Emma's POV
"Hey! Em" I heard Cindy's familiar voice as I was clearing off table number seven.
"Yeah. What is it? Cindy" I asked in a least interested manner as I already knew if Cindy was being extra sweet towards me, then she obviously and desperately needed some favour from me.
"And what are you even doing here at this hour?" I asked walking into the kitchen as she followed me.
"I thought you had an evening shift today" I added.
"Actually that's what I need to talk about" She replied.
"I need a favour from you" She added sheepishly.
"I already figured that" I said rolling my eyes.
"Could you please fill in for me at the evening shift?" She asked.
"No. Sweet, dear, Cindy, I won't" I replied extra sweetly as well.
"I have been working my ass off since this morning, clearing tables after tables, taking, God knows, how many orders..." I paused.
"And now you want me to work your shift as well?" I continued before shaking my head at her, disappointed.
"Em, please" She pleaded.
"It's not like you'll work on my behalf and I'll get paid for it" She said.
"You'll get paid for it, Em...I have a date with Jarren and you know how our relationship has been going through a tough phase lately...I cannot afford to cancel it" She added and I soften up a bit.
"I have already spoke with Carla about it, but she said that I could leave only if someone else fills in for me" She said as I sighed.
"And I cannot really ask anybody but you" She added.
"Because you know that they wouldn't agree and only I am fool enough to fill in for you after hearing your sad story" I replied shaking my head.
"Thank you so much, Em. I owe you big time, my darling" She squealed happily before hugging me and placing a kiss on my cheek.
"Don't be too happy, I'm leaving when the clock hits five" I said playfully as she just rolled her eyes.
"I know you won't, because you are a sweetheart" She replied while heading out as I just shook my head at her with a small smile on my face.
Well, at least someone's love life would survive with a tiny bit help from my end.
Whereas if you talk about me...well, I don't have a love life at all. I may not have a boyfriend but what I do have is piles of bills to pay and tons of responsibilities towards my parents, which was also one of the reasons why I agreed to work Cindy's shift and even she knew that I needed money.
I know it would be tiring but I needed this money.
I sighed.
The rest of my day went by just as usual while taking orders and clearing off tables. Though the diner wasn't to crowed as evening rolled in, to which I couldn't be more thankful as I was worn off.
And later that night when I was just about to leave, Carla called me, saying that she needed to talk to me.
"Here's your pay check and your overtime for today" Carla said handing me my pay check as I just stared at it for a second.
Why was I getting paid so early?
"You are mistaken, Carla, it's not time to pay your employees yet" I said with an awkward chuckle. Carla was a humble and sweet lady, in her mid forties but she could be the typical professional boss when she wanted to, but all said and done, I had a friendly relation with her.
"No, Em, I'm not mistaken but the thing is..." She paused with a sigh as if she had difficulty saying what it was she wanted to say.
"I'm so sorry, Em, but we have to let you go" She continued as I just blinked at her, surprised.
Was she trying to tell me that I no longer had a job?
"You know the diner has not been doing too well and I can no longer afford to keep this many employees" She said with a sad look on her face.
And you decided that it would be best to lay me off because you knew that I was the only one who would leave without saying even a word to you.
"But Carla, it was a bit crowded today in the afternoon" I said, my voice almost cracking as I tried convincing her that the diner might do well in the future and she could afford to keep me.
"Such days are exception, Em" She replied as I just nodded trying to keep my tears at bay before leaving without saying another word any further.
As I walked out of the diner after grabbing a free sandwich, which the chef gave me as a parting gift after knowing that I won't be returning the next day, I realized that it has started to snow outside. It was quite dark and if that wasn't enough to scare the shit out of me, the streets were empty too.
Not wanting to stay out too long, I quickly walked upto the nearest bus stop, hoping that the bus would arrive soon.
I was so freaking tired working all day long...working not just my shift but my friend's too. I wonder if Cindy already knew about this arrangement...I mean if she did then that says so much about our friendship, doesn't it?
My tiredness and the fact that I didn't have a job anymore...the fact that I would wake up the next morning and wouldn't have anywhere to go or anything to do, was finally taking a toll on me.
How was I going to tell my parents that I lost my job? How would they take it? We barely make a living out of mine and my father's salary, we have numerous bills to pay. My mother used to work but due to her health conditions, my father suggested that she has worked all her life and now it was time for her to stay back home and rest.
And since then all the financial burden has fallen on mine and my father's shoulder.
I'll have to look for a job as soon as possible, starting tomorrow morning as it would be stupid to sit around and mope over the fact that I was now unemployed.
My stomach grumbled, snapping me out of my thoughts and it was just then that I realized that I haven't eaten anything since this morning. Looking down at the sandwich in my hand, that was now cold due to the weather out here, I smiled.
Well, at least I got a free sandwich.
As I devoured the sandwich, I couldn't help but wonder that why was it taking so long for the bus to arrive? And was it even going to come in the first place?
I would have reached home by now if I walked instead of sitting here and waiting for the bus. But then there's also this fact that I was scared to walk home alone.
As I finished having my sandwich, a black coloured car passed by in a rather less speed before taking a halt a few steps further from the bus stop and that got me alarmed.
As scary as it was walking home alone at this hour, it was equally dangerous and stupid sitting here alone, waiting for the bus that was most probably never gonna arrive.
Deciding to walk home instead, I got up and started walking in quick steps when the car that had stopped a little further from the bus stop, began moving backwards.
Christ! Please no!
I'm already having a bad day as it is. I didn't even complain much when I lost my job but please, I beg off you, please don't let something more bad happen with me...something that I won't be able to recover from, my entire life, I closed my eyes for a second sending a mental prayer to the great heavens above.
"Please. Please" I kept mumbling like a mantra while trying to walk home as quickly as possible when I felt someone walking behind me and my heart started thumping like I had just ran a marathon.
I stopped dead in my tracks when I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"W-What do you want?" I asked in a rather shaky voice.
"Relax, dear, I'm anything but a threat to you" Replied a sweet, feminine voice which had me sighing in some sort of relief until just the next moment when I panicked again as just because she has got a sweet voice, doesn't mean that she's not a threat.
"Now could you please turn around" The woman said further.
"I need to make sure my eyes aren't playing games with me" I heard her mumble to herself.
Now what is that supposed to mean?
Slowly I dared to turn around and face her, only to see an elegant, beautiful, probably in her early fifties, lady with a model like figure which was quite commendable considering her age, staring at me like I had just grown two extra heads.
"Can I help you with something?" I asked putting my confident suit on before mentally patting my own back for not stuttering and showing her how scared and nervous I was.
"Yes actually" She replied with absolute shock still clouding her beautiful facial features.
"Oh..." She mumbled shaking her head slightly, before letting out a soft chuckle as if she just snapped out of some trance.
"I'm sorry for staring at you like that, I probably scared you" She added.
Not probably, you certainly scared the crap out of me.
"You just..." She trailed off.
"You just really remind me of someone" She said with a small smile.
"Yeah as if you staring at me wasn't creepy enough" I blurted.
I'm usually very humble and definitely never mean to elderly people or anybody for that matter, but when you are alone in the middle of nowhere, on a snowy night, at this hour, followed and then stared at by some strange woman, then you cannot really help yourself now, can you?
"I don't know, I just..." The woman trailed off once again as if she was absolutely speechless.
"What's your name?" She asked.
"Why would I tell my name to a stranger?" I questioned back.
"Alright, don't tell me your name, but I have a very generous proposition for you, one that I believe you won't be able to say no to" She said.
"A what?" I mumbled, confused.
"A job to offer, dear" She explained.
A job? Is this purely a coincidence? Or has God personally send her with a job offer for me on the exact same night when I lost my job?
But wait, how can I even be so stupid or rather should I say desperate to actually believe that she's a nice lady, who has a job offer for me and not some psychopath who wants to kill me.
I mean come on, if we are being realistic here then who on earth even just randomly stops by in the middle of the freaking night and offers a job to some random girl sitting on the bus stop, eating a free, cold sandwich and moping over the fact that she was now unemployed.
"Yeah right" I mumbled sarcastically.
"I already have a job" I lied and a lie has never been as painful as this was in my entire life.
"So thank you, Miss...whatever your name is, for your generous proposition" I added and quickly turned on my heels, more than ready to leave already when I felt a tug on my wrist as the woman held it and stopped me from leaving and that's when things started to feel even more creepy.
"Hold on, young lady, you are kicking away the biggest opportunity that you might ever get in your mediocre life" The woman said.
"Trust me, this job might just change your life forever" She added.
"Come, let's sit in my car and we can discuss further about it" She suggested as I looked at her suspiciously.
What kinda of job was this? That would change my life forever? Her words have surely intrigued me but was it safe to get in her car? Who's to say, she might just be involved in some human trafficking shit.
"You can say whatever you want to, right here, I'm not getting into a stranger's car" I replied folding my hands over my chest.
"Smart, I like it..." She paused.
"My husband and son would be flabbergasted to see you" She continued.
"And Noah, I'm hoping he'll be happy too" She added as I scoffed at her before nodding my head, kinda figuring out her plan.
"I get it, your husband, your son and this guy Noah, would be happy to see me, would they?" I said sarcastically.
"Thank you, but I'm not gonna get involved in this sick, dirty game of yours...I'm not that kinda girl who sells her body for money" I added, fuming that she could even dare to place such offer before me.
"What?!" She exclaimed surprised.
She laughed, shaking her head at me.
"I'm sorry, you totally misinterpreted my words" She said.
"Noah is my ten month old grandson and I need a nanny for him" She finally explained.
Oh. So Noah was just a little baby and here I assumed something entirely different. My cheeks turned red as I felt embarrassed.
"A nanny?" I mumbled.
"How would being a nanny change my life forever?" I questioned.
"I cannot really explain but if destiny works in your favor then..." She trailed off with a shrug.
"And I guess destiny has already started working in your favor..." She paused.
"By giving you that face" She continued under her breath, but yet I heard her since it was a silent night.
My face?
"I'll pay you double of what a nanny usually gets" She offered, not giving me the chance to let my thoughts ponder upon her confusing words.
"But..." I began only to be interrupted by her.
"Alright, I'll pay you whatever amount you demand" She said.
"No, it's not about the money, I was gonna say that..." I paused.
"I have to warn you that I have never even held a baby before" I continued.
"You'll learn" She replied quickly.
"But why me?" I asked, confused as to why would she hand me such big responsibility when I just informed her that I have never even held a baby before.
"Let's just leave some things as a surprise for later" She replied.
"Now, may I get your name?" She asked.
"Emma Hill" I replied in a low voice while still wondering why she chose me?
"What's your name? Who are you?" I asked.
"Elizabeth" She replied.
"Elizabeth Walker" She added.
•••
Hey,
Please vote, comment and share.
Until next time.
Love,
Crystal ❤️