COMPULSION: A Billionaire Romance

Chapter 2

We’ve already set up a schedule for the month. Sorry,

but there are no available shifts that you can take,’ chirstine

says, looking at me with shitty regret. I hate it. If she'd

taken some effort, she could have found a couple of shifts

next week, but...

‘It's OK, I understand,’ I say with a tight smile. Tight is

a keyword here. But, judging by Mel's wrinkled face, I

didn’t say anything special.

I leave the boss’s office in a terrible mood. I was

refused a bank loan, there are no free shifts in the

restaurant, and my friends do not have enough money. It's

a matter of fact that I am up to my eyeballs in s**t, and I

have no idea how to get out of this stinky substance. Should

I go to Sicily and ask a mafia boss to lend me some money?

Even smiling moneybags in the hall do not put me in a

better mood. They don't tip much, just a few pounds, and I

would hardly get about fifty pounds by the middle of the

shift. I feel terrible until a familiar face appears in the

doorway.

Damn it! What the hell is she doing here? She’s

looking gorgeous – a luxury fur jacket, high heel boots, and

a tiny Chanel purse. A successful man in an expensive suit

accompanies her. They walk arm-in-arm to a reserved table

not far from the service area.

Damn Stephanie gabriel, my personal headache from high

school! What if she sees me? I remember her teasing me

for accidentally stepping on a piece of s**t, and now she's

going to make fun of me for my white apron and floor-

length skirt, not to mention my signature hairstyle.

‘Could you wait on that table?’ I ask Susan, the only

person I can count on in the restaurant, as she passes by.

‘Your acquaintances?’

‘That's not the word for it.’

I go to the service area to wait for the next customer.

Thank God she didn’t seem to notice me. The shift runs

smoothly, although I occasionally glance at my former

classmate and stay away from the table to avoid being

seen. I hope they leave soon. I don't want any problems at

my only well-paid job, but they will occur if Stephanie gabriel

sees me in the waitress uniform.

However, this couple is in no hurry. They slowly look

through the menu, stare at each other, and talk like good

friends. At first glance, you cannot find any fault. They look

like a perfect couple until you notice a ring on the man's

finger and Stephanies left foot in a patent-leather high heel boot

that is neatly arranged between the feet of her companion.

Well, that’s not my business. Hell with it. I have to do

my job.

I quickly integrate into the restaurant environment: I

put on my customer-oriented smile, as required by

etiquette, bring and take away dishes without any

incidents, as my shift is gradually coming to an end. My

legs are aching, just like always. I wish I could just go to

bed and get some sleep. The longer the better. Sweet

dreams.

‘Guess what... A couple has had a bit of nookie in WC!’

Lizzy says in an excited voice, drawing everyone's

attention in the cramped staff room.

‘Games of the rich. Another parody of the ‘Fifty

shades’?’ shalom asks, pulling her sweater on.

‘You have no idea. The poor girl was barely alive. But,

you know, that’s a bit odd. They left a decent tip but had

sex in the WC as if there were no motels around. By the

way, leo thanks for the table!’ lizzy waves a fan of

currency. Three hundred pounds. Holy smokes! I should

have wiped the slate clean and behaved like a professional.

‘Look who’s there, stinky Leo!’ Stephanie shouts from behind

the bushes. Are you going to have a shower when you get a

boyfriend, or will your Humbert be all right with your

stinky ass?’

No way! I’ll never forgive this b***h!

I put on my jacket and get out of the locker room.

Damn, a new hole appeared in the pocket from the outside.

The jacket won't protect me from the chilly wind. The snow

has recently fallen to the kids’ delight, but it will surely

melt tomorrow. I’ll buy a new jacket after max's recovery.

‘Hey, Leo!’ lizzy catches me almost at the exit. ‘Take

it,’ she hands over the tip she's earned.

‘What? No, you shouldn’t.’

‘You need money. Come on, take it,’ she puts the

money into my pocket. That’s a bad idea. Bills can fly every

which way.

‘Thank you,’ her sudden generosity makes me smile.

Some people unwittingly help you without even knowing

that you are in need, but, it makes me feel better.

Well, I should get out of here. I'll get to my room, go to

bed, and forget this terrible day, at least until the next

morning when all the pile-up problems will fall upon me.

Besides...

‘Sorry, it looks like I left my purse in the restaurant...’

Guess who I'm running into at the doorway of a

restaurant? No, this is not a mafia boss ready to lend me

fifteen thousand!

‘Holy Jesus! Dolores green! Hi there!’ Alice throws

her arms around my neck and pulls me into a hug. What?

Why does she look happy? Stephanie Lasky gives me a hug! Am I

sleeping? This is something new.

‘Hi there, Stephanie!’

‘I didn’t expect to see you here!’

Is she drawling her speech on purpose, or do I feel this

way because tiredness after the long shift begins to take

over me? At least she didn’t have a chance to see me in the

waitress uniform and laugh at me in the restaurant! Well,

OK, I’ve got enough hugs. It's time to get out of here until

she starts teasing me.

‘Do you work here?’ Her gray eyes are shining with

curiosity. ‘I saw you serving customers.’

Damn it! I thought that I had been safe and

successfully escaped her attention. How could she notice

me?

‘Yes, I work here, as you can see.’

‘Is your shift over? How about having a drink? Come

on; I'll give you a ride home.’

Just imagine this picture in your mind: the girl who

once called me the smelly nymphet smiles at me in a

friendly manner and invites me to have a drink. Am I

awake? Or is this just a dream?

‘Well...’

‘Come on! The limo is waiting!’ She pulls me to the

exit.

I hardly believe in her sincerity and good intentions

until I see a luxurious white Hummer by the entrance. Stephanie

gives me a broad smile. The dark-skinned driver politely

opens the door, waiting for us. However, Stephanie is in no hurry

to get into the car. She is looking at me attentively.

‘Come on! Why are you being so shy?’

I am not shy. My brother is dying in the hospital, and I

am short of money and terribly tired after the shift. Lord, I

am done. I worked like a dog. And she wants me to hang

out.

‘You know, I am tired to death. I can barely hold my

eyes open. Let’s have a drink next time!’

‘No problem, we can have a drink in the car. I have a

bottle of champagne. Come on, get into the car!’

OK, I am sold. I get into the luxury vehicle at my own

risk. For some reason, it looks like a nightclub on wheels.

The lights are radiating all the colors of the rainbow, and

dancing music is coming from speakers in the corners. We

drive off, but I can hardly feel it. It is impossible to sense

whether the driver hits the gas or brake. I’d eagerly live in

this limo.

‘Where do you live?’

I give the address of a hostel on the outskirts of

London. It's a good neighborhood, but it's for common

people, not for the rich like Stephanie.

Stephanie gets a bottle of Dom Perignon from under the

seat, hands it to the driver, and a few moments later, he

gives her back the uncorked bottle. Alice pours sparkling

liquid into the glasses and says solemnly:

‘Well, let's drink to our meeting!’

Sure, I missed you so much, darling. We’re great

friends! I’m a beggar with a bunch of problems, and she is

a rich lady with straight posture and a well-to-do boyfriend.

I doubt that they are married since she doesn't have a

wedding ring on her left hand. But she is used to fine wine

that costs my monthly salary per bottle.

I sip the wine and immediately get drunk while Stephanie

swigs off her glass and still looks sober.

‘What a buzz. Jude is a nice boy,’ the girl says in a

relaxed voice, shoving her blonde hair back.

‘Hope you don't mean the Duke of Cambridge.’

‘Hope is all we have,’ she winks at me with her

perfectly made-up right eye. ‘Relax, I am kidding. Anyway,

Jude is sweet. He lent me this nice limo.’

‘I thought it’s your vehicle.’

In response, she just bursts out laughing, her feet are

high, almost on the seat, and her neat soft purple dress is

hiked up. I didn’t mean it to sound like a joke.

‘I haven't made enough money yet.’

‘Then... Does jude maintain you? Or maybe...’

‘Look, if you want to satisfy your curiosity, ask me

directly. Yes, I'm dating jude, and he's giving me lavish

gifts,’ she points at the luxury interior of the limousine.

‘Oh, you are just dating, aren't you? I thought he was

married.’

Yes, I still remember the gold ring on his finger.

‘Actually, it's not your business. Why do you ask? Are

you envious of me?’

God, is she serious? Does she enjoy showing off and

bragging to a poor loser? Does Stephanie try to claim that she

lives a luxurious life while lousy people work hard to

survive? Or is she kidding?

The stern face of Mrs. Cole, the sick face of

Max, and the sympathetic face of Dr. Brian are flashing

in my mind. And the news of my brother's complications

makes me more angry and desperate. The slight booziness

is immediately fading away, being replaced with rage.

‘Stop the car,’ I say to the blonde, and she stares at me

in disbelief. According to movies, there must be a button to

activate a speakerphone to communicate with a driver.

Where can it be? I can’t find it.

‘What's wrong?’

‘I told you to stop the car! I don't want to stay here.’

‘Easy now! Don't get your panties in a bunch,’ she

says, stroking my shoulders. I don't push her aside just for

the sake of decency. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.’

‘It's great that you still remember.’

Stephanie freezes for a while. Perhaps she remembers why

they started calling me smelly Lolita. But, judging by the

furrowed brow and faded smile on her doll-like face, these

memories haven’t disappeared from her bright head yet.

‘I admit it was much my fault then as it is now. Sorry,’

she says suddenly. ‘Let’s just relax and enjoy our lives.’

‘Enjoy life? Really?’ I finally lose my temper. ‘My

brother is in the hospital, I’ll be expelled from the

university soon.I barely have time to eat in a restaurant and

drink tea in a dorm! I need a huge amount of money by the

end of the month, and I have no idea what bank to rob to

save my brother's life!’ I start shouting without noticing it,

and Stephanies face falls a full inch, but I don't care. ‘I am

screwed! If he dies, just like my parents... If I stay...’

Damn it! A stupid lump in my throat! Why are you

stuck there at the worst possible moment? Why do my

emotions overwhelm me as I nestle my face in the shoulder

of a girl who I’ve hated since my childhood, and sob like a

baby? I’ve never cried. Never! Even at my parents' funeral,

I, unlike Max, didn't shed a tear. Well, maybe I cried, but

just a little.

I survived that grief, but now I feel like my world is

falling apart.

I feel soft hands stroking my head while I’m sniffling

into Stephanie Gabriel geouse dress.she probablydid the

right thing by taking off her newfangled vest. My tears

would have destroyed the fur, and I would be paying for it

for the rest of my life.

‘Cry, it will make you feel better,’ she whispers,

rocking me like a baby.

‘No, it won’t...’

‘If you pull yourself together now, I'll tell you where

you can quickly get the money.’

What? Money? Quickly? Could she borrow some money

from her Cambridge prince? But all the questions should be

left behind.

I try to stop sniffing, wipe my eyes with a napkin from

my bag, and stare at Stephanie I hated and cursed that

girl, but now she could be my only hope to save Max.

‘What can I do?’

Stephani surveys me from head to foot, but this time her glance is not excited as it was when we met but appraising her eyes are scanning me like a metal detector. You have a pretty face a nice splender figure as hes numbles under her breath, charlie change of plans drive us to my place.

Wait! We're are we going??