THE PRESENT

Chapter 2

I drove my car just a little fast above the given speed limit to get Emily to school on time.

"Bye, sweetheart, behave, and don't forget to have your lunch."

I shouted behind a very excited Emily who went running towards her school as soon as the car stopped.

I chuckled and started my car. I was getting late for my work today.

I work at Golden Rose Hotel as Maitre d' in its restaurant.

Five years ago, after my divorce, when I was working in a shady pub as a waitress, Nick Miller, the famous Hotel tycoon and the owner of this very hotel, saved me from a very touchy and very, very drunk customer who was trying to talk to me after my working hours were over.

5 years ago

Today was another very tiring day at the stripper joint, where I work as a waitress at night. All the dirty hands spanking my butt and drunk customers trying to kiss me made me feel so dirty that I wanted to rip my skin.

It is past midnight, and there is no taxi or bus around, not that I had the money to pay for it, but I would have felt better if there had been something around me, but there is only dead silence. I kept my head down and walked fast towards my apartment when suddenly someone shouted from behind.

"Hey girl"

I turned around to see a very drunk customer from the pub walking rapidly towards me. I got scared and turned around and started running, but my feet betrayed me as always, and I tripped over my feet and fell on the sidewalk.

Then I was suddenly pulled from the concrete into a very sweaty chest. "Hey beautiful, where are you going? Come with me. I'll show you a good time." the man said, slurring.

I tried to free myself from him but failed miserably. "Oh, come on, darling, I'll pay for the night. Don't play hard to get, you whore." he said now angry. 

"Let me go, please. I'm not what you think. Please." I begged.

"Oh, I know exactly what you are, slut! Do you like it hard like it's forced on you? That's my favorite role play” He laughed and pushed me to a dark alley and started to put his hands under my sweater.

I shouted at the top of my lungs. He slapped me hard.

"You stupid girl, keep your mouth shut." He said grabbing my jaw with his hand.

"Please let me go. I won't say anything to anyone. Please." I sobbed and begged him while trying to scratch his face. He hissed when my nails scratched his left cheek and he used his hand to lock my hands behind my back.

"Oh, my wildcat, no one is going to save you from me now."

Then, out of the blue, someone hit the man's head from behind, and he let me go immediately, grabbing onto his head and falling unconscious. 

I crawled near the trashcan that was in the alley, pulled my legs together to my chest, fearing for my life, and looked at the unconscious man.  

“Don't worry child. He won't wake up for a while." A very sober and mature voice spoke.

I looked up with bloodshot eyes at my savior. There, I noticed not one but two men standing in front of me looking sophisticated, both wearing suits. One looked older, like in his late sixties. The other looked in his forties and had a gun in his hand. I backed into a corner, feeling intimidated by them and scared by the gun. The old man seems to notice my distress.

"Go back to the car Tyler. I'll bring her." The old man said.

The guy with the gun, whose name is Tyler, nodded and walked back towards the expensive car that was parked near the curb. The old man bent down in front of me and offered me his hand.

"Hello, I'm Nick Miller. I was passing by when I heard you screaming. Don't be afraid, you're safe now. Come on, stand up, the police are on their way." He explained to me in a soft and soothing voice. I looked warily at his held out hand, then I took it in. 

As he helped me to get back on my feet, on cue, I heard the police siren and looked at the old man, Nick. He nodded at me encouragingly.

End of flashback___________

That night Nick dropped me home and called me to his office in the morning and offered me a job as a waitress in his hotel. He is like the father I never had. 

Though he stays in California and always calls me to ask about Emily and me.

I parked my car in the staff parking area, rushed towards the staff changing room, and picked out my suit for the day. Quickly changing into the uniform of Maitre d', I rushed towards the restaurant in hopes that the hotel manager wouldn't notice that I was late. Again.

But my luck was not with me because at the entrance of the restaurant stood my Hotel Manager - Eric Matthew, looking like an angry bull.

"Mr.Matthew, please... " I tried explaining to him but he cut me off angrily.

"It's the 5th time you are late in a week. I can't take this lack of punctuality. Your..." Before he could say that I was fired, my co-worker and best friend Aden came to my rescue.

"Claire, did you make the reservation for Mr.Hamilton tonight? The flowers, violin, and did you talk to the chef? Mr.Hamilton is going to propose to his girlfriend today so we need to get things done nicely. " Aden said, looking serious. 

"Oh, yes, I just met the florist, and the flower arrangement is made gracefully in the garden," I said, following Aden's lie. Mr. Matthew narrowed his eyes at me and said " You were over-seeing the arrangements?" 

"Yes sir," I said sincerely.

Mr. Matthew cleared his throat and waved his hand, saying, "Fine, get back to work, both of you. And Claire, I'll see to Mr. Hamilton's arrangements."

He left and I let my breath out. I smiled at Aden "Thank you, or today would have been my last day."

Aden laughed and said, "No, you should be thankful that you did that jerk floral arrangement work last night, or else you would have been fired." We both laughed.

Eric is a super jerk. It is very popular among the staff that Mr. Matthew never did his work, and when things went wrong, he would blame me for it.

"Anyways did you know Nick arrived at the hotel this morning?" Aden asked me.

"What?" I asked.

"Yes, and I heard him talking to Eric that he wanted to gather all the staff," Aden said.

"What for?" I questioned.

"Don't know, " he shrugged.

I narrowed my eyes at Aden "And you were eavesdropping on them?”

"No, I just went into his room to deliver his breakfast. And don't worry, I will soon find out about what Mr.Miller wants to tell us."

I chuckled and said, "Of course, you would find out, my gossip queen."

"Not a gossip queen. Gossip king."

We both laughed.

"Okay, enough of this nonsense. Let's get back to work, or else Mr. Matthew will fire us." I said laughing. And waved him goodbye and got back to work.

After 5 hours of interacting with guests and ordering the waitress around, it was finally time for my lunch break.

"Hey Claire, Mr.Miller has called you in his office." My very snobby co-worker Ruby said.

"Oh, Okay, thank you for informing me," I said to her and faked a smile.

"One more thing, do you know what today's meeting is all about? Please tell me, all the staff are dying to know," she asked me in a hushed tone.

"I don't know about the meeting," I told her nonchalantly.

"Oh please, Mr. Miller must have informed his favorite employee about it," Ruby asked while faking innocence.

Ever since Nick employed me in his hotel as a waitress, he has always treated me as someone special. All the staff thought I was sleeping with him. But no one knows why Nick and I are so friendly with each other except for Aden.

"Listen, you dumb bimbo, I am not his favorite employee as you keep suggesting." I snapped at her and walked away leaving a stunned Ruby behind. 

I reached Nick's office and knocked at his door. Heard a faint 'come in’, then I walked into his office.

"Hey Nick," I said timidly.

"Ahh Claire, my child," he said happily and stood up to embrace me.

We hugged each other tightly. The truth of our relationship was that he was like a father to me, and even he considered me as his daughter and Emily as his granddaughter. Emily addresses Nick as Grandpa.

"How are you, Nick?" I asked him.

"Oh you know Claire, I have been

better. Anyways I am not getting any younger," he said sadly.

I pulled him towards the couch in his office and we both sat down. "We talked last night, you didn't mention that you were coming to New York today. " I asked him.

"Yes, actually, I wanted to surprise you, but when I saw Aden in my office in the morning, I knew he would inform you immediately. So my plan to surprise you failed," he said, faking a sad face.

I chuckled and told him, "Don't worry even if Aden told me, I do assure you I was fairly surprised."

"So Aden also must have told you about the meeting I am going to conduct in the evening."

"Yes, he told me about the staff meeting," I said.

"Oh no, it's not a staff meeting. It's a manager's meeting." he corrected me. 

"Oh!”

"Yes, and as you are not a manager, you shouldn't be attending the meeting, but I want you there," he told me.

"What? Why?" I asked him, surprised.

"If it's a managers meeting then you don't need me there," I told him.

"Listen, Claire, this meeting is not for giving instructions or for the monthly report. I have an announcement to make." He told me.

"I could have conducted this meeting in my main hotel in California but I wanted you to be there. That's why I am conducting this meeting here and the press conference too," he said.

"Press conference? About what?" I questioned him.

"Yes, I can't tell you about it because it's a surprise for you," he said excitedly.

I groaned "Another surprise."

"Yes, and I want this to be a surprise, so suck it up. I know you hate surprises." he laughed and said.

"Of course I hate surprises. They give you a mini heart attack." I pouted and gave him my best puppy dog face.

His eyes widened, and he shook his head, "No, no, Claire, I will not fall for that face. Get out and have your lunch. Out." he pulled me up from the couch and pushed me lightly towards the door. I reluctantly went out of the office and walked towards the staff canteen.

"Hey, Cici," Aden shouted from behind me.

I turned around and saw him running towards me.

"Don't call me by that nickname, Aden." I snapped at him.

"Oh Cici, I have the best gossip ever," Aden said excitedly.

"Don't call me that," I said annoyingly.

"Claire how many times have you told me not to call you Cici?" he questioned me.

"Many times," I said as a matter of fact.

"Have I ever listened to what you said?"

"Never!" I said angrily.

"So, what makes you think I'll start listening to you now? But you listen to me. And I have great gossip." he said excitedly.

"What gossip, Aden?" I groaned and asked him suspiciously. Because Aden never seemed so excited he was too excited to even talk.

"I heard Ruby complaining to Eric about you and then Eric said that now he would be able to fire you without any interference by Nick as..." Aden whispered excitedly.

"Aden speak!" I ordered him restlessly.

"As there is going to be a new boss now," Aden whispered.

My eyes wide as the owl. "What?" I whispered breathlessly.

It was a known fact that Nick had no heir to his vast hotel empire and that he was looking for a suitable person to pass his empire down. But this news came as a shock to me.

"Are you sure you heard Eric say that?" I a

sked Aden and he vigorously nods his head in a yes. I don't know about me being fired by Eric but I had a very bad feeling about this change. God, what havoc will now grace my life? I thought nervously.