Shake his hand.

"Sorry for startling you. Didn't mean to surprise you there."

He was dressed as a prostitute but didn't present himself as such. There was a presence to him you couldn't describe. A kind of untouchable confidence that was hard to ignore. You finally reach out to shake his hand, which he then uses to anchor himself to the seat next to you. You can't help but notice the bulge between his legs as he sits cross-legged. It wouldn't have been your first go-to sitting position were you wearing nothing but a pair of thin latex shorts. But despite your awkward stare, he introduces himself without missing a beat.

"I suppose I should introduce myself then. I have no legal name but my patrons call me Eli. I'm an established Grade S escort working at the Pink Flamingo." Still recovering from the surprise introduction, you skip your flow of the conversation to which Eli immediately pounces on and continues. "I apologize if this is forward but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with the bar owner Benji from earlier. If I'm not mistaken, you two were entertaining the idea of establishing a gentlemen's club?"

Eli

"Oh, I- like you said, we were only entertaining the idea. I'm not even that close to the owner, in fact, I just met Mitch and his brother today."

You hear Benji come around the back door and you sigh in relief. Before Eli could **** the conversation with you further you pass the ball to Benji by introducing him.

"Hey, Benji! Glad to see you're back. This is Eli. He was just talking to me about the thing we were talking about earlier."

"The gentlemen's club." Eli clarified as he turned his sights towards Benji. However, Benji remained unfazed as he merely shrugged at the escort in his usual, indifferent manner.

"Sure, we were talking about it. But Gael and I were only entertaining the idea. I had no plans on reestablishing the place, not to mention I wouldn't know where to begin with-"

"But I do." The abrupt enthusiasm in Eli's voice raised your brow. Noticing this as well, Eli paused before continuing in his usual rhythmic voice. "As I told your friend earlier, I work as a Grade S escort at the Pink Flamingo, one of Daddy's most lucrative establishments." Eli stares at you for what you assume should have been a surprised reaction but you simply stare back confused as you knew jack shit about the Red. Benji on the other hand nodded in recognition to which Eli relaxed his shoulders an inch.

"I know of the Pink Flamingo. It was Daddy's second brothel right after his first one, the Ruby Red. I hear the place is undergoing new management though."

"Yeah... I'm surprised you know about the new management though."

Benji shrugs, "I get a few working escorts coming through the bar."

"I see. Well, I've worked closely with the previous Monsieur at the Flamingo and I know much of the trade and what it takes to run a successful brothel. Now, I know that's not what you want to run here but believe it or not, a brothel is not too far from a proper gentlemen's club. In fact, the previous Monsieur and I have been planning a similar idea for years. It's just unfortunate that renting an accommodating space is near impossible nowadays, especially in the Red. So you could imagine my surprise when I overheard snippets of your conversation. A secluded nook like this is near perfect for a proper gentlemen's club." Eli's handshake in excitement as he eyes the place in sparkled lens. "It just seemed too good an opportunity to pass up."

Benji rubs his bearded chin while eyeing the same, near-empty bar. "Alright then, I'll bite. I assume you've also heard then that this business is in the financial red. I have no capital to flip this place. All the funding would have to come straight from your pocket."

"Yes, unfortunately, I did hear that part of the conversation as well. I would need to look over your books and numbers but if it's not too desolate, I believe I can turn a profit by the end of this month. Of course, I would want a full partnership in return for my forward investment. An even 50/50."

"70/30. Like you said, there's no place renting out. And even if there was one, you'd have to bid over Big Daddy or the Duke, which I'm sure not even your Monsieur is capable of doing."

"60/40 then. Because like your friend put so eloquently, keeping this place afloat by working other jobs is a terrible solution. A band-aid over an open wound. It'd be a shame if a generationally owned establishment such as this fell into the hands of the Federation. It'd essentially be another hole in the wall, forgotten and abandoned. There would be no going back in that case."

For the first time in the conversation, Benji is silent. You could cut the tension between the two with a sharp knife. It was Mitch's loud snoring, echoing in the backroom that kept some semblance of humor in the otherwise deadpan stillness. And not knowing which side to turn to next, you silently stir your drink, wishfully imagining it to be a much, much fuller cup.

"Very well. 60/40." You sigh in relief as Benji finally breaks the silence.

"Good. Oh and another thing. I would like a guarantee from you that you will do exactly as I say in regards to the renovation. I do not wish to argue every step of the way since I can already tell it will take our full cooperation and undivided teamwork. Do you agree?"

"Agreed."

"Marvelous."

Eli raises his drink and clinks the brim of his cup to yours. "And thanks to our mutual friend for bringing this idea together. What an auspicious night this has been." Eli takes a long sip of his drink before gathering himself to head out. "I look forward to working with both of you. The Monsieur and I will see you bright and early to embark on our new business venture. Cheers!" Half drunk, it takes a while for Eli's words to completely sink inside your muddled brain.

Wait, why me too? Before you could clarify, Eli is already out the door, most likely headed to the Pink Flamingo to start his night's shift. You look over to Benji who smiles again, silently offering you another drink. The rest of the night is a blur but you remember most of it was spent talking to Benji. You grew a fondness for his company as he was unsurprisingly a better listener than his brother Mitch. The last memory you have is leaning against Benji's shoulder as he gently laid you next to the couch opposite of Mitch.