Scarlet scars

Chapter 24: Niece

Scarlet

I was supposed to work the morning shift but I had asked Mr Grande if I could work my usual shift. I didn't want to stay at that house during the day with those people around.

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It was 7pm and Mr Grande's was still buzzing with people. I'd been waiting table after table ever since I came in and without a break. Most of our staff were usually off work on weekends.

7pm was my curfew and I knew that I was going to be in so much trouble. My aunt let me work only because she had vowed not get me anything like clothes or toiletries, when I was only 13. From then on I took up summer jobs and worked in a book store after school, until I was 16.

I had managed to befriend Mr Grande then, through the book store and that's how I got this job. They would usually threaten me with my job everytime I went home late.

I stood near the counter after I was done waiting the last table, hopefully these people would be done with their dinners in the next few minutes and we could close up. I had already put up the closed sign on the door and all that was left was for the people chatting and catching up to leave.

I had the urge to chase them all out. They were done but they weren't leaving. What could I do except scowl while I stood there waiting. I thought about adding for permission from Mr Grande if I could leave, since it was already late and past the working hours.

I took off my apron and trudged to his office. I knocked and went in without waiting for his response. He was typing something on his computer.

"Scarlet darling," he said without looking up at me "how may I help you" he said, his accent deep.

"How did you..."

He cut me off "who else comes in here without waiting for my permission to come in?" He said giving me his full attention with a smug grin on his face. This old man was something else I tell you. I shrugged amused at his behaviour and walked over to sit on the seat opposite him.

"You are right on time" he said taking off his glasses and putting them back in their casing. He opened his drawer and took out a brown envelope and gave it to me. I mumbled a thank you as I took it. I had forgotten about my pay. Which was something surprising as I never did, I would make plans for it days before. This new change had Jay written all over it.

He occupied my mind so much that I didn't have time to think about anything else unless I was facing it. He hadn't contacted me all day and a part of me wanted him to be waiting for me out there in all his glory.

"... You go now" I heard Mr Grande finish but honestly I hadn't heard anything he had said.

"I'm sorry, wh-what did you say?" I asked embarrassed. He smiled at me and shook his head.

"Young kids when they are in love" he said holding his chin "you know this reminds me of the time I was in paris. When I met Janelle, my first love. She was so beautiful and I..."

I cut him off "Uhm Mr Grande.. Y-you were saying?" I said looking at my fingers and blushing profusely at his assumption that I was in love. I couldn't recall anything like that happening in my life. mr Grande had told me the story of his first love more than a trillion times and he would go on and on and on. In simple terms he was a bit too dramatic.

"Oh, I was saying... What was I saying again?" he mumbled " aah yes, your aunt called saying you were needed home. You can go now." When he mentioned my aunt, my heart skipped a beat. If she called, it meant things were be bad. she only called whenever I was late or when she needed me for something. I nodded at Mr Grande and faked a smile.

"Thank you, see you tomorrow. And say hi to Elise for me" I said while closing the door to avoid him starting with another of his stories about Elise's mischievousness. Elise was Mr Grande's 8 year old granddaughter who was staying with him for a couple of months.

As I stepped out of Mr Grande I looked to the parking lot and some part of me felt disappointed. The rational part reminded me that he was a busy man and he can't always spend his time following me around. He had an empire to run, unlike me.

"I guess I won't see him tonight" I mumbled as I kicked a stone heading towards home. I thought about him as I walked home and I couldn't help but smile at every word I remembered him saying. Especially some of his jokes. They were especially lame and horrible.

Last night when I was folding the laundry, I picked up my aunts bra and when he saw it, he went like "a young boy tripped on a bra and fell and when they asked him to explain what happened, he said he got caught in a booby trap." I smiled and I could feel tears prickle my eyes in trying to hold back my laugh. I had heard such a joke before but how Jay said it made me laugh. Anyway you can not always have everything. Comedy wasn't for him.

I didn't even notice when I got home. As I passed the gate, I noticed the lights were all on and it looked like they had company. I thought the party wasn't on until Friday night. At least five cars that didn't belong to my family were parked outside. I wondered if I was supposed to go in through the front door or wait out.

If distunguished guests were in the house, I wasn't allowed to "show my ugly face around" because they'd start asking questions and who could explain me?

That must have been the reason why my aunt called Mr Grande. They must have needed my help. I knew she was not going to let it go just like that, I would surely get my punishment.

I stood at the door my heart hammering in my chest contemplating on whether I was supposed to go in or not. I decided on the latter because either ways, I was in trouble. I slowly opened the door and stepped in.

Immediately I did, I regretted it as I felt all eyes in the living room on me. I looked around the room and when I saw someone I recognised and wasn't expecting at all, my eyes and mouth widened in shock. I must have looked like a fish out of water. My heart skipped a beat as his dark eyes pierced my own without wavering.

Suddenly I felt someone pinch my hand and I let out a hiss as I looked to my side to see who it could be. My aunt. Of course.

"What are you doing, you little b***h" she whispered through gritted teeth with a smile on her face for the people staring at us. She was still pinching me hard and I winced in pain, tears stinging my eyes.

"Scarlet?" That voice that made my insides melt called out. My aunt and I both looked at him at the same time and she was smiling at him while I was confused. Why was he here and why on earth was Amelia sitting so close to him and smiling at him like he was a delicacy she wanted to taste. He stood up and straightened his suit. He looked stunning in it.

"I - uh" I hissed as my the stinging on my arm increased ten folds.

He walked over to us "Its been so long" he said as he pulled me over in a hug and my aunt had no choice but to let my hand go. So he was pretending that was the first time he saw me after years. I could go with that, I didn't want trouble anyway. I felt Amelia hook her arm in his arm and then he let me go.

I looked at their arms and I felt a pang of jealousy engulf me. I flashed them a fake smile to not draw attention to myself.

"You know my niece Scarlet" my aunt said with a huge smile as she pulled me to her, hugging my arms with her nails digging into my skin. "Of course you know eachother, you both grew up in this town, how silly of me" she said. I could tell she was pretending to be nice to me in front of Jerald and everyone here. She even called me her niece. And of course she knew Jerald and I were friends back then. She was the one who even asked him to not visit me at the house. she had warned him several times but he was a stubborn boy.

"Yes, we went to the same school and were neighbors at one point" he said smiling and I could only tilt my head down and stare at my feet. I just wanted to get out of there and out of the grip whose nails where digging into my skin. They were going to leave scars that was for sure.

I looked at Amelia's arm hooked in Jerald's once more and then at his face trying to decipher why he was hanging out with my enemy when just last night, he had his mouth all over mine. He didn't even look at me, he was busy smiling at what she was saying.

I wished I could pull her hair out and then disappear right after. But who was I kidding, my life was no fairytale. Tears were stinging my eyes as I couldn't bear seeing those two close and also from the blood my aunt was drawing.

"Scar" Micheal came and pulled me away from his mother's grip. "I was waiting for you, come let me show you something" he said placing his hand on the small of my back and leading me away from them. I was grateful that he did and somehow, my wish did come true.