THE SIDE PIECE (ENGLISH)

CHAPTER 7

TAMARA

I could barely sleep that night.

My mind kept replaying everything that had happened that afternoon. Nyx had just left for her part-time job, and of course, she hadn't taken me with her this time because Mama was home. If both Nyx and I were caught missing from the house when Mama woke up, we'd both get an earful. At least if I stayed behind, I could always tell her that I'd sent Nyx somewhere.

I stared at the ceiling for a while before I suddenly remembered the money Nyx had used to pay off Mama's debt.

My eyes widened.

Oh, no.

The money I was supposed to return to Kyler Laurel was gone.

“What am I going to do now?”

I almost sat upright in bed. There was no way I could sleep after remembering Kyler and the money I owed him.

I'd even promised him that I'd personally bring it to his unit.

But how was I supposed to do that now when I didn't have his money anymore?

Kyler wouldn't leave my mind.

I kept trying to figure out how I could return the money to him, and by the time Nyx finally came home, I was still wide awake.

She looked surprised to see me sitting there.

“Sorry, Tam. I thought you were already asleep, so I didn't bother knocking.”

She probably assumed the noise of her arrival had woken me.

“Nyx, I have a problem.”

I didn't hesitate to tell her.

I felt like I wouldn't be able to sleep at all if I didn't tell someone what had been bothering me.

“What is it? Did that guy come back?”

Her brows immediately drew together.

I shook my head.

“Then what's wrong?”

I bit my lower lip before grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the bed. Once she sat down, I told her everything.

“What did you say?”

Nyx looked like she couldn't believe what she was hearing when I told her about my conversation with Kyler and my promise to return the money he'd given me for a new phone.

“I changed my mind,” I explained. “I realized I shouldn't be dating anyone yet because there are still so many problems at home. So I told him I'd rather return the money he gave me for the phone.”

She grimaced and sighed.

“So what are you going to do? I barely have any money left. How much did he give you for the phone?”

“Thirty thousand.”

She winced and cursed under her breath.

“That's actually quite a lot.”

I nodded reluctantly before telling her what I'd been thinking.

“I was thinking that maybe I could become a part-time housekeeper too. That way, I could save up enough money to pay Kyler back.”

Nyx frowned and stared at me for a moment.

“If you become a part-time housekeeper, Tam, it's going to take you forever to earn thirty thousand. The pay isn't that high, especially since you only work one or two hours a day.”

My shoulders slumped.

“What else can I do to earn enough money? I feel embarrassed making him wait too long for his money. He might think I've already run off with it—”

“What if you just do what he wants so you won't have to pay him back?”

“Hmm?”

I stared at her.

“I'm sure that guy is into you, Tam. He wouldn't have given you that much money if he wasn't.”

I immediately shook my head.

“But what if he asks me to have s*x with him?”

Nyx raised an eyebrow.

“I thought you liked him too. Why are you suddenly hesitant to sleep with him?”

I was stunned into silence.

For a moment, I actually thought about it.

Why had I suddenly become so hesitant about seeing Kyler?

“Maybe…”

“Maybe what?”

Nyx immediately pressed.

I stared at her.

“Maybe you'll suddenly fall for him?”

She grinned.

I covered my face with both hands.

I could feel my cheeks heating up.

Nyx laughed and poked the tip of my nose.

I frowned and lowered my head, rubbing my nose.

“You know, Tam, there's nothing wrong with falling for that guy. It's perfectly normal for someone your age to be attracted to men. You haven't even had a boyfriend yet, right?”

I immediately shook my head.

How could I possibly have a boyfriend when Mama kept such a close eye on both Tamiko and me?

Even on social media, she wouldn't allow us to chat with just any guy. We could only talk to the men she approved of.

“But have you ever been on a date?” Nyx asked.

I nodded repeatedly.

If we were talking about dates, I'd already been on several with men Mama had introduced to me.

But she always had someone watching us.

I'd never experienced any real intimacy or freedom when it came to dating.

“You've never been in love?”

I shook my head.

“No.”

She nodded and thought for a moment.

“What if you take over the unit I'm cleaning?”

“What? But what about you? Where will you work if I take your part-time job?”

“I'll still work. Just at a different unit.”

She shrugged.

“I already brought you with me to the unit I'm cleaning, so you're familiar with the place now. You won't have to adjust to anything. You can just take over there.”

I straightened in my seat and stared at her in disbelief.

“Really, Nyx? You'll let me take your place?”

One eyebrow rose.

“Why do you look so excited about cleaning that particular unit?”

There was suspicion all over her face.

I didn't hesitate anymore.

I decided to tell her the truth.

“The truth is… Kyler Laurel owns the unit you've been cleaning, Nyx.”

I covered my face again, feeling the heat rush back into my cheeks.

“Holy s**t, Tam! Are you serious?”

She looked like she couldn't believe me.

I nodded.

“Yes. He gave me the address because he wanted me to return his money there. He didn't want me going to his office at Laurel Construction—”

She suddenly burst out laughing.

I stopped talking.

“Of course he didn't!” she said between laughs. “He's obviously got other plans for you. That's why he doesn't want you meeting him at his office.”

“Other plans?”

She nodded.

“Yeah, Tam. It looks like that man really plans on getting you into bed.”

I gasped and stared at her.

She gave me a mischievous grin.

“Here's what you do. If you happen to run into him at his unit while you're cleaning, don't give in to whatever he wants.”

I frowned.

“What am I supposed to do if he asks me to have s*x with him?”

“Don't agree.”

She answered with a laugh.

“Why?”

I frowned at her.

“I thought you didn't want to fall for him?”

I nodded.

“I don't.”

“Then don't sleep with him if you don't want to fall for him!”

She threw up her hands.

“If he enjoys it and likes being with you, he'll keep coming back for more, Tam. He won't leave you alone. And once that happens, there's no way you won't get attached to him. Before you know it, you'll already be in love.”

She pointed at me as if delivering a serious warning.

“So if you don't want to fall for that man, whatever you do, do not spread your legs for him, no matter how much he tries to seduce you!”

I stared at her.

I hadn't even considered half the possibilities Nyx was talking about.

Her mind really did jump way too far ahead.

Either way, I had no intention of sleeping with Kyler.

I had far more important things to worry about than falling in love or going on dates.

A week passed before Nyx found another unit to work at.

That meant tonight, I would be cleaning Kyler's unit all by myself.

“Today's the day you're supposed to change his beddings, Tam,” Nyx reminded me as we headed toward the elevator. “And when you get there, check the refrigerator first. The owner sometimes leaves notes there so you'll know what needs to be done first.”

Nyx continued giving me instructions as we made our way upstairs.

I simply nodded.

By now, I was already familiar with most of the things we usually did whenever we cleaned Kyler's unit.

We'd been going back and forth to his place for two weeks, so I already knew what needed to be done.

There really wasn't much work to do in his unit.

Apparently, he wasn't very good at washing dishes because that was usually the only extra chore we had besides cleaning and vacuuming.

He didn't seem to cook much either, considering how spotless his kitchen and cooking utensils always were.

Maybe all he did was work.

He probably only came home to eat and sleep.

“As for the laundry, he only has it done once a week, so you don't have to worry about that either. I've already taught you how to load the washing machine, right?”

I nodded again and again as Nyx continued listing off instructions.

When the elevator stopped, she stepped out first because the unit of her new employer was on a lower floor.

“Let's just meet in the lobby,” she said before waving at me.

I nodded and smiled as I waited for the elevator doors to close.

When I reached Kyler's unit, I immediately went to the kitchen to check whether he'd left a note.

There was nothing.

So I started doing the usual tasks Nyx had taught me.

I finished washing the dishes quickly, then wiped down the living room and started vacuuming.

After that, I headed to the bedroom to change the beddings.

I cleaned the bathroom as well before finally leaving.

I hadn't even been there for an hour when I'd finished everything.

So I went down to the lobby and waited for Nyx.

I didn't have to wait long.

She arrived soon after.

I stood up, ready to go home.

But I immediately noticed the deep frown on her face.

I couldn't help asking once we were outside Skyline Villa.

“What happened, Nyx? Did you get tired cleaning?”

She shook her head.

“I don't think I'm going to enjoy working for my new boss, Tam.”

Her frown deepened.

“Why?”

“It's only my first day, and the note he left for his housekeeper was already ridiculously long!”

She sounded genuinely annoyed with her new employer.

I immediately felt a little guilty.

“And the English he used was so damn complicated! I almost got a headache before I even finished reading his instructions!”

I winced.

“My brain cells were already stressed out because of him. I only have a few gigabytes left in this brain of mine, and I swear he probably used up half of them!”

I couldn't tell whether she was joking or actually serious.

“You know what, Tam? I swear I felt like I was reading a contract earlier! That's how complicated his note was!”

She shook her head in disbelief.

“What if I didn't understand English? What then? I swear, if he pisses me off enough, I might just beat him with a feather duster!”

She continued ranting all the way onto the bus.

That's when I finally spoke.

“Do you want to switch units with me, Nyx?”

I offered.

If she kept getting irritated with her new employer, there was a good chance she wouldn't last long at the job.

She turned to me with a frown and raised an eyebrow.

“Do you want to lose your job immediately?”

“Huh?”

I stared at her, confused.

“You wouldn't last as my new boss's housekeeper, Tam.”

She started listing off her complaints again.

“He wants even his books arranged perfectly on the shelves! It’s like he's going to die if there's a speck of dust on them! How are you supposed to deal with an employer that fussy?”

I fell silent.

After hearing her describe him, maybe switching units really wasn't such a good idea.

“If the salary weren't so high, I'd quit already, Tam.”

She sighed dramatically.

“I just hope I never run into my boss while I'm cleaning. I might lose my temper and end up in prison instead of the asylum!”

I stared at her.

“He's seriously getting on my nerves. Maybe I'll flash my boobs at him just to get even for making me so angry!”

“Huh?”

I blinked.

“How would flashing your boobs get revenge?”

Wouldn't she be the one losing in that situation?

“Obviously! It'll make both of his heads heat up!”

My brows knitted together even more.

“Isn't your boss human?”

She stared at me.

Then she burst out laughing.

“Of course he's human!”

I frowned and looked at her.

“Then why did you say your boss has two heads?”

“Jesus Christ, Tam!”

She groaned.

“Do I really have to explain why my boss suddenly has two heads?”

I pouted and decided it was better to just look out the bus window.

It had already been a week since Nyx started working for her new employer, but she still hadn't stopped complaining about him every time we went home.

By now, I was incredibly curious about who this mysterious boss was.

Apparently, Nyx was getting so annoyed that she was planning to wait around one day just to see what he looked like.

“I really want to know what my boss looks like, Tam.”

She sighed.

“I'm no longer satisfied with just cursing him in my imagination. I want to see his face so I can start insulting his looks properly.”

She looked genuinely annoyed.

“I was so pissed earlier. I think that sadistic bastard deliberately messed up his bookshelves just to make things harder for me!”

I frowned and turned toward her.

“Why would he make things difficult for you? What did you do to him?”

I was genuinely confused.

She suddenly burst out laughing.

“I put a scary mask inside his toilet!”

She grinned.

“He probably nearly pissed himself when he saw it, so the asshole decided to get revenge!”

I grimaced and shook my head.

Nyx really had no fear.

She'd do just about anything she wanted without even worrying about losing her job.

When we got home, Mama arrived not long afterward.

Nyx and I both sighed almost simultaneously when Mama knocked on my bedroom door.

“Atty. Revamonte will be arriving tomorrow.”

Mama's expression was stern.

“Are you ready for what I told you to do, Tamara?”

I immediately nodded.

“Yes, I'm ready—”

“I'll be leaving the house early tomorrow.”

Her voice was firm.

“We'll make him wait here for a long time. That will be your chance to seduce him while I'm gone.”

I simply nodded.

Mama left almost immediately, and the moment she was gone, I turned toward Nyx.

“Did you hear that, Nyx? Atty. Revamonte is coming tomorrow. Are you ready—”

“Relax, Tam.”

Nyx interrupted me with complete confidence.

“I'll handle that Atty. Revamonte. I'll make sure he won't be able to resist my charms.”

I let out a relieved breath.

I trusted Nyx.

I really did.

But I still couldn't stop myself from feeling nervous about what would happen tomorrow.

Neither of us knew what kind of man Atty. Revamonte was.

And neither of us had any idea how we were supposed to deal with him.

“Are you nervous?”

I looked at Nyx when she asked.

I didn't answer.

If I admitted that I was nervous, she might get nervous too.

So I shook my head.

“I trust you. I know you're good at this.”

I smiled at her.

She winked.

“Good! Just trust me. Little Nyx and I can handle Atty. Revamonte!”

She grinned confidently.

I smiled back.

But deep down, I was still nervous about tomorrow.