Rose's night went well without any problems, and by the time morning arrived, she was exhausted though she managed to keep her usual calm demeanor. She joined the rest of the night shift workers in the staff room, where they sat quietly as the manager came in with their pay. One by one, he handed out their envelopes, and as soon as Rose received hers, she tucked it away safely, and left the room immediately without waiting around.
She had barely stepped outside the main door of the club when she heard someone call her name.
"Rose!"
She turned slightly and saw Kevin hurrying toward her with a smile on his face. Rose kept her expression neutral, neither welcoming nor annoyed, but inside, a flicker of irritation stirred.
When Kevin finally reached her, she asked calmly, "What is it?"
Kevin scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and laughed softly before saying, "Would you like to have breakfast with me before heading home?"
Her response was instant and firm. "No."
She was about to continue walking when Kevin quickly moved in front of her, blocking her path. He raised his hands slightly but did not touch her, because he remembered all too well what had happened two weeks ago when he had once tried to hold her arm. The result had been a painful punch on his face that he had no intention of repeating.
"Please," he said quickly, forcing a smile, "I'll pay. Just breakfast, that's all."
Rose opened her mouth to refuse again, but just then her stomach betrayed her with a loud growl. A faint heat touched her cheeks, and though she disliked the thought of giving in, she nodded once and gave a small hum in response.
Kevin's relief was obvious as he grinned widely. "Great! Let's go."
They walked side by side toward a café nearby, and when they reached it, Kevin hurried to pull out a chair for her.
Rose sat down blankly, without comment, and they ordered their meals.
While they ate, Kevin tried repeatedly to make small talk.
"So, how was your shift last night?" he asked hopefully.
"Fine," Rose answered shortly, her attention on her plate.
"The manager seemed in a good mood today, don't you think?" Kevin tried again.
"Maybe," Rose said with little interest.
Kevin chuckled, clearly nervous but unwilling to give up. He went on filling the silence with little questions and comments, while Rose only gave curt and disinterested replies. After twenty minutes, Rose put down her fork, stood, and looked at him.
"Goodbye, Kevin," she said formally.
Kevin's eyes lit up at the polite farewell, and he quickly replied, "Bye, Rose! Have a good rest."
Rose walked away without looking back. She knew well enough that Kevin had an interest in her, but she did not feel the same, and as she made her way home she murmured softly to herself, "I need to put boundaries before this gets out of hand."
*****
*****
At eight in the evening, Rose stepped once more into the lively heart of Club Del Amore, already dressed neatly in her uniform. Tonight was like any other for her, and she followed the routine she had grown used to over the past two months, work diligently, avoid unnecessary attention, and leave quietly once her time was over.
She kept to herself most of the time, speaking only when necessary: a few words to the customers she served, short responses to the manager, and sometimes, against her preference, exchanges with Kevin.
And as though thinking of him had summoned him, Kevin appeared in front of her with his usual burst of energy.
"Hey, Rose! You look beautiful tonight," he said brightly.
Rose sighed inwardly, forcing herself to remain composed, and gave only a slight curve of her lips, a faint imitation of a smile. She stepped aside to pass him, but Kevin moved in front of her again, blocking her way.
"What do you want, Kevin?" she asked, her voice calm but cold enough to carry warning.
Kevin, either oblivious to her tone or simply ignoring it, said quickly, "There's something I want to tell you."
Rose stayed silent, her eyes on him, waiting.
Kevin bit his lip nervously and shifted his weight as he tried to find the courage to speak, but before he could get the words out, the manager suddenly appeared beside them. His sharp gaze cut into both of them.
"Is this what I pay you for?" the manager asked sternly.
Kevin's face paled, and he raised his hands slightly. "It's my fault, sir, I stopped her..."
The manager cut him off with a raised hand. "I don't care whose fault it is. Get to work."
"Yes, sir. Yes," Kevin said quickly, bowing his head.
Without another word, Rose turned away and returned to her duties, blending smoothly into the crowd of customers.
.
The evening passed without incident until around eleven, when Rose usually took her short break. She headed toward the staff quarters, but as she turned a corner, she accidentally bumped into someone.
"Sorry," she said instantly, stepping back.
When she looked up, she expected anger or irritation, but instead the man was grinning broadly as if he had just received great fortune.
Rose frowned slightly but repeated, "Sorry again."
She was about to move past him when the man suddenly stepped in front of her, blocking her way once more. Rose instinctively took a step back, her frown deepening, as the grin on his face remained fixed and began to annoy her.
She studied him carefully for a moment and thought he looked familiar, but she could not place where she had seen him. If she could not remember, then he was clearly not important enough for her to care about.
"Excuse me, sir," Rose said politely, and without hesitation she walked past him and continued on her way without looking back.
On the other hand, Declan remained standing, his grin widening into something more mischievous. Watching the lady disappear into the room, he murmured quietly, "First test passed. Let's see if you've got what it takes to be my sister-in-law." With that, he turned around and walked away.
Inside the staff room, Rose completely brushed off the encounter from her thoughts, treating it as nothing more than an unfortunate but unimportant incident. She walked straight to the kettle, warmed some water, and poured herself a cup.
Club Del Amore did not just provide good pay but also offered its workers comfort during their shifts and breaks. Holding the warm cup in her hands, Rose went to her usual spot on the couch, sat down, and sipped quietly, her expression calm, as though nothing had happened at all.
***
"I wonder if death will carry me to those I lost."