days off. I've gone above and beyond for Shawn and his club, only to have it all disregarded.

   I simply loath hosting in the red room; a fact everyone is aware of. Most guys that frequent this place are cretins who have no respect or regard for anyone of the opposite sex. Having to tell them one too many times to stop being pushy or way too handsy isn't a rare occurrence either. The sloppily drunk men who pay an outrageous price for an hour alone with a girl are bottom of the barrel type of people.

  "That little rat is lucky we don't up and fucking leave this shithole. Like there aren't a million other clubs in this city that would love to have us" she finally speaks, crossing her arms over her chest as she throws herself back into the chair.