Alexander walked out of the private room with his head spinning filled with even more questions than when he had arrived but at the same time a strange sense of relief washed over him because at least now there was a physical face to associate with the madness.

He was no longer just taking orders from a nameless smartphone screen and reading mysterious printed notes left in his wardrobe though that small comfort was instantly crushed by a lingering terror as he began to comprehend the terrifying absolute reach of the organization pulling the strings.

As he walked back through the restaurant’s main lounge the atmosphere felt completely different because he began to notice the other patrons scattered around the dim luxurious tables since the room was filled with incredibly attractive men each dressed in a highly specific style.

Some wore impeccable sharp tuxedos and others donned high-end casual designer wear while a few even sported rugged well-groomed lumberjack looks with flannel because it hit him all at once that every single one of them represented a very specific female fantasy.

As Alexander passed by they all looked up offering him warm understanding smiles like seasoned veterans welcoming a fresh clueless rookie to the front lines.

Suddenly a massive muscular man broke away from a group near the counter and stepped directly into his path with an explosive burst of energy "Welcome to TMC kid so how the hell are you enjoying the ride so far?" said the man.

Before Alexander could even answer the giant threw a heavy tree-trunk arm around his neck and dragged him toward the marble bar "Come on, let’s get this guy a drink!" shouted the man who introduced himself as Stephen.

Four other incredibly handsome men at the bar turned around raising their glasses in a toast as Stephen pulled Alexander into the circle "How long have you been in the network. have they handed you your piece yet?" said one of the men in a tailored suit while pointing a finger at Alexander’s chest holster "Man those are the days since I still remember my first security escort mission because it was an absolute blast."

"Bartender so line them up!" shouted Stephen while slapping his hand on the counter.

As the shots of premium whiskey started flowing Alexander decided to play along using his theater training to blend into the boisterous drunken chatter while keeping his ears wide open for any scrap of information since the alcohol quickly loosened everyone’s tongues "You guys wouldn’t believe what my client made me do last Tuesday" said a rugged man in a flannel shirt while slamming his glass on the marble bar "She rented out an entire opera house just so I could sit in the VIP box with her while she ate a bucket of fried chicken in a ballgown." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

The group burst into loud laughter and the man in the tailored suit leaned over the counter "That’s nothing compared to my last security escort" said the suited man while shaking his head "We had three private mercenary vehicles tailing us down the highway because her ex-husband wanted to steal her expensive French poodle so I almost had to draw my piece right there on the asphalt."

"Man those high-society women are completely out of their minds" said Stephen while chuckling deeply and waving his hand at the bartender "They have so much money they just invent drama to feel alive but hey, as long as the wire transfers clear on time they can demand whatever absurd script they want."

Stephen downed his third shot to let out a loud roar and turned to look Alexander up and down poking a thick finger into his shoulder "You look great kid because you’re a handsome bastard so I’ll give you that" said Stephen while laughing deeply "Category wise a rock-hard six-pack framing your business down there is pure gold in this industry so trust me, the ladies absolutely love to lick a defined six-pack covered in whatever expensive dessert you can possibly imagine."

Stephen reached into his tight leather wallet to pull out a sleek matte-black business card and slid it across the marble counter "You need to drop by my place, I’ll get you into real fighting shape" said Stephen.

Alexander picked up the card and his heart skipped a beat, his eyes locked onto the modern logo and the address printed on the back which was the exact same gym card that his friend Marcus had given him days ago.

Alexander looked up trying to keep his voice completely casual "Hey do you happen to know a guy named Marcus? he’s a friend of mine?" said Alexander.

Stephen rubbed his thick stubbled chin with a brow furrowing as he drowned another shot "Marcus so the name sounds familiar but I see a hundred faces a day kid" said Stephen while shaking his head.

Alexander wanted to pull out his phone to show him a picture but he remembered he was currently carrying the official TMC device which didn’t have any of his personal photos or contacts on it "Don’t worry about it because almost all the guys from this side of town end up training at my facility anyway so he’s probably one of my clients" said Stephen while slapping Alexander hard on the back to nearly knock the whiskey glass from his hand "Make sure you drop by seriously because you are going to need a hell of a lot more than just a pretty face if you want to survive this line of work."