The dorms at Zach's college closed at 10 p.m. If he left now—even by taxi—it would take at least an hour to get back, which clearly wasn't going to cut it.
He figured it'd be better to just find a hotel nearby, get some rest, and unwind a bit.
Or better yet… a bar.
Zach had never been particularly into bars. He'd only been to a handful over the past few years, usually for a classmate's birthday or if someone else dragged him along.
The thing about bars was, if you didn't have money, all you could really do was sit around, sip a cheap drink, and soak in the atmosphere.
But if you did have money? That's when you could really experience what it meant to live in luxury.
And now that he had money, it was time to enjoy it—and maybe make even more.
The red envelopes he'd sent to his work group had all been claimed, and the cashback on the system panel had already climbed to over $66,000.
With a single thought, he cashed it out immediately.
[MetroBank: Dear customer, your debit card ending in 0543 has received a deposit of $66,000. Current balance: $77,380.80.]
Over $77,000 in his checking account—what a feeling.
Zach opened his ride-sharing app, booked a premium car, and set the destination: LUXE Bar.
…
As one of the most developed cities in the country, Chicago was full of nightlife spots. Bars, lounges, and clubs were everywhere.
Zach didn't know much about the bar scene, but he had heard of a few popular places—LUXE among them, known for its celebrity clientele and high-end crowd.
The moment he stepped through the door, a sharply dressed young man who looked like a sales rep came over with a friendly smile.
"Evening, man. You here solo or with a crew?"
"Just me."
"Alright, cool. Do you have a host you usually work with? If not, I can help you get set up."
"No need. You can handle it. Get me a booth."
The sales rep's eyes lit up with interest and enthusiasm.
"Absolutely. Right this way… Just so you know, our booths have a minimum spend. Tonight, Zone 3 starts at $750, Zone 2 is $1,200, Zone 1 is $2,200, and Zone 0 is $4,500."
No doubt about it—this was one of the most expensive spots in the city. And it wasn't even the weekend or a holiday, yet the rates were sky-high.
Zach was here tonight to enjoy himself and make some money. He wasn't about to settle for anything less than the best.
"Take me to Zone 0. Got any tables left?"
"Yes, absolutely, sir—come right this way!"
The marketing rep led the way, chatting enthusiastically with Zach as they walked.
"By the way, I'm the floor manager here at LUXE. You can just call me Drew. And your name?"
"Zach," he replied casually.
"Got it, Zach. It's still early, so we're not at peak hours yet. There are a few booths still open in Zone 0. How about Table 003? I can set you up there."
Zach wasn't exactly experienced when it came to upscale bars like this—especially not a place as high-end as LUXE. He nodded without much thought.
"Sure, I'll go with whatever you suggest."
Under Drew's guidance, Zach made his way to Booth 003.
Zone 0 was the prime real estate inside the bar, positioned on the north side of the central dance floor and elevated over three feet above it. This gave the entire section a panoramic view of the crowd below—an ideal vantage point.
The subtle mist sprayed around the perimeter added a stylish ambiance while also creating a hazy barrier that obscured the view from the lower level, offering privacy to those in the booth. The design was clever and luxurious.
Zach settled into the wide, cushioned sofa, and Drew immediately had servers bring over fruit platters and snacks. Two security staff in black suits also took positions on either side of the booth, standing guard to ensure Zach wouldn't be bothered.
With everything in place, Drew handed Zach a sleek tablet.
"Here you go, man. Take a look and see if there's anything you're interested in…"
Zach took the tablet, expecting to see a drink menu—but as he glanced at the screen, he blinked in surprise.
Instead of cocktails or bottle service options, the screen showed an album titled Atmosphere Girls.
The thumbnails were all portraits of women—stylish, glamorous, and professionally shot. Each image had some accompanying text underneath.
Zach looked over at Drew, raising an eyebrow.
"What's this?"
Drew grinned knowingly.
"I noticed you came solo tonight. Drinking alone's no fun."
He explained smoothly, "These are the ladies from our LUXE atmosphere team. Best in the city. If there's anyone you like, let me know—I'll have her come by to liven things up a bit."
As a seasoned marketing pro, Drew knew exactly why most guests came to places like LUXE.
If someone just wanted to drink, they could do that anywhere. They didn't need to come to a spot where liquor prices were marked up tenfold.
No—people came to bars like this for the vibe, the attention, the company. Especially someone walking in alone—if you didn't arrange for a woman to join him, he might never come back.
And once a guest was in the company of an attractive woman? That so-called minimum spend was just the starting line.
Men loved to flex in front of women. In a place built around luxury and indulgence, there was no better way to show off than to spend freely.
Zach glanced at Drew with a flicker of amusement. For the first time, he truly felt the power of money.
Even in a place like this, where everyone was here to spend, if you didn't have real money, nobody really paid attention to you. At most, a low-level hostess might swing by and try to sell you a cocktail bundle or offer a canned compliment.
But once you hit the booths—the private zones—everything changed. You didn't even have to ask. The staff would bring women to you, line them up for your selection.
The realization struck him hard. Still processing it, Zach tapped casually on one of the photos.