The First Exchange
The sunlight crept through Kai's blinds, too bright for the little sleep he'd gotten.
He turned on his side, staring at the sketchbook on his desk. The drawing he'd started the night before was still unfinished lines of a city skyline, but crooked, uneven, as if even his pencil had been restless.
He groaned and pulled the blanket over his head.
But the memory wouldn't leave him. The club. The people. The endless stream of glasses he had poured until his hands ached. And above all, the way Adrian Veyra's eyes had found him.
Kai squeezed his eyes shut. He was being ridiculous. He was nobody just a student desperate enough to take a bartending job. Men like Adrian didn't look at people like him.
Still, he felt that weight in his chest.
When his phone buzzed, he almost jumped.
A new message.
"You're needed again tonight. Same time. Same place."
His first instinct was to refuse. His legs were still sore, and he wasn't sure he could handle another night under Adrian's stare. But then he glanced at the bills on his desk. Rent. Supplies. Tuition.
He typed back: "I'll be there."
By the time evening fell, Kai found himself once again standing in front of the black and gold entrance of the club.
This time, he knew what to expect. The sharp-suited guards. The hum of luxury inside. The way the air seemed thicker, richer, as though the very walls knew they held secrets.
Still, his palms sweated as he pushed open the door.
The night was busier than the last. People filled the couches, the dance floor swayed, laughter floated like smoke above the low music. Kai hurried behind the bar, nodding to the other bartender.
"Back again," the man said with a grin. "Guess you survived."
"Barely," Kai muttered, tying on his apron.
The first hours passed much like the night before drinks, orders, polite smiles. Yet Kai couldn't relax. Every time the door opened, his chest tightened. He kept expecting him.
And then, it happened.
Adrian entered.
The same shift in the room. The same ripple of awareness. Heads turned, voices dropped. His dark suit seemed sharper tonight, his presence heavier.
Kai's throat went dry. He told himself not to look. He told himself to keep working. But when Adrian's gaze swept the room, Kai felt it that pull.
It landed on him again.
His hand shook as he reached for a bottle. He cursed softly under his breath, hoping no one noticed.
Adrian moved across the club, people parting for him without a word. He didn't sit at a private table this time. Instead, he approached the bar.
Kai's heart stumbled.
The CEO stopped just in front of him. Close enough for Kai to see the fine lines at the corner of his eyes, the calm steel in his expression.
"Whiskey," Adrian said, his voice low but clear.
Kai nodded quickly, reaching for the bottle. His fingers fumbled with the glass. He could feel Adrian watching him, every movement sharp under that steady gaze.
When he slid the drink across the counter, Adrian's hand brushed against his just slightly, but enough to make Kai's skin prickle.
"First week?" Adrian asked.
Kai blinked, startled that he was speaking to him at all. "Uh… yeah."
Adrian's lips curved, not quite a smile. "I could tell."
Heat rushed to Kai's cheeks. "I… I'll get better."
Adrian studied him for a moment, eyes unreadable. Then he lifted the glass and took a slow sip, his attention never leaving Kai.
"You don't belong here," Adrian said finally.
The words made Kai's stomach twist. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. What was he supposed to say to that?
Adrian leaned slightly closer, his tone quieter but sharper. "So why are you here?"
Kai's breath caught. He looked down at the counter, fingers tightening around the towel he was holding.
"For the money," he admitted. His voice was soft, almost drowned out by the music. "I need it."
For a moment, there was silence. Adrian tilted his glass, the amber liquid catching the light.
"Honest," Adrian murmured. "Not many here are."
Kai glanced up, confused. But Adrian's expression gave nothing away. He finished his drink, set the glass down, and stood straight.
"Keep the bottle ready," he said. Then he turned and walked away, leaving Kai frozen in place, heart racing.
The rest of the night passed in a blur. Kai tried to focus on his work, but his mind kept circling back to that brief conversation.
"You don't belong here."
"So why are you here?"
The words echoed inside him, pulling at something he didn't want to face.
When the club finally began to empty and his shift ended, Kai stepped outside into the cool night air. His hands were still trembling slightly.
He thought about Adrian's gaze, the way it cut through the noise, the way it seemed to see more than he wanted to reveal.
And he wondered, not for the first time, if taking this job had been a mistake.
But deep down, beneath the nerves and fear, something else stirred.
Curiosity.
Because Adrian Veyra had noticed him. And somehow, Kai knew this was only the beginning.
---To Be Continue!