“Damn, looks like things didn’t go so well?” asked the scraggly man sitting in front of Zane’s casino. “Lose all your money? I could give you back the twenty if you really need it.”

“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” I replied with a drawn out sigh. “I just went in there for a job interview, and things didn’t go so well.”

“You flunk out that badly? You weren’t even in there for that long, that must’ve been a sight!”

“Excuse me?” I glared at the man, but my look eventually turned sad. “Nah, the interviewer just wanted to have sex with me.”

“Well that doesn’t sound so bad-”

“On top of doing my actual job.”

“Yeah, then I can’t blame you. But if she’s pretty enough, I’m sure most guys would be into that.”

“You should’ve seen her, they totally would,” I explained, remembering the presence she had. “Honestly, if it were just a date or something, and she wasn’t such a…”

“A bitch?”

“I was going to say ‘married’, but yeah, that too.” I let out a short chuckle. “If it weren’t for all of that, I’d consider it.”

We stood there in silence for a few seconds.

“Hey, what’s your name? I’m Mike, by the way.”

“You can call me Samuel, or Sam for short.”

I nodded. “Hey, thanks for taking my mind off things, Sam. It helps a lot.”

“Sure, no problem!” He let out a hearty laugh. “And if you can’t find a job in time, I’ll save you a spot next to mine!”

“Hey!” shouted a woman from the front of the building. “You won’t need that spot if you come with me!”

The two of us looked to see the lady who was manning the counter, Anna, run up towards us. She was still wearing the leather bunny outfit, but had a crop-top and shorts over it. Her previously demure expression was gone and replaced with sheer, brazen confidence.

“Mike, right?” she asked, pointing a finger right at my face. “Sorry about that whole business back there with Ivy, but I think I’ve got a position for you!”

“Sorry, but I’m not interested in working at a place where HR doesn’t actually help the employees.” I crossed my arms and frowned. Wait…

“I don’t mean at Zane’s,” she said with a pout. “I mean at the Bear’s Den!”

“But don’t you work here? Why are you trying to get me to work for a rival?”

“Well, I only work here on paper.” She flashed me a mischievous smile and leaned in to whisper. “But truth be told, I actually work for Mr. Petrovich, Zane’s competitor. He just put me up here to start trouble by hiring bad employees.”

“Hold on,” interrupted Sam from his spot on the ground. “Weren’t you trying to hire Mike here just a minute ago? Either you’ve got bad judgment, or you’re still pulling his leg.”

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“I’m sorry, who’s this?” Anna pouted.

“Sam, he’s a friend of mine,” I rebutted. “And he’s got a point.”

She looked at the two of us for a second before rolling her eyes. “You’re not bad-bad, but bad for the management. It’s because you’re Ivy’s type.”

“You’re going to have to explain,” I said with crossed arms.

“If you haven’t noticed, Ivy and Zane don’t actually do any managing, and just try to have their way with the employees. So my actual boss figured that he should help them out by having me hire the best himbos and bimbos I can find!”

“And you thought I was a himbo?”

“With the way you just walked in there and demanded a job without giving me a resume or talking about your qualifications, sure!”

“How the hell was I supposed to talk about anything in there when I couldn’t even hear myself?”

“Touche, but you did prove me wrong when you chewed Ivy out like that! Man, she was pissed, it was hilarious! Too bad I couldn’t laugh in her face, but it was so satisfying to see in person!”

I looked at the woman as she broke out into a fit of laughter. “That’s actually pretty clever, handing your enemies a noose to hang themselves with. But also really scummy.”

Anna simply shrugged and kept on laughing.

“You know, that is pretty smart. And someone like Ivy absolutely deserves it!” I clapped my hands together. “Alright, I’m sold on your boss!”

Anna calmed herself down with a deep breath. “I’m glad you’ve seen the light! I can give you a reference and get you a real interview if you come with me right now. And Sam, you’ve got enough backbone for a place at the Bear’s Den too. I can come back to pick you up later.”

“No thanks,” replied the vagrant. “I swore I’d never step into a casino again.”

“Oh well. Come on, Mike. I don’t have all day!” Anna yelled as she began to jog away down the street.

As I began to follow, Sam shouted back at me. “If you want a casino that’ll actually treat you well, try Goldshanks’! And whatever you do, stay away from Victoria’s Garden!”

While I took his advice to heart, I already had a guaranteed interview. And besides, I could head there next if things didn’t go so well at the Bear’s Den. I simply nodded back and ran after Anna.

----------------------------------------

“Wait up,” I said, panting for breath while trying to keep up.

“Come on, I’m not going that fast!” replied Anna.

“No, not like that. I wanted to ask.” I let out a wheeze. “Wouldn’t Zane try to take advantage of you if you’re working there? How do you put up with it?”

“I don’t! Zane and Ivy have a deal where they come in on alternate days so they can get away with cheating on each other, and I only work when Ivy’s in.”

“But wouldn’t one of them have figured it out by now? I mean, them both doing the same thing but not suspecting their spouse; what are the chances?”

“Well, I’m pretty sure deep down they both know what’s going on, but neither wants to ruin what they have going for them. So it’s like a mutual secret.”

I let out another pant as Anna continued to speed up. “They sound like idiots. How have they not gone bankrupt yet?”

“They inherited the place from Zane’s father, who used to be a legend, so losing all of that money has been a challenge. That’s why my boss is having me help them!” The woman planted her feet into the ground and quickly skidded to a stop. “Speaking of which, we’re here!”

It took me another quarter of a block to slow down, and even then, I almost tripped. Several passersby gave me weird looks, but I ignored them.

“Come on, what are you waiting for!” Anna cheered as she ran inside.

I let her go ahead as I took in the building’s facade. Unlike Zane’s casino, the Bear’s Den was much more humble in its signage. It still made heavy use of neon lights, but what casino didn’t? It featured a simple bear’s head over a roulette wheel. An open bear trap hung right below it. How fitting.

After catching my breath and trying to air out the sweat stains on my armpits, I headed inside. Petrovich was much smarter than Zane or Ivy, and the kind of man who could provide a real challenge. One that would let me properly level up.