Chapter Two: The Spark
1328 Words
Rosa stood there mute and had no idea of what to say.
“Is anything the problem, or you didn't hear my question?” Lucas asked, having noticed that Rosa was fidgeting.
“I…I do love working here sir. Please don't sack me, this is my only means of survival not just for me but also for my sister.” Rosa immediately fell to her knees and pleaded.
“No…not at all, I don't intend to sack you actually.” Lucas immediately sat upright.
“Clintus!” He called for the manager.
Rosa stood there in confusion. She had no idea at all what was going on.
Clintus immediately hurried to the scene as he stared at Rosa. He felt she may have done something quite offensive.
“Sir, she just started working here. I take the blame for whatever she has done please. In fact I could sack her immediately.” Clintus started talking uncontrollably, he was too scared seeing that Rosa may have been the reason why his boss called.
“I didn't ask you to speak, Clintus. Besides, no one is getting sacked.” Lucas said, still keeping his face straight and unpredictable as always.
“Well I want Rosa to become the head of the cleaning department and you are dismissed for the day, I would be the one to supervise.”
Clintus stood in shock, coworkers at the bar working were also in shock as they exclaimed to express it. But Lucas didn't seem to care. His words were always the last verdict, no one could tamper with it.
“Okay sir, thank you.” Clintus was so uncertain about everything but couldn't do anything at the moment.
“You may take your leave.” Lucas added as he took up his cup of champagne and had a sip.
Rosa just watched it all play before her eyes, she just got promoted, just like that? After barely how many weeks of her coming to work.
“Is there a problem?” Lucas asked Rosa, seeing that she became quiet.
“No sir, thank you so much for the new position.”
“You may take your leave.” Lucas replied as he immediately carried on with pressing his phone and taking more sips of his champagne.
Rosa quietly headed to the dressing area to process all that just happened “Be careful,” one of the waitresses warned Rosa. “He’s dangerous. People don’t survive getting close to Lucas. Nobody ever does.”
But the man Rosa saw was different.
Gentle.
Intrigued.
Protective.
But she really didn't know if all everyone was saying was the real truth, the man she was seeing was nothing close to what they called him. And everyone couldn't be lying about the same thing regardless of her pov.
Rosa got back to work with the thoughts of Lucas on her mind. The day was far past and she had to hurry to get home to her little sister who would probably be hungry and waiting for a meal. Rosa made it a norm that they could only eat breakfast and dinner daily to cut expenses which Lilian understood and agreed.
By evening when Rosa was done with work she was quite late due to her new position, and Lucas saw how she tried to hurry home. He saw it as an opportunity to take a step closer towards Rosa. He stood outside the bar waiting for her.
“Can I give you a lift?” Lucas asked politely as Rosa stepped out of the bar.
“Sir? You mean me?” Rosa was shocked as she looked around and there was no one in sight.
It could obviously have been her “Uhmm thank you, I would get a bus.”
She hesitated, heart thudding in her chest. She thought of Lilian waiting up for her and the cold walk back if she saw no buses.
“You and I know that you can't quickly get a bus at this hour to catch up with your little sister.” He gave a smirk.
Rosa was quite shocked that Lucas remembered she has a little sister.
She couldn't fight it anymore, she desperately needed a fast ride. “I will take it.”
They got into the car and the ride was silent but charged.
Lucas felt some kind of emotions he still couldn't explain as Rosa agreed to his offer while Rosa looked agitated, trying to act all fine beside him.
Lucas glanced at her as she held her bag tightly.
“You know, you don’t have to be scared of me, Rosa.” he noticed she was always fidgeting around him.
She bit her lip. “People in the bar say I should.”
He turned to her fully. “I’m not what they say, or maybe I am. But really not to you, Rosa.”
First time she heard him call her name ever since she got started with her cleaning job at the bar.
Silence eluded the place, tension heightened as well.
“I can't be the way I am with everyone else to you, I just can't explain how you make me feel.” Lucas continued.
Rosa could her heart trying to pop out her chest. She didn't expect him to say these words to her. She was so puzzled and all she needed was an escape route from the moment and she got one.
“You can drop me off here, you can't really enter the street of my house. It would create a screen please.” Rosa interrupted.
“A scene?” Lucas became puzzled.
“Yes sir, Your car is the latest Mercedes Benz. It would attract a lot of people. Try to understand please.” Rosa pleaded.
“Alright, it's fine. See you at work tomorrow.” Lucas parked as Rosa highlighted the car.
Deep down within Rosa as she watched Lucas turn to leave, she was really happy she got the conversation to end and she didn't let him get to see the small apartment, the pithole her and Lilian lived in.
She was really ashamed of the place she now called home but she had no choice.
Rosa got home, freshened up and assisted Lilian with her assignments while she prepared dinner. Then she heard her phone ring, it was an unsaved number. Who could be calling her by this hour? She picked up the call and patiently waited for the person behind the call to speak.
“Hello, b***h! I am Thaila, guess you have heard about me? I want to see you at the bar by 7am tomorrow morning.” Thaila rudely said.
“But.. Please, I have a responsibility to carry it out by that time. The agreed time I have for the bar was 9am…Can you ....” Rosa immediately pleaded.
“I really don't care about your so-called responsibility, be at the bar by 7am or you will be fired.” Thaila raised her voice in disgust.
She hung up the call on Rosa.
“Who was that Rosa?” Lilian asked in concern, hearing the tone of her sister's response and the look on her face.
“It's my boss's sister.” Rosa replied to Lilian as she gave a faint smile to cover her emotions up.
“Doesn’t she like you?” Lilian innocently asked.
“Oh Sweetie, she does. She just wants me to be quite early at work tomorrow. Guess there would be a lot of work to do.” Rosa embraced Lilian as she replied to her, knowing she just lied to her sister to make everything feel alright.
Deep down she knew there was a storm ahead of her.
A storm that she may have triggered all by herself.
Even though she doesn't know how she did it.
But there she was scared and sad she couldn't run.
Her responsibility was still right in front of her.
- Writer
