setting up the Christmas decorations as it was still early before the place's opening. She was dressed a bit nicer since she was scheduled for a performance today.

noticed her, and was glad she was out of the hospital now. He just kept to his own business though, not wanting to seem nosy.

noticed some customers were arriving early and helped them inside to warm up. Seeing that there weren't any other hosts present, she directed them to him to keep them company.

decided to actually play into this and talked to them quietly, keeping them away from her.

more aware she had been receiving a lot more looks recently and had customers trying and get closer to her. She served up some drinks for them before getting back to decorating.

drew pictures of the customers, ignoring the comments they had for him. He was kinda sick of hearing the same thing over and over again from them.

hummed a quiet Christmas tune as she had passed by, asking if they needed any refills for their drinks. Noticing a bit of dead air at the table, she asked if the ladies had anything they wanted him to draw.

took their suggestions and focused on drawing, nodding idly to their questions, not really paying attention.

smiles and went back to the kitchen, tending to their orders. She tried to stifle her giggles from some of the questions they asked which were pretty personal.

just kept nodding, not caring.

blinked when she noticed that they were ordering pretty strong alcohol and he had to participate in their drinking to. She slipped a note to him when she was serving it as a reminder.

didn't see why he had to... he just sighed and took a sip here and there.

figured it was all part of the job. She kept an eye on the table just to be safe as she worked. Those customers seemed quite into him more for his looks.

couldn't help that, this was just how he looked normally.

couldn't put her finger on it but he looked like someone she knew in the past. However, she didn't dwell on it and focused on getting the entire place decorated instead.

did his best to keep his drink as full as possible. He didn't want to drink too much at work.

didn't think that was possible from how much they were pressuring him to drink. It was either that or he loses his job.

just drank slowly, saying if he drank too fast he'd get tipsy and not be able to draw.

would probably be a surprise to find him a lightweight but she kept an eye on him and would find other ways to keep him sober. She was responsible of the hosts when Trudie was busy.

wasn't actually, he just used it as an excuse.

couldn't exactly save him if that was the case and his customers were pushy. She was busy dealing with other matters.

just kept drawing for them to distract them.

thought that wasn't going to help him at all because they were too busy trying to get closer to him.

noticed and kept moving from them. He didn't like being touched..

seemed rather too busy to notice this time as they continued to try and get close to him.

mumbled quietly as she kept his distance.

went to check on him after and convinced the women to try out another host seeing that it was their first time here. She returned after escorting the women to clean up the table and sofa a bit.

sighed and nodded. "Dank u..."

looks over to him, " I've seen worse and knowing them, they might just come straight back to you after."

frowned a little. He didn't know how he got talked into this.

glances over to the women after, " I'll take care of them and give you a breather. So don't worry about it."

nods. "Dank u. Just don't wear yourself out."

blinks when she heard that from him and then just smiled, " I won't. If you need anything from me just ask." She went back to her duties after.

nods again and went back to drawing what he wanted to draw.

simply focused on her work. She stumbled a bit, dropping her tray when some customers shoved her seeing that she was getting close to him. She promptly apologized and seemed_

_ relieved that the tray was empty before getting back to her duties once she escorted the customers to another host.

glared at him. That's what he didn't like about this job. He had to keep his temper level.

didn't want to cause trouble for the business and figured it was better they got what they wanted then create a mess. She was used to being pushed around so much by now.

didn't think that was right.

didn't think so either but they were still paying customers. She served him a cup of tea to help him sober up from the drinking before heading to the staff room to take her break.

took the tea and sipped it lightly. This helped a lot.

going to take nap on the couch since she was so worn out. It was then she noticed the bruise on her ankle and sighed, wondering when did she get so clumsy.

hoped her son was okay..

had left her child in her parent's place to keep him out of danger. She knew there were people who wanted to take him or kidnap him...

didn't see how she could get into such situations.

had a complicated background. She was a bit of a special case...

would be curious to know it some time.

wouldn't usually tell it to people unless she trust them.

guessed that was the right choice.

continued to sleep soundly, worn out from trying to avoid getting hit on by her other boss who was a complete pervert.

wondered who her other boss was?

had to deal with a creep at her secretary job. Sure she does get grilled and mistreated, but she still has good pay and so she ends up staying at that job.

didn't see why she did this to herself, really.

had a family to take care of course and there was no other income.

though she could think of another.

didn't have time to change it now. She woke up a bit later, noticing she slept in a bit before scrambling to fix herself up.

had spent a lot of time looking out the window.

hurried off to help the band set up at the stage. She didn't notice but the pin keeping her hair together in a tight bun, loosened so she looked a lot younger with her hair down.

couldn't help but watch her as she set up. He wondered why she wasn't a host.

only filled in if she needed to. She was mostly uncomfortable with being too intimate with men considering her past. She went to go tune her guitar after once the band was all ready.

didn't see how hosting was intimate.

just...couldn't really deal with men touching her. It gave her bad memories and she didn't want to be a bad role model for Mathias.

could understand that. He never touched the customers though

knew so but she was scared of breaking down or causing problems in public. She cleared her voice, quietly tested in the corner before stepping onto stage once the band had finished their turn.

turned to pay attention to her, figuring it was fine since he had no customers.

sat on the stool with the guitar on her lap before she started speaking into the mic with a lot more charisma than she would usually show. She_

_ introduced herself and thanked the customers for their patronage on behalf of the club before starting to sing.

just listened into her as he drew.

sang with a lot of emotion in her words and was glad to see that people were enjoying it like in the past. She wasn't entirely sure if they were into her singing...or for her looks.

would guess it was both.

smiled at the round of applause once she finished the song. However it was more of a warm up for her as she adjusted her guitar tuning and queued the sound guy. She started to_

_ sing Nanne Grönvall's Jag Måste Kyssa Dig which was indeed a rare treat.

kept listening to her, finding this relaxing.

considered it a change in pace in what she usually sang and decided to be a bit more confident in her singing.

liked how she put such emotion into it.

glad to see that not only people were surprised but enjoyed it. She finished on a good note before thanking the customers again and letting the band take over.

thought she did a great job, really.

went to get some water after but she was approached by a lot of male customers asking for her company almost immediately.

thought she was lucky to get so much attention.

seemed a bit nervous being surrounded as they brought her to a booth with couches as another waitress served up the drinks. It was alcoholic but she didn't want to be rude so she took a few drinks willingly.

figured she'd be well trained.

but she generally avoided taking male customers unless she had to and usually those were special cases. She just felt something was off when they kept having her to drink so much that she_

_ eventually had to decline despite the flush on her cheeks.

doesn't see why it was a big deal really. He didn't like the rules of this place much anywas.

didn't want to be attacked or be brought home with someone she didn't know if she was drunk. This place was a no-relationship based establishment unless it was outside of the hours _

_and in no way did she want to be involved in outside things.

wondered where the security was in this place. He didn't think this should be happening...

knew the security was busy dealing with the entrance and other parts like protecting the band. She managed to excuse herself and have a few other hosts fill in for her as she eventually got to_

_ retreat to the staff room, but not before being confronted with his customers from earlier. They seemed nice enough and gave her a pat on the back but she felt like something was off.

sighed and got up, going over to her. He told them she was off duty and he escorted her to the staff room.

seemed rather relieved as she thanked him along the way. She was too oblivious and tired to noticed a rather large wad of gum stuck to her hair of clothes from the women earlier.

shook his head and tried to take it out.

yelped as she winced from her hair being pulled at and looked at him in confusion. " What are you doing?" It was really stuck there...

sighs. "There's gum in your hair."

stared at him, caught offguard by that. " W-what?" She didn't want to touch it, in fear of it getting worse but it was certainly in a spot where she couldn't see it.

got her seated down and worked on it carefully.

chewed her lip as she seemed quite upset about it. "...Would I need to cut it off?" She asked in a quiet voice.

shakes his head. "I can get it out. Don't worry."

nods slightly after and rubbed her flushed cheeks, " This isn't the first time it's happened."

raises his brow. "Really?"

nods in response, " Ja but that was years ago when I was younger." She wasn't entirely sure why she was telling him this but maybe she wanted to or it was the alcohol talking.

didn't mind. He just worked it out of her hair, making sure to get every last bit.

frowns quietly, "...I used to get bullied a lot when I was younger and I had a friend who would always help me out after those incidents. Somehow he knew whenever I was in trouble, it was cute I guess."

continued to listen to her as he kept working on her hair, finding her quiet talkative about personal matters this way.

sighed, " I was happy to have someone listen to me with all the things going on." She drew quiet after and turned her head slightly to him. " Did you happened to attend a boarding school when you were younger?"

shrugs. "I might have."

fidgeted with the lace on her dress. " I see...you kind of remind me of my friend except he was a lot smaller and his hair always covered his face."

sighed. "I've not reminded people of anyone before. So that's weird."

nods, " Sorry...your eyes just reminded me of my close friend." She had no idea what she was saying now.

frowned a little. He didn't like it when people looked him in the eyes. "I see."

kept to herself after as she became quiet again, unsure of what to say now.

washed the spot a little after a while. "There, it's all out." He turned to wash his hands after and dispose of the gum.

nods slowly as she muttered a word of thanks to him. She seemed quite drowsy as she had to move herself onto the couch and rubbed her eyes. "...I'm not usually this tired after drinking..."

went to get her some water. "You did have a lot of drinks with the men."

frowned, " Ja I know but I don't get this drowsy easily."

shrugs and gave her the water. "Just rest."

accepted the water as she thanked him again and took small sips.

kept by her, more so so she wouldn't get hurt,

seemed rather thankful for that. " It doesn't seem like things have been working out lately."

raises his brow. "Nee?"

shakes her head, " I've been receiving death threats lately..."

raises his brow even more. "How? And why?"

smiles sadly, " I'm sure you remember the doctor mentioning that I used to be a celebrity."

nods a little. "Ja, kind of."

frowns, " I'm guessing my ex-husband somehow found my number and gave to malicious people who blamed me for some scandal I wasn't even involved in."

frowned a bit as he stroked her hair, making sure all the gum was out. "I see."

absent-mindedly leaned into his touch as she chewed on her lip. " I was gullible and essentially lost most of what was entitled to me including fame and fortune but all I wanted was for Mathias to be safe."

nods a little. "That's all that should matter to a mother."

hugged her knees quietly, " But knowing that man, he just wants to make my life miserable and take away my son. I'm sure some of the people harassing me today were his followers."

sighs. "You should get some protection..."

shook her head, " I've tried and these things all come down to money. Why else do I think I take on so much work? It's just to keep him away from my family."

shrugs. "I'm sure that some where you can get protection since it's your safety."

frowns, " I can't afford to move or even enlist in any services. Every time I ask the police for help, things die down and when they leave, it just gets even worse."

sighs. "Then you need a service to help you constantly."

chuckled as she closed her eyes, " If there was, I would have found it already. I've grown used to just keeping Mathias out of danger, he's all that matters now."

shrugs. "I'm sure you could find someone. Even if it's just within around work."

shook her head, knowing it was impossible. She slumped a bit, growing even more tired. "...Did you slip medicine into the water?" She asked quietly.

shakes his head. "I wouldn't know where it is."

frowns feeling herself go numb, "...Then they must have slipped roofies into my drink earlier..."

frowned and tested her nerves by pinching her fingers.

twitched only faintly as she could only watch. Her intuition served her right, knowing that leaving was the best idea. Though there was a knock on the door which was odd since none of the staff typically did.

sighed and ignored it, not figuring it was his job to get it. "Do you want to go home then?"

shook her head weakly, "I have to help with the clean up." It was the men she was catering to earlier that were banging at the door. They were already giving security a handful and threatened to break the door.

rolled his eyes. "Don't be an idiot, you can't move let alone clean."

made a faint sound, "...It's go away sooner or later." She muttered though she heard the sound of the door kicked open. The men were there, stating they needed to retrieve her for their boss.

told them that she was obviously in no position to be moved.

started to panic, frustrated that she couldn't do anything as she told him to run. The men just went to beat the crap out of him, not taking no for an answer.

obviously wouldn't stand down. He took them all on, flooring them and even threw one out of the room. He kept to himself until someone provoked him.

shut her eyes, scared of what was going on. She tried to look over to where he was but she couldn't see him which frightened her even more.

huffed and kicked them back outside of the room, locking the door again. "Now, let's get you home."

seemed rather relieved to hear his voice and nodded weakly. She was surprised to see that he was unscathed from how large and numerous those men were.

had his moments. He helped her up and headed out. "Where's your car?"

blinks, " My last one was totalled so I take public transit..." She tried to get her belonging from her locker before leaving.

nods and headed to his car.

tried to pull herself along but she couldn't really feel anything and had to lean against the wall because she was so tired.

got to the car and helped her inside.

thanked him quietly as she tried to stay awake in the meantime.

"Where do you live?"

muttered her address to him before noticing that her phone had several missed calls from home...with made her panic again. There was one call from an unknown number however.

started the way home, driving slowly for her sake.

put it on speaker to listen since she couldn't hold it up. The calls were from her parents telling her to urgently get home...the unknown one was from her ex-husband...

tried to pay attention to driving while listening too. He didn't know how so much could happen to her.

paled as she heard that he had custody of Mathias. She didn't expect any of this either but she had been ignoring so many threats that she received, it happened.

wondered how he could get custody just like that...

knew that man probably threatened her parents somehow and used some sort of trick. She just bit her lip as harshly as she could, knowing how much of a failure she was as reminded by the voicemail.

sighed. "Do you still want to go home?"

nods as she looked quite broken. She was still worried about her parents...

wondered if it'd be better to take her there.

lived with her parents after all. There was no way she could afford another house for them and pay for a baby sitter for Mathias as wel.

got to the house then and helped her out and inside.

seemed to be able to walk for the most part as some of the drug effect had subsided. The house looked trashed however as there was a police cruiser parked outside. She tried to hurry to the house.

helped her get to the house and inside, looking around.

saw most of the things were damaged thoroughly as she saw her parents in the kitchen with a solemn look while talking to the police officer. It was a kidnapping...

frowned at hearing that. He felt bad for her.

held onto her head as she went over and hugged her parents. Her mor reassured her and was glad to see her safe while her far was irked that they had to give in the demands due to his health.

just stood out of the drama, feeling bad for them.

mentioned that he was simply a coworker and he could leave. She thanked him quietly before going to see if there was anything she could do about the house but it wasn't really liveable anymore.

slowly turned to leave. Some mess he got caught up in...

apologized for the trouble she caused him as she went to the door. She tried to muster a smile as she thanked him again before trying to deal with all the other problems piling up before her.

just headed home after, wondering how she's pick herself up from this.

frowned as the electricity itself shut down. She sighed and went to figure out an accommodation for her parents as the money she had saved up for Christmas had to be used to fix the problems.

assumed the police would get things under control. He just got home and tried to think of work the next day.

followed along with the police officer's suggestion and helped her parents pack up as they were to be moved to a senior's home. She tried to salvage what was left of her house after her parents left.

wondered what kind of guy would do that to a family, really.

knew it was someone who wanted to make her life miserable.

could guess that much.