Possessive about Rosa

7

It's been three days since I've seen Guzman. We talk on the calls and buzz one another with texts sure but we haven't met. And to be completely transparent here, it sucks. He has to go out for meetings in the morning and at night he has to do the paperwork. I remember he told me he is the vice president of the company so I assumed he would just order his employees and sign papers that come in. 

On the second day I couldn't help but ask him why he wasn't showing up, he said that the CEO of the company is handing over his position to his nephew because his daughter is a brat and she has no interest in the company unless she is getting the twenty percent of the yearly turnover. I was confused at first then after he hammered it down for me in simpler language I understood. 

He even said his PA is not there with him, she's on a six month maternity leave so he's finding it difficult to process around. Yesterday when he got home around midnight he rang me up, I wasn't sleeping I was waiting for his call. He insisted I sleep and not wait up because we both know what happens if I don't sleep but I denied and asked him to call because I'll be waiting. 

Guzman said that he wasn't able to have a good cup of coffee because he kept on ringing the intercom in an empty office and no one showed up, he said he had to make his own coffee and drink it and he hated every bit of it. He later asked the security to make him a cup of coffee. It was hilarious but I couldn't laugh at his distress. I told him I could ask Taylor to deliver him food and coffee at his office. After a moment he came up with an idea that we don't need to disturb Taylor his driver would come and pick the takeout for him anytime he wants. 

The driver and I became good acquaintances. The first night he drove me was awkward, everything about the ride was awkward, the way I sat in the car was awkward, the way I was sweating despite the cool air hitting my body was embarrassing and the way I just ran out of the car as we approached the building was definitely rude.

I don't know but I ran upstairs, I stood in front of my apartment and instead of pulling out the keys I pulled out my phone, I texted Guzman about my behaviour with his driver and asked him to apologise for me. He said it was all cool but I still felt guilty. Yesterday night I was rather calm, I opened up to him when he offered me some cola flavoured candy while driving. Hesitantly I took some and smiled at him. He was rather good. I ended up apologising to him.

"One Flat white with two shots of espresso to go." The man smiled at me.

"Pardon me, coming up." I shook my head and made him his drink, I decided that it was time I did my laundry. I need to take a day off and get it done.

"Polo is here!" Taylor yelled from the door, I heard Leona hissing at him to shut the door. She was growing more and more frustrated day by day. The day she sold the chiller was the beginning of her temper. She even lashed out on Mads when he pressed on the issue. 

"Now?" I smiled at the man passing him his drink and diverted my gaze to Taylor.

"Yeah," He shrugged and walked away to the third table to take orders.

"Hey Rose." Polo walked to the counter, his eyes on me.

"This time?" My neck turned to look at the clock.

"He's hungry. What can I say, his office looks like hell." He sighed.

"Two onion bagels, a sprite, two chicken sandwiches and an Americano with three shots of espresso." He chuckled at my shocked expression.

"Is anyone cleaning his office?" I asked pulling out two bagels from the shelf below.

"Yes, I take him for a drive at night. That time his personal maid cleans it. His office stinks." 

"David, an Americano with three shots," 

"Comin!" He waved at Polo, I don't know when but they have become good friends in the span of three days.

My head turned to Leona who talked on the phone as if she was talking with some official about some national secret, I think I had an idea about who she was talking to. She kept the phone down, looked around her as I turned my neck to Polo so I wouldn't get suspicious, smiling at him I noticed from my peripheral vision, Leona cautiously slipped from the front door and took a left to the alley behind.

"Excuse me, say my hello to Guzman..And ask him to take a shower before you and the maid die because of him!" I left a chuckling Polo in front of the counter waiting for his order while I dreadingly took steps to the back door to hear them.

I slowly rotated the knob and waited for the sound to go away quickly, I could hear my heart beating in my ear, my palms were moist and my breathing was heavy with suspicions. I pushed the door open slowly and went completely still when it creaked, taking a deep breath I pushed enough so I could slip in without any problem.

"You've already delayed, he won't wait further. I heard him talking to his men about coming here and trashing the place as a final warning." I heard the same man I heard the other day. I couldn't breath, I took some more steps. I could hear them properly, my left ear was glued to the wall. 

"I just sold the chiller, what else? My house? This place? Myself? My son?" Leona was mad, she didn't sound depressed like she did the last time, she was angry..

"Leo, you know I can't do anything but feel bad, you still owe him seven thousand grand! Paying five hundred more isn't gonna make him overlook it," My hand covered my mouth, I felt like screaming. I wanted to run away and never think about it but I couldn't not because it was a topic of gossip but because I was worried for Leona. I wanted to know what she would do.

"You tell me, how can I even think of selling my house? Me and my son would end up on the streets! Would you give us a roof above our head and food in our stomach if I sell it?" Her voice was thick.

"Leo… you know…." The man trailed off.

I imagined this man as some tall guy with tattoos all over a nose ring, spiked hair and his clothes all black with a gun stuffed behind his pants. I know I was legit describing him as a member of a rock band but I couldn't help my brain going in all directions. 

"If he comes here I'll report those guys to the police." I heard Leona. 

"You very well know the cops around here work for him, you'll just end up in more trouble." I backed away gasping as I felt a fist collide with the wall I had my ear jammed on. 

"I have a business to run," Leona must've started walking because I heard her heels ticking. I should've left the moment Leona said that but I couldn't.

My hand was on my chest and my breathing was disturbed, "Did you find an apartment yet?" I heard the man, there was no one with him to answer so he was talking on the phone.

"Brennan I need it, throw as much as you can to shut him up there are two lives at stake here!" There was a long silence before I heard his boots fading away.

Letting out a sigh I didn't know was holding. I exited the room, Leona would be suspicious, I was certain and was grateful at the same time because the locker room was on the way. I slipped out of the room and after washing my face in the locker room I wiped my face and kept it a little damp for anyone to believe my story. 

The customers were less at this time, I was happy. Leona wasn't back but I had Taylor looking at me like I've done something bad. "What?" I raised my brow.

"Where were you?" He asked, cleaning the plate with the towel in his hand, "The washroom." this was the thing about me; when I lied my answers were precise.

"I was there, didn't see you." He arranged the pile of plates and sat on the stool I usually sat on. 

"I was in the stall," I prayed he would shut up.

"Mmmmm.." He dragged and got up from my place as he gestured to me to sit. 

As I sat I felt the food churning in my stomach, you know the state of paranoia you feel when you do something and then all the time until it comes out clean you have to look past your shoulder to make sure no one else knows your secret, at that time everyone even the random stranger you see on the street feels suspicious to you. 

"Do you know where Leona is?" David asked after sometime when I was serving a girl the chocolate muffin she asked for.

"N...No," turning my head to Leona's seat, she wasn't there. 

"Huh….strange. I saw her leave and then you left," Taylor piped in..

"I'll take the cash counter, Taylor takes my place." I told David and spun on my heels to take Leona's place. If Taylor says one more thing I'm gonna say something stupid and blow my cover.

Leona returned an hour before we closed, I took an extra shift and asked Guzman not to send Polo, she was tired and light headed. Leona almost collapsed if it wasn't for the man who held her at the entrance, we had to give her lemonade and something sweet to eat for her to feel herself. David and Taylor were worried and so was I, she got up and gave us our money and asked to go home.

I didn't see Polo after walking out, I wondered if he's late. I waited for him but he still didn't show up, Guzman wasn't answering and it was getting late so I decided to walk home. Today I decided to bring some Alfredo pasta home, the sweets weren't there so one of the chefs gave me a parcel of Alfredo. 

The dinners Eli left in my kitchen were still there, the most interesting thing was that it had small stickers on it informing the temperature I should hear it up at. Richmond still came home to share dinner with me when it was possible, he was worried about his landlord. He had to pay the rent and bills. He said his wife stole the money from his pants at night so he's running low right now, I didn't have the money but I was gonna get a share from the tip jar so I offered him fifty dollars, he refused to take it. I had to shove that money in his hand.

Life wasn't easy, for me for Richmond for Leona and others whose problems I was unaware of, I took a turn from the church building, there were bells tolling and some people singing. I pondered what was the occasion. 

I wasn't a religious person, I didn't go to church to pray or do holy stuff, but I had my faith. I know there is an energy looking down on us, looking at our every step, every decision. They say he has a plan, what if we are his plan, like there's no plan at all and just us? We humans do wrong things and then we think asking for forgiveness and telling yourself not to do it again would be enough. What if that is to keep their consciousness clean? You know just for the sake of it. Ever wondered?

"Rose!!" My steps halted and I turned around to look at the person who called my name, Guzman was bending, panting like he would die if he didn't take that one intake of breath. 

"Hi," I called from where I stood, he gave me a thumbs up and panting more, "are you alright?" I shouted, I felt like a complete dingus doing that, shouting in front of a religious building. 

"Yeah, just taking some breaths to survive." That made me chuckle honestly. I waited for him to come to me, I would've walked there but it was no point.

"Hey," he jogged towards me, I took a step ahead and then hugged him tightly, "Woah...can't breathe...can't breathe…" he chuckled patting my back. 

"Sorry, I missed you." I kissed his temple letting him go.

"Missed you more sweetheart!" He kissed my forehead.

"Where's Polo?" I asked, I held his forearm and rested my head on him. 

"He's out, I'll call him when we reach your building," He grinned.

"Did you shower?" I asked, chuckling.

"He told you didn't he?" 

"Obviously. You stink!" I pushed him away but he held my hand and pulled me back to him.

We walked quietly on the road, we both enjoyed each other's company, no words were needed, my head was still on his arm and my eyes were on his huge shoes. 

"What's the matter with your employer?" Guzman asked, I looked up at him.

"What do you mean?" 

"I ran from my office to the coffee shop and I peeked in hoping I would see you but instead I saw your employer, her head was in her hands and she was crying." He shrugged.

"Really?" I wasn't surprised. 

"You don't sound as surprised, you know things don't you." It wasn't a question.

"Okay, you caught me." I sighed.

I told him everything and he was surprised, "That woman literally shut everyone up the other day, she's courageous." He smiled sadly.

"I hope so." I bit my lip.

We didn't talk for the rest of the walk, Polo came to take him back to his place after some time, I waved to him and they both were gone, coming up I saw Richmond's wife but we didn't exchange any words. She looked worse than I last saw her, she wore black sweatpants and a tank top with a long green shrug. 

Her lips were in a dark shade, with the smoking there were bags under her eyes and her hair smelled bad as I passed her, she was smoking a cigarette, she tapped the ash on the staircase and scratched her hair walking away. I felt bad for Richmond. He was a constant on my mind, we both have seen each other through bad times and his time wasn't just ready to pass. 

I came home, heated the Alfredo and kept my phone on charge after checking for messages from anyone. The girls didn't text much, we just met up one day. We all work out ass off except Eli, but she has to attend charities and her NGO frequently so she's busy too. We all understood each other and tried helping as much. 

The next day at work was like dealing with an elephant in the room, Leona was silent and her silence was loud enough for us to ignore, Taylor wasn't talking either and David shut up after no one reacted to his jokes. Indistinct chatter was something keeping us from shouting and acting weird. 

I asked Taylor to take my place today and I served the tables, I couldn't stand Leona and her silence. She was awfully quiet. I was thankful the lunch crowd talked to me, some of them did, like James from the stripper club, Harry from the dry cleaning next block and Mrs Nat the receptionist. After talking to them I felt at ease.

When we all day for lunch after closing the café for forty five minutes it was the least favourite lunch I've ever been to. But the one where the principal of my school with his wife and the counsellor in school told me about my dead parents I lunch in his office still remains on the top of the list. 

We all kept looking at each other, all exchanging glances, David had the guts to stand up and walk away with a tantrum, I thought after he threw a tantrum one of us would talk but none did, we all kept quiet. 

I wiped the counter after spraying the glass shiner. It was almost five and Taylor was ready to head home with Mads. Taylor had assignments coming up and Mads decided to help him with those. The bell above the door chimed indicating that we had new customers. I kept the spray bottle away and the cloth in my hand. Leona was ignorant, she was going through records again and again, she kept on asking Mads and the other chefs about the cost of grocery and other things. David gave me a weird look but I just shrugged it. 

"Ms Camry?" Two guys entered the café, both built and looked dangerous, this was it I thought. As the guy said yesterday, they're here to trash the café. God. 

"Yes." Leona looked up from her glasses.

"Do you have the money yet?" The guy leaned down and hissed.

"I said..I told him I'll return it soon." Leona was scared, I could see fear painted all over her face. Anyone could.

"You have until nine, if not…" He didn't complete it. They both pulled the door open and walked out slamming it shut. 

The plate from my hand slipped and broke into many pieces and just like that I heard Leona choke on a sob. 

She broke.

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