CHAPTER THREE
Where are my earrings? I ask while trying to put on my shoes and at the same time brush my hair and knot my tie. Where is my handbag? Where are my keys? Could this morning get any worse? I rush out the door. At this point I know I have missed the bus. I rush to the subway and I miss that too. I finally order a ride and I have to pay through my teeth for it.
I finally walk through the front doors of Grace Manor at 10a.m, a full hour after I am supposed to have resumed. I look around to see if anyone notice the time I walk in. I did not see anyone noting anything. I smile and walk to my desk. I greet Stacie, who rotates the night shifts with Ian. Apparently it is her turn this entire week.
"You are late." She replies to my greeting.
"Shhh." I shush her. "The walls have ears."
She laughs. "I'll head out now. I need hours of beauty sleep."
"Anything happen last night?" I ask intrigued.
"Nothing much except the wife of a senate member caught him in bed with another woman. She brought the media with her."
"How did she get past you? How did she even know his room number/"
she flushes. "I don't know how she got the room number but when she came up to me, she asked for that room number specifically. I told her it was occupied and she told me she knows. Like she actually knows. She said it's her husband and he's expecting her." She pauses. "She showed me a bunch of pictures. And besides that he's her husband, I've seen them on television countless times. So I let her in. I did not want her telling the boss anything ugly about me."
I laugh so loud. "Well that makes sense. But didn't you call to make sure he really was expecting her? Or follow her up there? Or follow any protocol at all?
"Nothing. I mean this is her husband. How was I to know he was cheating? She said she wanted to surprise him. I thought it sweet that politicians still cared about each other and y'know their marriage. I even sent up a bottle of champagne."
I try so hard but I cannot control it. I laugh till tears roll from my eyes. "What happened after? Seeing you are still here, I doubt you were fired."
she looks like she wants to kill me. "I heard the shouts and screams from the room. Every staff rushed up there and we saw a whole circus of screaming naked people. T took wits and guts to calm them down. We asked her to leave as she wasn't a guest here."
"How did the media come in though?"
"She brought them in through the window. Meaning she entered quietly then opened up the window before screaming."
"People are mean."
She shrugs. "
"Fortunately for me, it was Alex on duty last night. She pardoned me after giving me a warning and let me go."
"If it was Angela, you would have been long gone." I tell her.
She smiles sadly "Well I'm glad it wasn't. Let me get out of here before she comes in. oh did you see the new boss?"
Puzzled I ask "Which new boss?"
"Alex's older brother. He's back from Africa." She blushes. "He's dreamy OMG!"
I swallow. I cannot tell her about my Friday encounter with this new boss she thinks is so nice. I shut my mouth and as she packs out, pack in and that's when we hear it.
"Well, well, well. Look who decided to show up today after all"
I can never forget that voce. It is the bane of my existence right now. "Hello Dominick. Good morning." I say.
"You are late." He frowns. "I will not tolerate any employee being late, that is of course if you remain an employee. Also, it is Sir to you. I will like to see you in my office Ms Mae." He turns and leaves.
"What's going on?" Stacy asks.
"Nothing"
My day just got worse.
*****
DOMINICK…
I walk back to my office with Mae on my heels. I sit down behind my caramel coloured desk and I completely ignore her. I tend to some emails I have, write some new ones and send them. Then I get on my phone and chat with a bunch of people. This is all to unnerve and I know it is working when I see her fidget with her collar as she is standing by my desk but she does not say anything. When I have had enough, I put my phone down and look at her.
"You are late today" I say again. She is quiet. "You do not have anything to say for yourself?" I ask
"No sir." She responds.
"Fine then. I will write your resignation letter and then you'll sign it."
I can see the visible signs of panic in her eyes, but she stands stoic. "With all due respect sir, I have never come late since I was hired. In fact, I have done more shifts here than I am paid for. You can fire me, it will hurt me of course but I can bet you will not see anyone more dedicate than I am."
I clap. "Finally a speech. I thought you had nothing to say?" I laugh mockingly. "Oh well, since you are so sure you are the best for the job, I guess we will let you stay after all." I tell her. "You can go."
She storms out. Just as she reaches the door, I call after her. "Oh Mae?" she turns, with blood in her eyes. I am certain if she could, she would murder me right there and then. "Do not let this repeat itself again. Am I clear?"
She nods and storms out, closing the door with a huff. I cannot control it, I burst out in laughter. That went well, I say to myself.
*****
MAE...
The bastard, I fume. How dare he use me as practice for his masculinity? Who does e think he is, playing on my emotions like that? For a moment there my world goes blank, I really thought he has fired me. When I hear it is about my lateness, I breathe a sigh of relief, only for him to say he will write my resignation letter. I lose it at that point. I tell myself I am not going down without a fight.
It is all good I tell myself. As long as I do my job well and I do not come late again, I do not have to see him again. I look up at this moment and see all of them match to the conference room; Alex, Dominick, Angela, even Diane stops by and goes into the room. I wonder what is that big to warrant this. I shrug, none of my business.
*****
DOMINICK…
"Hi guys." I say to my siblings. Since I came back, I have taken turns spending time in each of their houses, least is Diane because she is married and I do not want o inconvenient either one of them. But now, I am finally in my own condo and I cannot be happier. I have seen them all through this weekend and if I do not see them for the next week I will not be upset. But this meeting is urgent and that is why I called it. We all needed to talk.
Angela closes the door and sits down. "Alright why are were here?" she goes straight to the point. She is always like this, no patience for small talks.
The rest sit donw as Angela sets the mood already.
"I've found her. " I say without preamble.
Who?" they all ask.
I cannot say it. I know how they will react. The story of the Chosen One, is seen as a myth. This is because for centuries, our people have waited and nothing happened. Now, no one believes anymore.
"The one we've all been waiting for. The one with the powers untold, the one person who can not only defeat "Chajrik" but completely wipe him out of existence." Everyone is silent.
Chajrik is the one who torments our people. He uses the power and blood of his victims to stay young and fresh. Everyone knows this but no one can prove it. He sucks the power right out of his victims, increasing his own powers through black magic thereby making him almost unbeatable. Chajrik is everyone one's worst nightmare. He is never seen randomly, only when something big is about to happen. These days, there are rumours that he is in Los Angeles. I do not know why but if Mae is here, she can be the reason he is too.
Diane coughs. "How do you know this person is the one?"
"Because as soon as I saw her, I felt it."
Alex laughed heartily. "Her? Oh c'mon Dom. You cannot expect us to believe this. 'You felt it.' I am pretty sure it was some other part of your body that felt something else."
My head is already hurting. "Look, I do not care if you believe me or not. I am telling you I did. If it was some other part of my body as you say. I would know that too. Don't you think I know how this sounds? And I am the one to tell the grand mistress this. So please excuse me for trying to tell my siblings first."
"Why don't we all calm down?" Angela suggests trying to put the tensions out. "I understand what you are saying Dom but if this is the person, why isn't she here? Why hasn't she showed herself for what she is supposed to do?"
I sigh. "That's the thing. I don't think she knows she's a witch."
Alex claps loudly and laughs. "This just keeps getting better. A witch doesn't know she's a witch. How original."
I stand up in anger, toppling my seat. "Alex if all you will do is laugh and make a fool out of yourself, then I suggest you leave let the adults talk."
"if you lot don't calm down we all are leaving. None of you are kids anymore." Diane said quietly. There is silence.
Diane has always had this power, I muse. She will say something so quietly but will get everyone to listen and do exactly what she says.
"As I was saying," I continue. "She didn't recognize me that way. She didn't say anything. In fact she seems not to even know we exist. But I believe she's the one."
Everyone was calm again, ruminating.
"If what you say is true then we are in trouble. She will not be ready by the full moon" Diane says. Legend says that only one person kissed by the goddess herself can completely destroy him. This has to take place on a full moon. The next full moon happens in two months.
"That is of course if she even believes us in the first place and not run crazy telling people about it." Angela adds.
We all shrug.
"Where is this girl you seem so sure about?" Alex asks.
One thing with us is that no matter how much we disapprove of something, we all do it together. We have each other backs.
"She is the daytime receptionist." I answer.
They move out to see her. I follow them sluggishly, till I see who she is talking and laughing with.
"Isn't that Nathan? Son of Chajrik's warlord?" Diane whispers.
We all nod.
This is worse than we thought.