Chapter 2: New job

   Again, on trending news, a month ago, the funeral of Mr Donald Chance, also popularly known as the Grandfather of the business sector was attended by only a small but influential number of people. The guest list was not made known to the public but pictures and videos were taken as the guests were exiting the memorial service. People such as Mr Adeleke, Mr Obi, Miss Kennedy and much more were seen attending the funeral even though they had not been in the public eye for a long time. It was rumored that some of them had retired and left the country or presumed dead but...

   Ziara drops her room keys into the ornament bowl on her shelf as she picks up the remote to change the chanel.

   Then it was reported that that same day, at approximately 7:15 pm, Mr David Chance, the out of wedlock grandchild of the recently deceased Mr Donald Chance was said to be in a car accident. No news was obtained as to his current condition at the time but we were informed that he had been rushed to Saint Joseph's Memorial hospital where he received treatment. Now, a month later, reports are coming in that he was seen in a wheelchair leaving the hospital...

   Zaria changes the chanel again, trying to look for a station that was  playing music but after a few tries of not finding any, she gives up.

    This sucks she thinks, as she moves to take off her denim jacket just to flop on the single piece of furniture in her room, her mattress. She calls it a mattress and not a bed cause she can't even afford to buy the other things that would constitute it being called one.

   She looks around her single room and thinks about what had happened earlier today, Felix.

   Her dumbass almost friend had been sorta nice to her in the beginning. When their friendship had just begun, she told him she was looking for a job that had to do with cooking and he actually hooked her up. The pay wasn't so great seeing as she couldn't afford to still buy a smartphone yet with all the other bills she had but at least she had a stable roof over her head now.

   After leaving the orphanage, the money she had saved up didn't last her a month, okay technically three weeks and after that she had to fend for herself. First of all she crossed over five states to try and get some distance between herself and the Nuns probably looking for her and found a job at a car wash. She knew it was her looks entirely that got her the job and the tips were kinda good until people started getting handsy with her and even her boss wanted her to start wearing some ridiculous outfits.

   That was where she met Jon, young sweet Jon who came at least twice a week to wash his car. He was kind and shy and instead of the looks of outright lust that she usually got from her customers, Jon usually tried avoiding looking at her at all, and anytime he did she just wanted to hug him and take him to bed. She ended up doing that her second month at the job.

   It was late and Jon was the last customer of the day, he offered to give her a ride to the girls hostel she had somehow wormed her way into staying and on the way, she announced that she was hungry. He wanted to take her a restaurant to eat but she instead offered to go to his place. She had heard him say once that he wasn't bad in the kitchen so she wanted to test him out.

   One thing led to another and they ended up having sex, the shy kind where he wasn't even sure where to put his hands. He was probably a virgin.

   After getting fired or quitting a month later cause she couldn't maintain her dignity as well as wearing the new outfit her boss got for her which was practically almost nothing, she left. She didn't even tell Jon cause she knew he might want to keep her there, maybe even start a real relationship, but she wasn't ready for that.

   Smiling a little as she remembers all this, Ziara stands up to check her cabinet for a plate and a spoon. Looking into the nylon she had brought with her from her place of work, she notices that there is even more food in here than she's usually given, then she realizes that Felix was on duty today to give food to the staff going home and he was probably trying to get into her good graces again. As soon as she dips her hand inside to rummage through the nylon to bring the food out, she notices that he even added her favorite yogurt and immediately decides to forgive him.

   A plate of seafood fried rice, two pieces of chicken, a slice of chocolate cake and a greek yogurt, she could definitely get used to this.

   In a silver camry in the parking lot of the mall, the car can be seen to be shaking a little on the outside and a few obscene sounds coming from within. The back of a naked male can be seen obscurely and after a few minutes, the sounds stop and there is no more movement.

   Felix still on top of Rose, tries to catch his breath and slides out of her. She looks up at him with loving eyes and he immediately moves away.

   "I've missed you so much Felix", she gasps and tries to hold him again but this time around he looks at her contemptuously.

   "Don't ruin this alright Rose, that's why I left you in the first place, always getting overly attached", he says as he grabs his top at the front seat and starts dressing up. Then he steps out of the car. Rose joins him a few minutes later.

   "This is still about dear Ziara right?", she sneers.

   Felix grabs a cigarette out of his front pocket and lights it up. It's past ten in the night and this is not what he should be doing. His wife would probably call soon to ask why he isn't home yet.

   "No kidding", he grabs another puff.

   "I just wish there was a way to make her pay, to crumble her dreams the same way she's crumbled mine", he starts to get slightly emotional.

   "I think I might have even loved her", he continues as he turns to Rose.

   "She broke my heart".

   Rose is seen contemplating something. She is not stupid, she knows why Felix stopped fucking her and when that happened, the good gigs stopped coming her way. She had to make Ziara pay. Digging deeper she had actually gotten attached to this sleaze bag and she wanted him all to herself.

   "Well since you obviously can't have her, why don't you try and earn a little money and ruin her at the same time", she suggests. Moving to grab one of his cigars and lighter.

   He considers it, but doesn't really like the way she puts it, him not being able to have her.

   "Do I get to fuck her as well?", he asks.

   "Of course, at a point, when your anger has come down and she begs you, you can take her back, pliantly and willing", she grabs his hand again and this time around he doesn't move away.

   "What do I have to do?", he asks.

   "I've already started", she says.

   "What do mean, when?", Felix asks, a little confused.

   Rose laughs a little now. Dropping the cigarette and stumping it under her boot. Shaking a little cause her skimpy outfit is starting to let the cold in.

  "I packed her a beautiful dinner on your behalf, you know, just to smoothen her already ruffled feathers", she looks at her phone to check the time.

  "Come on, I'm freezing here. Drop me on your way home and I'll tell you all about it", says Rose.

   Felix looks at her, decides against saying something that would probably make her not help him anymore and simply nods his head. His house is obviously in the opposite direction of where she stays but oh well, the things we do for love, he wonders.

   They both get in the car and speed off.

   The following day is a thursday so Ziara is off duty, she wouldn't have to go in to work until Sunday. Looking out the backyard, she notices that it'll probably rain today. Dressed in her Pajamas, a pink top and pink shorts, and her hair tied haphazardly, she starts to get ready for the day.

   A call comes in.

   It's Kevin.

   "Hey beautiful, how are you doing this wonderful morning?", Kevin says as soon as she picks up.

   "It's not even eight in the morning, how can you be so chirpy, I know we both went to work last night", she asks him.

   "Oh don't be a spoil sport darling, I'm actually calling to let you know we won't be able to hang out today. Someone called in a favor for a shift change so, I'm really sorry darling", Kevin says.

   Ziara is not so happy about this new development. She had been looking forward to today for a week now so she could get some alone time with Kevin.

   Ziara could describe him as a flamboyant kind of guy, he's the life of the party and girls flock towards him. In fact he made more from tips than his actual paycheck whenever he was the one attending to the customers. He also had a kind smile and it wasn't bad that he was easy on the eyes.

   Two months ago they had met when she was at her second job at a club waiting on tables. He had ordered a drink, smiled at her and ended up getting into her pants. They had only been together two more times after that due to their busy schedules.

  She breaths out a little to ease the tension then tries to ask him who it was that asked him for his shift. She was probably gonna find a way to put something in his or her drink whenever she could, to cause a little diarrhea, nothing more, she's not actually evil. Nobody messes with her snacks, I.e, Kevin.

   "So who was it that...", but before she can get the question out she hears a somewhat loud knock on her door.

   "You should probably get that, gotta go sweet cheeks. I promise to make it up to you", he says and immediately hangs up before she can put any word in.

   The person knocks again.

   "I'm coming, I'm coming, who is it?", she asks as she opens the door.

   It's Felix.

   Ziara looks at him and is a bit surprised. She's not sure she remembers correctly but shouldn't he be at work right now, then it clicks.

   "You were the one who asked to switch with Kevin?", she asks.

   He smiles at her and raises up the shopping bags in his hand.

   "I know you're probably still mad but aren't you gonna let me in?", he takes a step forward and she moves aside to let him in.

   "Okay... but it's so early, what do you want?", she asks as she notices him looking around, taking in her room as if he's in a art gallery and he's trying to analyze the worth of the painting called her room.

   "Nice place you've got here, very cozy", he tells her.

   Then he sits on her mattress and places the things in his hand beside him.

   "I come bearing a peace offering and an apology", he continues as he looks at her earnestly. "I know how much you love to cook and I shouldn't have taken you away from that, thats actually the main reason why I'm here", he tells her.

   "I've got a job opportunity for you and I know exactly what talent you have so I know you can do it", he says.

   Ziara keeps looking at him and is still not sure what's happening.

   "Go on", she says.

   "Oh come on, don't be like that. Alright so, there's a friend of mine who runs a catering service for the rich and exclusive. The pay is insane and a slot just came and I immediately thought of you when he told he asked me about it", Felix says.

   Now Ziara is super skeptical, Felix isn't actually a nice person so why is he painting himself out to be a saint right now.

   "Of course I would require you pay me thirty percent of what you earn, for your first ten jobs. After that you're good to go", he says.

   Ziara releases a breath she didn't even know she was holding, now this is the Felix she knows.

   She moves to sit beside him and starts going through the things he brought her. There was simply more cake and drinks inside. Does he really think she loves cake that much, she wonders. She takes out a soda and starts drinking from it.

   "So how much is the pay to get you so dolled up", she asks as she gestures to his outfit.

   He is dressed in a white round neck with a leather jacket on top and a crazy jeans to complete the look. He's even got on a sneakers, she's never seen him wear one before, always crocs of slides.

   "$400", he says.

   She spits out her drink and starts choking.

   Felix immediately starts laughing at her, then pats her back to try and get some air in. She shrugs him off.

   "You can't be serious", she says as she tries to catch her breath. She starts to think he's probably just trying to mess with her.

   He brings out his phone to show her pictures of some of the events his friend has hosted and she thinks she recognizes some of the influential people in the picture. In fact she might have seen one of them on Tv last night but she wasn't really paying attention.

   "You see this people here, what can't they afford?", he asks her.

   She realizes he's right. It was entirely possible. This could change her life. She could finally start sending money back home, get a phone, build a house, start her on business, become the best chef in the whole world. Her eyes start to sparkle and Felix laughs a little when he notices.

   "So when do we start?", she asks him.

   "Also twenty percent, not thirty", Ziara continues as she starts to settle back to reality.

   "Thirty percent missy, nothing more nothing less", Felix says while wagging his his finger at her.

   "Then thirty percent for five jobs then", she steels her face to say.

   Felix is already starting to get angry, but when he remembers his real purpose, he decides to let up.

   "Fine you win, twenty percent then but..."

   Ziara immediately cuts him off.

   "Deal", she says, as she sticks out her hand for him to shake. He grabs it.

   They both smile.

   A very large room is shown with a queen bed in the center. Four girls are lying on it, wearing close to nothing and the room is littered with sex toys and clothes the girls had obviously taken off. There are several bottles of drinks as well and one of the glass tables at the edge of the room is broken. There are three paintings on the walls and one of them, the painting by a 17th century artist of a landscape, View of Delft, was torn in the middle by a dagger that was still lodged in it.

   A maid knocks on the door several times and comes in when she doesn't get an answer. As she steps in, she looks around and is seen looking around around for something.

   "What are you doing in here", a young man, with his hair still dripping water and dressed in a bathroom not fully tied in front asks. Steam is still coming from behind him as he just came from the shower and the maid is rendered speechless.

   She turns to look at him properly, brown eyes, a chiseled jaw that could probably cut paper and very very long lashes. Looking downwards she notices that he must work out a lot cause there's not an ounce of fat on his body, he must be at least six feet she wonders and when she finally catches herself she goes down on her knees, blushing.

   "I'm so sorry sir, I tried knocking but no one answered", she stammers, looking at the soles of his feet.

   "Are you satisfied", he asks.

   Now she's shaking. "I don't understand sir what do...", she tries to ask.

   He bends down and raises her head with his slightly damp hand, grip strong.

   "You were staring earlier, weren't you. Are you satisfied?", he asks again.

   She blushes harder as she realizes what he's asking. When he sees her expression, he releases her and stands up.

   "Since you've looked enough, you can leave now", he starts to walk towards the bed, leaving her still kneeling on the floor.

   "Oh and pack your bags", he turns his head slightly to look at her. "You're fired".

David, come back to bed", a beautiful head sticks out from all the mess on the bed, with shiny black eyes. 

"Coming dear", he responds, and makes his way back to the ladies awaiting him.