Chapter 2: Present

Dara's POV

14 years later

"Hi. I'm here to apply," I happily say to the restaurant staff. Yes, you read it right. I am applying to the restaurant. 

Hello. My name is Dara Saetang, 21 years old. If I can make it, this will be my third job.

"Hello. Please follow me," the polite man says. I simply followed him to the manager's room.

"Thank you," I say before he leaves. I see him smile at me, so I smile back. 

In the room sits a middle-aged man on the sofa. "Please sit down," he commands. I do what he says and sit on the long chair to his right. 

"So you're Dara Sae—" He looks like he is having trouble saying my last name, so I speak.

"Saetang, sir." I try to be polite as much as I can. I don't want to offend him or make any mistakes and give him a reason not to accept me. 

Anyway, the man continues to read my resume. I am sweating, afraid and nervous at the same time. Please accept me, please accept me. I prayed in secret.

The man's straight face turns into a frown, which makes me even more nervous. "You didn't study?" he asks. 

This is the part where I get nervous the most. They did not accept me because I didn't finish school. I take a deep breath before answering with confidence, "Sorry for answering like this, but let me be straightforward. I studied, but I didn't have the chance to finish. The reason being I grew up in an orphanage and we couldn't all study until high school. So as their older sister, I stopped and started to be independent."

I am scared of how he will react to my attitude just now. I look at his face and see him smiling. 

"I like your attitude. You're not scared to show your true self. That's the only thing I need. You're hired." he says, smiling widely at me. 

"Really? Thank you so much, sir. You are an angel." I can't stop praising him. 

"Don't flatter me too much, haha. Anyway, you can start tomorrow morning. Your work time will be 8 am to 2 pm because you are new, but just have a little patience. Maybe you can be a regular someday," he says.

"Yes sir. I'm looking forward to it. Thank you," I replied. 

Before my gratitude, my heart becomes thankful more to the point of worshiping him. I left the restaurant. 

"I'm so happy. I should tell Eli." I started walking. 

I rushed to our apartment to tell her what happened. 

*Apartment*

When I reached the room, I didn't expect to see Eli crying on her knees.  

"Hey! What happened?" I replied, concerned about her. 

"It's so unfair! They did not accept me in all of my applications. What am I going to do? I still can't find a job to help you," she says while crying like a baby. 

"Shhhh. It's ok. My current application was accepted. So I can pay our debt," I reply, attempting to calm her down but still careful not to brag. 

"Bu-but I want to help you pay it," she says while in the middle of crying.

"I told you, it's ok. Don't mind me. Just focus on your studies to find a better job in the future," I said, encouraging her. 

She seems to be calmer,stopping her subs  so I help her to stand up. 

"Feeling better?" I genuinely ask.

"Yeah. I promise, when I find a job. I will work hard and give you all my salary," she says with a small smile. She's so sweet.

"Fine but first, let's fix your face. You look like chucky," I joked. 

"Do I?" she innocently asked and both of us burst into laughter. 

Elizabeth Tinnasit (Eli for short but I preferred 'Bebu') and I both grew up in an orphanage. Eli has lived her whole life inside the orphanage. The nun said they found her In Front of the church

While me, who was brought there when I was seven years old by a concerned police officer. 

(Fast Forward)

When the night comes, I get ready to go to my night job. Yes, you read it right. Every weekend, I work the whole day on a farm. On weeknights, I work at the club. Not to dance, but as a waitress.

I'm free every weekday that's why I looked for another job. I need to pay rent, bills and Eli's education so I need to work a lot. We also have an old debt to pay. That's why Eli wants to help me. I do appreciate her for that but it's better for me if she would just focus on her studies. I'm the one who wants to send her to college so yeah.

"Bebu! I'm going out now!" I shouted because she was in the shower. 

"Wait for me!" she replied. She always sends me off but I guess not today. 

"No, it's fine. I'm going to lock the door. Make sure to take your dinner, ok?" I shouted again in front of the bathroom. 

"Ok!" she simply answered. 

I walk towards the door. 

—Click— The door click means it's locked. 

(Fast Forward)

I went to the club where I work. It's a decent job and the club owner took wonderful care of all her staff. 

It's still early when I arrive. 

"Hello pretty," Madam greets me. She is wearing a colorful yet sexy top with a pink skirt. She used to be him.

"Good evening Ms. A," I greeted her back. She is the transgender co-owner/manager in charge of the club. 

"You look fabulously gorgeous. Did something good happen?" she asks, raising her eyebrows at me. 

I shyly smile and look at her. "My application got accepted."

"Really? That's good, but aren't you forcing yourself?" I can tell that her concern for me is true based on her expression and tone. 

"Don't worry, I'm okay. I'm tough, remember?" I just pass my answer off as a joke. It's not a total lie after all. We both laugh and she guides me to the dressing room.

After that conversation, I begin my usual work. Some customers were rude today, but I can manage it. 

—Clang— The bottle of beer collides.

I was cleaning the table that the customer used earlier when,

"Dara?" someone taps on my shoulder from behind. When I look behind me I see Nikki, one of my coworkers. 

"Yes? How can I help you?" I ask her. 

"I'm still working on something Ms. A asked. Is it okay if you could possibly bring a Musigny Musigny Grand Cru to table 12? Please," she explains.

"Sure," I answered. "I'll just finish this quickly and then do it."

"Ok, thank you," she said while smiling at me. She taps my shoulder again before she leaves.

I finish what I am doing and go to the cellar to get the wine. "Hmmm. Ah! This," I say when I find the wine I am looking for. I head to the second floor of the club where table 12 is. VIPs are here, so I'm a little nervous. When I see table 12, I go straight to it. I bow 45° before speaking. "Good evening. Here's your wine. Please enjoy," I say politely while stretching my arm towards the man wearing a white suit. 

Five people are seated at the table. On the right side of it is a man wearing a black suit holding the waist of the woman next to him. On the other side is a white suit and next to it is a woman in a sexy, red dress. While the last one, wearing a maroon suit, is sitting in the middle.

The man in white doesn't take the wine and just looks at me. I think I did something wrong by letting them take it, so I put the wine down on the table. 

The man in a white suit doesn't bother to blink while looking at me. Do I have dirt on my face? 

I ignore him and bow again as a sign that I'm leaving when the man wearing a black suit calls me. 

"Hey! You." I heard a man's voice calling someone and I know for sure it's me who he is calling. 

I face him and bow a little. "Yes sir? Do you need anything?" I ask. 

"You're pretty. I'll check you out," he suddenly says without asking me. A customer can't check the waitress out. 

"Thank you, but I'm afraid it's not possible." I politely decline. 

"What? Don't you know me? When I say you're mine for today, you're mine!" he barks violently. 

"But it's really not possible, sir." Even though I'm afraid of what he may do, I still refuse to go with him.

"Chill bro." The man in the white suit interferes to calm him down. "You can go now."

I bow again and rush to leave that place. "My God! I got goosebumps there," I say, power walking towards the bar counter. 

I continue to work, but I can feel someone watching me. I set aside my worries and don't bother to be preoccupied while working.

The club closes at 4 AM and there are no more customers. We have cleaned up already and are getting ready to go home when Ms. A calls me.

"Dara?"

"Yes, Ms. A?"

"Here," she hands me something in a red envelope. 

"What is this?" I ask curiously. When I take the envelope, I feel its thickness, which implies that there is a lot of money inside.

"Someone came to me earlier. He asked me to give it to you. He also said he's sorry if they harassed you earlier."

"Ah! Is that so? But I think this is too much for a tip. I can't accept it." I stare at the envelope questioningly. 

"It's ok. It's yours. Do anything you want with it." She smiles at me while saying this.

"Thank you. I will spend this wisely." 

"Yeah, but are you okay? You should have told me what happened," Ms. A asks in a concerned tone. 

"I'm fine. Don't worry. Nothing happened." I smile to wipe away the worry on her face and change the atmosphere.

"Fine, but next time report something like that to me so we can get rid of those rude people. Okay?" What she said was complete my night. "Yes. Thank you again. Bye." We're lucky to have her as our manager. 

~