Opportunties (Let's Make Lot's of Money)

Nathan sat outside in his car and tried not to pass out.



He had run miles of laps, played guys twice his size 1 on 1, and he had never had his heart pound like it was now. He was outside Daunte’s club, which didn’t look like a club at all. It looked more like an old style house, mansion almost. Decked out with shaded windows, it was on the outskirts of town. A very private place to say the least. Nathan had heard about the club in passing, almost an urban legend around Tree Hill, it was a club for the very rich and the very private. To be offered membership meant you had become someone in the area. He knew his dad had been asked, but he didn’t know whatever came of it. Like everything else with Dan it was one of those things best left unasked.



And here he was, about to walk in. Every part of his body was telling him to turn and run, but he knew if he did, it would be Haley and the baby that would pay. He had gotten himself into this mess, and there was no way he was going to become his father and take off when the going got tough. This was his family, and this was what he needed to do. He shed his street clothes and left them in the car. He felt foolish walking up to the old house in a jersey and shorts, but what choice did he have ? It was Daunte who was calling the shots for now, all Nathan had to do was keep his mouth shut and get through it.



There was a sign above the door that read, “Lasciate ogne speranza, voi Ch’in rate” Nathan had no idea what it meant, probably some old family saying or some crap. As he rang the bell his stomach dropped about forty feet into his shoes and he felt like he was about to throw up. He felt the exact same way every time he walked out onto a crowded basketball stadium. And just like then Nathan Scott squared his chin and simply stared forward. Scared he may be, but damned if anyone got to see him squirm.



The door opened and Bear looked down at the nervous teen. He showed a grin that was made mostly of crooked teeth and yellowing caps. As he gestured Nathan inside, he took a look behind the boy to see if he had brought anyone else. But like the good little sucker he was, the boy had actually came alone.



Bear closed the door smiling even harder now…they had a live one here.



The smell of cigar smoke was almost overpowering to Nathan. It clung to the walls and well kept furniture in the main lobby. The lights were low, making the whole room look like one huge bar. There was a staircase leading up and several doors leading out of the room but Nathan was willing to bet this was where the main meeting place was. Filled with scores of chairs and couches the huge room could easily sit almost a hundred without breaking a sweat. Behind the bar was a tall, young bartender. He looked familiar to Nathan but he didn’t have time to ponder it.



Daunte walked up, leaving a table of olderish men who were looking at Nathan with undisguised curiosity. There wasn’t a basketball fan within a five hundred miles who didn’t know who Nathan Scott was, and this room seemed to be filled with a ton of people who knew him. Nathan felt his knees shake slightly, but he adjusted his stance to cover it and kept his eyes focused on Daunte.



“Good choice Nate”, he said clasping his hand on the Nathan’s meaty shoulder. It was obvious just how good of shape the young Scott was in his jersey and play trunks, a fact Nathan wished wasn’t so prevalent.



“Only one you left me with”, he said with more than a little resentment in his voice, “So what do I have to do to get out of here ?”



Daunte laughed and led Nathan away from the crowd, “What you think the deal is you come in here and do what I want for a night and we’re even ?” The look on Nathan’s face said exactly that, “Look son, you owe me a lot of money. And if you think you’re worth that much in one night, you are as stupid as you are pretty”, Daunte grabbed Nate’s chin in what looked like a doting show of affection, but was really a vice grip to get the boy’s attention, “You are going to do services for me and my clients and those services carry a monetary value. You work off what you owe until we’re square. You get all timid and shy, you will be here till you croak. You get with the program….”, Daunte looked the teen jock from head to toe, “Hell you could be out of here by summer”



“Summer ?”, Nathan exclaimed pulling his head out of Daunte’s hand, “That’s months away ! You think I am gonna do this that long ?”



“That or you get me my money delivering pizzas…”, Nathan stepped back away from Daunte. Once again he had had enough.



“Look man, forget it. I ain’t gonna do this shit period. Tell Duke, break my leg…whatever. But I am no one’s fag”, and the athlete turned to walk out.



Nate half expected to get slammed into the door but instead he heard Daunte sigh and say softly, “It’s a dangerous world out there Nathan”



“Is that supposed to be some kind of threat ? Cause I am not scared !”



“No I wasn’t talking about you. You obviously feel your well being and future is expendable. I can understand that thinking. I was talking about your wife”



Nathan took a step back towards Daunte, fist clenched as if to strike the man. Bear took a step closer but Daunte waved him off, “Leave her out of this !”, Nathan screamed.



“I can’t Nate. You won’t listen and I am tired of talking. There are a lot of things in the world that could be dangerous. A car could rear end her, she could slip on some steps, she could fall down an escalator at the mall. Trust me when I say there are literally no end to the things that can happen to a pregnant woman nowadays. And none of those even include ingesting food with chemicals in them, say small amounts of mercury in milk ? Won’t kill the kid or mother”, and Daunte leaned in and grabbed the front of Nathan’s jersey, “But I hear the deformities can make even a father’s stomach turn. You want that Nathan ? Your child to end up with only one eye ? Brain damage ? You want to live with that every time you look at them” Nathan was pale in shock as the images of Haley and the baby swam around his head. His breath was short and shallow and he felt like he was drowning.



“Now you can do what I want, for as long as I want ….hell Nathan you aren’t the first Raven we’ve had here. Some of the guys learn to like the work and the money. How would you like to move off to Duke with a new car and some spending money ? You work out like I think you can and you can be bank by the end of summer. What other job can offer you a couple thousand dollars for a nights work ? But you cross me…and you will spend the rest of your life wishing you had drown in that car wreck earlier this year. You got it ?”



Nathan nodded slightly as he tried to swallow, his mouth was dry and his tongue felt like it was made of sandpaper.



“Good”, the older man said maneuvering Nathan to another door.



“What am I gonna have to do ?”, Nathan asked meekly, his mind still in state of shock.



“Nathan”, Daunte said leading the boy into the kitchen area behind the bar, “My clients expect very specific things from our boys. But they all have one thing in common that they want. Know what that is ?”



Nathan shook his head no.



“Compliance. Complete and total compliance with whatever they say. The one thing they don’t want when they come here is to hear the word no. In any way. You get that ?”



Nathan nodded silently.



“Good. You aren’t ready for clients yet. Not even close. You are going to have to be trained before I let you in a room with a paying customer. For the next few days you are going to be training with one of our best guys on what to expect and how to handle situations. Now of course you aren’t going to be making any money yet….but as long as you’re working off your debt, there won’t be any interest either. Isn’t that nice of me ?”



“What ? No money ? Come on man, you expect me to come here for free ? Fuck that, I can do it. Whatever it is, bring it on. I am ready. I ain’t doing this forever man !”



Daunte raised an eyebrow and shrugged, “Ok, you think you’re ready ?”



“Yeah”, Nathan said defiantly.



Daunte grabbed the boy’s head and pulled it into his own. His mouth covered Nathan’s as his tongue plunged into the startled teen’s mouth. Nathan froze as he felt a guys tongue move into his mouth for the first time. He put his hands on Daunte’s shoulders and started to push the older man away. But he was just too strong. Nathan felt his mouth violated as he tried to move his tongue away and fought to pull his head away with all his might.



Finally Daunte let him go, Nathan’s falling back and onto his ass onto the floor. He was wiping his mouth with his hand as he looked up at Daunte’s with flaring eyes, “What the !??”



“If you pulled away like that from a client you would be dead right now. I told you, they don’t like no. And in here they expect to get what they want. You aren’t ready ball boy…not by a long shot.”, Daunte looked over his shoulder and Nat saw the bartender standing behind him, “You ready ? Cause I’m about to belt this kid”



“Yeah”, the bartender said leaning down and helping Nathan up, “Come on, follow me and be quiet”



Nathan took his hand, his eyes never leaving Daunte. Daunte on the other hand just smiled and waved to Nathan as he was pulled into the other room.



“What the fuck !”, Nathan screamed, pulling his hand out of the bartenders, “What was that ?”



“A test”, the bartender said, “ a test you failed by the way, in a bad way. There’s a lot of things you can get away with once you are a regular, but pissing Daunte off isn’t one of them. Come on, through here”, The bartender led Nathan through a series of hallways, built between the rooms of the place, like a servant’s maze of passages, each leading into a different room in the club. Finally the bartender came to a door and unlocked it, Nathan took the time to study him.



“Do I know you ?”



The bartender laughed, “Man how soon they forget”, and he opened the door and walked in. Nathan followed still staring at the his face. He was young, a few years older than Nathan, so about 22. He was tall, in shape, nice body, obviously worked out. He looked liked someone but he couldn’t…



“If I did a three point jump shot from half court would it help ?”



And it clicked, Nathan knew who this was. Hell he had idolized him growing up. His name was Cody Turner, and when Nathan was a freshman Cody had been the captain of the varsity team. He had lead the Ravens to the last state championship before he graduated. Hell when Nathan was a freshman, it was Cody he wanted to grow up to be. And now he was here ?



“Cody ?”



“Guilty”, the older jock said smiling, “We can catch up later, we’re going to have to start soon or Daunte is gonna get really pissed”



Nathan looked around in confusion, “He’s going to be in here ?”



“No”, Cody said opening a small cabinet and taking out a bottle and two glasses. Nathan looked around and examined the room in detail. He saw it looked like an oversized bedroom. With a ton of lights. There was a bed in the middle of the room, but the room was like five times as large. It almost looked like a set of a bedroom, like he had seen in drama. Around the wall were different wardrobes and cabinets, each one locked.



“He wont be in here but trust me when I say he knows everything that goes on around here. Everything ! Here”, and he handed Nathan a half filled glass of alcohol.



“What’s this ?”, Nathan said smelling it.



“Something to get you relaxed, this is going to be a long and fucked up process. And the drunker you are the better it will be, faster too. You may be pissed you aren’t earning any money but being back here, I ain’t earning any tips either. So no offense, I would like to get this done and over with”



“You work here….I mean like work ?”

“I told you, catch up later, drink now”, and he tipped the glass back into Nathan’s mouth.



Nathan felt the liquid burn as it went down his throat, warming everything down to his stomach. He felt the familiar glow of intoxication as Cody handed him another.



“You trying to get me drunk ?”, Nathan asked half joking.



“Desperately”, Cody answered slamming his own drink and gesturing to Nathan to do the same.



Nathan looked at the drink and then around the room and sighed, what choice did he have ? He gulped the booze as well, feeling the alcohol start to take affect quickly. He had a feeling this was going to be a long night.