Jess coffee sat in the staff lounge drinking a cup that she had just bought from the vending machine. She was tired after a long day of double work. As she sat replaying the activities of her day, she could not help but marvel at her poor sense of judgement. She had agreed to work for a stranger just because she desperately needed the money. This business made no sense and she was sure that it had some element of illegal activity. Which adult in their right mind would hand over envelopes of money to perfect strangers who she had never met? What if something went wrong and the cash ended up in the wrong hands? What if someone denied that that they had received their package? What would she reply if the police asked her what she was doing? Why did this man pick her and not anybody else for this job? Jess could feel her head spinning from the endless possibilities of disaster that she had just exposed herself to. She tossed the empty disposable cup into the dustbin when she finished her coffee and then looked at her ringing phone.
Since she had not cancelled any of her shifts, she had not met with Pete at the agreed time. She had been ignoring his calls and texts as she wondered what to do. She was planning on going to his house after the hotel shift so that she could tell him this wasn't possible. She walked out of the hotel while practicing the words that she would use to resign from her one-day job. To her surprise, the first car she spotted in the parking lot was Pete’s. It was no surprise that he had found her because he could track her location, but she was distressed that he had come to her instead. She found him sitting in the car with the window rolled down. He got out of his car and opened the passenger door. "Get in, "he barked without the slightest of smiles. She obeyed and they drove out of the hotel.
"I can't do this anymore, "she told him before he said another word.
"Do what? Pick my calls?" He asked. He was visibly angry and he scared her a little. "I’m sorry I didn’t come to meet you when we had agreed. I didn't cancel my shifts coz it was short notice," she said trying to cool his temper. He did not say a word and instead, he drove on. When they neared his house, he drove past it and accelerated.
"Where are you taking me? "She asked in horror.
"Someplace nice," he said.
He did not speak again and they drove for about an hour. All sorts of thoughts run through Jess’s head as she imagined how this man would rape or kill her. She almost burst into tears as she thought about who would take care of her sick father when she was gone. In her mind, Jess began to think of how she could convince him that she didn’t know anything about him or his business. If he thought she was harmless then he would let her go. Just when she was composing herself so that she could start begging, the car slowed down and then came to a stop. He had driven into the compound of a luxury hotel and parked there.
“Get out,” he said.
"What are we doing here?" She asked.
"Don't ask me any more questions. Just try and listen from now on," he said as he got out of the car. She got out of the car and followed Pete in the direction where he was going. They walked past the lobby as the receptionist greeted and welcomed them. Jess felt like Pete looked at home here because several other hotel staff members recognized Pete and greeted them warmly as they walked towards the elevator. They got in and the lift attendant selected the pent house. As they went up, Jess smiled to herself thinking how ironic it was that she would die in such a beautiful place. Pete was preoccupied with his phone all the way up and he barely paid her any attention. The elevator stopped eventually and it opened into a beautiful apartment. The entrance was tastefully decorated with granite fittings and the walkway had a mixture of granite and epoxy. The walls were hand crafted with beautiful carvings made of real stone. They walked into a beautiful lounge with luxurious furniture and thick floor rugs. Jess could not help but look around in awe. She had worked in a hotel before but this kind of luxury was beyond her exposure. A lady walked out from one of the bedrooms and Jess snapped back into reality.
“Good evening, sir and madam,” she said politely.
“Good evening,” Pete replied. “Did you get everything I asked for?”
“Yes sir,” she replied.
“Fine. Then show madam to the bedroom and help her with anything she needs.” He walked away to receive one of his ringing phones and left Jess with the polite lady. The lady began to walk back from the direction where she was coming from and then turned back when she realized that Jess wasn’t following her. “This way madam,” she said politely. Jess followed her reluctantly and entered the bedroom. She was even more star struck when she got in because the room was huge. There was a large three sitter sofa adjacent to a coffee table on which some pastries and drinks were laid. Behind the sofa was what looked like a dress rack which was set with about a dozen dresses. Further into the room was a dressing table with the largest selection of make up that Jess had ever seen. There was also a variety of beauty products for hair among some styling tools. Jess became even more confused than before.
“I didn’t know what you liked so I got most of the popular brands,” the lady said. “You should get ready fast because the other guests arrive soon.”
“Ready for what?” Jess asked.
“The dinner of course. Didn’t sir tell you about it? He told me to prepare all this because you would come here straight from work. I was expecting you much earlier.” The lady looked at Jess with a mixture of confusion and irritation and Jess felt even more uncomfortable. Jess decided to play along and do as she was told.
“Where is the bathroom?” she asked.
“That way,” she said pointing towards a door towards the back of the room. “You can call me when you are ready so that I can do your hair and makeup. I will be in the kitchen.”
“Thank you. May I please get your name?” she asked the lady.
“I’m Janet. Please excuse me.” she said politely and then left.
Jess began to relax as she thought of the direction the night was taking. It was unlikely that Pete would harm her in such a place because the staff seemed to know him too well. Besides, why would he go to all the expense to give her a makeover before hurting her? He probably just wanted them to keep up the act of being his girlfriend. Jess took out her phone and called her father to inform him that she would be late from work. She was now convinced that she was not in any danger because Pete had not taken away her phone. She got into the bathroom and took a quick shower. When she got out, she walked to the rack full of dresses and was surprised to find a hamper full of brand new under garments. She wore some underwear and then sat at the dressing table to oil herself. The products were all top quality and she enjoyed the pampering effect that they had on her skin.
As she shifted through the clothes, she realized that they were all very expensive and from high end designers. She finally selected one and wore it. it fitted her frame perfectly but she was uncomfortable because it showed off her curves. She was not used to such attire as she was generally conservative about her dressing. Looking through the rack, she realized that all the other clothes were similar so she settled for the one she had on. She then quickly did her makeup and hair tastefully and walked back into the sitting area. She wandered around and found the kitchen where Janet had said she would be. She found her with two other people who were busy setting up a dining area in yet another room.
“You look lovely madam,” Janet said looking her up and down with approval. “Did you not find the shoes?” She asked when she looked at Jess’s feet which were still in bathroom slip-ons.
“I did but I wanted to ask what I’ll be doing so that I know which shoes are the best choice,” Jess replied. Janet walked her back to the room and picked out a low heel for her. “You won’t have much to do because the chef will be on standby to serve you all. This heel should be comfortable enough.” Janet took another look at her and smiled. “You have really good taste. This set will bring everything together,” she said handing her a silver necklace and a lovely set of earrings and bracelet. Jess put on the jewellery and they walked to the dining area together. They met Pete in the dining area and Janet left them alone as she went to oversee the rest of the staff.
“You are a vision of perfection,” Pete said looking her up from head to toe. His eyes lingered for a while on her breasts and Jess felt herself blush furiously. “Come,” he said taking her by the hand. He led her to yet another lounge that had several sofas arranged in a round set up. There was a man and a woman talking to each other casually. The lady was sipping wine from a glass and the man was drinking beer from a glass. As Pete and Jess walked towards the couple, a man and a woman were ushered in by Janet. Pete greeted everyone enthusiastically and then he introduced Jess as his girlfriend. Everyone else introduced themselves by their first names and then they greeted Jess warmly. Pete began offering everyone drinks and then when they were about to sit, Janet came back. “Dinner is served.” She said and led the three couples to the dining room.
Dinner was a jovial affair as the four visitors talked freely with Pete. Jess was mostly silent and she only answered the questions she was asked. The dinner ended well and the friends later retired to the sitting room where they took some drinks. Jess glanced at her phone and began getting worried about how late it was becoming. She walked to the bedroom and called her father to reassure him when she saw that he had sent a text earlier. He was comfortable with Margaret who always came to take care of him and keep him company. Jess was still worried abut the time because it was now heading to midnight yet the friends were not in a hurry to leave. Her day was still pretty full between getting home, tiding the house and preparing meals for her father for the following day. She also had to get up early so that she would catch the bus. There would barely be any time to rest given that she had a 7am shift the next day. She walked back into the sitting room and found the group of friends standing. They looked like they had just finished signing some forms and were ready to leave.
“Jess, you sign then we can go,” one of the ladies called Lily said to her. She hesitated for a minute until Pete’s glare made her walk to the table. She signed at the indicated spot and then they all toasted. When the drink was over, the guests began to excuse themselves. “Thank you so much for having us over,” Lily said. The rest of the friends expressed their gratitude and Pete and Jess walked them to the door. They left and the house was suddenly too quiet.
“What did I sign?” Jess asked when they walked back to the lounge area. Pete picked up the papers and put them into an envelope.
“A formal agreement on our partnership,” he said.
“I didn’t read or agree to anything,” she said feeling all the horror she had felt earlier come flooding back.
“It’s all good. I read it for you,” he said and sat on the sofa. She sat down too as a feeling of helplessness washed over her. “Can I at least read it?” she asked. He looked her over and she could see the desire written all over his face. “Come here,” he said patting the place on the seat next to him. She walked over thinking he would hand her the documents. Instead, when she sat, he kissed her gently. She pulled away quickly and stood up. “I was just pretending to be your girlfriend because I missed our meeting. Don’t get any other ideas,” she said with anger. He laughed softly then he stood up and walked to the other bedroom. “Where are you going?” she shouted but he walked on and left her there. She sat back down on the sofa feeling thoroughly frustrated. She then took out her phone to call a taxi as the online app calculated how much it would cost to get her home. She cringed at the exorbitant fees and then walked to the other bedroom to change into her clothes. She decided to try and get a bus or ask the hotel staff what means of commuting they used. She had just taken off her jewellery and unzipped her dress when the door opened and Pete walked in. “Don’t you know how to knock?” she asked covering her chest to make up for the open zipper. “I don’t knock anywhere in my house,” he said. She zipped her dress up again and turned to face him.
“Let’s go,” he said.
“Where?” she asked in surprise.
“I’m taking you home. But you can stay here if you like,” he said laughing. “Then get out and let me change,” she said with anger.
“No need. Everything in here is yours,” he said
“I don’t need all this,” she said picking up her clothes from an arm chair that was close by. “No offense but I think you really do,” he said walking out. “Don’t take long,” he said and walked out into the lounge. Jess looked around and packed a few beauty products along with her clothes in a bag and then she walked out. Pete was sitting in the lounge and there was a big bag and an envelope on the table. He stood up and picked both items and handed them to her. “This is your pay and tomorrow’s packages,” he said.
“Actually, I wanted to tell you that I can’t do this anymore,” she said but he was already out the door. She followed him leaving the packages behind but he returned and picked them up and put them in the elevator. As they got to the ground floor, he shoved the bag to her and they walked to the parking. He was silent all through the drive to her house as he played loud music, but he dropped her right to her door step. He got out of the car and walked her to the door then said, “Make sure you answer my calls tomorrow.” He walked away and left her more frustrated than she had ever been.
CHAPTER 5: TWO SIDES OF A TRIANGLEIn the boardroom of NextGen, William was going crazy. It was already past midnight, yet his team could not agree on the final candidates to shortlist. The company was in the process of hiring some marketing executives that would steer the company into the global market. The human resource department had carefully chosen candidates that had a proven track record in their various industries. The candidates had been put through a vigorous interview process throughout the day and several candidates managed to survive the elimination process. The secretary had already been instructed to prepare the offer letters for the team of ten new marketing executives that would be joining the company within the next two weeks. This had been the easy part that had been concluded earlier in the day. The hard part came about when the team attempted to
The restaurant shifts went really well and Jess was kept occupied for a good chunk of the day. On certain days of the week, the restaurant has a two for one offer on selected menu items. Those days were the busiest time in the week, and all the staff avoided the shifts on this day. Jess liked the work on these days because the tips were generous. She went through the day with the energy that was required. She was forced to cover the shift that she had cancelled because of the extra workload. The manager had requested for her assistance, while promising her two shifts off the next day. She finally got to take a break at about six when the evening shift was about to begin. Her phone rang just as she was rubbing her feet from exhaustion. It was Leslie on the line.“Hey. Where are you,” Leslie was shouting because she seemed to be in a noisy place.&ldq
Jess and Leslie got home and found a quiet locked house. Her father seemed to have stepped out as the car was also missing. Jess panicked even more as she imagined that her father had fallen ill and was rushed to hospital. Jess let herself in using her key and then she called her father to check if everything was ok. He let her know that he had gone to pick up a cheque and then decided to do some shopping with Margaret. A relieved Jess began to brew some hot chocolate for Leslie so that they would calm down. She was terrified because of Todd’s arrest, and she couldn’t help but think that she was next on the police’s radar. She served Leslie some chocolate and some pastries and Leslie sat up from the sofa where she was lying down. She had been very quiet since they got home.“Jess, I think I’m going to raise this baby alone,” she said softly.
It was a chilly Monday morning in the city and everyone was bustling around getting ready for work. Jess was headed to her morning shift after making some soup and porridge for her father. His breathing was becoming more strained and she tried to keep him as warm as possible all the time. She had also paid all the utility bills in time for the first time in a long time. Before her father’s medical condition became worse, he had taken the car for some much needed servicing and some minor repairs. She was then able to drive to work in less time and consume a lower amount of fuel. She had hoped that Pete would give her more work but he had been very quiet. He had sent her last pay through a gift box that was filed with all sorts of candy and underwear. Jess remembered how she had blushed when she opened the box accompanied by fresh flowers. She had called him immediately to thank him for the generous bonus but he had not responded. Her phone
Three weeks had passed since Jess's father was admitted at hospital. His condition was stabilizing but he was not entirely out of danger. The treatment was expensive and it had almost exhausted his medical cover. Jess was relieved when the doctor said that he would be discharged soon. Her schedule had become more and more complex because she had to spare time each day to see her father. The repaired car helped her to deal with her crazy shifts and still ensure that she was with her father each evening. Pete had finally reappeared one day. He had turned up at her house one evening after work and they had talked at length. He sympathized with Jess's situation, and he offered more work. The arrangement worked out in her favor as she was able to permanently drop one shift. This time was spent visiting her father. Pete had not pressured Jess about the situation with Leslie at all. He had become a really good friend and he occasionally visited her father wi
Saturday morning seemed like an ordinary day. It was warm and sunny like most weekends but Jess seemed particularly happy. Her father even noticed that she was humming to some music when she was making breakfast. This was unlike her usual behavior. They ate breakfast together and she cleaned up the house quickly. When she started preparing ingredients for lunch, her father decided to find out why she was so happy.“Are you ready to start work tomorrow?” he asked tactfully. He did not want to seem like he was prying into her life. She replied with a long explanation of how ready she was and then she detailed her itinerary for the next morning. Her father laughed in amusement because Jess’s excitement was visible.“You need to fuel the car full tank today so that you don’t have to worry about that in the mor
Jess’s career was turning out to be as pleasant and exciting as she had anticipated. She woke up looking forward to going to the office each morning and she loved her job. Her immediate supervisor was very demanding but Jess found that her concerns were often fair and constructive. The supervisor encouraged her team to be proactive and to speak out about any issue that they found wanting. She also followed the policies in the company strictly, and required the same of her subordinates. Thursday began as an ordinary day for Jess except that it was the first time she would be present for a major meeting. This was the first departmental meeting held that month. The company leaders would get a chance to interact with the subordinates as they reviewed the progress of the department. Jess had been limited to interactions with her entry level colleagues and her immediate supervisor. The meeting was held in a large conference room where the staff were seated
Warning: explicit content coming up "This party is so boring, "Leslie said. "I want to drink so badly." The ladies were at a huge VIP lounge in a 5 star hotel. Leslie had booked it for her party and she had invited many of their old friends. People were still trickling in because it was only 4pm. Saturday parties often took off at night so most people were just snacking on the food and drinking light beers. "It's not so bad and I'm not drinking either. Why did you want to have a party anyway? It's not lIke it's your birthday." Jess said. "I wanted to get Todd’s attention. He’s always talking about this baby and he never asks about me. Guess what he bought me for a present last week? A baby stroller. This baby isn’t even showing yet and it's already stealing all my attention.”
Jess's house sat in a compound of eight houses. The houses shared a front yard and main gate although each house had a separate backyard. Jess liked it because it was close to her place of business, but it was convenient and affordable. She had just come home from work and walked into the house. She was startled to hear soft music playing. The windows were open and the curtain swayed gently in response to the breeze. An aroma of meat cooking wafted into the living room as she walked towards the kitchen. She was pleasantly surprised to find William slicing some tomatoes. “Welcome home,” he said as she stood and smiled at him. “I thought someone had broken in,” Jess said, as she walked to William. “What kind of a thief breaks in and starts cooking?” he asked. He pulled her in for a gentle hug a
The afternoon was looking good for Jess after she drove away from the apartment. She had driven around for a few minutes and then she had decided to stop somewhere and collect her thoughts. It was then that she realized that she didn’t have much money and she needed somewhere to spend the night. She decided to drive to her bank and withdraw a substantial amount of money to get her through the week. Once she had done this, she drove to a small guest house on the outskirts of town. She remembered this place from many years ago when she was looking for a cleaning job. The receptionist had been really kind to her although she hadn’t given her a job. Jess had chosen this place because she wanted somewhere safe to park her car which currently held all her belongings. She also needed somewhere without a check out time like in a hotel, because she wanted to spend some time thinking through her next move. She was panicking at the thou
Back at the office, everyone was wondering where Jess had gone. Everyone in her department had seen her being summoned to the MD’s office and then they had seen her pack her things and leave. They all assumed that she had been fired for some grave error. However, none of them could understand why she had not said anything to them. She had left as casually as though she was going to the washroom, only that she was carrying all her belongings. It was therefore a surprise when William came downstairs looking for Jess. He looked round her desk and was surprised to find that her pictures had been taken down.“Where is Jessica Harris?” William asked the person at the next desk.“She left before lunch,” the girl said.“Where did she go?” he asked.
Jess had expected herself to cry after seeing all she had seen today, but it seemed her tears had been exhausted in the chapel. She walked to her car and sat for a minute while she tried to gather her thoughts. She did not want to go to William’s house because his mood had frightened her. However, after a few minutes, she convinced herself to go there so that she could pick up her stuff and then leave. Maybe she could get a chance to ask William what he was talking about and why he was so angry at her. When she got to his house, it was quiet as it had been this morning. Jess packed her things slowly as she was buying time for William to come home. When it got too late, Jess tried to call William but he didn’t respond. She looked around the apartment and felt like she needed to engrave it in her memory. She had been happy here for the time when she had been with William. She was going to miss him but her relationship with Pete
Jess hugged William for a long time and she let him cry on her shoulder. It seemed like he had been crying for hours when he finally calmed down. He lay on her chest as she rubbed his head and gently kissed him. He was tired from all the crying so he simply held her and didn’t say a word. His phone began to ring again while they sat in silence and William picked it up. It was his father asking him to come home. He thought to reject this request but then he thought that his father was the only person who could share in his loss. He told Jess what the plan was and they showered in separate bathrooms. William was not in the state of mind to drive, so Jess drove him home. One of the drivers from the hotel drove her car to the Garcia mansion. When they got there, William asked her to come in for a while but she declined. He hugged her warmly as he took over his car and then they went their separate ways. Jess dropped the driver at the h
Don was having a confused morning. He had been informed that his wife’s condition was deteriorating and there was nothing he could do for her. She allowed him to visit her occasionally although she had adamantly refused to move back home. William also visited her often but he made sure that Pete was not present. It was becoming difficult to achieve this because Pete had moved into the house and he only left when he had other issues to deal with. Don was having a hard time trying to avoid both William and Pete while managing to spend some time with Amanda. She was fading away in front of his eyes so he needed to do as much as possible to help her.However, this morning’s news had caught him by surprise. He had not bothered to check on the updates about Jess recently because her days were rather predictable. She went to work and then home to Pete’s penthouse. Occasionall
Jess woke up to the sound of a trolley being wheeled. She looked around the huge bedroom and noticed that it was just starting to get bright outside. The sun was just rising and Jess smiled as she remembered her night with William. If she had thought that Pete was the most passionate man, then she was wrong. William was a tiger in bed. He had never ending energy and he was eager to please. Jess had enjoyed every minute of their love making. She walked to the shower as she looked around for her clothes. She could only raise a few items, so she showered and put on a bathrobe. When she got out of the shower, William was just walking into the bedroom. He was already fully dressed in his usual immaculate suits.“Good morning,” he said smiling.“Good morning,” she said, smiling back at him. “You are ready so early.&rd
Warning! Sexual content coming upJess had one of the longest days she had ever had at NextGen. She had tried to get the afternoon off immediately she got in but as luck would have it she was chosen for a project. The briefing would be taking place in the afternoon and she didn’t have much of a choice. It was either she forfeits the project by missing the briefing or she takes the afternoon off and plans her move. She decided to take the project and sleep at the apartment until the weekend when she could find time to look for an apartment. Jess went through the day without much contact with her phone because of the busy schedule. By the time it was time to leave the office, she realized that she hadn’t spoken to anyone on the phone all day. As she scrolled through the notifications, she saw two missed calls. One was from Leslie and the other was from Pete. She called back Leslie who wanted her to come
“Good morning,” Jess said when she walked out of the bathroom. Pete was standing by the bed scrolling through his phone. He had just come home and he looked tired.“Good morning,” he said. He looked briefly at her and then looked away. Jess walked to the dressing table and began applying her cosmetics. Pete sat on the bed and was watching Jess from the corner of his eyes. He looked worried like there was something on his mind.“How was work?” Jess asked as she finished at the dressing table. She was taking out clothes from the wardrobe and putting on her underwear.“I wasn’t at work. I was at mum’s house,” Pete said. Jess raised her eyebrows in surprise.“Is everything