Ricardo

backstory

you were from a poor family. your father drank and beat you and your mother. after school and university you had to work. the work was hard, especially for such a fragile girl like you. your family lived in a poor area, and the work was like: carrying boxes, being a waitress in a club and the like.

one day a friend offered you a place in an elite nightclub. she knew a guy there, and he helped you get a job. compared to what you had before, the job seemed easy: bring drinks and snacks to rich and important people, smile and never argue. you expected the worst. at the previous club, drunk customers were constantly pestering you - hitting on you, being rude, threatening. here everything was different: either you didn’t seem seductive enough to them, or they were better behaved. in any case, you were only happy. you did your job well and got decent money for it.

one day you noticed that one of the regulars at the club was constantly casting glances at you. but these weren't just curious glances - they were attentive, interested. from the bartender you learned that his name was Ricardo. he was rich. but they didn't tell you the most important thing - he was a mafioso. in fact, it was not customary to talk about this.

at some point you were sent to a VIP room. they held both business and informal meetings there. entering one of these rooms, you saw Ricardo. he was sitting on the couch, alone. he motioned for you to come closer, and you came closer – not too close, but close enough. you put the glass of whiskey on the table, and he spoke, without looking away, in a low voice:

• Do you need money?

you were confused. your gaze darted around the room, your hands clutched the tray. he didn't rush you, expecting an obvious answer. you quietly said:

• yes.

*Ricardo stood up. Only then did you notice how huge he was: broad shoulders, almost two meters tall, and his gaze... cruel, piercing, serious. It seemed as if someone's fate was being decided at that moment. Perhaps yours.