A Billionaire Butler for Christmas

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Emily Roth rubbed her ankles and winced. She’d only been standing a few hours, and they already hurt so much. She picked up one of her shoes and examined it. The heel was well-worn, and the shoe needed to be replaced, but Emily couldn’t bear to part with it.

The shoes had been a gift from her mom before the disease claimed her mind. Emily was supposed to wear them for her first real job, but she’d gotten married instead after high school graduation, and that job had never materialized. Emily now wore them with the hope it would lead her to her first full-time job, which was supposed to happen in the next few weeks. In the meantime, she would resole the pair at the shoe cobbler’s shop she’d discovered at the local strip mall. Money was tight, so she just needed a few more days till she was paid. “Don’t let me down now,” she muttered to the shoe.

“Are you okay?” a familiar voice asked. Emily looked up to see her colleague and friend, Nancy, lounging on a couch, which was oddly pink to match the light pink walls of the break room. She hadn’t even noticed when she entered. Emily had known her since high school, and Nancy had been the one to invite her over to Dexington.

“Aren’t you supposed to be on the floor?” Emily asked. They were both employees at a high-end boutique designer shop in the luxury Waterbridge Mall. Emily had joined five months ago, had worked hard taking care of the shop and its customers, and was due to be confirmed as a full-time employee any day now.

“I am,” Nancy responded, swishing her smooth blonde ponytail. Sometimes, Emily wished her hair could be as cooperative. Nancy gave her an impish smile. “But I knew you would go on break soon, and I need a favor.”

Emily slipped her shoes back on, got up from the cushioned seat she’d been resting on, and lifted her wallet from her locker before shutting it. “What do you need?” This was the first time Nancy had asked her for anything.

“Could you grab me a cup of coffee?”

Emily’s head spun so fast in Nancy’s direction. “You are kidding, right? You know I can’t bring coffee back here.” The shop manager had drilled it into Emily’s head on her first day that coffee or any other drink beyond water were not allowed in the boutique—it had to be consumed outside the shop.

Nancy let out a sigh. “Please? I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t desperate. Perry had a rough night, and I can barely function on my feet.” Perry was Nancy’s son. He’d been in an accident a few weeks ago and had just been discharged home. He was slowly recovering but still had a rough time at night from nightmares of the accident. Emily had hoped the boy was doing better. “I can’t even leave the shop now to grab one, or Tyrant would have my neck for leaving my post. It’s already bad enough that I can’t stop yawning.” Tyrant was the nickname they’d given the shop manager. She was very strict and seemed to delight in giving Emily and Nancy a hard time.

Bringing the coffee in was risky, and Emily could lose her job over this. But Nancy had been there for Emily and welcomed her with open arms when she needed to get away from everything. She’d helped her find a job and an apartment and always had a listening ear whenever Emily needed it. Still it was a big risk.

“It’s too dangerous. I could lose my job over this.” And she needed this income till she graduated at the beginning of the New Year, by which time she would have the college degree she needed to apply for her dream job at Dexington Healthcare, the one place that didn’t care about how much work experience she had at her age as long as she had a college degree. All the money she’d scrimped and saved in the past year after covering rent had gone into paying her remaining college tuition.

“I promise nothing is going to happen, and I even have a waterproof lunch bag you could put it in. No spills or accidents whatsoever. Pretty, please?”

“I don’t—”

“Remember how I covered for you when you were running late last week?”

“But—”

“And I took an extra shift just so you could make your exams on time? Tyrant suspected something and found a reason to dock my pay, yet I never said a word. Please, Emily, I really need this.”

Emily sighed. It was true she owed Nancy. Nancy had been the first to lend a hand during Emily’s darkest moment—without her, Emily might not be where she was today. Nancy had done so without asking anything in return, and she really looked like she could barely stay on her feet despite the makeup she’d piled on to hide the bags under her eyes. “Okay, but you can’t tell anyone.”

Nancy ran over and gave her a quick hug. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet.” Emily blew out an exhale. She’d only agreed because she’d overheard Tyrant saying she was going out to take care of some business.

Emily had planned to eat lunch at a coffee shop overlooking the park a few blocks away. But it was best to get this over with as soon as possible, so now it made more sense to grab a takeaway sandwich instead, along with the coffee, from the café across the street.

She would have to hurry before Tyrant returned, or else she could end up in a lot of trouble.