A few minutes later, Ben was back at the sink, washing the dishes idly and thinking of just how far he wanted to take his new-found power. Yeah, he’d fucked Sheena the hot blonde waitress and Gwen, the daughter of his boss, and messed around with his parents, but the young man had slowly realized there was so much more. Money, power… It was all there, anything and everything Ben could ever want!
“Ben,” the young man heard a deep voice say from behind him, interrupting his reverie, “Turn around. We need to talk.”
Grabbing a towel and drying off his hands, he turned about and looked into the stern-faced owner and manager of the restaurant, Mr. DiMatia. The older man – grey had begun to creep into his black hair – studied Ben, his dark eyes narrowed and a small scowl tracing over his jaw.
“What can I do for you, sir?” Benjamin asked, eyeballing his boss askance. A palpable silence filled the kitchen.
“Gwen came to me,” the manager said gruffly, chewing on the end of his cigar and breaking the stillness. “Told me you deserved a raise and a promotion. Didn’t tell me why.”
The young man watched him warily, waiting. Perhaps he could take this somewhere…
“I told her no, of course,” the old man continued. “Cause you’re a slacker. I only hired you ‘cause your father was an old friend of mine and knew your family could use the help. Never liked how you eyed the girls, either. Then I went into my office an’ you knew what I smelled?”
The young man stilled his face, preventing a triumphant grin from rising to his face.
“Sex,” Mr. DiMatia spat. “You – you fucked my little girl, you raped my daughter, you bastard! Get the fuck outta here! Now! You’re fired you asshole! I’d sue your fucking ass if I could, but Gwen says she didn’t fuck anyone. So, go one, git!”
Ben stared at him, strangely unperturbed at the outrage, the moment clicking in his mind. This was it! This would be his starting point!
“I have a better idea,” the young man said softly, the corners of his lips lifting into a sinister smile as he twisted at his employer’s mind. “Sign over ninety percent of the restaurant over to me – as a silent partner. Continue to run the place, but – be complacent to my ideas, unless they’d ruin business, and turn a blind eye to my activities here, no matter who they’re with, understand?”
“I – I,” his boss stammered, a dreamy look in his dark eyes. “I understand. It’s – a deal, even – even if I don’t like it.”
“That’s not your problem,” Benjamin smirked. “Just keep it to yourself. Don’t tell anyone anything.”
The old man nodded, frowning gravely, and turned, heading back to his office.
“I still want that raise,” the young man said over his shoulder. “Small enough not to irk everyone, but decent.”
“Yes – sir,” DiMatia’s voice caught in his throat, then he quickly disappeared into his office. Laughing silently, Ben turned back to the dishes and renewed his effort with vigor. He really had a paycheck to look forward to now!
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