Silver Lining / PJM

1. Vita

**Warning, this book contains talk about suicide, depression/mental health. It also contains mature subject matter including angst, kinks, smut and violence. This is your trigger warning before reading ahead.**

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Havana Bar - Fall 2022

"Athena! Hey! I've been looking all over for you!"

"Clara, I've been here the whole time babe this place isn't that big." I smirked sitting at the bar alone stirring my cosmopolitan.

"Whatever! Hey do you want to do red rooms tonight? It's dead here. I heard that there's two big private parties happening soon upstairs." My bestfriend looked at me with an excited grin on her face like it was Christmas morning.

"Nah, I'm good. But you go ahead. I don't feel like watching an old man get a boner tonight."

"Prude. And who said they were old? Anyways, You won't be saying that when rents due!" She flashed her perfectly white teeth at me.  "Okay, I'll see you at home then!"

I shook my head smiling as I downed the rest of my drink. I wasn't in the mood for it tonight and just wanted to be at home in bed. Nights weren't always like this, sometimes we were running off our asses at work and some days were like tonight. Dead.

I've been working at Havana for the last 3 years. It was supposed to be a "supportive" friend moment to watch my friend perform. One thing led to another and there I was 4 nights a week in a corset and satin booty shorts doing my best rendition of "I've been a good girl." I couldn't complain though, it paid the bills and kept me content in my designer wardrobe. It also kept my mind occupied.

Havana was supposed to be a Burlesque only speak easy. It was definitely not that. The feel was there, but in this case it was a glorified bunny ranch peeler bar. Management always took care of us thankfully and never made us do things we didn't want to do, but let's face it.. we knew where the money was really made.

I left the bar where I was sitting to head up to the dressing room to get changed into my sweats. I pulled a grey hoodie over my head and grabbed my leather jacket to leave. Throwing my platinum locks into a top bun and headed back downstairs.

"See you later Hoseok!" I smiled waving to our  favorite bartender, well our only bartender. As I made my way past the small crowd that was coming in through the doors.

"Bye gorgeous!" He smiled waving back.

Hoseok was the total package. Sunshine in a bottle we'd always say and always made you feel like you mattered. The three of us had gotten pretty close this past year ever since he found out Clara and I were roommates. We even set up our spare room just for him on nights he would get too drunk to go home. He'd come over and tell us stories of his crazy childhood or how many times he'd break up with his now ex boyfriend. But no matter what happened he was always smiling. Tall, handsome, with impeccable taste in clothes. He had such a contagious laugh and would always make you belly laugh no matter how hard of a time you were having. It made working at the club that much more bearable.

I headed out into the chilled air as I looked at the time on my phone, "1:42 am." Sigh, catching a cab would be a nightmare at this time I thought to myself. Just as I was about to turn and walk home a cab stopped directly in front of the bar. "Speak of the devil!" I mumbled. Right as I went to grab the handle I was met with a hand on top of mine, "oh I'm so sorry.." we both said in unison. "No it's fine, really! I'll catch the next!" I said pulling away and turning without looking in the mans direction.