Misery Is Sweet

Meika's POV I hear the heavy metal door shutting behind me, the clicking of the lock is the only sound that lets me know I'm finally done for the day. This sound is the internal alarm telling me to just go lay down and believe me I won't be arguing with myself anytime soon. I huff out in exhaustion before stopping in my tracks just to enjoy this silent moment to myself. I don't have many of these so I take them while I can. With my eyes closed, I lean against the cool brick wall of the building that I have willingly locked myself away in, while working myself nonstop for this company, making sure everything for this last event went perfectly. The satisfaction of this successful event fills my heart, but my mind at this point is a complete blank from the exhausting days, or weeks, or however long it's been. I find myself not only sucking in the much-needed fresh air to soothe my lungs but also taking it out of my pocket, the one thing that helps calm my mind while giving me some sort of appetite. I open my eyes just to look into my hands. The joint I have beautifully wrapped myself before this shift is what I have been looking forward to all day and night long... This is my prize for working so hard when no one else would in my position. The flame from my lighter clicks on before burning the end of the joint. I suck in the biggest hit I could have imagined, just to hold it in, letting the medicated plants soothe my soul like they always do. This is the only thing that works for me so I don't need anything else but weed, to help my mind and body relax the way it's supposed to after a long exhausting time. I close my eyes again before blowing out the hit just to suck in another one in its place. "Hey girl, I thought you would be running to your part of the hotel by now before you get sucked back into this endless working black hole again." I hear from beside me as my eyes open just to glance to my side. It's Elizabeth, one of the cocktail servers that work in this part of the casino and hotel. I chuckle at her amusing comment because she knows how much I'm in this place, with her being here almost as much. "I won't be running anywhere because feet are killing me, so I figured I would help soothe some of my pain," I reply before lifting the lit and still-smoking joint as she smiles at me while nodding in understanding. "Well that's understandable, I mean how many days straight have you been working the double shift.. 10.. 11?" She asks me as I shrug my shoulders. "I have no idea how many days straight it's been, I have completely lost count.. but hopefully the pain from all my hard work will all pay off." I retort with so much enthusiasm in my tone that she can feel it in every word. "Oooh, is today the day you finally get the family business that you rightfully deserve, after all, you have done for this company for so many years?" She asks me as I shrug my shoulders once more. "I'm not sure... But my father has asked for me and my brother to join him in his office in.... um.. 15 minutes." I say glancing at my watch making sure I'm timing this just right. "Oh, I bet that's exactly what it is! You have been working your ass off and girl you deserve it." She says to me hopping on her toes in excitement... But as much as I want to be excited thinking this is it, I don't want to get my hopes up. "Well just keep your fingers crossed for me and I'll be sure to let you know what it was about the next time I see you," I explain to her as she smiles before patting my arm. "Well good luck.. maybe your idiotic brother will show up this time and not late as usual so you can get this privilege sooner over later.. good luck girly!" She prances away down the dark alleyway as I suck in another huge hit of this weed. Maybe she is right.. maybe it is that... I have been waiting for the day my father would hand over his company to me once and for all... Since I'm practically running it anyways... I'm running the legal parts of this business not the illegal.. so that will be the hardest part for me to come to terms with. We not only own the most popular casino and hotel in this area, but we also run an underground gambling, trading, and s*x business... I don't agree with any of that part of the business hence why my father instructed me to take over the legal part as my brother handles the illegal part... He loves that and it fits him perfectly... But if I had things my way I would get rid of that part once and for all.. the casino and hotel business brings in enough money that we don't need that other part.. but my father says that's how he has secured some very dedicated clients.. so he keeps it anyways. But over the years of helping him run this business, I have been trying to show him we don't need that part, nor my stupid half-brother who just loves to f*ck all of the ladies he has hired, while doing every drug in the book. He is worthless and a waste of time and money. The biggest issue they have with me running things is that I'm a woman, so it's hard for him to hand the business over to just me... Women have been making strides to show how amazing we can be, but men in this business still don't look at me as anything other than a toy or tool to use at their disposal... But I'm doing everything in my power to show him and everyone else that I can run this business just as well as any man and definitely better than my brother. But there is no way I can change the fact that I'm a woman nor the fact that I'm not any only child so hopefully one day this is just a fact that they can look past to give me the chance I have been working for. With my mother passing months ago I have no one to take my side to try to help me succeed, so I have to work twice as hard as my brother just to prove how much more I deserve this than him. Craig, my half-brother, used to be a great guy and then the drugs and the underground life got the best of him because he is not the guy I used to be friends with anymore. We have both developed a hate for each other that I don't think anything could fix even if we wanted to. When I think of him I get an awful taste in my mouth just wanting to wash it out instantly. I think we both feel that way. To make sure that I'm the one on time like usual, I start walking around the back of the kitchen part of the building, meandering past the casino area just to make it to the back entrance of the hotel. My father owns all of this but gave my brother and me our own suites to live in since we have to spend most of our time here anyways. This whole place is actually located far away from anything thing else surprisingly enough, so all the workers live and work here. This is a place that many travels to just to get away from real life all around... We are a wonderful stop to have fun on some excursions before they have to leave this paradise I call home. It's as if we live on an island when in all actuality we don't, it's just a huge lake resort far from any other towns, that many travels to just to experience the good things in life for a little bit just to go back home, craving for more time here.. and maybe we will see them again. We do have a long list of repeat customers just wanting a nice getaway for themselves or their families but we mostly get the single men looking to mingle and throw their money away. It's like a taste of Vegas life on a lake. It's a crazy sight to see... it's endless deserts all around just to find this little lake that is completely owned and ran by my father. He has made this lake resort what it is today and it is amazing, but there is no getting away from here unless you pack up and leave.. and it's hours to the next town.. so not an option I have considered to much. I finish smoking my joint before I use my key to open the back door of the hotel. Customers smile and pass by as I do the same just sending them a pleasant smile right back. I take the elevator up to the top floor where my room is located. Once the elevator dings, bringing me out of dazing off, trying to not let the exhaustion hit me until after talking with my father. I pass by my door that I want to open up instantly to pass out but I can't. So I feel the longing as I pass my relief that is my room just to head straight to my father's. He has the biggest suite at the end of our hallway that's combined with his office, it's practically a whole house, everything he needs he has in his room.. mine is just a big hotel room with a little kitchen and closer, but I won't complain. It's my own room and that's what matters most to me. I pass by my brother's room, not hearing a sound coming out of it when I normally hear the cries of a woman he is f*cking in there constantly.. so silence is strange, to say the least. I get all the way down the hallway feeling my heart beat out of my chest. I don't know what this meeting is about but I can only hope it's for the best. But I can't help but feel like it might not be... I don't know why... but it's something deep inside of me in my gut aching to yell at me that something isn't right. But I can't let those feelings get the best of me because this could turn out to be the best day of my life... But I never know until I walk through that door.. so here it goes. I let out a deep breath before knocking lightly on the door.