Chapter 2

Mildred Paige

"Arghhh!!!" I screamed as I opened my eyes. It was already morning, I yawned, stretching simultaneously. Damn, it was another nightmare.

I was used to having those nightmares I couldn't remember when I wake up, but it wasn't my problem, it's midweek and I have a lot of jobs to catch up with, especially my job at the 'FEEL IT GYM CLUB.'

I started working at the gym house about four months ago and it was the best decision I made in my life. There I have good boss, colleagues and customers, unlike some other places I work.

Looking at my alarm clock, it was almost six thirty am and was running late, so I rushed to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, had a cold bath put on my uniform for the first job of the day, scheduled for 07-10 am which was a delivery job.

I went to the magazine company to get the magazines, after which I went to deliver them one after the other, with the company bike. It was fun riding through the beautiful streets of Canada on a power bike with my helmet on my head.

I was at top speed, so by nine am, I was through with the delivery, then I went to a nearby convenient store to buy a pack of noodle for breakfast.

I quickly munched the food and drove the bike back to the company. The manager gave me my pay check and a little tip. I smiled at him as I went back to the house to keep my money.

I divided the money into four equal part; one for food expenses, the second one for house rent, the third one for school fees, when I start school next year while the last one was for extra savings.

Living like this wasn't easy, but that was how I live my life everyday. Whenever I get paid, I share all the money equally so I don't spend unnecessarily.

I took a shower since I had a little more time, got dressed and left the house for my longest job of the day, the gym where I'll work from ten to four pm after which I will go the bar for my night job.

I know I was stressing myself, but if I must go to school I should pay the price that comes with it and getting money with my body is not an option.

"Hello, good morning." I greeted everyone I met cheerfully.

"Good morning Mildred, hope you're doing okay?" One of my colleagues asked and I nodded with a broad smile.

It was almost four pm and I was preparing to leave when I felt something strange happening to me, something I couldn't explain held me to a spot making me struggle in vein to move.

I raised my head to see a strange man, or should I say a strange creature, because this person was too beautiful to be called a man.

He was tall, huge, with long flowing hair, thick abs, broad chest, oblong face... I was lost staring at him as I kept swallowing my saliva.

"Mate!" He exclaimed excitedly, with a deep, husky masculine voice that I almost choked on my saliva.

I knew if I kept looking at the strange man, I might end up in his arm, doing what I have never done in my twenty three years on earth with him.

"Wh.. who.. who... Who are.. you..." I stammer, still staring fixedly at the fine piece of art work.

"Mate..." He drooled again, this time louder, making me scared.

I tried to raise my legs and it worked. What did this strange man use to hold me? I took one more glance at him and took to my heels, without turning back to know if he was chasing me.

When I got to the house, I couldn't do anything, like I used to, so I lay straight on my bed. I guess I was scared of the strange man and I was already feeling something for him, as that was the only word to describe how I felt for this person I barely knows.

My phone started ringing, it was a call from Aya my friend, who was also my colleague at the bar where I work at evenings.

"Hello, Mildred, where are you? It's already past five pm and the boss is looking for you." She said.

"Please, Aya, you have to cover up for me, I'm in traffic now, and I'll be there in say twenty minutes." I lied and ended the call immediately, to avoid Aya's numerous questions.

Aya and I knew each other and became friends two years ago where we used to work as hotel receptionist.

Thank God I showered at the gym before coming home, so I just changed my clothes and rushed to the bus station to get a bus that would take me to the bar.

In the bus, I felt like someone was following me and the feeling was so strong that I was looking around to see if there was anyone looking suspicious, but I saw no one.

When I got to the bar, Aya really covered up for me that no one noticed I was just coming. That was what we did for each other all the time, so it wasn't new.

After working for the day, it was time to close when Aya noticed someone, probably a customer that was inside the bar, but his head was on the table.

"Who is that?" She asked.

"Are you kidding me? How do you expect me to know him when you don't know him?" I asked, giving her a stern look.

"Whatever, he's probably drunk, go and wake him, so he would leave here and we can go home." Aya commanded.

As a matter of fact, she has been commanding me since I got to work. According to her, it was my punishment for coming late.

"You should go Aya, you know you are better with drunk customers than I am. I tried to avoid going to the person.

After a long time of argument, she finally went to him. I watched as she was talking to the guy who didn't raise head up. Shortly Aya walked up to me making a funny face.

"He said, he wants to talk to Mildred." She said with sarcasm.

"It's.. it's.. not true.. I swear, I don't know him." I stammered and it only made Aya laugh hard at me.

"I never said he knows you, I only delivered his message." She hit my shoulders and smiled at me. "The boss would be mad if she finds out we are still here by this time."

I walked up to the person with anger. I wanted to shout at him and asked what he wanted to say, but when I got to where he was, I felt what I felt earlier at the gym house.

The customer raised his head up to look at me. "Hello, Mildred." He smiled.

"Oh.. my..." I coughed.

I turned to look at Aya, she was laughing her heart out and it was pissing me off, but I couldn't control what I was feeling for the strange man.

"I'm sorry, I know you're mad at me, but please have dinner with me tonight." He said with his soothing voice.

"I.. I don't know you." I managed to say.

"You'll know me and, you can come with your friend." He said.

"Can I call my boyfriend to come with us? That's the only way we are going anywhere with you tonight." Aya replied and I turned to see her standing behind me.

"What?" I scoffed.

Aya was living with her boyfriend, so if we told him we were going out with a person we didn't know, he might misunderstand, I guess that was why she wanted him to come, but I never agreed to go with them.

"It's fine by me." The strange man said and soon we were at a place where we were eating fried chicken and beer.

It's been long since the last time I drank beer and it was Aya and her boyfriend that took me out the last time. I did and since then I've been avoiding going out with them, until I have money to pay for the bills.

I started by sipping the drink shyly, but then, I started enjoying it and I drank more and more until I could no longer control myself.

I always knew Aya wasn't good at drinking alcohol, and soon she was already drunk, blabbering and slapping her innocent boyfriend severally.

"Let's go home." She yelled at him for the umpteenth time.

"Hold on, Mildred is still here." He whispered to her, but I heard him.

"It's okay, Jake, take her home, I can take care of myself." I assured him, before he finally took her home.

I knew he was skeptical about leaving me with someone we knew nothing about, but I was sure I could take care of myself.

"Excuse me, I want to use the restroom." I said and got up.

"I'll go with you." He said.

"Never mind" I replied and walked away.

After using the restroom, it was my best chance to leave the stranger and run home.

I walked outside the place, with the intention of running away from him, when I felt a sweet masculine hand holding mine.

"You want to run again Mildred?" His soothing voice asked and I was shocked.

How the hell did he know? How did he even find me at the bar? What does he know about me.

"I..." I took a deep breath. "How did you know..." I was still talking when he brought his lips close to mine and grabbed my lips with his.