Trapped By You

Chapter3:somanyTips

Before leaving the house I kissed mom on the forehead and blew a kiss to Pen. I was going to try finding her remote jobs instead of one where she had to be present. She had serious anger issues, and I feared they started after losing dad, I wasn't with them for two years after dads funeral before I returned back to California so a lot had changed.

I found a taxi and got to the restaurant I worked at "The Sweet P". I put on my apron and name tag and waited. It was a Wednesday so the lunch rush wouldn't start until 12pm, which meant I wouldn't have my 12 o'clock break but I'd get to leave work early. My boss knew about my family situation, he and my dad were good friends before he passed, that was why he gave me a job here was so lenient with me. The man knew I was doing my best.

Cleaning tables and sweeping floors was all I did, before customers started to pour in at 10. I enjoyed taking orders because I got to interact with customers, those who were fond of me tipped me which was a good thing for me.

"Hey Fred, what would you be having today?" I asked a regular customer who visited the restaurant often.

"Why don't you surprise me today?" He shrugged and I smiled. "You got it," I told him and walked off to the kitchen. I knew what Fred liked so that's what I'd get him. Fred was one of the nicest people in the world, he was the kind of man to help an old lady cross the street or stop at a green light if an animal was crossing. He was a sweet guy who brought smiles wherever he went.

I came back a few minutes later with Fred's surprise, which was fried meat slices and rice.

"Mm... you got it right Diana, this is good food" Fred said with his mouth full and it made me laugh a bit.

"I'm glad you like it, courtesy to our chef" I tell him and he nods in approval. "That chef needs a raise," I laugh as he says that and stuffs his hand into his pocket.

"I would love to give this to the chef but since he isn't here, you keep it" Fred said holding some folded cash out to me and I took it from him with a smile. "Thank you Fred, I really can't say that enough,"

"It's fine, anyways, Diana why don't I take you out one of these days? You always bring food to me, I would like to bring food to you" he says and my brows shot up. "Well aren't you a man of good words, but regardless of how much I would love that, I can't," I say disappointing the man.

"Why not? What about weekends? You don't work then,"

"Well Fred, as you may or may not know, I'm working three jobs to provide for my family, and these jobs allow me to only see them early mornings when I can make breakfast, or late nights when I get back home from my job. So because of this, I devote my entire weekend to spending time with my mom and sister, updating them on things that happened at work, or maybe we just watch some movies and just hang and...chat, I would love to make out even a little time for you... but I can't, I'm fully booked, unless Mr Cooper can give me a day off and I magically didn't have to go to my two other jobs for a day, then I'd definitely love to hang out with you" I explain to him and he sighed.

"Diana... if you just let me into your life you wouldn't have to work so much" Fred said. I had forgot to mention the part where Fred was infatuated with me, he in fact was and it was sickening. Fred was a handsome young man who earned a lot from his job as manager at some finance company so he was a good catch. He was one of those people that women would want to marry because they felt they'd have a good life. I couldn't think like that anymore, I'd learned not to rely on anyone because they'd leave the moment you got comfortable, most of this trauma was aimed at my dads death.

My life turned around after he died, it felt like I couldn't do anything for myself anymore, I'd had to take up another job in New York to be able to send my sister money sometimes but it was the little things I could do. Relying on anyone at this point in my life felt like selling my soul.

"Fred, I really appreciate the offer but I'm gonna politely turn you down" I say sweetly and he half scoffed. "Yet again, I'm not gonna quit trying Diana,"

"I'd like to see how long you'd keep going for," I said before walking away to take other people orders. The morning was long and during the lunch rush, I got tipped so much I lost count.

It was 12:34pm and I wanted to leave so Mr Cooper, my boss, let me. I didn't really like the burger joint cause people usually got take out and there was no one to tip me at tables, I was a waitress after all, I didn't work behind the cash register, but they paid more here than Mr Cooper did at The Sweet P, so that's why I stayed.

As the hours went by, I was able to get tipped a few times and that was good. I'd gone to the bank during one of my breaks to get the check cashed and transferred into three different accounts.

We had about four accounts, mine, pens and moms while the last one was dads which was now in my name. There wasn't much in either of the accounts, one was for bills, which was moms, another for food, that was pens and mine held money for emergencies. But in dad's account, I saved every single spare change I had because I wanted to invest in a small shop. It was only between me and dad, he knew mom loved baking, so he'd planned on buying a small shop, he had started paying for it bit by bit but when he died I had to continue.

I had bought the place up already, all it needed was some renovations and startup money, that, I didn't have.

It was almost 7 and I had to be at the hotel early because they were throwing a party today. If I was there they'd assign me to serve guests, that only meant them tipping me, I was only there for the money.

Standing in a room full of rich people was overwhelming, it made me feel small but I wasn't one to show emotion outside my comfort zone which was my mom and sister. I hated people thinking I was approachable, but when someone did approach me, I was the nicest.

I stood at the entrance holding a tray of glass of champagne, my eyes wandering around the room filled with rich people.

"The room was dark and eerie, and I could hear a voice calling my name but it sounded so far away.

"Diana" the voice called, I could hear it everywhere but it sounded so far, like I couldn't reach it, no matter where I heard it from I could never decipher where it was coming from.

"Diana," the voice called again.

Fear gripped me and I buried my head in my knees and covered my eyes trying to block out the voices, but they didn't go away. They sounded so much closer now, like they were coming for me, like they were right here with me.

I opened my eyes again and looked around, the voices calling my name, "Diana, Diana, Diana" from all over the room, there was no hiding, I couldn't run away from it, it was with me and I, with it, there was no running away from what was with me, what was in me"

I jolted up again and looked around. My daydreams, well, daymares were becoming concerning. I'd always had them, well, since my dad died at least. I'd always learned to go with the flow and battle whatever life throws at you, I'd once dreamed so much my dad called me a dream catcher but when he died I killed all those dreams and called them foregone fantasies, I assumed they were mad at me and turned themselves into mares instead.

I'd decide to leave the entrance and walk around, offering rich people drinks and having them drop $100 bills on the tray for me, it was exhilarating.

The room silenced as a man walked in, his aura authoritative and dominating, his gaze cold and demeaning, a gaze that told anyone who walked the same land as him to crawl and an aura that told every man who stood on earth to bow down to him and hail his name.

Xavier Wilson, a man who his very existence screamed in bolded words "I'm better than you", the man every woman wanted because not only was he rich and handsome he was also single, he was one of the most eligible bachelors in the whole California and how I wished I would just disappear sometimes.

I was staring at Xavier, long enough for him to feel my gaze and look my way, there was no backing out now, we were in it, locked in, there was no looking away.

Even when his bodyguards urged him follow them? He just remained standing there and staring at me, and I could feel the spark flying between us. A lady walked up to him and held his hand before he finally broke eye contact and walked off with her.

I had goosebumps from the staring battle and I could hear my heart thumping inside my chest.

At the end of my shift, I'd made more money in a day than I do in a week, hanging around rich people meant them just handing you things worth thousands and calling it trash. It also meant if they thought I was pretty, they gave me money.

Was I actually pretty or these people were only making fun of me. I'd caught Xavier staring at me a few times, but I couldn't hold the eye contact anymore, when I caught him staring I looked away and kept my attention fixated on other things.

"546, 551, 561........ 571, 621, okay, plus my fee for assisting with catering at the party.... $1021" I counted.

"Wow, that's more than all your paychecks combined" Penelope said.

"I know right, it's absolutely crazy"

"You should work at parties more often"

"Well, it's only when the hotel hosts parties that I work with them sometimes" I tell her and she hummed in response. "I'm gonna get some rest, and you should too, the job hunt for you was unsuccessful but I'll try again tomorrow, and you will too so get some sleep sis,"

"Alright... thanks D"

"It's alright Pen, that's what family is for."

"It's alright Pen, that's what family is for." I told her and turned away from her to sleep. Finding jobs wasn’t easy, these days the only real jobs were office jobs but even those wouldn’t hire 17-year-olds, so I knew this was going to be hard.