"Phoebe! Phoebe!" Tricia called her. Phoebe jolted out of her introspection.
"Yeah, Tri. I'm sorry. I wasn't here." She apologized profusely.
"Are you alright? It's just that you look pale and you have been acting strange since you got back from your sick leave." Tricia couldn't help but ask.
Phoebe had been behaving abnormally since she came back. Getting lost in her thoughts when it was time for her to serve, mixing up orders like she had still done yesterday when someone ordered fries and she brought a burger for the customer, having a sour look that even the customers noticed.
"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you." Phoebe couldn't confide in anyone.
Who would give her five thousand dollars?
No one so it was better she kept it to herself. That amount was so huge that it could turn one's life around. Moreover, Morgan had taught her big time never to trust anyone again.
"I have asked you several times what is wrong yet you choose to keep mute about it. You can confide in me, you know. I can only offer solutions to what I know. Maybe we can talk after work. Table five needs a bottle of Coke and a pack of pizza. Please hurry to serve them." Tricia said.
"A bottle of coke and a pack of pizza." She looked intently at Phoebe before she repeated it.
Phoebe understood the message and hurried up to do her duty while she murmured a bottle of Coke and a pack of pizza" so she wouldn't forget again.
These past few days were hell. Thank God Tricia understood her. When she discovered the reality that Morgan had absconded with her money, she almost went berserk.
It was unbelievable that the man she called her manager had defrauded her so smoothly. How would she pay for the money she didn't use?
Morgan was suddenly nowhere to be found. He had absconded leaving no traces behind. It was like he never existed. She had gone to his house and had even waited for hours by his door, yet no one had come home.
"I haven't seen him in days. Morgan moved out from here last week, my dear. I guess you should check him up at his friend's." an old woman of about sixty years had informed her when she noticed the frequency in Phoebe's visits.
Phoebe knew no friends of his. It dawned on her how little she knew of Morgan. How could she have been such a fool to trust him with that amount of money?
'Since I am your manager, the money should be paid through my account.' Morgan had said.
Then when she had insisted on using her account for safety precautions, he had flared up.
"You don't trust me enough, right? That's the reason you wanna use your account! Maybe you can manage yourself then."
Phoebe begged him to stay back while she allowed the money to be paid through his account. She couldn't bear to lose him as her manager.
Now all this had happened because Morgan had the foresight to see and think ahead of her. She had never thought that Loukas would return the money while Morgan must have thought about it.
Phoebe had to find him no matter where he hid.
She just knew some models who had something to do with Morgan.
"I should go check up on Catherine." she thought.
Then, Phoebe decided to go find out from another model who had worked with Morgan too. She visited where she worked.
"I haven't seen Morgan and this is the message he sent me also." Catherine the red-haired model had shown her.
Hi Catherine, I'm moving away from here to start all over. I won't be your manager anymore. Please look for another manager. Till we meet again, Morgan.
The message had read and it was the same day he dumped Phoebe also.
"I was surprised when I saw the message though I wasn't affected, I have signed with another agency." Catherine had said.
It dawned on Phoebe that Morgan had not only stopped being her manager, but he had also resigned from the job immediately her money entered his account. Phoebe cried all the way home.
"Morgan left New York." she cried as she told Zen who patted her.
"What do I do? Where do I start from? He's gone forever."
"Oh, Phoebe! You are a fool!" She had berated herself.
"Excuse me! Why are you staring into space? I told you about my order already! Get it for me!" A grumpy middle-aged man screamed Phoebe back into the present.
"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. What would you like to have?" Phoebe cautioned herself to do her work well but it was late Rob had seen her.
The customer ignored her as Rob made his way to the table.
"What would you like to have sir? I can attend it." Rob had charmed the man with a killer smile.
"You had better do something with this waitress of yours. My friend complained about her in particular." he eyed Phoebe.
Phoebe flinched at the man's dislike. Why did he have to say that to Rob? It would give him an upper hand over her. Why were some customers so mean?
"Alright, sir. I will definitely do something about it. Now, may I please have your order? I will give it to you for free." Rob smiled at the man who hurriedly placed his order.
He had deftly taken over from her so Phoebe backed away.
Did Rob really mean what he said? Would he do something about her? What if he sacked her? No, he wouldn't! Phoebe dropped the tray and took in breaths.
Get yourself together or you'll lose this job too.
It was bad enough that Rob wanted her out. If she gave him a helping hand, he would gladly show her the door.
This wasn't the time or place to think about what Morgan had done to her. It would add more salt to her injury if she lost this job.
She turned around to meet Rob coming closer to her. Phoebe swallowed at the countenance on his face. He looked so angry.
"See me in my office right now, Phoebe!" Rob had whispered when he got to the counter.
"Al…right, I'm on my way." she stammered, then rubbed her sweaty palms on her pants.
"What the hell is wrong with you!? Are you bent on making me lose more customers?! How many more times do you want them to complain about you?" Rob said immediately she entered. He didn't even give her the chance to speak. He was tired of bad reviews.
"Look Rob, I'm sorry. I promise it won't happen again. I'll sort out my problems at home." Phoebe pleaded.
"Please give me some time to clear this mess I've found myself in please." she further pleaded.
Gordon had sent her a letter giving her two weeks to pay back his money. The letter had arrived the day before.
That was another reason she was lost in her thoughts. She needed money fast. If she got half of the money, Gordon could leave her for a month at least.
"You promise? How many times have you promised? Your lackadaisical attitude has earned me nothing but bad comments and reviews! Did you hear that man out there? His friend had also complained about you." Rob pointed to the middle-aged man who had settled on his burger and a plate of ice cream.
Rob seethed with rage at the fact that he had given a free order when it wasn't promo time.
"Do you know I had to appease him with a free order? Now tell me, if you keep up with this attitude, how many more free orders would I have to give out for your sake? I am not running a charity here! This is business!"
Phoebe was about to talk when he cut her short. "If I run the orders for free, how then do I pay the staff and feed myself and pay even you!? Tell me!" Rob punched the table hard.
"Rob, I'm so…rry. I… It's a promise. I won't do it anymore. This will be the last time please." Phoebe begged in low tones.
"You know what you won't do anymore? There is little I can take. You won't spoil my business any further. You won't treat the customers like trash while you attend to your needs."
"You won't mix up orders anymore and you won't work here again! I have exhausted my tiniest bit of patience on you" Rob said in anger. Phoebe gasped.
"Phoebe, I can't cope with your numerous problems anymore. Here is your paycheck for this month, I won't be needing your services any more." Rob handed over her salary for the month.