The First Night
Kai never thought that chasing a dream would be so hard.
At twenty-two years old, he was meant to be painting, sketching, and letting his imagination breathe on his artworks. But here he was, staring at lists of bills on his table, the unfinished project for his painting course, and his empty wallet next to him.
City life was not as inexpensive as he thought, and dreams did not pay the rent.
He lay back in his chair, running his fingers through his unkempt hair. The tiny apartment he rented was pretty awful, the walls were peeling, the ceiling fans were also creaking every time it turned. His painting supplies were scattered everywhere,
his paint tubes were almost empty, brushes stiffened from poor cleaning.
He sighed. His landlord had already reminded him twice about the rent. If he failed to pay this month again, he'd probably get evicted.
Later in the night, he got a message with a text from his friend, he was about to ignore it. Yet the messages kept coming, so he decided to check them out.
"Hey, the club near the financial district desperately needs a bartender tonight. High pay. You in?"
Kai frowned. Bartending was something he had never done or even thought of doing, but high pay?His heart missed those words, so he changed his mind.
He replied quickly.
"I don't have any bartending experience.
His friend replied right away.
"Doesn't matter. They're desperate. Just pour drinks and look decent. You'll be fine I promise."
Kai looks at the lists of bills again. Then at his un-finished sketch of a city skyline.
Maybe he did not have a choice.
The city lights twinkled like stars trapped inside glass towers. Kai's sneakers hit the pavement as he walked downtown, following the directions his friend had sent him. He stood out, he figured, as he passed by gleaming cars and glittering storefronts in his worn jeans and coat. When he finally reached the building, he took a deep breath. There was not even a name for the club outside, just a sleek black door with gold trim, two men in suits guarding it. A long line of people waited to get in, almost all of them dressed in designer clothes, perfume in the air like expensive promises.
At first Kai hesitated. Was this really the right place?
He approached one of the guards nervously. "Um… I'm supposed to work here tonight? Bartender."
The man scanned him from head to toe, the way he looked at him making Kai's stomach twist. Then, after a pause, he opened the door and asked him to go in.
Inside, the club was another world entirely.
Warm, dark light spilled across shining marble floors. Crystal chandeliers hanging above them tossed gold light onto glass tables and velvet sofas. A low throb pulsed through the air, low enough to be felt in the chest, smooth enough to draw people in. Wherever Kai looked, he saw money everywhere in people's suits, in the shining dresses, in the laughter that sounded like champagne.
His heart was beating fast as he walked to the bar.
"First night huh?" a voice asked.
Kai turned to find another bartender, a tall man with sleeves rolled up, already mixing a drink with good skills.
"Yeah," Kai admitted.
The man smirked. "Don't worry. Just smile, pour drinks, and don't water down the whiskey. You'll survive."
Kai gave a nervous laugh, nodding.
The first hour was a struggle. He poured drinks, took orders, washed glasses, and tried not to look too intensely at people who approached the bar. Some customers gave him looks that made him feel uncomfortable, curious, critical, or flirting
He glanced down and focused.
Until the atmosphere in the room changed.
It was not the music nor the lights. It was people's sudden movement, The crowd stirred,they all straightening their chairs, they stopped laughing, each letting a note drop softly, As if they could sense something was about to happen
Kai looked up.
That was when he saw him.
Adrian Veyra.
The man walked into the club like he owned it maybe he did. He was wearing a dark suit so perfectly tailored. His hair was pushed back, sharp features poised in silent control. His presence drew every single one of their attentions in the room, not that he required it, but because they could not look away.
Kai's breath caught in his throat. He had never seen someone like that in his entire life before.
Adrian didn't even smile. He didn't need to. His gaze moved across the club with an attractive cool look, like he was used to surveying an empire.
And then, for no reason, his eyes landed on Kai.
It was nothing, a glance of attention. But Kai felt it like a spark under his skin, sharp and sudden. He looked away quickly, and he was sweating.
Why would someone like that look at him?
Kai tried to keep himself busy, picking up bottles, pouring drinks, and wiping down the counter. But something in his body told him that Adrian was still somewhere in the area.
After some minutes, Kai risked taking another glance.
Adrian was sitting at one of the private tables, a glass of something dark in his hand. His expression was unreadable, but his look was on Kai again.
Kai's hand trembled, spilling a drop of liquor as he poured. He cursed under his breath, wiping it quickly.
Why him? Out of everyone here, why him?
The music died down, the air thick with smoke and perfume. People moved around Adrian, but no one touched him. He was a Rock sitting in the middle of the room, untouchable, magnetic.
Kai couldn't look for long, but every time he looked away, he felt something that's pulling him back.
And deep within, a dangerous thought whispered inside him.
This man could have ruined me.
By the time his shift neared its end, Kai's nerves were frayer. He had served dozens of drinks, smiled at strangers, and tried not to think about the cold-eyed CEO across the room.
But when he finally looked up again, Adrian was gone.
Relief flooded him. Maybe he had imagined it, the glances, the strange tension. Maybe Adrian hadn't even noticed him at all.
Kai tidied up the bar, wiping the counters down, his shoulders aching from the extended night. The other bartender slapped him on the back.
"Not bad for your first time," he said.
Kai smiled weakly. "Thanks."
He went to the exit to go home in the evening. The city is now less noisy now, the streets glistening from a previous rain. He pulled his jacket around him, letting out an unsteady breath.
Maybe this was a one-time thing. Maybe tomorrow he'd go back to his sketches and try to forget the way Adrian's eyes had lingered on him.
But as he walked home under the streetlights, Kai couldn't get rid of the feeling that something had begun tonight.
Something he wasn't ready for.
Something that could change everything entirely.
To Be Continued