Chapter 5

 JOB

We stopped and waited for the guy to approach. It seemed his eyes had been on us from the moment we entered the bar.

He approached and stood in front of us, scrutinising us from head to toe. When he met our gaze, he smirked victoriously and left.

“So, psychos also come to this joint?” I asked, turning to Evelyn, who was also shocked by the guy's performance.

The joint looked decent, so I wasn't expecting to see such a stunt pulled on us.

“Are you sure you are safe with this job?” Evelyn asked in a concerned tone, having witnessed the scene earlier.

I tapped her shoulder. “Yes, I can. It's just for the time being. I will be resigning as soon as another job shows up,” I spoke calmly. “Not that I have a choice,” I added with a smile.

She watched for a while. “Just make sure you are safe,” she said, her tone filled with emotion.

“Anyway, I spoke with my friend, and she accepted you to stay in the vacant room in her place. I have already paid for six months. You will be staying there until we get a better place,” she added.

At that point, I felt blessed to have someone who cared for me, even when it seemed I had lost everything.

“Thank you, Evelyn. I am blessed to have you,” I replied, holding her wrist.

“What are friends for?” she said, giving me a warm smile.

“Now, you need to rest. You know work starts next week.”

With that, we left the joint and headed straight to the hotel to pick up her bag and head to the apartment she had earlier secured.

*****

It's been a week since I started working at the bar, and everything was moving smoothly, but there was something fishy about the place that I was yet to figure out. It was never my business anyway, so I never bothered myself with the issue. What mattered was to work, get paid, and resign as soon as I got a decent, well-paid job.

Just then, Sharon walked up to me. “The manager wants to see you,” she said while turning to leave.

Sharon was one of the waitresses in the bar, and in this one week working here, I had come to know she was decent, unlike the other staff. Maybe she is doing this kind of job for some reasons as I am. But why would the manager demand my presence? I wondered. I haven't done anything wrong in the past week. Or is she aware of my pregnancy? I felt uneasy. If she knew I was pregnant, it would be a straight resignation, and I needed the salary to fund my bills.

I shrugged for a while, then gave in. When I entered the office, she was busy with her phone, but when she noticed my presence, she lifted her head while still holding the phone.

“The owner of the bar will be visiting in two days. I know you are new, so I felt it necessary to educate you on the rules of engagement when he comes.” She stopped and weighed me, then continued, “First, you need to be present and well-dressed on that day to welcome him. You know you are the oldest staff in this joint. I employed you because I liked you the day you walked in, so I would like you to compose yourself properly,” she added.

“Yes, ma'am,” I replied, nodding in affirmation. My racing heart gradually balanced.

“He will be coming with some guests, and after the welcome, duties will be assigned on who should take orders and provide whatever service they need to please the boss. Understood?” she ordered.

“Yes, ma'am.”

“You can go. That will be all for now,” she spoke abruptly, returning to her phone in a hurry as if she had missed something.

I left the office feeling odd, but I should be happy that I still had my job. I was still having that odd feeling but couldn't place a finger on what it was about. I had to go back to my chores.

*****

It was the day of the visit, so I had to prepare for work and resume duty early. Every preparation was going smoothly. The bar was fully decorated as if they were hosting the president himself, which left me with doubts about how influential he was.

I had earlier heard rumors of how handsome and good-looking he was. Without even seeing him, I already knew what he looked like.

The staff working at the bar wouldn't let a single fresh air in as they gossiped and boasted about who would win his heart, which left me imagining what some of them were up to. Each planned on a seduction mission to have him all to themselves. Such conversation wasn't for me because I was a little older, divorced, and pregnant. Winning the boss's heart wasn't as important to me as doing my best to please the manager and earn my salary at the end of the month. I needed the money badly.

I joined in the arrangement and cleaning of the suite, and a few minutes later, the boss drove in with his entourage.

“This man is really wealthy and influential,” I whispered to myself, my eyes widening in disbelief. This explained why his name was on almost the whole staff's lips prior to his arrival, except Sharon, who cared less about those things. Most times, I felt the urge to be close to such a decent girl, but I restrained myself with the excuse that she wasn't in my age group. But most times, I felt guilty for not getting to know her more.

After the welcome, I hurried to put on the rear light as instructed, but then the urge to throw up struck. It was too strong, and I hurriedly dashed into the restroom, oblivious to who was watching. I entered the restroom and vomited until there was nothing left. I never knew the manager had seen me and followed.

After I was done, I turned on the tap, washed my face, then swiftly adjusted my makeup and composed myself. Just as I opened the door to go back to the others, I spotted the manager herself right in front of me. My panic peaked, and I lost balance. I could only bow my head so she wouldn't notice the tension in my body.

“What’s wrong with you?” she asked while scrutinizing me from head to toe. “Gosh, you are pregnant, Celine. Why would you work here when you know your condition? Do you want me to lose my job, today of all days?” she yelled with much sentiment.

I couldn't utter a word; my speech was stuck in my throat due to the shock.

“Now follow me,” she demanded.

Just as we got out of the restroom towards the suite entrance, I caught sight of him, and the manager immediately lowered her head.

“There you are,” he gestured, moving closer towards us. That was the boss himself, “my soon to be misery”....