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“Sebastian, the owner of the fancy bar, would hire you in a heartbeat,” DeeDee blabs. “He came with me once, to that shady shithole you work at currently, and saw you working. Said with your skills and looks, you belong somewhere else.”

Her words chase my oncoming anxiety attack away, at least momentarily so. “Really?”

“Yes, he wants to see you as soon as you can. As for the other two, they are both interested and are hiring.”

“Why don’t you give Sebastian a call right now?” Mateo says.

“What, now?”

“Sure, why not?”

He looks at me with a smile that seems like he just made a spontaneous suggestion. But I know him too well to buy it, or rather, I know that he knows me too well. He is well aware I am about to chicken out.

“Mateo is right,” DeeDee muses. “Sebastian hasn’t opened the bar yet, but he’ll be in the office.”

I want to chicken out, I honestly want to. I just want to grab my things and run.

Run… run… run…

Are you going to run from me again?

I don’t know why I think of Aden all of a sudden. He is not part of this conversation. I wouldn’t even be running from him if I jumped up and left now, but somehow his words are ringing in my ears. Are you going to run from me?

How long do I want to run?

“Go get them!” Mateo exclaims in relief when I type Sebastian’s number into my phone and dial it.

I called all three of them. The drag queen bar, unfortunately, had already hired someone today, but the other two both wanted to see me as soon as possible. With my newfound courage, I decide to tackle this immediately.

The bar with the live music looks amazing. It’s quite big and clearly made for holding smaller concerts. It’s busy with lots ofyoung people visiting. The team look nice, and the owner is part of the whole concert scene.

As for the fancy bar, which DeeDee’s friend Sebastian owns, it is nothing like I expected. It’s a small place, very high-end. The customers mainly range from thirty years upwards. They serve all kinds of drinks, but mostly the typical classics. On top of that, the bar is also LGBTQ friendly, and very openly so.

“We have patrons who have been coming here for years,” Sebastian tells me. “The location helps, as we are very close to two business districts. After work hours on weekdays can be busier than actual weekends.”

“I can cope well with that,” I reassure him.

“I figured. I saw where you worked,” he says.

“I know it wasn’t a particularly good place,” I tell him. “But I have gained plenty of experience there, especially with stressful situations.”

“DeeDee recommended you,” he says. “And I know she doesn’t recommend just anyone as trustworthy. Would you mind telling me a bit about yourself?”

I do mind, actually, but I also understand why he wants to know more about me. He is about to hire someone with a shady background after all. I could hide it, I guess, but at the same time I don’t want my past, or rather my family’s past, coming back and biting me in the ass later, so I don’t hold back. I tell him about my parents’ debt and how I struggled because of it, but how I am trying to reclaim my life.

“I know this is all a bit problematic,” I tell him. “And I understand this is a high-end bar. I won’t lie, my mother still is a problem. But I have strategies to handle her. However, I understand how I would be too risky for you to hire.”

Sebastian looks at me, before an amused smile stretches his lips. “Yeah, I can see it.” When I look at him, confused, he just chuckles. “Why DeeDee likes you so much.” He pauses. “Yes, itis a risk,” he finally says. “It’s always a risk to hire someone like you, but it also comes with the advantage of knowing you will be able to handle a tough crowd, on the rare occasion things get rough. You probably know the signs of someone getting too drunk, and can step in, and you probably know how to kick someone out of a bar if they misbehave.”

“Yes,” I admit, feeling a bit flustered. “I am not so sure if all of this is good to know, but I do.”

“We have a bouncer,” he tells me. “So, your mother certainly won’t be a problem to my place. As for you, I trust you to handle her yourself.” He pauses. “Thank you for your honesty. Not many people are.”

I guess I at least get some points for this.

“You can mix the usual cocktails?” he continues to ask.

“Yes. I can mix all the classics and some more.”