"Not in this dress, maybe, but-"
"You're beautiful," he cuts me off. "Which is why you're perfect to work in Delirium, I've yet to meet a woman here who isn't gorgeous. And it's also a good reason to say you're Giovanni's mistress.” Maybe the words should make me feel good, but instead they have the exact opposite effect, my gut churning. “But don't forget, I'm just a guard. I don't know anything about Giovanni's plans and you shouldn't be asking this many questions about it anyway." The cold Enzo returns in a split second and he turns, grabbing the handle again. "Let's go before you're late."
He shuts the conversation completely down.
I choose not to argue with him or restart the conversation, following him into the club instead. I push my thoughts away for later as we enter a small corridor. It's dimly lit and it looks like there are shelves of cleaning supplies off to the side. But before I can get a good look, Enzo is moving quickly.
We keep walking and I can't get a good feel of the make of the club until we enter the same main room from yesterday. The lights are on bright and this time there's a bunch of people bustling around, moving this and that way. I instantly realize that Enzo is right. There isn't one person who works here that isn't beautiful.
The women are all wearing tight and revealing clothes, yet there's something classy about the outfits versus screaming two dollar hookers. One woman passes by with blonde hair that falls to her butt, a green sequin top hugging her curvy chest. Her leather pants look painted on and when she glances at me, there's a frown on her face before she's moving away.
"This way," Enzo says and I follow him over to a door off to the side of the bar. It's the same one I saw him and Giovnani go out of yesterday. It leads into a hallway, the walls painted off white. There are multiple doors on the hall, but Enzo turns into the first one.
A man sits at a desk on a computer, his brows pulled together. He glances up at us with a frown that quickly turns into a bright smile before he's climbing to his feet. "Hello," he says with a nod. "Enzo, and I assume our new waitress." His gaze flits to me as he waits for confirmation.
"Yes," Enzo says. "This is Winter."
"Nice to meet you, Winter," the man says cheerfully. "I am Todd. I'm the manager here at Delirum."
I nod, taking his offered hand. "Nice to meet you too."
He shakes my hand with an enthusiasm that puts me at ease. "So tell me, how much experience do you have waitressing."
"I worked at Applebee's for a little after I graduated high school."
"Ah, yes." He gives a nod, his smile falling slightly. "That wasn't too long ago then, I saw on your papers that you're only twenty."
"I'll be twenty-one soon."
He nods. "Yes, I saw that too. Technically, you shouldn't be serving alcohol, but we'll let it slide since we're not too long out from your birthday. And if we have any problems, I'm sure Giovanni will get it all cleared out." He picks up clipboard from his desk. “Let’s go get you acquainted with the rest of the staff."
We follow him back into the main club room. Somehow, it looks like there are even more employees than there were a moment ago and I take my time, noticing things about the room that I hadn't noticed the other day. Like the stairwell all the way off to the side of the room that leads to a second floor. There's a small rope across the front of the stairwell, indicating that the second floor must be for a select clientele only.
Todd walks us over to the bar where a man is organizing alcohol bottles. He looks up, giving us a smile. He has short, wavy black hair, tan skin, bright green eyes, and two black earrings sit in his ears. His eyes move to Todd before pausing on me, his smile widening. He props his elbows up on the bar.
"What is it that I can do for you, love?" he asks.
Out of the corner of my eyes, I see Enzo tense up but I ignore him.
"This is the new waitress I was telling you about," Todd says. He gestures between us. "Dave, Winter. Winter, Dave, our head bartender. He'll be slinging."
"Yeah, the rest of the bartenders are always too busy sniffing crack in the backroom." He says it with a smile on his face and I blink in shock. He gives a laugh. "I'm kidding...mostly."
"Stop it, Dave," Todd says. "Have you seen Amarie?" he asks, glancing around the room.
"Ah yes, she went off to fix her dress, something about the zipper, I don't know." He gives a shrug. "She should be coming back in any moment now..." His gaze moves behind me. "There she is."
I follow his gaze, sucking in a breath when I spot the woman he's looking at. She's absolutely gorgeous. Her brown skin is a few shades lighter than mine, her dark curls falling past her shoulders. She's tall and curvy, working what has to be six inch heels with a confidence I'll never be able to muster.
"Amarie!" Todd calls out, catching her attention and beckoning for her to come over.
When she pauses in front of us, I can't help but to study her even more. Up close, I can see there are a few blonde strands in her curls and it makes them pop even more, giving them character. Her plump lips are glossy, and dark eyeshadow with a few sparks of glitter line her eyes. "Todd, darling, I'm sorry." She has a faint accent, but I can't determine what it is as she waves her hands around with a flourish. "My dress is giving me the blues." She shakes her head, pushing a hand through her hair. "I'm just going to rip it off if it doesn't get it's shit together."
"I'm sure the clientele would love that," Dave says with a grin.
Todd shakes his head. "Keep your clothes on, Amarie, unless you're taking a private client." He doesn't elaborate further before turning his gaze to me. "Amarie, this is Winter, you'll be training her."
Amarie's hazel gaze turns on me and I can't help but to feel...less than. My shoulders clench up under her inspection and I embrace myself for her to be a bitch to me. Pretty girls usually are.