No sooner had Rey Arrived than he began to feel like an outcast. It looked like a regular bar, but most of his anxiety was still fueled by his self-awareness and the knowledge that he did not belong.

Luckily, the bar may have been predominantly populated by those outside his usual crowd, but Mun assured him that he, too, visited the bar from time to time just for leisure and network.

"Try not to stick out. If you are too rigid, people will smell your discomfort, and someone always wishes to turn an innocent man into an animal." 

"How long do we have to be here?" Rey asked, seeming impatient.

"Until I get a night snack, which is very rare. I have quite a reputation here and a temper I'm trying to tame."

"Meaning you are using me as your wingman?"

"You have the looks for it, and if Ari gets here, the better. He is a great magnet. Everyone seems obsessed with dominant women these days."

"You mean a hookup magnet?"

The man giggled, "Something like that."

Rey could feel his insides twist from discomfort upon hearing the remark but brushed it off and told himself to calm down. 'It's just for tonight, so think of the contract. This client is merely lonely, that is all. After four more of this, you'll never have to see him again.'

Scanning around, the place was rather crowded, a bar he would never have thought the client would consider coming to. Everyone had a kink for certain things, and perhaps this was his. After spending almost an hour, the air grew musk and merry, and Rey almost felt like he was attending a circuit party.

"Hey loner? I've been watching you for a while, and you seem lost." Rey turned, following the voice owner, only to find a stranger. The guy was casually dressed, a half-opened blouse clinging onto him and revealing most of his chest. Scanning him, Rey rested his eyes on the two drinks he held with his left hand.

"At least take me out on a date before you undress me like that." The stranger spoke meekly and sat right where the client was earlier, and for a moment, Rey panicked and began looking for him.

"He went to the washroom and sent me here to care for you." Placing the drinks on the table, the guy pushed one towards Rey and introduced himself as the bar owner.

"Nice to meet you," Rey replied but refused to greet the hand extended before him.

The guy chuckled, then retracted his hand away. "Can you try and be less obvious? Otherwise, you'll get yourself kicked out. Not by me, of course. I need my wealthy lonely customers to spend their money on drinks. However, half of the people here are drunk already and aren't in their right mind to take lightly your blatant rejection. You can leave if you don't like it here, but buy a couple more drinks first."

"I'm not one of them."

"I can see that." The man replied as he shrugged his shoulders. "I feel bad for you, though. Keeping company with the likes of that guy... He must have forced you here. He is well loaded, so I'll tab him instead of you. Behave well, okay?"

A light tap from the stranger on his shoulder almost made Rey choke from disgust, but he did his best to control himself from punching the guy in the face. He felt out of place and wanted to leave, but Ari promised to come. Checking his time, it was already past the hour with no sign of him. For a moment, Rey wondered if Ari had been the only average dominant female he'd ever met, as if that made any sense. Or perhaps Ari could be the only dominant woman he could entertain.

Thinking back, he remembered their little tussle on the trip with Ned and caught himself smiling, but the image of a naked and furious Ari made his smile vanish as soon as it had appeared.

Picking up his phone, he was about to ring her when the client appeared from behind. "Checking on my ex-girlfriend, I presume? Perhaps she stood you up when she found out I would be around. You see, this place is predominantly packed by men and women seeking pleasure. Elite for that matter. My Ari is the onlyone dominant out of class and this place fuelled her success in the corporate world so do not look down on us. Places like this is where you get information on what's happening, and not those other stereotypical boring formal gatherings."

"Where did you disappear off to, sir?" Rey asked, ignoring the client's remark.

"I sent someone to keep you company. Don't tell me you chased them away already?"

"Sir, I'd like to leave. I believe I've fulfilled my word to you."

"I thought you said Ari was coming."

"I can't wait any further." Scanning the pub once more, Rey voiced his thoughts aloud. "I have never been to a place like this before, but manager Mun mentioned it's an experience I'd want to get familiar with, considering most of the businesses manager Ari brought in initially were referrals from her past networks."

"I am one of the referrals. I stuck around since Ari is great at her work and rejected me."

"You told me that already," Rey said, not wanting to delve further into the subject.

"I did my best to catch her eye, but she remained ignorant of my feelings, and I scorned her for it. She never took me seriously, and I held a grudge against her until you came along." Gulping down the remainder of the drink in his glass, the man cursed under his breath and leaned back in his seat. "She told me to get my life together and to stop coming to see her during her off-duty hours. To think she refused to date me just because I was a customer. What a joke."

Rey listened as the guy lamented his admiration for Ari and how badly it affected his self-esteem to the point of terminating their earlier contract. It didn't take seconds before a bartender replaced their drinks, and the client urged Rey to drink up or face the penalty, and seeming that the guy still held a grudge against Ari, Rey wanted to avoid being on his blacklist; therefore, he did as told.

"Ari thinks she is too good for everybody. Does she not realize how much money I spent trying to woo her? I've had many broken relationships since no one could compare. I just couldn't get that worthless twatwaffle out of my mind."

"T-Twatwaffle...?"

"Don't you know how this industry works? You don't sign a contract just like that. It's a give-and-take arrangement. For one, I plan to get laid tonight, and if you can't get me a date, you'll have to sleep with me."

Rey's jaw dropped, his reaction, sending the man into laughter. "Look at your petrified face! You are so gullible! We won't go all the way, of course, but we'll get somewhere interesting, you know? Make soft parts hard as they should."

"I-I'm sorry, but I-I can't."

"Don't be such a virgin. It's simple casual sex, nothing more, nothing less. You're handsome; I'm sure you've raised a dozen skirts in your lifetime if not lowered trousers."

"I-I'm dating someone at the moment..."

"What a cliché of a trick. If you don't want to sleep with me, say it. The contract is already signed, and Ari no longer works there, so I don't have a problem with manager Mun." Looking behind Rey, the man smirked. "You, on the other hand, are in a problem. There is quite a crowd waiting to mingle with you once I leave this table, and one of those people is the dear manager who stood you up."  

Immediately, Rey turned and let out a loud sigh of relief when he saw Ari grab a chair beside him. "Sorry for my delay. I ran into a bit of trouble."

"We don't care. You are still late."

"Still holding a grudge, Mr Lilwaswalva?"

"Call me Jin for today. The casual atmosphere demands it."

Ignoring her former client, Ari inquired how much Rey had had to drink from the bar attendant.

"At least twelve shots."

"Don't serve him more. He appears dangerously drowsy."

"He is scared since I told him we will sleep together tonight."

"I-I didn't agree...to it." Rey lamented, throwing his hand at the client.

"I see why you like him, Ari. Tough exterior but all weak inside."

"Pay him no mind, Rey. And Jin, stop spouting nonsense..."

"Don't say bad things about Manager Ari." Rey cut in. "She is someone I respect, and so does Manager Mun. She does not need to sleep with anyone to get business as you've perceived of her corporate clients, and that's something you'll never understand."

"Well," Jin raised an eyebrow. "Someone is drunk too soon. He is no fun." 

"This was irresponsible of you, Jin."

"After years of begging you to call me by my name, you finally do it, twice for that matter." The man laughed, lifted his empty glass, and yelled, "I said my cup shouldn't run dry at this table!"

"Oh, my word." Ari shook her head in disbelief. "I'm taking Rey with me."

"No, you're not!" Jin shouted, grabbing Rey's hand. "You think I don't know what you are after? He's about to pass out anytime, which makes him fresh prey material!"

"Whose fault is that?"

"Yours! You stood us up! This lack of etiquette is why I couldn't date you in the first place! Even now, you still meddle, taking what's mine!"

"Whatever you have against me, I can take it, but leave Rey out. He is not your plaything; neither is he familiar with this setting."

"Didn't you listen to what he just said? The guy has a thing for you as you do for him! Could you not take me for a fool? I've had my eyes on you, flustered when you spotted him, but forget that! Who would have thought the high and mighty Ari would appear at such a wretched bar? You always turned me down whenever I'd invite you here, but this guy shows up and tells me you'll be tagging along. At first, I didn't take him seriously, but he kept looking at the door like some helpless kid waiting for mommy to rescue him from the perverts!"

"Jin, let his hand go. I'm taking him home."

"I brought him here, so I should take him instead! He's about to catch me some chicks!"

Ari let out an exasperated sigh. "Jin, you're drunk, and I rejected you because of this, so stop being so difficult. You knew he didn't belong here, so why did you force him to come to begin with?"

The man scoffed, then looked at a half-passed-out Rey resting his head on Ari's shoulder. Surrendering, he let Rey's hand go. "He doesn't have a thing for cheap whores. You'll never get in his pants."

"I'm not trying to."