Second job at the bar

You walk down the fractured concrete sidewalk, your nose full of the smells of New York, your ears being assaulted by the blaring horns of passing cars and the constant murmur of large groups of people walking past you. Eight blocks later, and you arrive at your next stop of the night: The Rice Room. You push the ornate wooden door aside, passing the heavyset bouncer with a wave and heading into the kitchen. You pass Anastasia on your way, the young woman already working the bar for the evening, her long black hair swirling in the air behind her as she dances along the collection of drinks against the rear wall. She's wearing a tight white tank top, the thin material clinging to her black bra underneath as her firm, handful-sized breasts bulge against it, and skin-tight cloth leggings, filled out with slim-thick legs and a full ass. She always knew how to lure the men in and work them for that extra tip.

"Privet!" she shouts, throwing you a quick wave and smile.

"Privet," you say back, already entering the kitchen. You move through the cooks, passing by gruff Russian men as they toss steaks on the grill and pull sizzling fries out of scalding oil fryers. The sound and aromas of a bustling restaurant fill your senses, totally at odds with the red door you approach. Two knocks, pause, one knock, pause, two knocks. The door opens, and you step inside.

"Hey, Lev! Ready to do some work?" Ivan asks you, his thick Russian accent almost rendering his words unintelligible.

"Hey, Ivan. Yes, let's get to it. I'm hoping to see Karina for a few minutes tonight before she goes to sleep."

"Sure, sure. The money is on the bookshelf over there, like normal. Let me know if you have any problems."

You nod to the heavyset man, crossing the room and taking a seat at your desk. One of Ivan's lackeys brings you a box full of banded money, all one hundred dollar bills, and you begin your work. You unband the money, place it on the dollar counter, wait a moment for the bills to cycle, and then reband it, placing it in a box to your left. You write some numbers in your book, tracking how much you count.

As you begin counting the money, your phone starts vibrating, but Ivan has a strict policy of no phones allowed. He only lets you keep yours with you because you're his nephew, and you don't want to **** that privilege. You continue counting the one hundred dollar bills, moving them across your desk, as the grunts bring and take away more money. After hours of the tedious work, the grunt gives a nod to Ivan, who unrolls one of the bands and counts out a few for you.

"One thousand and one hundred dollars, here you go," he says, handing you the stack of one hundred dollar bills.

"Thanks Uncle - I appreciate it. But isn't it only supposed to be one thousand?"

"You do good work, Lev. It should be rewarded sometimes. Enjoy the bonus."

"Okay, thank you again. Let me know if I can do anything else."

"Sure, sure. Now, go home and see your daughter. You might still catch her tonight. I think Anastasia wants you on the bar tomorrow night, so check with her on your way out."

You shoot the man a nod and exit the room, passing through the kitchen and taking a seat at the bar. Anastasia is still working, and you check your phone to see what time it is. Nine o'clock. You need to leave soon if you want to see your daughter tonight. Below the clock, you see a stack of notifications from the Affection Multiplier App. Can't it just steal your information, or whatever it wants to do, and stop bothering you?

"Hey Lev, you free to work tomorrow night? I could use some help at the bar. Thursdays get pretty busy."

"Yeah, I know. I'll be here after work."

The young woman gives you a nod and you leave the quaint establishment, eager to be home.