"HELLO Miss Charlotte," Wesley waved at her as he walked into the bar.
He had gone to pick her up at the hospital but was told she had left.
Charlotte raised her head up from the counter desk. She eyed him and sighed.
How she had mentally beaten herself up for throwing her whole life at an offer, it was all to save her mom. She maintained her smile, adjusting her apron.
"What brings you here?" Charlotte asked coldly as she brought out shot bottles to mix an order.
"What brings me here? How ridiculous you sound Miss Charlotte? I'm here to get you. Loosen that thing off your waist and let's get going."
"Excuse me?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows.
"Oh, you're excused." He said and took the glass from her hand, gulping it down right away. "Let's go conclude our deal. Did you care to inquire why your mom was moved out of the shabby ward she used to be kept in?"
'Shabby?' She thought. In her defense, that was a decent ward. At least, for people of her standard.
"And did you care to ask the management who covered the bills for her most recent surgery??" Wesley furrowed his brows, it was only like that when he was pissed.
Charlotte's mouth went agap, before leaving the hospital she had gone to see her mom and to her greatest surprise her mom was moved to a private room, more exquisite where she was well taken care of and her latest surgery of which Charlotte had limited time had be covered and subsequent ones like the Doctor said when he came in to check in her. He was nice to her for the first time.
Charlotte knew it was Wesley Jameson but she wasn't happy with that arrangement.
As if meant she now owed him more than before. She quickly vowed within her to pay him back every dime by resuming work at the bar for the evening though she had taken a leave for a week.
"Thank you," Charlotte muttered with shame.
"Keep that, we have yet to finalize our deal. You don't know the rules to play by and yet you defile me." A smile played on his lips as he spoke.
Charlotte watched him mix a shot for himself.
"You agreed by parole to be my toy, and by conduct, in exchange, I'll take care of your mom, your family. A plus is, I'll train your brother to school." Wesley gulped the first shot without wincing like those other men she'd seen.
Charlotte looked about thanking her stars Stacy was not on duty tonight. She listened.
"Our deal is effective already because you moved in to stay with me. You are mine now. You can't continue to work here at this bar. It's not good for my reputation." He paused, looking into her cat eyes. Those eyes… he thought.
"But I have to pay you somehow." Charlotte retorted sharply, in disgust, Wesley looked around making sure no one was eavesdropping on their conversation.
"Pay me? Haha, you can never. I know your family's debt record. You can never, Charlotte." This was the first time he called her name without adding a 'miss'.
Charlotte felt a wave of shame wash over her body. With this man, she had no privacy. How did he get to know this much about her? She had no closure at all. With this statement, she concluded he knew about their house debts and other incurred debts due to her mom's condition.
Her Grandmother had also incurred debts to run her thrift store and the rent was due.
"The student loan? The government keeps deducting their money every month from your pay. What exactly are you working for?" Wesley dropped the bomb at this point.
Charlotte shivered, she felt the goosebumps grow around her body. He had done his assignment well. From that moment she knew, Wesley wasn't a man to be tolled with.
"You were the one who hired those men?" She asked looking sternly into his eyes, she had the apron off her waist and was now sitting face to face with him.
"Smart girl!" Wesley smirked.
The men she referred to were the ones who had fought those customers who tried to harass her.
"Yes," he said. "Yes, Miss Charlotte, yes." He took down yet another shot.
He smacked his lips and then looked at her confused expression. He laughed.
"How stupid of you to think you could live a normal life after news of you keeps spreading around? Which of course is of your own doing." He said and she pursed her lips.
That demolition incident was still spreading rather widely.
"And you cannot remain the same after encountering me." He added. "It's not safe out here. You should have been dead by now. I'm not kidding. My men still follow you around." he looked like he wasn't lying and Charlotte felt chills.
She always had the feeling that someone, or rather, some people, were tailing her but she never caught a single person. His men were too smooth.
They were so good at their job.
'Ah, this explains the fight the other night.'
While she was going home, she heard a group of guys fighting. Though she was scared and it was dark, she took a peek.
They looked like thugs. And because of that, she decided to leave and not get dragged into whatever that was.
So, those were his men... Fending off people who were after her?
But why are people after her?
Was it because she tried to stop the demolition? It was just a one time thing and it was a mistake on her path. A stupid decision she made out of desperation.
She pursed her lips and looked at Wesley who had his eyes dangerously on her.
She gulped.
With those eyes... It was almost like he could see right through her soul.
"You're probably wondering why people want you dead." He said, hitting the nail on the head. "It's quite simple. It's because... They think you have a connection to me. And because of that... They want to use you to get to me." He said and rested his back. "Haha, it's either that or there are some jealous girls gritting their teeth that I found interest in a new kitty." He said to her confusion.
"Kitty?"
"So, Miss Charlotte, let's not waste any more time and get to it. We have an agreement to seal."