Chapter 5: You Owe Me

Esme stood outside ONYX nightclub, staring at the security cameras before approaching the two bouncers she saw the previous night. The pair stepped forwards, eying her warily and smirking after seeing her small frame. Isana grumbled under her breath about how stupid she was while Esme narrowed her eyes at the two bouncers openly gawking at her.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm pretty, now get your boss," She waved her hand nonchalantly while looking bored. The vampires looked taken back and stared at her like she was insane.

The first one laughed and stepped towards her, now staring her down like she was nothing but an ant he could squish. "I think you're in the wrong place, dog."

Dog? She arched her brow in response to his pathetic insult.

Esme instantly didn't like him. His arrogance and the sneer on his face made her narrow her eyes. "Does it hurt?" She questioned, stepping closer.

"What?" The vampire looked at her warily.

She raised her hand, and the vampire brought his own up about to block a strike that never happened. Esme smirked as she tapped her head, "Does thinking make your head hurt?" She stepped aside, clasping his shoulder as she did so, mocking a sad face at his expense, then looked back at the security camera before speaking over her shoulder, "Don't pull a muscle now."

"Hey!" The first bouncer started to complain, but the other bouncer stepped towards her, glaring at the pair of them. "Stop taunting us and piss off." He nudged her shoulder, and she ended up a few meters back, her trainers skidding against the tarmac; such was a vampire's strength.

"You know," Esme began as she clicked her neck and started to swiftly walk towards them, "for such a nice place, you guys are very rude. I doubt Niko will be very pleased that you manhandled me."

The bouncers scoffed and dashed towards her, using their incredible speed to vanish and reappear just before her. Esme sighed and braced herself. They grabbed her by the arm simultaneously-

"Enough!" A voice she recognised called out to them. The bouncers halted their attack and looked back at the entrance to ONYX. There standing in a white shirt, black trousers, smart shoes and what looked to be a rather expensive watch was Niko.

Esme shrugged the vampires off her like they were dirt and smiled at Niko's appearance. "You look super dapper, Niko," She said joyfully, wriggling out of the bouncer's hold and walking towards him. The bouncers appeared by either side of her again when she was a meter in front of the brown-haired vampire.

Niko's lips thinned at the sight of her, but his brown eyes were also filled with curiosity at her arrival. "Esme," He greeted politely. "Would you like a drink?"

"Not the kind you like, but I'll bite," She winked playfully, earning her a smirk. She followed the vampire through the glass doors the bouncers now held for them, and she paused, turning to look at them, "It was nice playing with you!"

"Seriously, just stop," Isana groaned. She had been pacing at the edges of her mind, almost having a panic attack the entire time. Such a nervous little thing. "I'm gonna start pulling my fur out at this rate," Her wolf moaned back at her thoughts.

Niko led Esme through the double doors of the main floor. The night was still young, but there were more people than she anticipated at the bar sitting and at the sleek, stylish tables. All humans. Niko walked to a table and waved over a dark-blonde haired man and hazel eyes; she presumed he was the bartender. He was all smiles and good looks, catching the eyes of both men and women as he walked past them.

Quite the looker for a human, he could almost pass as a vampire.

"Or a werewolf," Isana murmured, eying the man's tall and muscular physique.

Esme settled in her chair, placing her bag on the ground before crossing her legs and interlacing her fingers resting atop her knee. "Leo, get me the usual. Esme, what would you like?" Niko asked as he smoothed down his white shirt.

Esme looked to her right at the array of drinks across the bar, sparkling against the mirrored wall, and she pursed her lips. There were so many to choose from. "How about I make you something?" The bartender, Leo, asked in a smooth and quite charming voice.

Esme refrained from smirking at his obvious lustful gaze.

What is there to be lustful about? You're nothing.

Esme ignored that small voice in the back of her head telling her she was ugly and worthless and replied, "That sounds great." She looked back at Niko and raised a brow as the bartender walked away, "I bet he brings in a lot of ladies."

"He is useful," The vampire replied with a smirk. Esme wondered if Leo was like one of those feeders- humans kept close to vampires for easy access to fresh blood. If Leo worked there and offered those sorts of services, she wondered how much he earned for both giving his body to others and keeping his mouth shut about the vampires.

"You are NOT doing that!" Isana shouted in disgust. Esme winced at how loud she was and rubbed her temple as she stared at the extravagance of the dark, lavish interior.

"Of course not, don't be ridiculous," Esme murmured back in her mind.

Niko had been watching her curiously while she was lost in thought and talking to Isana. It had been a while since someone sat so close to her and took such an interest in her. She didn't like his scrutiny or the limelight. But before she could comment, the drinks arrived, one a dark brown liquid on ice in a tumbler that Niko held onto, and the other was a pinkish cocktail coated with sugar and fruits. Leo waited and watched as Esme picked up the drink and took a sip, the sweetness blowing her taste buds away.

She placed the drink down on the napkin and looked at Leo's expectant face. "Delicious."

"Alright!" He smiled, brightening up his tanned face even more. But one look at Niko's emotionless face, and Leo instantly turned on the spot, leaving them to their conversation. He kept glancing in Esme's direction as he returned to the bar and spoke to a female colleague who had been watching her with interest.

"Who's that?" The woman asked as she wiped a wine glass and picked another up.

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"Her name is Esme. Pretty little thing," Leo replied as he returned the black tray under the counter.

"I'd watch it. I've never seen Nikki boy bring a girl to the bar before," Another colleague warned. Esme had been watching them out of the corner of her eye while keeping her head tilted down, clutching the stem of her cocktail glass.

"Maybe they are just friends?" The woman said, "What's with that face!?"

Niko cleared his throat; it seemed, he too, was listening to his employees talk about them.

"Now, I know you wouldn't return to a place like this unless you want something. So, what can I help you with?" Niko got straight to the point. She liked that; it meant no boring small talk and not wasting each other's time. Esme turned her attention to the vampire sitting across from her, her eyes slowly looking up to meet his.

She smiled and waited a beat.

"I'm here for a job."

Niko spat his drink out and coughed, looking at her in shock and utter horror.

"A job?" He burst into a peal of laughter then stopped after seeing how serious Esme looked. He took a swig of his drink and narrowed his eyes subtly. "Why?"

"It's simple, really. I need a job, and you owe me a favour," Esme replied nonchalantly and lifted her cocktail up, taking a sip as she stared across her glass at him. Niko, on the other side of the table, stared at her, assessing her. She could see his mind spinning in those brown eyes of his.

"Why.." Niko began, tapping his finger on the table. "Have you thought this through? You were already about to fight my bouncers-"

"Well, your bouncers need to learn some manners," Esme interrupted. "Look, I need a job. I won't get in your way or cause trouble.." She looked down at her drink and muttered under her breath, "Unless trouble finds me.." Niko narrowed his eyes at that. She smiled sheepishly, "But I won't be here for long."

"I could just pay you off," Niko replied, "It would be more than enough to make your life comfortable."

"I need to work," Esme said instantly, her voice hardened. Getting paid off would help but then what would she do with herself? She would lose her mind.

Niko stared at her for a while; the pair locked gazes, neither unwilling to look away. "This isn't just about giving you a job. It could cause issues having you, a werewolf, here, plus I don't own ONYX, nor am I in charge of this territory, and I do not have the authority to say yes," Niko reasoned.

Esme presumed after seeing the respect the other vampires showed him and hearing them call him boss that it meant he was in charge. "It's a lost cause-"

"Then speak to someone in charge," Esme interrupted her wolf's negative commentary and leaned forwards. "I thought you were an honourable man."

"It has nothing to do with honour-"

"I saved your life; you are indebted to me. If you REALLY wanted it off your conscience, then you would go out of your way in helping me," She stood up and picked her backpack up, flinging it over one shoulder and turning around.

Esme heard Niko sigh and his chair scrape backwards. "Wait."

One side of her lips twitched, a satisfied look passing over her eyes before she composed herself and looked back at the vampire who now stood up playing with his cufflinks. "If you are serious about this.." He glanced nervously behind her, "then I will speak to him."

"Speak to who.." Esme trailed off and tilted her head to the side.

"The man in charge," Niko stated before walking off in the direction of the double doors. Esme watched him and glanced at the security camera in the corner of the room.

Was the guy in charge here? She didn't expect Niko to find out right then.

Esme slowly sat back down, unsure of what to do now. Was she supposed to wait on Niko's return? Was she meeting the man in charge? She reached for her cocktail and drank until there was nothing left in the empty glass. Her nerves slowly clawed their way up her throat. What if the man in charge was someone really dangerous?

"Oh, NOW you're worried!?" Isana grumbled.

"Refill, sugar?"

Esme glanced up at the barmaid who had been watching her earlier. She glanced at Leo, who was busy smiling at a flock of women gathered at the bar. She returned her gaze to the pretty human before her and smiled. "Why not." She certainly wasn't paying for it. The woman returned her smile, revealing dimples, making her look even cuter.

Esme didn't know how long she sat in that bar, holding her new drink, but when Niko finally did return, she could see the shock written on his face.

"You're hired."

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