Waking up alone was comforting... until Hollem realized that Amia wasn't in his room at all. Groaning, he pushed himself up, yawning as he took a second glance around. 

Where has that brat gone to? 

The question was already answered in his mind as Hollem got himself out of bed and started getting dressed for his evening. He was ready in about ten minutes, then slipped on his shoes and headed downstairs. 

He was a bit surprised to see Amia standing behind the bar next to Anna, their drink tender. Stopping before he set foot on the ground floor, Hollem watched them silently from the stairs. Amia had clearly cleaned himself up and borrowed some clothing from the washing room. He looked quite handsome in his white frilled shirt and black waistcoat. Hollem couldn't see what he was wearing below his torso due to the thick wooden bar in the way, but in general, he approved of the guy's appearance. 

As he listened to their conversation, Hollem quickly realized that she was training him on which drinks were what. It seemed that Amia already had somewhat of a knowledge on the subject, because whenever she'd ask him a question, he usually had a mostly-correct response for her. 

"Good evening, master Hollem." 

Licking his lips once, Hollem turned his attention to Lauriette. "Good evening, Lauriette. Did you need my assistance for something?" 

When Lauriette pointedly looked down to where a certain something rested between his legs, Hollem cleared his throat, forcing her attention back up to him. "If you'll excuse me." He said before stepping away, not waiting for her response. 

It took all of his effort not to scratch at his skin as he felt little pinpricks from her gaze. "Amia." He called as he got to the bar, taking the young man's attention away from the tender. 

When their eyes met, Amia immediately gave him his now-familiar glare before turning his attention back to the drinks he was working with. 

"Anna." Hollem called to the woman standing beside Amia. 

Unlike his ungrateful new ward, the woman ran over to where he stood before the heavy wooden bar immediately, a welcoming smile on her face. 

"Good evening, master Hollem. How many I help you?" She asked, making his tense shoulders relax a bit. 

"How long has Amia been helping you, and why is he?" he asked, honestly curious. Anna didn't let just anyone behind her bar area. 

"Well, sir, madam found him flirting about the main greeting rooms with customers, and while he did win quite a few people's attention, she said that he was not allowed to serve anyone without your word." She said, a little nervous. 

Hollem nodded, offering her a small reassuring smile. "You are correct." He said, making her return his smile with a hesitant one of her own. 

"So, I told her that I wouldn't mind teaching him some things back here, since I need a bit of help with Mac out for a bit with his wife having a baby." She said, earning another nod from Hollem. 

"Very well. You may have him for the day." He said, finally earning Amia's full attention as the man came stomping over, clearly seething about what he'd just heard. 

"What do you mean that I am to remain here all day? I can show you that I can work, then you can allow me to do my job!" He nearly shouted, calming his words to a frustrated growl when Hollem raised his hand and narrowed his eyes. 

"Clearly, you can't do your job yet. You just yelled in a room with at least four customers sitting within earshot." Hollem said as quietly as he could while still being sure that his words, and angry tone, reached Amia. 

Anna stepped back as Amia tugged at his hair harshly, hissing several things under his breath. 

"If I see you out from behind this bar for anything besides to relieve yourself today, consider yourself fired." 

He could see the fury burning in Amia's eyes as the guy grabbed a dirty glass and turned his back on him, scrubbing it nearly to the point of breaking. 

This guy...

Feelings arms suddenly wrap around his waist, Hollem sent one more stare toward Amia before changing his expression, adding a smile and warm look as he glanced over his shoulder at the shy woman hugging him from behind. 

"Hi there, Miki. How have you been?" He asked as he guided the young lady over to a sitting area. 

She frequently visited him for his services, but more recently, she'd just come to take some of his time and talk. While she was an absolutely stunning, sweet young lady of twenty-three, her husband clearly didn't think the same. He had beaten her several times during their first year of marriage, and clearly cheated on her multiple times with many mistresses, too. 

At first, when she'd walked in asking to be loved by a nice young man, just once, he'd thought her the same as all the other loose women who just wanted to get something nicer than their husbands, or get back at them. However, as he got to know Miki, he realized that she really did just want to be cared about. 

They spoke quietly in a far corner of the room beside the low fire in the hearth. Evidently, her husband had gone on a voyage to the Americas for some time recently. She told him about how he was slowly getting better with his frustrations, and more importantly, not taking them out on her. 

Hollem was glad that the man was finally seeing value in his wife's favor. He had known right away when he'd turned to look at her earlier, that he had calmed a little. She had only one small bruise barely peaking out from beneath the fabric of her dress, when he knew that the man had previously liked to have her sporting several bad ones. 

When she hesitantly found her way into his lap, Hollem allowed her to get comfortable. He wasn't assigned to pay attention to anyone specific tonight, as he was just to focus mostly on observing Amia. He felt the boy's eyes on him several times throughout the evening as he allowed Miki to snuggle against him, but could never quite catch him staring. 

It was quite a few hours later when Hollem felt Miki beginning to drift off. If he wasn't in such a profession, he would have considered trying to steal her hand away from her husband, but he knew that he was no man that someone would want outside of his work space. He had a temper, slept with more people than he could count, and honestly didn't care to be around anyone if given the choice. 

Miki was just a sweet girl who never really bothered him, even if she talked a lot. She never spoke negatively upon anyone, even when they deserved the slander. 

When he noticed Anna beginning to clean up around her bar area in preparation for their planned early close, Hollem gently shook Miki's shoulder until her soft brown eyes blinked open. They always looked worried initially, but when she realized who she was with, she smiled sheepishly and carefully climbed down from his lap with a bit of help. 

"I apologize. I haven't been sleeping all that well recently." She said as she took a step back, allowing Hollem to stand from the chair. 

His muscles ached a bit for sitting for so long, but he'd enjoyed himself. It was rare that he got to just relax by the fire. "Not a problem. Best be on your way home, though. I believe we're closing early this evening." 

Miki nodded, her sleepy smile stretching her lips slightly as he leaned in to place a gentle kiss upon her cheek. "Off you go." He whispered, pressing his fingers against her back just enough to get her heading for the door. 

"A good evening to you, Hollem." She said when she got to the door. 

He smiled and replied. "And to you, miss." 

After she had stepped through the door and did not return for several moments, Hollem turned and began rounding up the remaining patrons. He'd honestly forgotten that the evening was to be short, but he didn't mind. An early closing meant an early bed time. He couldn't wait. 

When he ushered the last person out, who always tended to be old man Carlisle with his point grey hair and one glass eye, he shut and locked the door, then started his rounds with all of the live-in workers. There were a few small complaints about this and that, but all of them were easy enough to resolve within a few minutes. 

He was just turning the corner around two in the morning to head up to his room when he felt a slim hand wrap around his wrist. He thought that it would be Lauriette, but when he turned to decline here affections, again, his mouth paused mid-way to opening and he quickly gave a nod. 

"Madam Maria. Are you in need of me?" He asked, hoping that she wasn't, but knowing that she never sought him out for nothing. 

Her eyes drifted over to wear Anna was, but Hollem realized that Amia was no longer with her. 

"I sent him up a short while ago. What do you think of him so far?" She questioned. 

Hollem sighed and ran a hand through his hair, not really sure what she wanted to hear. Granted, he wouldn't lie either way, but he did sometimes wish that he could. 

"Honestly, he's an arse, but he's... kind of handsome when he dresses well. Anna said that he was attracting quite a bit of attention from customers, hopefully all good. He does have a bit of a mouth on him, and doesn't pay attention to those around him, but I think that's something we can work with him on." 

Maria nodded slowly, then reached into a slim pocket on her near-floor length gown. Hollem knew what the little red wristband she pulled out meant. 

"Give this to him and explain it, carefully. I don't want anymore slip-ups from him." Maria said as she handed over the wristband, then went on her way. 

Shaking his head, Hollem eyed the band he'd seen on many new employees, holding it up for a moment before turning and heading upstairs. For some reason, he didn't want to give it to him, but keeping him from working without a solid excuse didn't make any sense.

Stepping into his room, Hollem was a bit surprised to see Amia back at the window. His attention was focused outside, so he decided to just relieve himself before dealing with the guy. Once finished, he returned to the main part of his room to see him sitting on his bed, the shirt he'd been wearing folded neatly on the small nightstand along with his pants, leaving him in a pair of soft cut-off trousers. 

"Maria asked me to give you this." He said, offering him the band with a blank expression. 

Amia took the item, eyeing it with a slight scrunch to his brow. "Why?" He asked after a moment. 

Hollem sighed and reached forward, taking the item to slip around Amia's slim wrist. 

"It means, that you may flirt and accept attention from guests, but not enter any private rooms." 

When Amia's eyes narrowed for a few moments, then lit up, along with a rare grin, he knew that he was going to have his hands full. 

"Wait, so this means that I'm free to go about the greeting rooms now? Even the further one where people are usually... doing some things?" He asked, looking far too excited for Hollem's liking. 

"Yes, but if I hear anything at all about you trying to sneak off to a private room or bothering guests, you'll be right back behind the bar." He said. 

Amia made a quiet sound of acknowledgement as he lifted his wrist, staring admiringly at the simple red band. When the guy didn't move for nearly a solid minute, Hollem blew out an audible breath and began getting undressed for bed. He wasn't going to waste a chance to get extra sleep. 

When he was finally ready, his eyes wandered back to Amia. He'd moved a little, having put his arm down to lean forward and stare at the band, but that was it. 

"Get off my bed. I want to sleep." He stated as he sat down with just a simple pair of undergarments on. They were thin enough to not leave much to the imagination as Amia spared him a slight glance. 

When he still got no response from him, Hollem got beneath his blankets and began nudging the guy off with his leg. Amia didn't seem to even notice until his backside was hitting the floor with a thud. 

"Hey!" He growled, finally diverting his attention away from the wristband for more than three seconds. And of course, it was only to glare at him. 

"I told you to get off my bed. Now go to sleep or I'll take that away and you'll be serving drinks for the rest of the week." Hollem grumbled as he turned his back on Amia. "And put the damn curtain back over the window." 

The guy growled something under his breath but finally got up and did as told. When the room went dark, Hollem sighed against his pillow and nuzzled the worn but soft fabric. 

"You like sleeping that much? I mean, you get paid to sleep with other people, yet I doubt you look so happy when getting screwed by some burly gent." Amia said as Hollem felt his weight depress the bed near his back. 

Rolling over with a scowl firmly on his face, Hollem stared at the man who was now looking down at him with a slight quirk to his lips. 

"I do not let anyone screw me." He growled right before shoving Amia right off his bed. 

There was a muffled curse from the guy in response, but Hollem just turned back around, intent on ignoring him. 

When the bed dipped again not a minute later, Hollem felt his blood begin to boil. Rolling over abruptly, he moved to send the guy flying again, but to his surprise, Amia swiftly dove over his hands and body, landing with a slight bounce on the bed near the wall. 

"Hey!" Hollem yelled as he pushed himself up. 

Amia was already sliding beneath his blankets, and stealing his pillow. 

"This bed is big. Why don't you just learn to share? Besides, if you want me to make money, I need to get a good night's sleep. I can't exactly do that on the floor, now can I?" Amia said before giving a clearly fake yawn. 

"Why yes, you can." Hollem growled back in response. 

He snagged Amia's wrist and tried to move him, but the guy became dead weight, making Hollem have to turn his own body every which way to pull him toward the edge. When he'd gotten Amia's body about halfway there, where he was partially overtop his own legs as he lifted his upper body and arm, the guy suddenly pulled himself free of Hollem's grip and spun around, somehow managing to snag his right wrist to pin above his head while he put as much weight as he could on the left one to keep it from being moved. 

"You're way too stubborn for your own good, Hollem." Amia said right before Hollem yanked his right arm free of his hold and flipped them, pinning Amia beneath his body and getting them a bit stuck in the blankets. 

"How about you say that again, but to yourself?" He said with a cocky smirk that had every right to be on his face. 

Amia huffed and struggled to get free, but his efforts only resulted in them rolling over, pushing him against the wall as Hollem's arms trapped his at his sides. 

"I prefer to be the outer body in situations such as this..." Amia mumbled, squirming awkwardly as he felt Hollem's bare chest press against his back. 

"And I prefer some damn peace so I can sleep." Hollem replied, earning a grunt from the guy trapped in his arms. 

Hollem waited several tense minutes for Amia to try and fight his way free again, but when all he heard were quiet snores from the young man in his arms, he realized that he'd been completely made a fool of. 

Sighing, he flopped his head down on the sheet they were lying on and forced his eyes to close, since Amia had stolen his nice pillow and he'd likely wake the brat if he tried to grab another. It just wasn't worth it. 

This is so unfair. 

Why did you do this to me, Maria?