I waved him bye and waited until his silver car had disappeared before I walked up to the man repairing a spoilt laptop...
¶
"Excuse me?"
"Yes?"
"Can you point me in Dusty's Tasty Doughnuts direction"
"Use a fucking Google map and stop disturbing me"
I tried to use google Maps but the signal was so bad it kept redirecting.
After wandering about with no luck, I decided to grovel if I had to.
I turned and headed back in the direction I thought I had come from but it was a different street, the van was not there.
I tried retracing my steps but it only confused me even more.
I turned sharply and slammed into someone.
He was of average build and had white streaks of hair, looked like he was in his late forties.
"I'm sorry" I bowed and apologized sincerely.
He walked past me.
I grabbed the ends of my hair and uttered a low groan.
He stopped, turned back, and walked up to me.
"Is everything alright? You look lost"
"I am lost, I don't know where exactly I am"
"What are you looking for?"
"Dusty's Tasty Doughnuts"
"You shouldn't go around saying that, you could attract hatred from his rivals"
I placed a hand over my mouth.
"You're lucky, I was heading down to Dusty's for a quick cup of coffee. Coming?"
"Yes, wait for me"
We walked side by side in silence before he asked.
"So why are you looking for Dusty's? The thrill of hot and different coffee or pastry"
"No, I'm looking for a job"
"A job. It's not weird to see people struggle for a job at Dusty's but I'm afraid you're out of luck. The application letters have already been submitted.
"I have my ways" I replied confidently.
The man looked at me strangely before saying in a cool and calm voice.
"You are a woman with everything a man would look for, even if you don't go looking for a man, men will come looking for you. I don't see why you would want to seduce an old man for a job like that"
I paled.
"It's nothing like that. Really. He owes my brother a solid favor and I'm going to collect it"
"Dusty does not owe favors"
"My brother said so, so I'm going"
"And if it doesn't work out, will you result in that method?"
"Of course not" I shuddered at the thought of seducing a man far older than my own Dad, not that I would seduce a man my Dad's age.
We entered a busy street and the man slowed his steps.
"Stay close, you wouldn't want to get lost in the crowd"
Soon we emerged from the crowd.
"What is this place" I asked looking around excitedly.
"It's called 'Ozone'. A place free of mafia attacks. Mafia Jason thinks this is a worthless place and he never steps his feet here. It's safe to say it's safe"
I chuckled.
"Safe to say it's safe. What happened to the signal? There's no network here"
"There is. The place makes use of a centralized WiFi"
"Wifi, huh?"
"There it is, she's a beaut"
I saw a very large glass Cafe in the center of the street and roads were constructed by its sides, it had a big doughnut on the top of the roof facing the entrance.
It stood looking majestic over all the smaller shops and kiosks in the area.
"It's big"
The man opened the door for me and waited until I entered before he stepped in after me.
"Thank you"
"There's Dusty's office" he pointed his slender finger to a glass room at the end of the building.
I thanked him and made my way over. It had head staff glued to the door.
I had just placed my hand on the knob when a lady grabbed it roughly.
"What do you want with Dusty?"
"I want to talk with him about a job" I replied carefully.
"Job application collection is over..."
"I know but I still want to talk to him, it's important"
She eyed me again, critically this time.
"Seducing Dusty won't work"
I harshly threw her hand away from mine, what was her problem? Did everybody think beautiful women sold their bodies to get what they wanted?
"Stop thinking every lady better looking than you is going to sell her body" I snarled at her, and she stepped back in shock.
I took the opportunity to turn the doorknob and enter the office.
"Good morning Sir, can I talk to you?"
The man they called Dusty sat facing the glass-to-ceiling door on the other side.
"What do you want?"
"A job"
He turned in his swivel chair and assessed me.
He was a feeble-looking man, who would want to seduce a man like this? He had the elderly look plastered on his face, very tired eyes, and a slouchy mouth with wrinkles at prominent places on his face, I bet if he smiled it would stretch those lines.
"Job interviews are over" His voice was clipped and curt.
He picked up his pen and started to write something on a piece of paper.
"I know..."
"Then why are you still here"
"Because Kelvin asked me to collect his favor"
"I don't know any Kelvin, so move on to the next plan; seduce me" he looked at me over his glasses.
I looked at him, he looked far older than my Dad, he would be in his mid or late sixties if I'm to be precise.
I sighed. I would have turned back if I didn't know that Kelvin was barely the joking type.
"I didn't come here to seduce you, I came because Kelvin Orlando sent me, he said that I–"
He perked up and stopped writing. "Kelvin who?"
"Orlando?" I said slowly.
He sprang up suddenly from his chair and moved towards me, I stepped back.
He studied me for a long time.
"You're related, right? Closely related"
"I'm his sister?"
"Kelvin has a sister?" He stroked his beard and sighed. "Of course, he wouldn't tell me"
Two women entered without knocking and moved toward me and Dusty.
"Dusty, is everything alright? I hope this 'woman' isn't bothering you" the woman outside the door glared aggressively at me, and the other one followed her example.
It was so obvious that 'woman' was not the word they intended to use.
"Why are you girls here?"
"We brought coffee for you and the 'guest'"
Trying to be courteous, weren't they?
"This person is no guest at all, this person is family. Meet Kelvin's sister"
They gaped at me.
"Kelvin as in..." The woman outside the door whispered.
"Kelvin Orlando" the other completed her sentence.
"Yes, that makes her family"
"Is Kelvin that famous?"
"Very famous, who doesn't know Kelvin Orlando here in the Ozone"
"You could have told me we were related, I would have listened"
"I didn't know"
"Kelvin never said anything about it, did he?"
"No, not a single word, he just said collect a favor from Dusty"
"He's my Godson. Kelvin Dustin Rodrigo Orlando"
"Dustin Rodrigo huh?" So he got his middle name from this man.
Dusty smiled sadly.
"What happened then?"
"We grew distant after a fight. I miss those times we would eat at his friend's place..."
"You mean Alexia?" I interrupted.
"Yes"
"Ahh. I see"
He smiled sadly.
"I was the first one he told back then when he had a crush on her in junior high. How's he doing now?" he sighed.
"Fine"
"Was he going to work?"
"He couldn't drop me here because something came up at his workplace"
"Are you still interested in the job?" He asked eagerly.
"Yes please"
He signed something on a clipboard and passed it to me.
"Sign here" he tapped a place on the paper and I signed.
"Welcome to Dusty's Tasty Doughnuts. I'm Dustin Hoffman, we're family so call me Dusty. How long will you be working?"
"Until I find myself in school"
"School?"
"College"
"Ahh, so you're going to attend college here?"
"Yes"
"Alright, I'm glad. Girls, introduce her to the others and tell her everything she needs to know"
"Okay Dusty"
The two girls pulled me enthusiastically towards another glass door that led to a small but spacious room.
Three girls sat on bean bags, a cup of coffee in their hands.
"They are here" one with rimmed glasses said.
Two girls looked at me with malice.
"So this is the skank that wants to seduce Dusty"
"She's at least above average"
"No girls, we were wrong"
"She shamelessly seduced Dusty?" they asked.
"Why do all of you think that every well-dressed lady is a skank that opens her skirt or trousers"
"We have seen instances" a redhead with pale blue eyes spoke sneering.
"Lily, stop. This is Selene Orlando–"
"Orlando?" Lily interrupted.
"As in Kelvin Orlando–" The one with pigtails and rimmed glasses and freckles on her face interrupted.
"The very handsome bachelor with deep blue eyes, sexiness dripping from every inch of his body?" the last asked and the rude door woman nodded.
Lily looked at me from head to toe.
"I see the resemblance now, same blue eye and sexy black hair"
"Gosh, your brother is sexy and he's quite handsome too, and to top it all, he's a well-respected attorney who once saved Dusty's business from folding–"
"Enough already. I'll introduce everyone to you. This redhead is Lily Permbton, and the brunette next to her is Anne-Marie Johnson"
"Why Anne not Marie?"
"Because this shy blonde pigtailed gal here is Marie, sounds the same right"
"Ditto" I chuckled.
"This curly-haired woman is Linnea Meyers and I'm Elena..."
"Lena for short?"
Lena looked pleased with the shortened form, she smiled and nodded.
"Yes, I like Lena for short, I'm Elena De Santos"
"Well, then I'll introduce myself. I'm Selene Orlando.
Spanish by Origin, just so that the name doesn't confuse you"
"Nice" they clapped.
"Welcome to Dusty's–"
The staff door opened and five boys walked in.
Lena grabbed one in a tight grip and he almost puked.
"Calm down sweetie, there's plenty of me to go around"
"We were meant to do the dishes and you left it all for me"
"I just went out for a quick bite, I didn't ask you for any favors"
Lena hit him and tugged his ears.
"Oww, Elena would you let my food digest before doing this"
"Did you guys go for seasoned chicken again?"
"Seasoned chicken?" I asked as I drooled a little.
"Who's the beaut?" The guy that Lena was wrestling untangled himself and snuck closer to me.
Lena pulled him backward with his ears.
"Don't get too close to her"
"Jealous much" he snickered.
"Not one bit. That is Kelvin's sister, Selene"
"Sounds Greek" a mature voice sounded at the back.
"It is Greek" I corrected.
"These are the troublemakers of this establishment, I'll introduce them starting with the unrelenting womanizer"
She pulled him by his ears and I grinned at their display of affection.
"Stop pulling, those things are too fragile" he groaned, instead Lena pulled harder.
I turned to Lily.
"Are they?"
"It's so obvious, yet they always deny it"
I chuckled.
"Okay, okay. You win" Carlos surrendered as he tapped Lena's hand.
"So as I was saying, this womanizer is Carlos"
Carlos bowed his head and pulled my hand before placing a kiss on the back of my hand.
"I can take you to the ends of the earth, my lady. Run a thousand miles, swim a thousand seas for only you"
"I'll pass" I spoke nonchalantly.
"Ouch" a guy with a low cut rubbed Carlos' back sympathetically and Carlos elbowed him in the ribs.
"Do you want your testicles cut out and spread to dry then preserved?" Lena warned Carlos, who shuddered at the thought and backed off.
"That guy there with the low fade is Jameson"
"James for short" he spoke rubbing the bruise and waving a short hello.
"This overly mature and ripe mango..."
"Hey!" Lily glared at Lena.
I smirked at Lily and wiggled my eyebrows.
"It's not that"
"That sounded a little breathy" I teased her, imitating a breathy sound.
Lily turned red and coughed to clear her throat.
"As I was saying, he is Daniel Sanderson" Lena shook her head and continued.
Daniel nodded then gave me a warm smile and grasped my hands.
"Welcome to Dusty's, we are glad to have you on the team" Lily glared at our conjoined hands, looking a little too uncomfortable.
"Too much contact" she spoke sullenly.
"I don't know, I might just scoot a little closer" I said and I inched closer to Daniel, Lily placed herself between me and Daniel.
I laughed and let go of Daniel's hand and moved away.
A pale guy looked blankly at me.
"And you are?" I asked him.
"Blake" he didn't say anything else.
"American?"
"He's French with an English name" James said from behind me suddenly, startling me.
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you"
"It's alright"
"You said?"
"He's French with an English name"
"Amazing" I said.
I looked around my eyes fell on a guy leaning against the glass wall smoking a cigarette.
"And he is?"
The group turned and quickly pulled my head away not before I and the guy made eye contact.
"His name is Troy, he's an ex-convict, they say he burnt down a house and the family inside it alive, cause they pissed him off"
I peeked at him, he had dyed his hair pink, his hair was tousled with spiky ends, he had deep onyx eyes, tattoos crept up his hands and neck and his clothes looked like they were choking him.
He felt someone looking at him and his eyes met mine again, I looked away again.
"He's kinda hot if I should say so" Lena smiled and nodded her head.
Carlos looked at her expression in annoyance.
"He's not, not even one bit. Just a thug that gyms"
"That's a solid body" Lena argued.
"I have a solid body" he pouted and Lena burst out laughing.
"Solid body my ass"
"Lena, it's not nice to laugh at Carlos, you know that, he's frail and fragile" Lily warned.
"Who the fuck is Lena?" Carlos asked before even thinking.
Lena fisted her hands and grabbed Carlos' ears.
"I'm the one, you dumb fuck. Think before you talk, you stupid woman plaything" she wrestled him to the floor and got Carlos frantically tapping on her hand.
I laughed at how cute they acted around each other.
Dusty entered and clapped his hands.
"Back to work, break's over and Troy, your therapist is here. How much smoke have you had today?"
"Just one"
"Good, that's an improvement. Go on now, she's waiting"
"I have to get going now, I will need to prepare for tomorrow"
"Bye, see you tomorrow"
I left the staff room and saw Benjamin sitting on a chair far from the window, I walked up to him and sat on the chair across from him.
"Hey, you haven't gone yet"
"No, not yet"
He smiled.
"Did you get the job?"
"Yep. I told you my brother's favor was legal"
"I'm glad things went well. So when are you starting work?"
"Tomorrow"
"If owners of business had people like you working for them, the businesses would be booming"
I chuckled.
"I have to leave now, I'll see you around"
He nodded.