CHAPTER THREE

Rose was so worried. She didn’t know what Dennis must have told Brendan about her. And to top it all, she just got a call from her boss, telling her that her services were no longer needed at the office.

‘I don’t care what he said and I don’t care what Brendan thinks of me right now. All I know is that I got the money for my mum’s surgery and she will be fine afterwards. But what am I going to do after the surgery? Will I go to jail or what? I don’t even have any job or anyone I can meet to help me pay this debt off. The Landlord is on my neck. We don’t even have ...’

The ringing of her phone interrupted her thoughts. She saw the caller ID and saw Landlord on the screen.

“Not him, please”, she said and answered the call.

“Rose, if I don’t get my money today, you are leaving this house”

“Sir, my mother is in the hospital. I will come and discuss with you when we get back. Please, just be a bit patient with me. Besides you told us that the last day for the payment was on Monday. What happened?” she asked.

“I don’t care about that and I don't care if she is dying. I want my money now. You better come back with my money or you bring a bus with you on your way back, because I won’t be listening to that cock and bull story of yours. I am tired of listening to it”, shouted the man through the phone.

“Sir, please, have pity on me. If I had the money with me, I would have paid already. I have never delayed in paying the house rent before. This is the first time. Just be a bit patient please”, she said as she heard a knock on the door.  

Dennis overheard her discussion but acted as if he did not. He came inside the office and sat by her side, waiting for her to finish with whoever was on the phone. Just seeing her getting sad by the minute was just breaking his heart, but he wasn’t going to think on that right now. He was getting angrier by the second at the man she was speaking to and he really wanted to break the neck of that Landlord of hers.

“Sir, I will get back to you later. I have to go now; she said and cut the connection before he said something else. The man was heartless. ‘I pray he never goes through what I am going through right now’ she thought to herself and faced Dennis.

“Good morning”, she said to him and bent her head.

“Good morning to you, Yvonne. Or should I say Rose? I think we have a lot to discuss right now but let’s start with introductions. I am Dennis McCaulay and you are ...” he said and got lost in her beauty.

“I am Rose McGabe”, she said, still not looking up.

“Okay. I am sorry about your mom, but I know that she will come out of this stronger and healthier. Just have faith and be strong”, he said to her.

“Thank you. Please, I know I did you wrong and I am so sorry about that. I am not a prostitute, neither am I a thief. I needed that money badly. I had no other option. I was fired from my place of work few minutes ago. The little money I had was what I used to by her drugs and foodstuffs. The Doctor told me that she won’t last another week with the pain she was going through. I have no uncles or aunts. We are just alone. I had to do something. That was why you met me there yesterday. I swear that was my first time to do any of those things”, she said as tears slid down her cheeks.

Dennis was a sucker for tears. He hated them with passion. He hated to see women cry especially the ones he loved, and this one was breaking his walls drastically.

“Don’t cry, please. I won’t do anything to harm you. I promise. Forget about the money and stop crying, please” he said standing up. Rose was shocked.

“Did I just hear you right? What did you just say?” she asked in shock as she wiped the tears off her face.

“Yes, you heard me right. Forget about the money”, he said not looking at her.

“Are you serious? She asked with a wide smiling face.

“Yes. Can you stop crying now?” he begged.

“Thank you so much. Thank you so much. You are an angel”, she said as she hugged him unconsciously.

Dennis felt her soft body on his. She felt so good in his arms. He hugged her back and felt her stiffen. He released her and cleared his throat.

Rose bent her head in shame and looked away from him. ‘What did I just do? He is a man. He can’t just give me that money without asking for something in return. I bet he wants me in his bed since i ran out on him, but he just met the shock of his life’, she thought to herself and sat down with her head still bent.

“I know you are a man, and men don’t just give out money or gifts without expecting something in return. Let me give it to you straight. I am not like other girls. Unfortunately, you met me in that scenario yesterday, and I am sorry about that, but I am not like that. I can work for you as a maid or as your secretary if you need one or you could send me as a maid to your parents. All these I will do to repay you but I will not grace your bed with my body for you to use. My body is meant for my husband alone and that will be on our wedding night and afterwards. So tell me mister, what do you want?” she asked with anger this time around.

“Geez, how can you think that way? You are way, way below my league. I can’t even imagine myself sleeping with you. Forget about that and don’t even let it cross your mind ever again”, he said and shuddered in effect.

‘That stung. I know I may not be all that beautiful but I know I can still capture someone’s attention’, she thought to herself.

“Oh, I am way, way below your league. Need I remind you that you picked me up yesterday among all those girls standing there?” she said smiling wickedly.

“I thought you looked like a lamb ready for slaughter. I picked you out of pity and not beauty. Don’t get your hopes high, sweetheart. I can’t do that sort of thing with you. You don’t excite me and you are not beautiful for me to look at, besides I still see you as a thief”, he said and smiled in victory when he saw the hatred in her eyes.

“I hate you”, she spat out.

“Yes, you may hate me, but it doesn’t remove anything from my body. Now, you said you could work as a maid. I need a maid. So you will be my maid. You will do everything that needs doing in the house and you will also be my escort whenever I need one”, he said to her.

“Maid, I can be, just because of the money I took from you, but an escort, no way. I thought you said I was way, way below your league and also not beautiful. So why will you need an ugly girl, I mean me, for an escort?” she asked with a smirk.

“You did not take any money from me. You stole it. And I just want to take pity on you, which is why I would need you as an escort. And yes, you will be my escort, or else we will go to the Police Station to discuss how long you will be staying in the jail, maybe a year or two. What say you?” he asked.

"And here I thought you were an angel. You are disgusting”, she spat out.

"You don't need to tell me that again. I know you hate me, but seriously, what do I have to lose? You are the thief here", he said with anger and continued "Besides, you will be my maid for one whole year. And will be living with me at my place. So you don't have to bother about paying that asshole of a landlord. Now after the year is up, you can leave or still work as my maid but with pay then. On no account will you be allowed to leave before the whole year is up. Do you understand me or do you still need more explaining?" he asked her sarcastically.

Rose was defeated. 'How did I fall into this problem? When will all this stop? I am tired of all this' she thought with tears.