First Meeting

I got a job that pays bills. It does not pay for the soul at all. Although my life here is quite stable. The days lately have become a tiresome that I find myself moving so sluggishly. I don't show it to the girls since my professional demeanor AKA being in third-person most of the time.

[Health: 100]

[Armor: 100]

[Wanted Level: ✰]

[Reputation: Reliable Associate]

[Status: Stable]

I spent most of my time in Brooks either in the bar or waiting for the girls. My life here is relaxing, but thinking on what I achieved before all of this and how they were thrown away made me think fondly of it. Drowning myself in alcohol sometimes. Taking time to look back on what I had compared today.

Would I return to my previous life if offered?

Yes, maybe, I would. I'd like to see my parents again. I have a few friends, but they were friends who were with me despite the long distances. I missed them. A healthy body, a steady job, and yet if I could. I would have loved them to be around. I don't show my emotions on my face and preferably I'd rather do it alone. Most of the time my face is like stone and even Ingrid comments on it all the time.

The girls are nice folks if you just ignore their natural instinct to flirt or make suggestive gestures that lure good men into thinking that they are in love with you. Miss Eloise treats me like walking garbage, but the three Miss is kind enough to me. They questionably respects my stony face. Since I started the 'professional man' fucking ego and character for myself. I couldn't get out of third-person mode when I'm in work. And the three ladies like to fucking tease me a lot. Even introduced me to Jon Locke who was quite tamed by the girls.

Tamed that he was protective of them. He tested me as well. Sparred with me but thankfully I was able to match him. But he hits fucking hard that I lost five points of health just by blocking some of his serious blows. It somehow won me some respect for him so he advices me sometimes on what to do. He also hand me some of his old bulletproof vest to wear under my suit. We have a uniform of black business suit and white gloves so it became handy for me to carry myself with some dignity befitting their driver/guard.

I was the designated driver while he was the muscle. He apparently broke the back of the previous driver after the fucker tried assaulting Miss Eloise. Which actually made her go from 'bitch' to 'it's actually not her fault' in my mind. I don't judge easily. I'm a fuckup myself and I just let my third-person mode handle most of the problem. Jon was also cooperative and sometimes he likes to drive them around. Something about the designated driver needing to be alert all the time. Which could be said to him as well.

It was my day-off. I got to go back to my apartment. Almost wanted to throw the cash on Mr. Zeev's face but I was still rational about not being homeless so I stopped myself from doing so. I was about to relax when I heard someone knocked four times. I opened the door and saw Nance enter alongside two of her friends. They clearly were her 'girl' friends.

One was tall and toned for a woman. She wore her hair short and I think she has applied a purple dye on her hair. The other woman was tall-black haired woman with a Goth-like dress scheme. Her red lips and black choker stood out.

"Umm, who are they?" I asked Nance. She entered the room with her two friends. I was able to keep up a composed reaction as they scanned the room. Thank God that my bedroom was the only messy. The apartment isn't half-bad but it was far from being a pretty apartment.

"Niko. This is Audrey and Milana."

"Hello, so, uh, any reason that you brought them here?"

It was kinda overwhelming so like the coward I was. I switched to third-person mode and faced them properly.

"They want to visit Eastbrook and take a look around."

Audrey looked around with single-lens glasses. She walked around my kitchen first before leaning on the partition wall separating the kitchen and the living room. Milana looked around the apartment and then crashed on couch.

"That's good and all, but um, why here?"

"Excuse me? Hello? Three pretty ladies? Ah, silly me. Of course, see this man is always around high-priced courtesans that he thinks that are below his standard."

Audrey glared. "Courtesans?"

"Oh my."

"Nance… it's not like that. It's just that look. This is my day-off. I've been busy riding the four ladies around and I'm tired as hell. So… uh, would you mind explaining me? Cause lately, I feel like I have a lot of female acquaintances and it bothers me."

Milana looked at me strangely. She was either amused or offended. Audrey was far more composed and behaved as if she didn't mind me telling it like that.

"Wow, look at handsome, boasting and flexing about his looks."

I could feel a vein popped. She was grinning at me while she and her friends relax like they own my fucking couch.

"For a man, you sure do whine and a purr like a lady."

"Excuse me, I ain't a gentleman it seems."

"Relax man," Nance thumped my shoulder. "You get to share a drink with three ladies. At least we won't charge you a grand to talk and drink with. Also, spending your time alone in this apartment of yours is kinda sad. So be thankful okay? I'm being nice here, you know?"

"Sure, nice, at my expense… Do what you want, I'm going to play a game or sleep."

"Wow, you must be really tired."

***

Niko went back to his room. Slammed the door closed. Nance smiled, poured the contents of the plastic bag on the living room table where she placed her foot on the table.

"Charming guy. You a thing?" Milana said.

"No. He's not interested. He's a friend of mine. Good guy if you get past all that indifference."

Audrey rested her elbows on her thighs. "You still working on that dangerous bar?"

"I am. It's not like I have anywhere to go. And don't tell me to work as a typist on your office. You wage is bare minimum."

"I can arrange that."

"No thank you, Sister."

Audrey went quiet for a moment, "So what is his work?"

"He drives women to their work. And before you go all law-abiding. It's still legal."

"It's prostitution using loopholes."

"It pays well," said Milana. "They are well-cared unlike the ones in the streets. And even if they aren't well-cared. Do you think that these girls choose to be this way? No, they don't. Audrey, you are righteous, but that one-sided righteousness doesn't mean that you can just ignore the circumstances on why these poor women are going this way."

"Pacifica's diseased, sister. Unless there are serious reforms coming our way. That wouldn't change at all. Besides, it's legal despite the moral dilemma."

"So why are we here again?" Audrey asked. "I could have reserved a good private room. A KTV bar and some good snacks and drinks. I didn't exactly thought of spending my private day off in this kind of place."

"First off," Nance lifted one finger. "Milana here has a lot of followers. Most of them are terrible creeps. Second, you are a cop and I'm a bartender working in some fight club themed bar where they hold amateur fighting matches. And besides, we go to those bar so often that I want to get something more private. No creeps following and no men around to hit on us and ruin our private girl's day!"

Audrey silently pointed at the door where Niko shut himself in.

"He doesn't count. I mean he doesn't even care about us being here."

"It's not like you gave him a choice," Milana commented. She took a drink of the beer can.

"Come on, let's just relax, okay? Besides, you two would always complain about this and that! Why can't you cool your panties, take a breath and relax? Besides, it's not like we'll be that noisy. We can chat, drink beer, and then watch some flick."

"Fine," Audrey gave up, "let's watch some flick. Nance, why do you drag us to this strangeness all the time?"

"Don't know. I just thought that you two busy girls are so bored of the usual hangout. And we did want to avoid those creeps that have been trying to intrude on our time off. So since you two hate my place so hard. I thought of using Niko's' place."

Audrey gave up. She turned on the television and then browsed for some movies. It didn't take long for them to get drunk and get loud.

***

The girls who came to my place didn't take long to start a karaoke session. I was using a game console to play some FPS game when they suddenly started singing loudly. At least it seems like they are then the round of giggling as if they found something funny. From the looks of it, Milana and Nance was the ones who are enjoying themselves.

I peeked outside of my room and saw the girls singing along. Miss Audrey was on the side watching her girls sing while she drinks away. I was about to go in when Nance spotted me. She drag me out of my safe spot and then brazenly ordered me to buy some beer. Seeing my miserable appearance. Audrey took the money from Nance and motioned me to come with her. I went out of my apartment and before a fucker tried to lecture me about noise complaints. I gave the most annoyed and hateful stare that I could make.

"S-sorry?"

He went away. For some time, we walked the sidewalk and then enter the convenience store. I stood on the transparent door fridge. "So what beer do you girls like?"

"That one."

I took this beer brand called Grey Tonic.

"They sure got drunk fast."

"That they did. Are you annoyed?"

"What do you think? It's my day-off and you girls started partying without my consent."

"You could have said no."

"I should have. No offense personally, but it's not really a good day for me."

"Same."

I brought a Python energy drink and then a few beer cans of my own liking. Got it scanned on the checkout counter and started walking back to my apartment.

"Next time I'd make sure to not bother you."

"I hope so. I don't particularly hate it. Just that there are times where you want to mope around and think about life."

She stared at me for a second. "You sure are miserable, Niko."

"Give me a fucking break, man."

She pitifully patted my shoulder as we walk back to my apartment. When we returned to the apartment the two was bickering about something that didn't make sense to me unless I turned into a woman. I brought my drink on the side where I watched the three sing along. When they had enough of singing, they watched a horror flick where it actually made me watch as well. They were quite heavy drinkers.

Aside from Audrey, the two of were too sluggish and too tired to move on their own. Apologizing for the trouble, and the bidding goodbye. I pulled my phone out of my pockets, took a picture of the mess and scheduled for the message to be sent early in the morning. I cleaned up the living room and then heard my ringtone. With a message telling me that I was insane for the amount that I was asking after they made use of my living room.