Chapter 1
3247 Words
“I’m sorry, my daughter. You shouldn’t have come here to Michigan. You have school in Chicago,” Mom told me when she saw me the moment she woke up.
Last night, my aunt Georgina called me and told me that Mom has collapsed. It is her fifth attack this week and it’s only Wednesday. I immediately booked a train to here.
I sighed and looked at her. “Mom, let’s go to the hospital, please?” I begged her.
She’s been ailing dilated cardiomyopathy for a period of time now and she doesn’t want to go to the hospital. She always says that she’s okay even when she’s already pale and she weak.
I hate that I couldn’t do anything for her.
Mom smiled. “I’m okay. I can mana—” she didn’t finish what she was going to say because she suddenly fainted once again.
“Mom!” I screamed making Aunt Georgina to come inside.
“What happened, Blythe?” she asked me, already hysterical.
I looked at her in urgency. “Mom fainted!”
Aunt Georgina nodded and immediately ran to the phone to call 911. I was already crying when the ambulance and rapid response team came. They immediately put my mom on oxygen and rushed her to the nearest hospital.
Tests were done and the doctor came to me and to my Aunt.
He sighed and fixed his glasses. “I’m sorry, Miss Prescott. But I think you’re mom needs to stay here for a few days. It’s too dangerous for her to stay at home with her condition,” he stated. “Her condition is not good. To be honest with you, her prognosis is poor.”
My heart broke at what the doctor told me.
“What about surgery, doc?” Aunt Georgina asked.
The doctor looked at her and smiled weakly. “A heart transplant is possible but it is not a guarantee that she will be able to survive,” he began explaining the process.
“I am willing, doc. I am willing to risk it. It’s for my mother. I am willing to do everything for her. Please save her,” I sobbed and almost kneeled in front of the doctor.
For years, I have hated seeing my mother suffer. My dad left us and since then, it was just me and her. She worked day and night for me. She did everything for me. Now, I want to do everything for her.
“It will cost a lot, Miss Prescott,” the doctor said.
I nodded. “I will work hard for it, doc. Just please save my mom. She’s all I have now…” I told him and that’s when I have decided that I will need to stop schooling and start working for my mom’s surgery.
I will swallow fire if I need to. I will walk on water if I have to.
***
“Blythe, there’s an order of whiskey on table four,” Des told me while I was preparing for a cocktail in the counter.
Tonight seems like a busy night here in the club. I can see people already crowding the place and it’s only nine in the evening. I can’t believe people in Michigan are this…wild? I don’t really know what to call it but they seem to be early birds in the club.
Des nodded at me and motioned to the table four. I smiled and acknowledged what she meant. I immediately poured a shot of whiskey and placed all the drinks I made on the tray.
I first went to table nine who first ordered nine cocktails. They are of group young girls who just came in and ordered immediately.
“Here are your cocktails, Ma’am,” I politely said and placed the drinks on the table.
They looked at me and smiled before handing me a ten dollar tip. I immediately placed it inside my pocket proceeding to table four.
In table four was a man who’s in a simple blue shirt and a pair of faded jeans. His hair is up in a mess but it looked good on him. His eyebrows are thick and his eyes are gray. He’s so focused on the table in front of him like he’s spacing out and didn’t care about the world.
I pursed my lips and took a deep breath before walking nearer the table. He looked away and now, on my view are his prominent jawline and tall nose. His lips are a bit red and I can see that he has a piercing on his ear.
I gulped hard and stopped to give him his order. “H-here’s your o-order, s-sir…” I stuttered and I wanted to bury myself on the ground immediately.
He slowly turned to me and I straightened. f**k. What is happening to me?
His stare at me lingered a little bit longer than it should be and I couldn’t help but feel awkward that I have to deliver his drinks to him.
It’s not like this is the first time that I had to cater to a man who’s alone and who’s handsome but why…why does it feel so different with him? This is ridiculous!
My hands even shivered and I almost spilled his drink on the table and I cursed myself mentally because of what I am acting right now. “T-thank y-y-you…”
Ah, f**k. Why did I thank him?
I’m stupid.
I saw his brow rose in my periphery as he looked at me. I blinked several times and looked down, hugging on the damn tray like my life depended on it.
“Are you okay?” he asked in a low baritone.
I slowly looked up and met his intense gaze. Damn. Is this how he looks at everyone? I feel like I am already under immense scrutiny for a reason that I do not know of.
I bit my lip and nodded before walking away from that table. Heck. I really am going to ask Des that I will not cater to that table anymore. I will take three of her tables but not that table!
Des looked at me curiously with narrowed eyes. “What’s wrong?” she asked me because she must have noticed how anxious I am when I got back to the bar.
I put the round tray on the counter and squatted on the floor, hiding myself behind the counter. Thinking about his stare makes me feel like ten years of my life have been taken from me.
Des squatted beside me and then tapped my shoulder. “Hey! What happened?” she asked me in a concerned tone.
I looked at her and pouted. “I feel so stupid,” I replied in a dramatic way.
She narrowed her eyes at me. “Why?”
I sighed and shut my eyes forcefully. I shook my head, not wanting to elaborate anymore because I don’t want to share my stupidity—that only makes me even more stupid.
Des sighed. “Come on! We have lots of customers tonight. We have no time to slack here. Bea is going to yell at us if she sees us squatting on the floor while the club is noisy and busy,” she told me and that was enough for me to gather myself together and resume with my work.
I decided to evade that table. No matter what happens, I will let the other waiters to cater to him. I will not even walk near him so he wouldn’t have the chance to interact with me. Well, not that I am expecting him to ask me personally.
“Hey,” Vien called me. “Can you tell Miss Bea to call in some girls? The man over there wanted someone to keep him busy.” She pointed at the direction of the table I don’t even want to look at.
I looked to where she’s pointing at and, to my surprise, she was talking about the man in table four. He’s looking at me, making me look away in an instant.
“Hey, Blythe,” Vien called me again, snapping me back to reality. “Please tell Miss Bea. I have three tables to cater now… Thank you!” she beamed as she go the drinks on the bar.
I sighed and just did what I was told. Anyway, I don’t have a choice. But actually, this is good. If someone is with him now, then that makes me safe now.
I walked to Miss Bea who was busy writing something on the logbook—probably the escorts who are already booked for tonight. I saw some men going up the second floor a while ago. They probably chose who to take home for the night.
“Yes, Blythe?” Miss Bea turned to me, smiling. Okay, so, it’s confirmed. She’s in a good mood because there must be a lot of bookings tonight.
“Uhh…one customer is asking for a company,” I told her. I have been working here for a month and I still don’t know how I would address the girls. Escorts? Maidens? I don’t know. I feel like I can’t think of a more polite way to call them.
Miss Bea raised her brow. “Who?”
“The man on table four, Ma’am,” I replied.
Miss Bea sighed and she looked conflicted. “We don’t have an available girl now, Blythe. Everyone is booked and is scheduled to leave before ten,” she explained.
I looked down. Well, I don’t know how to respond to that. First of all, I have tables to attend to. Second, it’s not my scope of concern. And third, I am not an escort.
“Blythe…” Miss Bea called me. “Go first. Go and entertain him first. I swear I’ll give you three times your wage for the night.”
My eyes widened and I looked at her in disbelief. “Ma’am?” I asked, confused and in denial of what I just heard of her.
She pursed her lips in a thin line. “Okay, I’ll allow you a paid leave for a week. You have to attend to your mother, right?” she said as she looked at me with hopeful eyes.
I stared at her while I was thinking. She just gave me a leave, one I was not yet entitled to have since I have just started working here for a month, because she wanted me to cater that…man! I can’t believe it!
She’s even tripling my salary for the night. Oh, my god! Miss Bea is desperate!
Miss Bea smiled at me. “I know it’s not part of your job, so I’m giving you a lot of options for benefits. I just don’t want a customer to be lonely because that would speak a lot of our service.”
She sounded so desperate and it left me nothing to do but nod. She sighed in relief as she saw my action. She even jumped in a hugged me. “You can claim your week worth of paid leave whenever you want it!” she told me excitedly as she pushed me to the dressing room.
“Miss Bea, what—”
“You have to change your clothes. You’re wearing something too plain. I need you to wear something an escort would wear!” she told me as she rummaged the closet of the escorts in this club.
I gulped hard when she showed me a red corset top and leather mini-skirt. No…that’s not—
“This! This is the perfect outfit for you!” she beamed before getting the fishnet stockings and mid thigh-high boots. “Go and change now. I’ll let Maya do your make up.”
I frowned as I hugged the clothes and walked to the changing room. I couldn’t think of anything while I was changing. Just one thing. These clothes are too tight! I can’t even breathe on them!
“Skimpy,” I told myself as I looked at myself on the mirror. I removed my hair tie and laid my hair down.
It’s a good thing that I have thick long wavy hair. It somehow helps me cover up a little.
“Blythe, are you done?” I heard Maya, the makeup artist call me from the outside.
I looked at myself on the mirror one more time before sighing. “Yes! I’m done,” I replied before opening the door.
Maya’s eyes widened when she saw me walking out of the door. “Oh my god!” she exclaimed. “Are you sure this is you?” she asked as she looked at me from head to foot.
I frowned. “Is there something wrong?” I asked as I pulled my skirt down. I don’t feel like this is my kind of clothing. I was used to pants and shirts, the comfortable ones. Not these kinds of outfits…
Maya shook her head. “You look…fantastic!” she beamed before pulling me to sit on the chair in front of the huge mirror with lights around. She stared at my reflection. “Wow! I didn’t think you would look this good.”
I kept quiet. I don’t know what to say because I am busy convincing myself that I am wearing these clothes.
“Don’t worry,” Maya said. “This is your first and last time to entertain. Miss Bea was just short of girls tonight because of their bookings.”
I nodded and hoped that it was the case.
Maya proceeded to put light make up on me. She said that my features are already prominent so she only needed to accentuate them a little with not much make up involved.
It took her about fifteen minutes before it was done. I looked at the mirror and was shocked to see my face like that. I don’t usually use make up because I don’t really care how I look. But then, I look better with them. There’s no question why women love makeups. They make a lot of difference.
“Now go,” Maya told me. She only fixed my hair a little. “You’re so beautiful. It’s a shame you’re a waiter and not an escort,” she added.
I smiled weakly before pulling my skirt down as I stood up. I have stockings on but I still feel a little awkward. Well, I don’t think I would be used to it any time soon anyway.
Miss Bea went in and her eyes widened when she saw me. “Oh, my god!” she exclaimed as she eyed me head-to-foot. “You look…magnificent!” she beamed before turning to Maya. “Amazing!”
Maya chuckled. “She’s a natural,” she told Miss Bea.
Miss Bea nodded. “You should be an escort!” she beamed. “You’ll earn ten times more! I bet you’re going to be the favorite!”
I looked down, shy, before shaking my head. “It’s not my forte, Ma’am,” I replied.
Miss Bea sighed. “Okay, that’s okay. But for tonight, go and accompany the man over there,” she said. “I already talked to him and he’s already waiting for you.”
I nodded before sighing. “I will go now, Ma’am,” I said and then she even cheered for me.
My heart is beating out loud the moment I stepped into the party area. Some of the people were already looking at me as I walked towards table four. As expected, the man was looking at his drink, waiting.
My legs felt numb as I walked closer to him. My hands are cold. And my whole system is shaking as I stopped on his table.
He looked at me and slowly, his lips parted.
“G-good evening, Sir,” I stuttered as I fidgeted on my fingers.
His stare is paralyzing because I couldn’t move suddenly. It’s like I am already under some sort of spell. “Have a seat,” he told me as he nodded at the seat in front of him.
I actually sighed in relief that he didn’t ask me to sit beside him. But then, sitting across him only means that he has the convenience to look at me all the time. I don’t know if that’s better though, knowing how intense his stare is.
He reached for the shot and downed it in one shot. He pursed his lips tightly as he gulped the whiskey. He brought the glass down and then crossed his arms while looking at me.
“What’s your name?” he asked as he raised his hand, calling for a waiter.
I fiddled on my fingers. “Blythe,” I replied.
He nodded. “Blythe,” he uttered like it was chant. “It’s a good name. Suitable for you,” he told me before a waitress came.
I looked down and tried to hide my face. I only looked up after the man finished ordering and that waitress is gone.
He’s already watching me when I looked up. “You don’t drink?” he asked.
I shook my head. “No, Sir.”
He nodded. “You’re a waitress here…” he stated. “Are you also an escort?”
I bit my lip. “T-this is m-my first time, Sir,” I replied.
He narrowed his eyes at me and I can see how his brows furrowed. “Good,” he said. “I don’t think being an escort suits you.”
I looked up, a little bothered of what he’s talking about. But somehow, I feel slightly offended.
He sighed and then c****d his head to the side. “How long have you been working here?” he asked.
“A month, Sir,” I replied.
He inhaled a deep breath. “My name’s Chadrick,” he told me. “Don’t call me sir. It makes me feel old.”
I smiled awkwardly and nodded. Chadrick…it’s actually a common name…but he makes it sound so unique. Damn.
- Writer
