Shattered

CHAPTER SEVEN

Also roughly 9 years later...

(Nina's Pov)

The loud, blooming music, the rowdy crowd, the constant chatter, the mindless, empty laughter, the sound of glasses being slammed down on any surface in sight, the bright, flashy lights hitting each and every surface of the massive building - The Lobby.

That was the best description of this hell hole that reeked of sex, perfume, body odor and alcohol. On a Saturday night, many people found pleasure in spending their night letting loose and partying - not realizing they looked incredibly foolish doing so. Not only would they end up swapping saliva and grinding against random strangers, but they would act uncivilized, like wild animals being set free from a damn zoo.

I hated it. The entire scene - it made me sick. If it weren't for my shitty job as a bartender, you wouldn't catch me dead in a place like this. The funny thing about the place was, it wasn't a cheap, lower/middle class club. In-fact, it was the opposite - directly only for the rich and wealthy. Only they were allowed access in a place this, but the very second they stepped inside, it was like all their little facades would melt away and you'd be introduced to a crazy side of them. 

It was as if they aspired to be... 'normal'.

It repulsed me. 

"Can I get a beer?" An older man with a skinny girl on his arm questioned, no doubt was he triple her age and she definitely not the reason behind the wedding band on his stubby finger.

"Sure," I muttered, snapping out of my little daze and flashing him a forced smile. He grinned at me in pleasure, which inwardly made me sick, but made me sigh in relief, knowing I would be getting a tip from him.

"Here you go," I placed the beer down in-front of him. 

"Johnson - put it on my tab," He said with a wink, and slid over a crisp note. I nodded with a false flirtatious smile, taking the note and sliding it inside of my tip jar.

Disgusting.

Sighing, I rolled my eyes as I leaned forwards on the counter and took a glance around the wild atmosphere. It was complete chaos to me and there was nowhere more than I wished to be other than in my little apartment, curled up with my fuzzy, brown cat, watching people make fools of themselves on reality shows.

Three more hours, I reminded myself. The only thing that made me tolerate this crap, was the pay. It was around $18 an hour (I worked 5 hours on weekdays and 8 on weekends), and with generally plenty of tips received, it was the only thing that kept me around here. It was the main reason why I managed to afford my decent apartment. I had been incredibly lucky bagging this job, knowing it was only because of my appearance that I had received it.

Yeah, the owner was a fat, shallow pig. 

Mindlessly glancing around, my eyes zeroed in on the private area of the club. Also known as the VIP area. It was mostly reserved by the filthy rich people who would usually be celebrating some sort of 'important' event in their busy lives. Judging by the fancy looking balloons tied around the place, it seemed like they were celebrating someone's birthday. 

I was snapped out of my little daze when I heard a few excited whispers.

"See, I told you he's here!" A cheery blonde with pink highlights in her hair stated, a matching pink dress barely covering her body. 

"It's really him?" Her friend with a handful of curves questioned, her raven hair pulled into a high bun, causing your attention to fall to her large, exposed chest.

"Yes! God, I think I just creamed my panties." The blonde whispered and I nearly gagged. My curiosity perked up and I followed the direction of their gaze, it landing on the sight of a male who managed to make me, for once, speechless.