A Business

Ethan did not return to his apartment at once. Neither did he go to the vegetable market. He walked leisurely on the roads looking at the shops and the signboards. 

He could beat anyone easily. He could leave the police bureau unscathed and now, he had the ability to fight. Should he go to a boxing club for quick cash? But then, he had a good amount of cash at home.

What did he want to do now? In his past life, he had a goal of earning a good amount and living a fulfilling life with a woman and having two kids.

 But now. Wait? Why could he not do that now? He could still find a girl to marry and have kids. Anna was a beautiful woman. He was sure they would have a good life.

Working as a mutton seller? He shook his head. He wanted a better life. But he did not want to be a slave of a nine-to-seven job now. He wanted more from his life.

After walking for a long time, he stopped in front of a small shop and bought a burger from there. While he was eating it, he noticed a sign "shop available for rent.'' He looked around and noticed that it was a busy business area with a school nearby.

Many kids were buying their lunch while the businessmen were coming for their meetings too. Everyone was ordering one or two things.

"Hey, your bill is five dollars." he looked at the burger in his hand and then at the man. Five dollars for a burger? They must be kidding. But then he noticed that even policemen came there and sat to eat for their lunch break and suddenly he did not feel bad about broad day robbing at all.

He paid for the burger happily and returned to his stall.

When David noticed Ethan, his eyes widened and his face filled with joy. He wiped his hands from his shirt and did not care if the customers paid the right amount or not as he punched Ethan on his chest.

"You are a fool to leave like that!" his voice held worry and relief, "you should have refused or I don't know you. How did you come back so easily?" Although David was relieved, only a fool would believe that they would let him go so easily. 

Ethan shook his head slightly as he did not want to talk about it. He sat on his closed stall and tapped on it. David could feel that the young man was thrilled. 

That was not the expression he was expecting from Ethan after returning from jail.

"Did something good happen there?" The gaze was bewildered now when Ethan grinned.

"Old David, have you ever thought about repaying me?" David's face sank. He knew that he needed to return the grace he had received but he had thought he still had time for it.

But.. he nodded with a solemn face.

"Yes, of course. I will pay you whenever you ask for it." his hands clenched into fists as if he was going on borders while he said so, making Ethan chuckle. He felt bad for bullying an old man. But there was no way that he was going to cook! Old Ethan might love cooking, but he had big things to do.

"I do not need money, I have plenty of it." he chuckled as he patted his pockets earning a look from the old man. In the police station, he had taken the money from the wallets of policemen too. They could only blame the tempered camera for it.

Since no one had seen it, no one could prove that it was him who had taken the money. 

"I am thinking of opening a business, old man." He did not beat around the bush as he needed to plan a lot of things. "I want you to work there. But I will only pay you when I start earning. So your free work would be enough to pay for your debts." he announced. But looking at the holed shirt David was wearing, he did not want to push him too far.

"But you need not work there all the time. You have to work there two hours early in the morning before breakfast and two hours in the evening before dinner." David blinked. He looked at two or three customers in his shop and then at Ethan who was still waiting for his answer.

The truth was they only started their stall around noon and closed it before evening since no one comes to this area late at night. 

It felt like Ethan had planned a job looking at every point and he was still ready to free all the loans. He was a kind man through and through. 

"Of course, I will work there. Not only me, but my wife will work there too. She makes good stew and her bread is always warm and soft. You have loved her food. Right?" he boasted as he patted his chest with a solemn look on his face.

"She can work there all the time, she will return with me after our evening shift is over. Ethan! We will help you in every way possible." The man smiled and looked at Ethan like a proud father.

Ethan smiled back, he would not forget the kindness this old man had shown when he needed it. He would return it one day.

Ethan took out a page and made a solid plan to open a small food shop. He was not targeting the rich businessmen from the start but the young students buying lunch and the middle-class men working in those big offices. If he planned well, he could be success.

David looked at the gleaming eyes of the young man. He looked thrilled for the first time. Most of the time Ethan was not interested in anything and always grumpy. As if he did not need to work at all. He had felt worried for the young man but now, the man standing in front of him was full of ambitions. It felt like he could gain anything as long as he wanted it.

The spark was new and like a breeze of fresh air.

"Anna can work there too. I am sure you would need a few servers too." Ethan's hand paused. The kiss and the succulent skin he had touched that night made him stiffen in his pants. He had planned to go look for her soon but he had never fathomed that the opportunity would come this easy.

"Yes, about that?" Ethan looked at David with a guarded expression. "Would you mind if I take her shopping too? I would need to buy a lot of things for the interior of the shop and it would be better if there would be a girl to suggest it to me." 

David smiled warmly and nodded at once.

"Of course, that girl always asks me to add this and that to our small house but I could not afford such things. She would be more than happy to buy them for you. But are you sure you have funds to buy all those things." there was a hint of doubt. But money was the only thing Ethan was not worried about.

"I have a treasure waiting for me, David. A treasure I say!"