Billionaire gangster falls for a single Mom.

The fear of losing a job.

I sat on the chair at the front desk. I felt tired, and after learning about Bravyn being the boss of the bosses and ignoring him and speaking to him like he was a nobody, I was not only more tired, but a wave of fatigue grasped my whole body.

Losing this job will only mean I will be begging on the streets as a pauper, I won't have a place to call home, and Mellisa won't be able to survive such hardship.

Was that a practical joke, Lydia, or are you just making me anxious? I pouted, crossing my fingers for an answer I would smile about.

"Why would I joke about something serious like that?" Lydia gave me this side glance that screamed, " It's the truth.

I knew he was a kind of celebrity, and I wondered why that group was so noisy and Timi did not bother to calm them up. I thought it was because they were drinking expensive drinks. Stupid me, I would have cared to ask.

Why would a billionaire be so interested in a waitress like me? I think these people have boundaries about how low they can bend. I'm a nobody, and that's why he wants to use me and live with me after Mellisa's father. I have no appetite for either rich or poor men.

But I need this job. Mellisa is already complaining about the place we are living at the moment, speaking about her father, and even wanting to go and see him. If I lose this job, then what will happen? I cannot sit down and watch my daughter suffer. It would kill me.

I thought of ways I could save my job without indulging in Bravyn. He has a string of girls already. Probably, if I explained myself to him and why I couldn't have a relationship with him, he would listen.

I stood up from the chair and headed to the cloakroom to change. By tomorrow morning, I must have a concrete plan for why Bravyn Damien should not fire me. For now, I need to go home and see how my daughter's health is faring.

Lydia tried to talk to me, but I was not interested; she should have warned me. I hate fake friends. Everyone saw how Bravyn kept disturbing me. They could have said something, but they were all jealous because clients like me and tip me a lot; otherwise, what other reason would they give me for their silence?

Timi stared at me, and I stared back. I could see pity written all over his face; that was a sign that all was not well.

Bravyn was not a saint enough to forgive me for rejecting his advances; he was going to punish me for humiliating him in front of his entourage. This was yours, for a fact.

I walked home feeling like the world was about to crumble and I was the only target. I needed to see my daughter to see if her flu had gone away.

Will Bravyn listen to me? Is he a kind person? No, he is an animal—a spoilt brat who was born into a rich family. His hotels were just a legacy, an inheritance from his parents. He cannot understand what sleeping outside means; he has had a roof over his head all his years on earth. How can he know anything about sleeping hungry?

I knocked on my door and Mellisa opened the door, " Why have you not slept sweetheart, Is it not late?" I was astonished, it's rare to find her awake at 11 p.m.

"I have been sleeping the whole day, and I can't sleep now, but I feel better. Listen to my voice; I no longer have a funny voice!" She laughed and took my handbag to ramshackle if I brought her some candy or chocolate.

"Mummy was busy today. I forgot to buy you something, but God was with me. I got a nice tip. Tomorrow I will buy you a big chunk of chocolate, and your Nanny can cut a small piece for you daily!" I said, wondering if I would use the money now. Then tomorrow there is no job. Then what will my option be?

"You look so tired. I will tell my Auntie to give you a warm bath so you can relax your nerves. I will wait so we can eat together," Mellisa said like a grownup, and she ran to the kitchen.

I was surprised she had not eaten her supper till this late. I knew her Nanny must have given up on her after trying again and again to force her to eat her food.

"Why has Mellisa not eaten her food? I told you she should get her supper by 7:30 pm, and by 8:30 pm, she should be in her bed sleeping!" I asked her, Nanny, Of course, I knew the answer, but I wanted to confirm.

" She woke up at 8 pm, and said since she felt better, she will wait for you, so you can celebrate her healing together," Her Nanny replied.

"What's wrong with eating together once in a while? Have you forgotten that before we came to this tiny house, we used to eat together in my father's house?" Mellisa scoffed.

That's what made my heart darken—her father's house, indeed. If her Father was not a thug who indulged in robbery and thuggery and then went drinking alcohol only to come home and beat her to a pulp, Their family would still be intact, living the best of their lives in a beautiful mansion on the outskirts of the city.

"In your father's house, I was a homemaker, and we used to depend on your father; now I go to work, and we can all depend on me!" I burst out, knowing that everything that we owned was sold to repay what Melissa's father had stolen from people.

" If Daddy went abroad why can't we go live in that house,?" Mellisa was a boiling pot of questions that never ran dry.

"Because he sold the house so he could go abroad. Now eat your food and answer your questions; tomorrow is a school day!" I instructed the Nanny to bring her food.

"I miss school and my friends," Mellisa said, taking her plate and eating her food slowly.

I went to the bathroom; my bath water was ready, and I removed my clothes and dipped myself in the rather hotter water. I felt my muscles relax,, and I was happy that tomorrow I would be capable of facing another day.

I went to bed only to find Mellisa fighting with her Nanny as she refused to get out of bed. So I stood still and watched the kind of menace she gave her.

"Mellisa, we need to go to sleep in our room; Mummy is tired and needs to sleep without being disturbed!" Her Nanny said

"She is my mother; I can sleep with her tonight," Mellisa replied, crawling to the far end of the bed.

" Why ?".

"Because I am scared, and that congested room is the reason I got sick, I will be sleeping here every day!" Mellisa burst out and made a face at her.

"And you get better when sleeping in that same congested room, remember, so that's not an excuse!" Her Nanny informed her.

"Mellisa, what did I say about respecting and listening to your elders?" I intervened; she was an old soul when it came to reasoning. So she needed to be counteracted from a very different angle.

"Sorry, Mummy, I am going to bed now!" Mellisa moved slowly out of my bed,, and without another word,, she walked towards the door.

" Am glad you understood the consequences of not following what your Nanny says equals time out!" I murmured as I watched my happiness get out of my bedroom without a backward glance.

I got between the sheets and stared blankly at the ceiling. Even if I want to get married or be involved with any other man, will Mellisa accept him? She knows her father, and they shared a big bond as I suffered in the background. "She is also another reason I cannot indulge in any relationship." I whispered, turned to the wall, closed my eyes, and slept.

I woke up late. I was not going to work till late that day; my workstation was still at the bar, and I was not in the mood for overtime pay. If there was no job, I needed to get that one phone call in the comfort of my house.

I got to work and changed into my mini dress; that was the uniform for that particular day. And I proceeded to my workstation. I lingered at the front desk, but nobody said anything. My job was still intact. Clients started streaming in, and I continued with my welcome and serving duty diligently, keeping the thoughts of me being called by Timi and being given a letter of dismissal at bay. I occupied myself with clients' small talk; others thought I was becoming overly friendly, and they tipped me big. This motivated me to converse more and smile, tapping on their shoulders for attention.

" Shelby, what did you feed on today? You look joyful!" A male client, with whom we are constantly at loggerheads, said he likes spanking my round bum.

"I'm always like this until you stretch up your hands to mishandle me." I smiled at him.

"I apologized, and I won't do it again, mostly now that all of a sudden you're becoming friendly!" he laughed.

Then what I had been fearing all the hours since I arrived here happened: I saw Timi hurrying towards me, and my heart skipped a beat."Oh, my God, you forgot to protect me and keep your end of the bargain; who else should I run to if I can't come to you?" My heart leaped for the deity.

"Stop what you are doing; you have an urgent phone call!" Timi told me.

"Did you get the name of the person who wants to talk to me?" I asked, placing my tray and waiter's clothes at the side working table.

"Braven, of course!" Timi said, "I'm sorry, but I usually don't hold any cards against him; he is the ultimate decision-maker; if he says your job is over, then it's over".

I was fluttering like a leaf on a windy day; my hands were sweating when I held the office phone and heard his humble, perilous voice. It made me relax a little, and I knew I had a chance to plead and implore for my job.

" Hello Shelby, I have been waiting for your call!" He said he was not mad at me.

I Am fine, and who am I speaking to?" I replied, feigning that I didn't know who was speaking.

"This is Bravyn Damien; remember I left my card with you yesterday?" He said his tone is modest and steady. I moaned; I needed to stop the trembling, and I wiped my sweaty hands on my dress.

" Forgive me; I am sorry I didn't give you a listening ear, I would like to explain myself further. Given a chance, please don't fire me!" I replied, and my voice is still shaking. I needed to know the fate of my job as I proceeded with this dialogue.

"Fire you!" He shouted, and I trembled more.

"For my behavior yesterday, I am sorry. I need this job. I have a young girl at home, and this job is our only hope!"I responded on the verge of crying. His tone had changed from calm to wild. And I had to mention my baby so he could leave me alone.

I Am not firing you; I was inviting you over for coffee," He replied. This time he chimed happily. I wondered if he never heard I had a child, meaning I am a single mother and am not fit for him.

"Thank you so much; I will be there; just let my manager, Timi, know I won't be working that day!" I retorted. My voice had stabilized, and I was no longer afraid. My Job was not at risk. I was not scared of meeting him, and I will explain to him broadly why me and him can't be in any relationship.

"So if you don't mind, can you text me so that I can get your number? It will be easy to communicate that way!" He said that, and my heart stopped. I threw his card away. I had to think fast.

"Timi will send you my number. I think I should get back to work. I will see you soon!"I replied, staring at Timi, and excused myself, so he could not ask me about his card.

"Tell Timi what to do; see you soon too".He dismissed me. God was really on my side. I raised my head and whispered a thankful prayer.

"Send him my number!" I told Timi, who was anxious to hear what we talked about, but he did not hear any other words from me.

"That's all!" He asked, and I glimpsed at him with my furrowed eyes and creased face.

Lydia was probably waiting to hear some bad news, but I passed her like lightning, went to my working station, and continued with my job.

I was in a very jovial mood, but deep inside, as I waited for that phone call, I was afraid. The fear of the unknown ate at my soul like nematodes sucking on grubs, even when they were dead.

Exactly at 10 p.m., when my shift was over, I went for my phone at the front desk, where we left it to avoid job distractions. Immediately I picked it up, it started ringing