"What's happening doctor?" Charlotte's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she watched the nurses troll her mother's bed out of the private ward she used to be kept.
"Somebody please talk to me" Charlotte took hold of the doctor who gave them direction.
"Good thing you are here Miss Baker" He adjusts he spectacle. "Come with me to my office."
Charlotte follows him behind barely holding on to the lunchbox containing food for her mother.
"So Miss, your more has been moved out of her ward because you failed to make any deposit for treatment for the past month. She is no longer under intensive care, she will be kept in the public female ward and be tended to like other mibor ailments. When you make the next deposit, we will restore her former treatments and subsequently another surgery, of which you have to make deposit for also." He explained without breaking a sweat.
Charlotte stood watching him scribe away on his note pad. Her legs trembled beneath her that she staggered backwards.
"You can go now- and please hurry up with the deposits, your mother is yet to respond to any treatment, if you can make the deposits, we can transfer her to a teaching hospital. Here's the total bill." He folds the sheet of paper and hands it over to the dazed girl.
Charlotte eyes gushed out in dismay. She took the piece of paper without looking at the contents and then proceeded to the general ward. The hospital was kind enough to have still supplied her mother oxygen.
There her mother lay. Her pale skin and sunken eyes made her appear frai, looking almost lifeless. She took a deep breath and strolled over to her mothers bed space.
"I'm sorry mom, I've failed you." A tear broke out. "I can't even afford you proper treatments."
After feeding her mom, Charlotte headed to Del Eagles Club, the evening's bartender shift awaiting her. The pay was astonishing, but desperation trumped doubt. As she donned her uniform, she pushed aside her reservations, steeling herself for another night of serving whiskey-soured smiles and wandering hands.
The music pulsed through the lobby, spilling into the bar section. Patrons sang along, their slurred voices mingling with the beat.
Charlotte raised an eyebrow, smiling wryly, as she surveyed the deserted bar.
"Our mini celeb is here," Stacy said, her tone laced with sarcasm, eyes narrowing at Charlotte.
'Evening, Stacy,' Charlotte replied, her voice neutral.
Stacy snorted, taking a swig from her bottle. 'Late as always. Probably chasing rich men.' Her laughter grated on Charlotte's nerves.
Charlotte turned, her gaze flicking to the bottle in Stacy's hand. The alcohol was clearly taking effect.
'You'd make more money stripping at VIP,' Stacy sneered, her expression shifting from disgust to curiosity. 'One, two, three nights... enough to cover your mom's bills.'
Charlotte's glare silenced Stacy momentarily, but she continued, 'You're so miserable. A beautiful girl, broke? What happened to your billionaire rescuer? The blogs said—'
"A strange-looking man in a quirky cowboy hat emerged from the crowd. 'One bottle of martini, please,' he said, his eyes fixed on Charlotte.
Stacy's eyes narrowed, but she began pouring the drink. 'No, no, let the blondie serve,' he insisted, his gaze lingering on Charlotte.
Stacy's smile twisted into a snarl. She snapped her fingers, then retreated to the back, leaving Charlotte to attend to the man.
Charlotte's lips curled into a tight smile. She fetched the martini, champagne glass, ice bucket, and opener. 'Table number, please?' she asked, her tone polite.
The man ignored her question. 'What are you going to do now?' he asked, his voice low and mysterious.
Charlotte's eyes flicked to his, her expression neutral. 'Sir, please, what's your table number?' she repeated, her patience thinning."
"Follow me," he said.
She poured his martini in the champagne glass which had some ice cubes in it.
"Thank you Miss Charlotte Baker or did my search say otherwise?" Said the man with a strange aura.
Charlotte froze. She recognized the voice. The buzz music must have been a distraction.
"Sit," he offered her a seat next to him.
Charlotte stood with her mouth agap. She had began to shiver.
"So you do recognize my voice. Most be tantalizing. I don't bite. Do I?"
What was he doing here? She had managed to escape him and here he'd found her. This strange man must be some kind of lunatic. She bit her lips, pacing her gaze back and forth with the hopes nobody recognized him. He'd made her quite popular in the city after the incident at Mr Maguires arcade. Jeffery told her he was a powerful business tycoon, she did not bother to look him up herself. Shame rushed through her being.
"I'm in full disguise, they won't recognize me woman." He whispered to her hearing. "Such a lowlife place" He scoffed.
***
Charlotte stepped into the quiet apartment, the tension from the bar still simmering within her. Grandma was asleep, and Jeffery was engrossed in his phone, the soft glow illuminating his focused expression.
Charlotte settled onto the couch, her gaze drifting to the wall as her mind replayed the encounter with Wesley Jameson. His sudden appearance, the men he'd introduced, and the unsettling contract agreement swirled in her thoughts.
Jeffery glanced up, concern etched on his face. "Hey sis, everything okay?"
Charlotte opened her mouth to respond, but words faltered. She shook her head, a silent reassurance.
Jeffery returned to his game, casting occasional glances her way.
Charlotte's thoughts persisted, looping back to Wesley's unnerving questions. How did he know about her debts? The student loan, Grandma's thrift store loan, rent, mom's hospital bills, Jeffery's tuition... The weight of it all pressed upon her.
"Who is he?" she whispered, frustration creeping into her voice.
Jeffery looked up, startled. "Huh?"
Charlotte's cheeks flushed. "Nothing."
The sheet of paper crumpled in her hand, Wesley's contract agreement seeming to mock her. A relationship in exchange for his help. The implications made her skin itch.