UNBREAKABLE

Three.

          "I can do this. I can do this." Hayley kept chanting that line in her head in the hopes that it would get rid of her nervousness. She was a big girl who had come along way and stopping now would mean she was weak. And by God that was the last thing she was. Walking inside the hotel she immediately locked eyes with Candy who was responsible for the introductions. Candice or as she likes to be referred Candy was an escort and she had agreed to give Hayley one of her best clients because she really needed it. The lively woman had promised her that she didn't have to do anything she didn't want to and that since this was her first time she would lend her a good client of hers.

           Dressed in a red wrap dress that clung to every part of her body, Hayley walked over to Candy who was sitting next to an old man that looked to be in his early sixties. Unaware of all the stares thrown her way she took the other seat around the table trying her best not to look nervous. This was her last resort and if it failed then she didn't know how she was going to cope with everything.

           "Jim this is my friend. The one I was telling you about, Hayley. Hayley meet James Rutherford." Candy introduced. "I'll leave you both to get acquainted with each other. Old Westwick is looking impatient. See you later Jimmy." blowing air kisses she left the two alone heading to a table that was in a corner. Judging from his scowl the man sitting there looked impatient but his face softened when he saw Candy making her way to him.

         "Lucky bastard." Jim muttered then turned his attention to Hayley gauging her every move and facial expression. After a few minutes of squirming in her seat she finally spoke shocking both of them with her statement.

        "I can't do this. I'm. really sorry for wasting your time but I don't think I can do this." Hayley cried making a move to get up from her seat. Jim's hand placed on top of hers halted her motion prompting her to seat still.

        "Relax. Have a drink and let's talk. Candy told me a little bit about you but from your face this seems to be your first time. Now I don't know why you're here. All I know is that you need the money. And since I'm a generous man I might double your pay for the night if I like your company. Okay?" Jim told her needing to hear her story. For some reason he felt the need to really help her and that was a foreign feeling. Wanting and needing were two different things and Jim was more accustomed to the former. "Okay." Hayley said nodding.

          "Now tell me about yourself." Jim started after Hayley had ordered a drink. A soda to be precise, a fact that both amused and irritated him. He was used to women ordering expensive wines. Never in his life had anyone ordered a glass of soda in his company and he would go as far as to shamelessly say he doesn't know what the beverage tastes like. He made a point to order it after finishing his current drink.

          "I need money. I have a sick family member and the hospital bills are piling up which is why I'm here. And you were right. It is my first time." She said a little hesitantly. Hayley figured if he wanted more than just drinks she would have to up and leave.

         Four hours later they had moved to a more secluded area and Hayley realized Jim wasn't so bad. They had just talked and somewhere along the way she had divulged a little information about herself. He made her comfortable and listened. Looking at him she thought about how she missed her dad. Over the years she had come to accept that he was really gone and she was alone. After she had Alexis the loneliness wasn't so bad. Sometimes she even forgot about it and enjoy being alone with her daughter. But now everything was changing and it took every cell in her body not to break down and cry.

             It had been a month ever since Alexis had been diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. It was a type of cancer in which the bone makes too many immature lympocytes commonly known as white blood cells. She had been in the hospital for a whole month for the induction treatment that the doctor had said was enough to achieve a remission. And even after that there were still about a million leukemia cells in the body that would require two years of maintenance chemotherapy that would help in destroying the remaining cells.

         By chance if the Leukemia came back within six months of starting treatment then Alexis would need a stem cell transplant. All that was too much for Hayley and the only thing she had understood was that her child had cancer and if she didn't do anything her baby would die. Using up all her savings and selling her car wasn't enough to cover the cost of the treatment. And while her friends had helped a little, truth of the matter was that they were just employees of a small restaurant.

         She needed money for the intensive program of consolidation treatment that would be for one or two months. And maintenance chemo was going to last for about two years. All that was giving her a headache. Add to the fact that Alexis looked paler everyday, Hayley wanted to crawl up in a dark corner and curse her fate for eternity. Wasn't what she had gone through enough? Why would life punish her like this. And more so if life wanted to punish then why not her? She could take anything so long as her baby was fine.

          "Hey earth to Hayley." Jim snapped his fingers in front her face willing her to come back to reality. There were so many emotions in her eyes but pain was on the forefront. She was sad too, he could tell and he wondered what life had dished for this poor girl that caused her so much sadness. "I lost you there for a second. Where did you go?"

          "To a dark place I'd rather not talk about. I'm sorry." Hayley said in a raspy voice. She really needed to check her emotions in public.

         "Why don't we call it a night. I'll talk to Candice and arrange another meeting if that's okay with you. I had fun and honestly I've never met anyone who hated math as much as you." Jim told her gracing her with a smile she was sure broke hearts back in the day.

        "Thank you but you don't have to. I can admit I wasn't my best tonight and might not be in the coming year so no need to be kind." At least she was smiling. Thought Jim. Although it didn't reach her eyes but that was fine. It was a start.

           On his way home Jim called his PI and gave him a name. It was late but he didn't care seeing as he paid the guy a shit load of money to be available any time he needed him. He was keen on getting to the bottom of the situation and if what he thought was correct then he would play Samaritan again. JR would be pissed again and he had a feeling the boy was going to bury him alive by the time he told him his plans. Buzzing with excitement, he fired orders at Carrick to start digging and the sooner he had details the bigger his bonus would be. Sliding his phone to his pocket Jim smiled to himself. Money really did make the world go round.

   
            Hayley took the cab straight to the hospital. The nurses over there were used to her and some of them even took turns staying with Alexis when she wasn't around. They all loved her and despite her struggles she was still charming. It was what kept her going. Stepping into the waiting room Hayley was relieved to see it was empty. She just needed a minute to calm her raging thoughts. Jim had handed her bundles of money without blinking and she was sure there was almost a hundred thousand dollars in that envelope. She was scared of walking around with it and that's why she took a cab straight to the hospital.

            She wondered if she had been in the wrong job. If one night made her so much money then maybe she needed to quit her waitressing and go into escort. After all she just had to talk to some strangers and she would be fine. And rich. Shaking her head she looked around at the white walls and reminded herself why she was doing this. Before that she had been content with her life. They weren't rich but they were happy and they got along just fine. At the end of the day she knew and remembered clearly how rich people were.

           She would do this and when Alexis got better, their lives would be back to normal. Because her baby was going to be better. She had to be.

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I feel like this chapter needs more and but for now I don't know what that 'more' is so I'll add to it when inspiration strikes.