Drinking with customers, huh?
William might not have worked in this line before, but he'd spent plenty of time in pleasure houses back in the day. He knew exactly how those girls kept their clients entertained—and he could do the same.
Of course, he had his bottom line: sell the charm, not the body. That was non-negotiable.
"Maria, I know how to handle it," William said with a grin. "By the way, what's the strongest drink we've got here? Bring me a whole bucket."
"A bucket?" Maria raised an eyebrow. "You're really leaning into the act now, huh? The strongest we've got is our house-made absinthe. If you're as good as you say, try keeping up with my friend Piper and her crew later. If you can down six shots without collapsing, they'll be thrilled."
"Absinthe?" William's brow lifted slightly. He remembered that one. Originated in late 18th-century Switzerland—he'd actually helped a doctor friend, Pierre Ordinaire, develop it. They'd called it absinthe. Later, people claimed it caused hallucinations and madness, and by the early 20th century, it was banned in a bunch of countries. So it was back in fashion now?
Nicholas looked horrified. "William, you're not seriously thinking of drinking that stuff, are you? Count me out. Six shots of that, and you're out cold for three days minimum."
William glanced at him, curious.
Nicholas quickly explained, "There's a game we play here. Everyone downs six shots of absinthe in one go. Last person standing wins."
"But what's the point of winning if you're passed out afterward? Even our best drinker, Zachary—he went down for three days after trying it. I did it once, and I couldn't even look at alcohol for a week."
"That bad?" William's eyes sparkled with interest. "Now I really want to try it."
Nicholas pressed his palms together like he was praying. "William, if you're gonna play that game later, give me a signal first so I can duck out. I'll pretend I need the bathroom. If you bring it up, every guy at the table's gonna have to drink."
William nodded. "Alright. I'll tap my glass on the table three times. That's your cue."
"Thank you!" Nicholas looked at him like he was a living legend. If William could actually handle that kind of drinking, he'd be the undisputed god of the bar.
"No problem."
After that, William and Nicholas exchanged a few more pleasantries, then spent some time going over more bar games. By the end of it, they were pretty familiar with each other.
By around 8 p.m., the bar started to fill up.
To William's surprise, Lila and Emily actually showed up—and they brought another woman with them.
The moment they walked in, William spotted them. But he had to pretend he didn't know them.
Maria, sharp as ever, noticed the trio right away. One glance, and she could tell these women weren't just rich—they were seriously rich.
As they entered, nearly every man in the bar turned to look. Eyes followed them like magnets.
Lila and the others took a booth near the side. Maria didn't send a server—she went over herself.
"First time here, ladies?" she asked with a warm smile. "Expecting any more friends tonight?"
As she spoke, she subtly sized them up.
Their looks were stunning, sure—but it was their presence that really stood out. The way they carried themselves screamed wealth and status. And their accessories? Outrageous.
Lila's diamond earrings alone had to be worth over a hundred grand. Emily's handbag? Easily two hundred thousand.
And the third woman—Emily's older sister, Bella—was wearing a bracelet that had to be worth at least a million.
These weren't just rich women.
These were the rich women.
Even Maria couldn't help feeling a little nervous.
Women like these showing up at her bar? If some punk tried to mess with them, the fallout could be serious.
She had to make sure they were safe—and more importantly, that they had a good time.
Bella, compared to Lila and Emily, had even more refined makeup and an unmistakably colder, more commanding presence. "Just the three of us," she said coolly. "What kind of red wine do you have?"
Maria smiled politely. "Of course. We've got Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel…"
"Do you have Romanée-Conti?" Bella asked, already reading Maria's expression before she finished the question. No need to wait for the answer. "Then at least you have Lafite?"
Maria gave a slightly awkward smile. "We have a '96 Lafite."
"'96?" Bella sounded unimpressed. "Fine. Bring a bottle."
"Certainly," Maria said quickly. "Just so you know, the '96 Lafite is $2,888 a bottle here, but I can give you a 20% discount."
Bella waved her off. "No need. I'll give you three thousand." Then she pointed toward the bar, where William was still learning to identify different drinks. "That guy—he works here?"
Maria blinked, then followed her gaze. "You mean the young man at the bar? Yes, he just started today. His name's William. Is there a problem?"
Inside, Maria was practically dancing with joy. Don't tell me this beauty's already taken a liking to him?
Looks really can pay the bills.
Bella hesitated for a moment, then said, "Could you ask him to come over?"
"Of course! I'll send him right over." Maria nodded and walked over to William. "William, head over to K8. One of the ladies specifically asked for you. Make sure you take good care of them!"
William already had the seating layout memorized.
He knew Lila and the others were at K8.
Now that the boss was sending him over, he had no reason to refuse.
"Got it, Maria." William smiled and made his way toward their booth.
Lila hadn't really wanted to come tonight, but since Bella insisted, she didn't have much choice.
Still, she was curious—how would William react to Bella?
Bella wasn't a housewife, but she had that mature, elegant charm that came with age and confidence.
Beautiful. Curvy. Composed.
Would William really stay indifferent in front of a woman like that?
When William reached K8, his smile turned a little more practiced. "Good evening, ladies. Anything I can get for you?"
"You're William?" Bella looked him over, frowning slightly. "You're really working here? As a server?"
William nodded. "That's right. How can I help you?"
Bella paused for a moment, then said, "Come with me tomorrow to get a marriage certificate. From then on, you'll be my husband. I'll give you thirty thousand a month, a car, and I'll even help you find another job—whatever you want. But you can't touch me. After we're married, we live our own lives."
William's eyes narrowed slightly.
Girls these days are this direct?
Straight to marriage proposals now?
Bell family, huh…
So Bella didn't know who he really was. That explained the misunderstanding.
"Miss Bell, right?" William said calmly. "I'm going to have to decline."
He didn't even hesitate.
If she'd made the offer before he landed this job, maybe he would've considered it.
But now?
Not a chance.