Chương 11: Maxim's Pov: I'll See You Again

Maxim stepped out of the carriage and stretched his sore back. He was delighted to finally breathe some fresh air. His eyes glanced behind and saw the man wiping his d!ck with his coat.

'This guy…' Maxim was in disbelief at how the man wasted an expensive coat like that.

The man looked up and saw Maxim darting at him. He chuckled and pulled out another pouch that contained money.

"For your trouble," the man said coldly, handing the pouch out of the window.

Maxim's expression hardened. "There's no need. You already paid for it," he stated, referring to the first pouch he was given.

"That was different. Consider this as your bonus," the man urged Maxim to take it, wiggling the pouch in his hand.

"Keep it," Maxim said, stepping back from the carriage window. His voice was firm, but he felt a pang of regret inside.

The man flicked his tongue in annoyance. "As the situation turns out this way, should I finish you up from head to toe?"

Maxim flinched as he froze on his spot. 'Is he going to kill me?' he thought nervously.

"Come, take it before I change my mind," the man urged, getting impatient at Maxim.

Maxim hesitated, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the pouch. He had been through this before— dealing with the wealthy who thought their money could buy them anything, including a person's dignity.

"Fine, I'll take it, but our deal is over," Maxim reminded as he grabbed the pouch. He could feel the weight on his palm.

"Hmm," the man hummed. He leaned back, seemingly amused at Maxim.

"We're now even. You gave me money, I served you. That's all… So let's not meet again," Maxim stated firmly. He became cautious since the man knew his name out of nowhere and that scared him at what he was capable of doing.

"Wow, that just sounds as if you're so nice at doing me a favor out of gratitude," the man scoffed. However, he became more interested in Maxim by how he talked to him.

"We both gained something off each other. Let's just end this on a good note," Maxim replied. He knew that after their transaction, they would only see each other again if the man returned to the club and asked for him specifically.

The man smiled under the mask. "Well, we'll see each other… again."

Maxim's mouth hung open in shock. He didn't expect the man to be hard-headed. "Wait… what!? What do you mean by seeing each other again? Have you heard what I've just said? There won't ever be a next time!" his voice rose as he forgot his status.

"We'll see about that," the man replied. He stretched his arm and cupped Maxim's cheek. "From now on, I will give you a visit when I'm bored. You seems fun to be with, Maxim."

Maxim's eyes widened. The invisible chains on his neck felt tighter the more he got involved with the man.

"Hey, stop it. This is crossing the line," Maxim argued, but the man only laughed at him.

The man flicked his finger and a figure appeared from the shadows behind Maxim. It hopped in front of the carriage and pulled the rope, making the horses move.

'The coachman! How long has he been there!?' Maxim thought in disbelief that someone actually saw them doing dirty stuff.

The carriage began to move, but Maxim tried to follow to convince the man to stop seeing him. However, he couldn't go further out of the club's territory in his work clothes.

"Tsk! That man!" Maxim gritted his teeth. His frustration and anger got the best of him, and he started kicking the nearby trashcan and other wooden boxes to release his pent-up emotions.

However, Maxim's rage vanished after he felt the money in his hand. He sighed and could only blame himself. He glanced up at the sky, feeling a heaviness in his chest. Like so many others, he could already sense that this day would be one he would regret.

"I should better take a few days leave before that man visits the club again and look for me," Maxim thought as he returned inside the club.

Maxim immediately approached Daniel, who was already waiting for him in the leisure room.

"Maxim! You're finally back! How did it go?" Daniel asked, rubbing his hands together anxiously.

"Manager, you should have checked the guest's background," Maxim removed his mask, threw it on the side, and glared at Daniel.

"You know I can't do that," Daniel sighed. "Why, is it that bad?"

"I know you can do it illegally and yes, it is terrible," Maxim replied, grabbing a fresh towel from the cabinet as he wanted to shower.

"Oh," Daniel looked at Maxim with pity as he imagined different scenarios of what possibly had happened.

"Don't start creating disgusting thoughts. It's not what had happened," Maxim snapped at Daniel after reading his facial expression.

"Haha! Well, I can't help it when you're the one who offered that guest!" Daniel shrugged, laughing it off.

Maxim shook his head in disbelief. He walked toward Daniel, looking down at him. "I'm already one foot in the grave, Daniel. He knows my real name."

It was customary for workers in The Velvet Rose Club to never give out their real names to guests and customers for safety reasons. They could only create a nickname for themselve to the public.

Daniel's smile dropped as he stared at Maxim. "I-I'm sorry," he stuttered. It wasn't a surprise that their lives would always be at risk due to their line of work.

"It's okay. It's going well… for now. However, I need to take a few days off from work," Maxim stated, taking the second pouch the man gave him.

"Umm, that's going to be a problem. See, we're already short staff—" Daniel couldn't continue his words when Maxim handed him a couple thousand bills to shut him up.

Daniel immediately hid the money in his pocket and looked around to see if anyone saw them. He grabbed Maxim's hand and thanked him. "Come back anytime you want," he winked and walked away.

Maxim sighed. He knew money could only make Daniel agree to his request. Then, he hopped into the shower and washed his body thoroughly. However, his mind recalled the things he had done to the man.