Standing outside the building, I shifted my gaze between the phone in my hand and the tall structure in front of me.
"This should be the place," I murmured to myself.
When Elara had told me I would have to pay with my body, I had misunderstood—or maybe I had understood perfectly, and she had simply been in the mood to tease me.
Either way, what came after had been completely unexpected. Instead of anything improper, she had sent me an address, which turned out to be for employment.
If it hadn't been for that cruel joke, I might have been so overwhelmed with gratitude that I would've started worshipping her outright. Not that I wasn't grateful—I truly was. After failing again and again to find work, the thought of real employment was more than I had any right to hope for.
When I reached the door on the fifth floor, I found it locked.
It was another bar. Yet from the appearance of its entrance alone, it appeared far less erotic than the one where I had shared drinks with that pig like man.
I leaned closer, pressing toward the glass to get a better look inside. From what I could see, it really did seem different. A small, stage like platform sat neatly in one corner.
I was still studying the interior when the door suddenly swung open.
Startled, I let out a sharp cry and stumbled back a step.
"Oh, I'm sorry. We're not open yet." She looked just as surprised as I was.
For a moment, panic took over. I glanced down at my phone, double checking the address, then lifting my eyes back to her. After a brief pause, I finally managed to speak.
"I'm Lyra Ashworth. Um… Elara Holloway sent me."
I wasn't sure how else to refer to Elara. I hardly knew her myself.
The woman nodded, as if that explained everything, and stepped aside to let me in.
I hesitated—then moved forward.
Once inside, the door closed behind me. The woman gestured toward a seat, and I obeyed, settling onto a stool. It had been a long time since I had taken a job of this kind. It would've been a lie to claim I wasn't nervous.
I sat stiffly, my back too straight.
"I was told by the director that you'd be coming," the woman said. "Have you worked in a bar before?"
"No." I had taken plenty of part time jobs before, but none had required real training.
Behind her, a wide shelf stretched along the wall, lined with bottles. My knowledge of alcohol was embarrassingly limited. I recognized beer and whiskey—and not much beyond that. The cheap brands I was familiar with were nowhere to be seen.
"You're not here to be a bartender," the woman said, as if sensing my unease. "Just help out with odd jobs. And speaking of that…"
Her words trailed off as her gaze moved slowly over me, from head to toe.
"Are you okay with physical labor?"
"Yes," I answered quickly. "I've done plenty of loading and unloading work before."
I wasn't exaggerating. I'd handled my fair share of manual labor. I didn't have much muscle to show for it, but what I had was hardened by experience.
"Great. I'm the manager here. My name's Christina Gauge. It's nice to meet you, Lyra Ashworth."
She held out her hand. I took it, though the motion came out a little awkward on my end.
Christina didn't let go right away.
"By the way, what's your relationship with the director?"
The question caught me completely off guard, leaving me at a loss for words.
"Please don't mind me," she added lightly. "She doesn't usually recommend people like this."
She wore a bright smile on her face. Her manner was calm yet lively, even in the way she probed.
"Uh… we just met in passing," I said at last.
It wasn't that I was trying to hide anything. I just… didn't know how else to describe it. I didn't have a clear idea of what my relationship with Elara really was either.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Christina asked with a smile, though she quickly waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, and by the way, you can just call me Chris. My full name is a little too long to bother with."
I hadn't given it much thought before, but I still gave a small nod in agreement.
"Well then, Lyra," Chris continued, "there isn't much you need to worry about with the hiring process here. What matters most is knowing the schedule and having the proper uniform. The uniform is simple, really—it's just a shirt. So, you can go ahead and start from tomorrow." She paused for a moment, her eyes resting on me. "Now then, what's your shirt size?"
"Large," I answered immediately.
"Really? Don't you think that would be too big for you?" Christina asked. It was true, but since I had relatively larger breasts, Alex had always insisted I wear loose clothes, and over time it had simply become a habit.
"I feel comfortable wearing loose clothes," I replied. Christina seemed to either understand or perhaps completely misunderstand my reasoning, but in any case, she laughed heartily and let the matter drop.
A moment later, Christina told me that everything was settled and asked me to come back again tomorrow. She also handed me her number, adding casually that she had already received my ID details from Elara.
Only then did it really sink in how strange that was. Handing over someone else's identification so casually... it almost felt as if Elara were acting as my guardian.
That would explain why Christina had asked about our relationship earlier. Maybe it was also why she'd treated me with such politeness from the start.
But then again… would she have done the same if she knew the full truth?
I doubted it.
I stepped out of the bar and made my way out of the building.
It was my first time going through something like an interview for a job like this—if it could even be called an interview at all. The whole process had felt unusual from beginning to end.
It was like I had briefly crossed into another world. Only after I stepped outside did I feel as though I had returned to my own.
I turned my head and looked back at the building. The reality of my new employment and the image of the place that would soon become my workplace began to settle slowly into my heart.
I exhaled deeply. I wasn't certain whether I would perform well or meet their expectations.
But given my situation, I knew one thing. I would give it everything I had.
With that thought firm in my mind, I pulled up my hood and started back toward our room. More than anything, I wanted to share this small success with Alex.