ARCANUS: WHO IS WHO?

SCAMMER

SAMANTHA'S POV

I finished my call with Nessa and headed out to the addresses the agent sent to me. Since I was not so familiar with the environment. I planned to use the map app on my phone to track down the coffee shops.

On my way to one of the coffee shops, I got confused. I paused for a moment to take a look at the map, and then I continued walking while still looking at the map.

As I was so focused on following the map, I stepped on someone. I rushed to apologise immediately, but the lady was not having it.

"Do you know how much these shoes cost? These are limited editions costing thousands. Can some like you afford that?" She screamed at me bitterly.

"I am so sorry." I said to the lady.

"I swear I didn't do it on purpose." I explained.

"No. Just an apology is not enough. Go on your knees and lick the dirt of my shoes." She made a very unsettling demand.

"No." I said sternly.

"Excuse me?" She asked in an unpleasant tone.

"I said I would not be licking your shoes." Even if I was an orphan and poor, it doesn't mean I don't have any dignity or shame.

"Ma'am, I've apologised to you. I am sorry, but I can't fulfil that request you just made." I said.

"If you can't do that, then pay up." She growled at me.

"How much do you say they cost?" I asked.

"Two thousand dollars." She said smugly as my mouth almost dropped to the ground.

"Two thousand dollars?" I repeated. "How could just one pair cost that much." I wonder internal.

"Are you paying? Or going for the first option?" She asked. I can see her patients running thin from her facial expression.

"You must be kidding, right?" I asked her, realising something in my head.

"Oh, I get it now. You must be one of those scammers, Nessa warned me about." I said everything now made sense to me.

Nessa told me there were lots of wealthy people in the city and that I should avoid crossing them, but she also told me that there were also scammers, who did things like this to extort money from unsuspecting ones.

"We'll, I must say, you put on a very great show, but today is not your lucky day." I said to the lady as her face turned red from pure rage.

"Good advice, though. You are still young. You are most likely my age mate with this look. Find a better job." I said as I started walking away without letting her speak. I heard her cursing and threatening me as I walked away, but I was less concerned about her. I had an interview waiting for me.

I finally found the coffee shop. When I got there I asked to see the manager.

"Hi, good morning. " a mid aged lady said to me.

"Good morning, Ma'am." I replied.

"I heard you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, Ma'am, my name is Samantha, and I am here to apply for a job as a waitress." I revealed.

"Oh, right this way, please." She said, leading me to her office.

She took her seat and pointed at the chair opposite her, gesturing for me to sit.

"Would you like anything?" She asked me.

"No, Ma'am, I'm okay."

"Okay, so let's start." She said.

"I need a proper introduction." She added.

"My name is Samantha, I am eighteen years old, I am a high school graduate, I graduated from St Thomas high school. I don't have a last name because I am an orphan. I have been ever since I can remember, and I also don't know where I come from exactly." I said nervously.

"I'm so sorry to hear that." She said as I nodded as acknowledgement of her sympathy.

"So what makes you think you can handle this job?" She asked.

"Well, I know I can handle this job because I have experience in this aspect. I worked at a friend's café for two years, so I know I can handle it. And also because I am a fast learner." I answered that question confidently.

"Okay. This next question is unnecessary, so I won't ask." She said, closing her note pad.

"I need your ID card, your phone number, and your address." She said as the small person inside me squealed with excitement.

I gave her the necessary info she needed, and she briefed me about the rules of the shop.

"The shop official opens by seven in the morning and ends by six in the evening." She said as we walked out of her office.

"Sadie will fill you in on what you need to know about handling customers." She said as we made our way to the counter.

"Sadie." She called the lady at the other side of the counter.

"Yes, Florence." Sadie replied.

"This is Samantha, your new coworker." She said, introducing me.

"I need you to teach her everything she needs to know so she can blend in fast." She ordered and walked off.

"Hi." I said.

"Hey, Samantha, right?" She said as I nodded.

"You've done this before?" Sadie asked as I nodded.

"Cool, at least I don't have to start the tutoring from scratch." She said jokingly.

"Here's your approne." She stretched, giving me an approne with a beautiful print of the cafe's name on it, 'Hot café'.

It was a simple yet elegant name.

Sadie taught me how to speak to customers. How to reply to the rude ones, and how to react when the customers are crossing a line.

Suddenly, the bell of the coffee shop rang. A customer just entered.

"Go get her order." Sadie instructed. I nodded and walked to the table with a smile as I adjusted my approne.

"Hello, what can I get for you?" I said as I lifted my eyes to meet the gaze of the customer.

"You?" We both shouted.