chapter 4

Wednesday was finally here. Lisa found that she was in an unusually cheerful mood that morning. Nothing spells happiness quite like the prospect of earning ten thousand dollars a week. She even sang a joyful tune while carrying on her morning routine. On her way to the convenience store that morning she couldn't help the spring in her step. She headed to the convenience store where she was fortunate enough to meet the proprietor. She gave Mr Norman prior notice concerning her possible resignation and went to work. As soon as her shift was over she headed to Willy's. As promised Lucas was waiting for her. Sitted at thesame table as the day before. She passed by him and went to exchange words with Mr. Norton. She gave Mr. Norton prior notice of resignation and asked for a few minutes so she could talk with Lucas uninterrupted.Mr. Norton was not happy to lose such a dedicated worker. But he understood that whatever Lucas had said yesterday was the reason for which she was resigning, which implied that she was seeking "greener pastures". He wished her best of luck and she excused herself. Sitting at Lucas' table on the chair opposite his she said " Good day Ward". He then said to her, "You do realize that as soon as you sign this contract I become your boss, for all intents and purposes, don't you?" Lisa smiled then and said, "Until then Ward, until then. First things first though, I'll like to know how and why you chose me as a suitable candidate for the job. Or do you just go around looking for a sales person, or waitress for housekeeping gigs?" Lucas wasn't surprised by Lisa's way quite as much anymore. So he just smiled and said, "Where do I start?". Although he was asking a rhetorical question Lisa gave him a reply. She said,"Preferably from the very beginning." So he said, "I first saw you at the five star restaurant of that hotel you work at. The very first thing I noticed was how very beautifully you smile. And then your poise and politeness. Later on how very diligent and intelligent you must be. I decided to obtain as much information about you as possible. First hand information. So i followed you home and then to your other places of work the next day. I discovered then how very punctual, strategic and consistent you are.But the tiebreaker was when I discovered your paranoia and cautious nature. I was mesmerized when you said "ID please."

Lisa was stunned to say the least. When she'd asked him that question she'd been expecting a response along the lines of "You seem hardworking enough." Or may be "I did my research and you're what we're looking for". Anything at all, but what Lucas had just said.

At that moment, Lisa didn't know whether to be flattered or horrified. He'd actually been following her since Sunday night, and she hadn't realized. Lisa said, " Can I have the contract?" And Lucas said "Here, make sure to read it more than once and whatever you think needs amending let me know." Lisa saw that her job description was pretty much thesame as what would be expected of any housekeeper, and that got her gut in knots. She said, "I'm not convinced. Like you, I did my homework. And I got from a very reliable source that you have been hiring and firing housekeepers on a regular basis recently. There must be something that is not stipulated in this contract. What is it?" Lucas said "it's all there. I didn't leave out a single detail. You'll be working for my family, you'll have to act as butler, and housekeeper. Managing the home. Nothing has been left out." Lisa wasn't at all satisfied with that reply. she said, " Why then have you had to fire so many housekeepers in such a short time?" Lucas said, "You see, that, that right there , that skeptical nature and the need for you to question everything is why I chose you for this job. But to answer your question some of my family members just did not like them." Lisa then said, " Are you telling me that if by no fault of mine, a family member of yours happens to dislike me, I'll be fired?" "Pretty much", He replied. She stared at him in disbelief. "I wish I had taken a photo. The look on your face just now was priceless. You're so easy to tease. The housekeepers that were fired did one or more wrong things that actually warranted their getting fired. That said is there anything you'll like changed?" "No" Lisa said " Everything seems to be in order" "Ok then, here's a pen sign on the dotted line at the bottom of the page" Lucas said, and Lisa did that. Satisfied Lucas said "You begin next week. So make sure to pack up your stuff and hand in your resignations at your places of work. I'll get your quarters ready." See you Monday. " Yes sir " Lisa replied. Lucas nodded, and left her to her own devices then. Lisa completed her shift at Willy's and then headed over to the old age home. This was the one job she was truly going to miss. She went first to the administrative office to give them her prior notice of resignation and then went ahead to meet the elderly people. She had to prepare them too for her departure. So she told them she'd found a well paying job , and that she'd have to leave them soon. But she'd come visit as often as she could. There was a strange atmosphere of mixed feelings at the old people's home that day. They were happy for her, yet sad that she had to leave.

Later on, she went to the hotel, where she told Alicia all about the contract and gave her resignation notice. Alicia promised her that her job at the hotel would remain open should she ever need it. The last milestone to overcome was her aunt. She knew her aunt wasn't going to take her leaving lightly. Her aunt was one to point out to her how ungrateful she was and she was definitely going to be getting a long lecture on that tonight. When she got home she prepared dinner, and after dinner she braced herself and broached the topic. Her aunt wasn't one to disappoint. As expected she gave Lisa a lecture, but nothing was going to hinder Lisa. She was moving ahead in life, and that was all she could think about.