Chapter 3

Emery

Hooters, police sirens, and the sound of a helicopter shattered the Shangri la of a peaceful sleep that distorted my realities. Thick black curtains covered the windows allowing minimal lighting in the room.

The sound of running water and masculine whistling got me to sit up. I was on top of a large soft bed. The bed smelt like musk, a distinctive scent of a man. Then in my disoriented state, I couldn't remember an inkling from the previous night as I wondered how I came to be in this place.

Then in a moment of panic, I threw my sheets to the side in fear that I did something stupid and reckless last night. I sighed when I saw I was still in my clothes.

I moved to get out of the bed and searing pain pierced my temples causing me to fall back and sit on the bed. The room around me spun and I was fighting the urge to lay back down. This must of been what a hangover felt like.

I saw my phone on the bedside table flashing with notifications. I picked it up to see two hundred and thirty-three missed calls. Deciding it was best not to know the details of the previous night I slipped my phone into my back pocket and snuck my way to the bedroom door.

I couldn't face the person that took me. I was not sure what to expect and I didn't want to know the things I did last night. I felt like an imbecile, my first college party and I drugged myself.

I slipped out of the room and started speed walking to the apartment door that was right ahead of me. "Hello, who are you?" I heard a man's confused voice. Picking up the pace I ran to the door and exited the apartment. 

Once out the door, I saw there was an elevator and stairwell. The hallways looked elegant and had a touch of modernness to it with its white silver trimmed walls and silver striped floor plants. I began to wonder just who took me last night. This place was too nice for a college student to afford.

I moved to the elevator and took it down. Not knowing was a good decision. I could start fresh again and put the incident behind me unless I danced naked in front of a bunch of people then there was no escaping the embarrassment.

The elevator dinged and I stepped out into a contemporary lobby filled with bustling New Yorkers carrying briefcases and chatting on phones. There was a small coffee bar at the corner making my stomach clench and growl with the aroma of coffee beans and bagels mingling pleasantly in the air and casting a warm breeze over my face.

The more I saw of the magnificent building the more I wondered about the person I spent the night with. Exactly who was he before I turned back to go figure it out, I exited the building and tried not to get pushed in the process.

"Taxi!" I called as soon as I stepped on the sidewalk, I waved my hand in the air and a yellow cab stopped beside the sidewalk.

I got into the cab and a man wearing a bowling cap looked at me through the review mirror. "Where to?" He asked

"Cortland housing."

He pulled away from the building and my eyes stayed on it until I couldn't see it anymore. I knew I made the right choice to move on without knowing the details but I couldn't help the feeling of regret I had in the pit of my stomach.

On the cab seat was a newspaper. I picked it up to distract myself and went to the last page knowing that's where all the comics were. As I skipped to the last page the words staff needed popped out at me, reminding me I needed a job if I were to survive in this city.

"Giovanni." Was the name of a five-star Michelin restaurant on boulevard.

"Ha," the cab driver laughed. "Don't even waste your time kid," the greasy cab driver said. "I had a niece that worked there for two months. Serving rich pompous asses that have no regard for other people. Any other job is more dignified than working there."

"It couldn't be that bad." I folded the newspaper up.

"You need tough skin. Now no offense little miss you don't look tough."

The more someone tended to underestimate me the more it fueled me to prove them wrong. I was tough. I could handle dealing with difficult customers. I worked as a waitress in a diner back home for three years.

Besides, I needed the money and the amount they were offering would maybe be worth dealing with self-righteous, entitled snobs.

The cab driver drove through the campus housing gates. "Which house."

"Twenty-two."

The driver stopped and I dug into my pockets. I was glad I always had the habit of keeping money in my pockets. "Keep the change," I said as I exited the cab.

"Good luck kid. You going to need it," he said as I closed the cab door.

I walked up to the house and turned the door handle. I could hear Claire and Sam's voice. I walked into the small living room to see them both standing in the center. Claire was on the phone and Sam was biting her nails. "Yes, officer. But what do you mean twenty-four hours. She just wouldn't leave. Yes I know I just met her."

"Give me the phone," Sam growled.

"Now you listen to me sir. She is a teenage girl and last night was her first night in this city."

Seeing that Sam was getting more and more frustrated by the second I decided to let my presence be known. "Hey," I said and both of them whipped their heads in my direction.

"Where the hell you've been," Claire asked rushing over to me and hugging me.

"Yeah, thanks for nothing!" Sam said cutting the call.

"I woke up in some guy's apartment," I admitted.

"I am so sorry Em this is all my fault," Sam said.

"No, it's mine. Sam was right we should have stayed home," Claire pulled me to sit on the couch with her.

"It was an accident," I said placing my hand on Claire's shoulder.

"We should take you to the hospital," Sam said grabbing her keys from the table.

"I'm fine nothing happened."

"How are you so sure?"Claire asked. "That sicko took you."

"I don't think he did anything to me."

"Em are you sure?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I just need a shower and to forget that all of this even happened." I stood. 

Sam stepped out of the way and I moved to climb the stairs. Going to a hospital would just make things even more traumatic for me. I hated hospitals. I've watched too many people I love fight for their lives in them. I watched my grandparents and most shattering of all my father.

I remembered the day so clearly. It would forever be a scar on my soul. The day the doctor told us, my father, didn't make it. My brother left the hospital. He didn't return home that day and when he did come back he was not the same.

It was like the light was snuffed out of his eyes and I knew it would take a very long time for it to come back. I checked my phone and there were still no calls from him. He hadn't returned my voicemail from when I told him I was in New York.

I placed my phone on my bed and grabbed some clothes before moving to the shower. I found myself wishing that the dreadful day would be over with already.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

A week passed and we never brought the incident up again. College was going to be starting soon and I found myself coming short in finding a job that was close to the campus.

I sat in the kitchen hunched over my laptop. "Still nothing," Sam peeped over my shoulder at my laptop screen.

"Finding a job here is a lot harder than I thought it was.

"What about that place Giovanni's you told us about."

"I was reading the comments of past chefs and waiters that worked there before. The place sounds dreadful if you are a worker and not a customer."

I searched every diner and cafe close to the campus. I wouldn't be able to manage if I had to travel further than boulevard for a job. I put my face in my hands knowing I would just have to suck it up and do it.

I stood and closed my laptop. I grabbed one of Cvs. "Where are you going?" Sam asked curiously.

To the place everyone told me not to. "Giovanni's," I sighed. It was my last resort and since I couldn't find anything. I would have to take my chance with a place everyone referred to as fine dining in hell.

Sam let out a long breath. "I'll drive."

As we exited the house we saw two motorcyclists speed down the street. They stopped at the sidewalk and the one picked up his helmet. It was Jett.

"Good morning ladies."

"Boy's I see you fixed your bikes," Sam said looking over at the other motorcyclist. Jessie flipped his helmet and grinned. "Can't tell that you almost totaled it last year," she chided.

"Haha," Jessie made a funny face at her, "any way where is Claire?"

"Work. You know the place people go and trade labor for remuneration."

"You know Sammy you sound a lot like my economics professor. Your mustache is even starting to come in."

Sam's eyes widened and she touched her upper lip while Jessie howled with laughter. "Sam he is messing with you," I said rolling my eyes and trying to fight my laughter.

"Let's just go," Sam said glaring at Jessie and turning on her heel to walk to the garage.

"Aw come on Sammy," Jessie laughed.

"Go to hell Jessie."

"I rather stay here in heaven with you baby."

Sam fake gagged and placed a hand on her chest. The boys grinned and Jett caught me looking at him. "I was going to ask you if you wanted a ride," Jett suddenly said.

"Ur no thanks maybe some other time. I have to be somewhere now."

"I'll hold you to that." He winked at me and slammed down his helmet. His brother followed suit and they both revved their bikes before speeding down the street again.

Sam drove out of the garage and I got into the passenger's seat. When I got into the car I noticed her checking her upper lip in the small mirror on the car's visor. "So you and Jessie..."

"There is no me and Jessie," she growled at her reflection in the mirror.

"I was just going to you two sure do love teasing each other."I snorted and she glared playfully at me.

"So you and Jett." A blush crept up on my face. "Your first college crush."

"I do not have a crush on him." I saw Jett around but never really had a conversation with him that was longer than five minutes. I knew the type of guy he was and I wasn't interested in dating.

Sam backed out of the driveway and fifteen minutes later and with the help of g****e maps we found the restaurant. "Wow," Sam said driving up to the golden gates that had the words Giovanni designed into them.

"This is crazy," I said looking at the huge building that was painted grey and had black-tinted long windows. "This is a restaurant. It looks like a hotel."

A guy in a suit walked over to Sam's car and she rolled down her window. "May I park your car for you miss."

"No that's okay thanks sir," Sam said and the man looked taken aback by her response.

We found parking and I rushed out of the car. "I'll be waiting for you," Sam yelled while I ran up to the steps that led to the entrance of the place.

The doors slid open and I was in awe. The walls were black and gold lights hung from the ceiling. I could hear the sound of water as I walked up to the front desk. A man wearing a black suit barely looked up at me as I approached. "Excuse me," I said and he looked up and then back down again.

"Are you lost?" he asked in an exhausted tone of voice. He had an Italian accent that intimidated me further.

"No sir I..." I stammered and he looked up.

"No?"

"I'm here for the job vacancy," I cleared my throat and looked down at my shoes from the man's harsh stare.

"You want a job?" He laughed. "Darling go home."

"But why?"

"You don't have," he moved his hands around searching for the right word. "Gusto. You're a shy little girl. These customers will crush whatever spirit you have."

"Look, sir, I'm desperate," I stated and he raised an eyebrow. "I know I seem like I won't be able to last a day in here but I assure you I'm tougher than I look."

"You want a job so badly then follow me just don't say I didn't warn you," he said and stepped out from behind the desk. He walked through the restaurant and I followed quickly after him. For every step he took I had to take two to keep up with him.

I couldn't believe my eyes as we walked through the restaurant. There was a huge fountain with three angels holding up a circular concrete plate on which water fell from. There were square dark wood tables that had seating for one person up to twelve people. The restaurant was quiet, there was only one elderly couple having breakfast and one lady having a glass of wine.

He led me through a set of double doors. It was a kitchen. The place was neat and there was a woman scrubbing pots and pans by the sink while another man mopped the floors. "Where is everyone?" I asked and the guy turned around and smirked.

"The restaurant is only busy at certain times of the day. Eight am to ten, twelve to two pm, and then six-thirty pm till twelve," he said and took me through one more door.

I walked into the room and he took a seat behind a giant desk that had a black computer on it as well as many other monitors.

"I see everything," he simply said which lead me to believe all those monitors showed footage of everything happening in the restaurant. "Sit," he ordered and like an obedient dog, I sat. "So tell me, how did you find out about the job vacancy?"

"Ad in the newspaper."

"So why do you want this job?" He asked sticking his hand out for my CV. I passed it to him and he lazily turned the page. I had just finished high school, of course, my CV was very basic.

"I really need the money. I'm going to university in a week and I need a job before it starts."

"It says here you have experience being a waitress. You worked at the wild hog in Pasadena," he quirked an eyebrow at me. His lip twitching as if he was fighting a laugh.

"Yes. I worked in diners and coffee shops before."

He laughed. "Diner's and coffee shops." He scribbled something on a piece of paper a very whimsical expression on his face which I found cynical of him. "Emery Watson." He placed my CV in a black box he had on the table and slid the piece of paper he was scribbling on over to me. "If you last more than a month working here Emery. I will double your salary."

"I got the job?" I smiled.

"You are required to wear a uniform." He stood. "White blouse and black skirt. Stockings are compulsory. What time do you start and finish university?"

"From eight to two sir."

"You start work at three and your shift ends at ten pm on weekdays. Weekends you will do a morning shift."

"Thank you, sir," I said standing and shaking his hand. "But sir I didn't get your name?"

"Shockingly when it was on top of the building." He said and my eyes widened. "Robert Giovanni. Welcome aboard Miss Watson. Please read over and sign the employment contract." He pulled out a few papers from a glass cabinet and handed them to me. "You start at three today."