BETH'S POV
The alarm jarred me from my sleep-induced state once again. I felt the urge to ram the annoying little object against a wall, but then I'd have to find money to get another one. Plus, Jade will be pissed. I also thought about how I've been queried frequently for the past few weeks by my hot-tempered manager and would not want to lose this job. At least, not at the moment.
Slowly and steadily, I left my bed and walked to the bathroom. I let the warm water run through my hair and down to my body. As I scrubbed my body and reached my chest, I briefly flashed back to the restaurant incident. How his eyes had swallowed me whole and made me feel small on the chair made me grip the loofah tight.
"Hey, hurry up. I can't miss this morning class again." Jade banged on the door, breaking my reverie.
"I'm coming."
I quickly rinsed myself and got out. I was dressed in a casual blue top, army green cargo pants, and sneakers. I draped on an overall coat too. My hair was worn up as usual, and I rushed to work.
My mind drifted back to how I was lost in my thoughts earlier this morning. It's been a week since that night, and there's been no word from Roland. I really need to get my mind off of it and forget it ever happened. Besides, the girl he was supposed to meet must have texted him, like Tommy tried to call. He must have known I was a fake. My heart churned at the thought.
"You're late. Again." Angio, my manager, a bulky woman twice the size of the kitchen entrance, barked as soon as I entered. "You don't seem to be taking this job seriously, Elizabeth."
"I'm sorry. I'll do better next time." I murmured, just wanting my shift to end.
"As your punishment, you'll be doing a double shift. Cassie called in sick and won't be coming in this evening." Then she left. Without hearing my reply.
The moment she was gone, I threw my bag against the locker angrily and kicked the shelves instinctively. The sound of glass cups and plates crashing to the ground brought back my sanity. Thankfully, I swept them and trashed them outside before Angio would notice.
Others started coming in, and just like me, they got their fair share of barking from Angio. Some of them were freshman students, unlike me, and so they were already fed up with the condition. Two of them quit yesterday, and two of them were already talking about the same thing today.
Ms. Eli entered. The most gentle of them all. She would take all the insults no matter what, knowing she has six children with no husband to feed at home. She worked three other jobs as well. It was a struggle here.
"Good morning." She greeted me with a smile, and I returned with a nod.
"You seem happy this morning. Any good news?" I asked, and she shook her head, grinning from ear to ear.
"Well, he proposed last night." Ms. Eli said, but I just stared, confused. "Adam? You remember that guy I told you about? Tall, muscular, bearded."
"The Samoan guy you just met last week?"
"Yes!" She giggled like a teenager. Her happiness was contagious, so in no time, she began to share her bedroom stories and fiction-like romance with me as we worked.
As she rambled on, my mind was stuck on him. I wondered. What is he doing now?
At 5:00 p.m., I was already losing it. My sanity was threatened and put under pressure. My eyes were heavy, and all I craved was my bed. I had so much research to do for my project as well as money to fund it. Mom sent me a text this morning, but I'd been too afraid to open it. I feared the worst, so I returned the phone to my pocket.
It was finally 10:00 p.m., and I could close from work. The restaurant was almost empty by the time I was done, so instead of cleaning up, I decided to go home like that. Until I got down from the taxi and noticed splashes of ketchup on my shirt and that I smelled like onion.
"Shit. I should have changed into my uniform before working another shift." I mumbled furiously as I tried to get the ketchup off my shirt. I wasn't looking, so I almost got swept off by a very exquisite-looking vehicle. It blocked my view and stood between me and my apartment.
From the velvety black coat of the car, you could tell it was from the mine of a very wealthy human. I stopped breathing for a while, caught between wondering why there was a limousine in front of my apartment and how I almost got hit.
"Are you missing Beth?" An expensive-looking older man asked, a formal smile plastered on his face. He was wearing a shiny black suit over a white shirt and a black bow tie. He had sunglasses on and white gloves.
"Y...yes, I am. Who are you?"
"Well, Mr. Roland has asked us to pick you up as discussed. I'm pretty sure you remember vividly from your last meeting." He spoke so slowly and meticulously that I was forced to nod.
"Um...yes. I remember very well."
The door opened, and another man turned around to help me in. I chuckled nervously, my ears boiling red. "I need to change into something nice. So, if you will just wait for me,
"That won't be necessary, miss." The older man called, and I sighed defeatedly. I'll just text Jade and tell her what happened.
"And what is your name?"
"Victor El Salvador, and that one is Hames Thor."
I was glad I knew their names, even though they sounded made-up. I entered the vehicle and waited for what else was going to happen. My hands were sweaty, and I began to hyperventilate. Victor seemed to have noticed from the camera as he was driving because he said into the microphone, "There is a bottle of wine next to you, miss. You can have that to ease your mind. You must have been busy all day."
I smiled in appreciation and fumbled to get the wine out of the container. After I opened it, I tried to pour it into the glass, but there was a bump, and the wine splashed on my shirt.
"What in the world!?" I kept cursing my breath out and dropped the wine, frustrated.
We reached a turn, and the gate opened to a beautiful estate. Merely looking at it, one would think it was a community or buildings rented out to people, but there was no life in the buildings that indicated so. There are just tons and tons of rooms designed like ancient castles, with exquisite lights dangling from them. In the middle stood a gigantic fountain coming out of a giant octopus statue. Each tentacle produced golden, glowing water. Trees lined each side of the road, and the flowers were immaculately dressed and trimmed. I opened my mouth in awe.
Jade was not playing.
People as wealthy as this exist while my grandma lies on a hospital bed, incapable of doing surgery because there is no money. That reminds me.
I took out my phone to check my mom's text when the door opened, and Hames offered to let me out. I took his gloved hand and got out, seeing the view with my own two eyes.
"It's beautiful." I commented. "Why is it so void of life that will appreciate this beauty?"
Hames shrugged and walked away. Rude.
"Sir. Rowland actually organizes parties here most of the time. Not in the main building, but others." A feminine voice answered behind me.
I turned to face a broadly smiling middle-aged woman coming to meet me. She took my coat and gave it to the younger ladies that followed.
"You're Miss Beth, am I right?"
"Yes. Yes, I am." I swallowed.
This company has many employees. And for what? We walked through the massive iron door that seemed to open automatically.
The exterior was nothing compared to the interior. I was mind-blown. As I stepped through the ornate doorway of the mansion, I felt like I had entered another world. The grand foyer stretched out before me, its marble floors gleaming under the soft glow of crystal chandeliers. The walls were adorned with portraits of stern-faced ancestors, their eyes seeming to follow my every move.
The air was heavy with the scent of old wood and polished brass, mingling with the faint aroma of expensive perfumes. Velvet drapes frame tall windows, allowing slivers of sunlight to filter through and dance across the polished surfaces.
As I ventured further into the mansion, each room seemed more opulent than the last. The living room was furnished with plush velvet sofas and intricately carved coffee tables, while the dining room boasted a long mahogany table set with delicate china and gleaming silverware.
Every corner held treasures from another era—antique vases, gilded mirrors, and statues of marble and gold. It was as if the very walls of the mansion exuded wealth and privilege, a stark contrast to the modesty of my own upbringing. I couldn't shake the feeling of being out of place, like a mere intruder in this world of luxury and extravagance.
"Sir. Roland will be out to see you soon." The woman ushered me to the study room and asked me to wait there.
I was alone there for about five minutes, I began walking towards the portrait of a man looking like the older version of Roland. Strands of gray hair graced his temples. He was smiling widely as he held a little kid, whom I presumed to be Roland. The joy in his eyes. I touched their eyes and soon glanced at the woman standing beside them both. Hands kept in her designer bag, hair done neatly, and lips painted in tomato red. She held a smirk that made her eyes look soulless. Her dark brown eyes. Just when I was about to look at baby Roland, I heard his voice behind me.
"Are you going to spend the whole night standing there?"
His masculine voice jolted my heart to a stop. As he spoke, his breath washed over my hair and went through them to caress my skin. I froze.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be touching stuff," I rambled and turned to face him, only to realize he's standing an inch further from me. That's when I realized how short I was compared to him. I was looking at his chest, exposed by the upper part of his buttoned-up shirt left open. I felt the urge to lick his caramel skin. But I shouldn't.
"Yes, you shouldn't." He replied tightly and turned to leave.
"Come to the dining table." He said, but I hesitated.
My arms were wrapped around my body as he stared at me from my head and stopped right on my chest.
"You really need to stop spilling stuff on your chest. What are you trying to do?"
I was too stunned to speak. "Wha...what? It only happens every time we cross paths. That's bad luck where I came from!" I barked at him, not minding where I was or who I was talking to.
He seemed unfazed and just asked for us to go to the dining room. "By the way, the ladies room is on the south wing, just opposite my bedroom. Get yourself a dress and come back so we can discuss why you're here."
"How am I supposed to know where your bedroom is, Mr. Roland?"
"It's Roland." He stepped forward until our chests pressed toget
her softly. His voice dropped a notch as he held my chin. "And you can drop the attitude, darling. It doesn't befit you."