How come of all days, Kai Rand had chosen this day to show up!?
Kara stared at him. His eyes turned from surprised to serious.
"Mr. Rand this bitch waitress is a spy!"
The man with the injured hand growled and came closer to push the barrel of his gun to Kara's head.
"Look what we found on her." The leader bitterly added.
And he showed Mr. Rand, Kara's device, he held in hand. Kara thought maybe she should deny or plead, but she just couldn't do anything. The throbbing pain in her head and the dread had made her mind to go blank and dizzy. She could only think about fighting. All the reasoning was gone. She only braced herself for what was most defiantly about to come.
"Oh there she is!"
Mr. Rand laughed as his face with beard turned into a delightful expression!
Of all the things she thought he would say this was never one of them. Apparently everyone else was as bewildered as she was.
"This is one of our new staff. I asked her to bring you a drink on the house!" Kai Rand smirked.
"But Mr. Rand! This device –"
The leader waved the device with the chain as if to remind him the evidence was still in his hand, but Mr. Rand simply dismissed it with a wave of his hand and rolled his eyes.
"Oh that's just our new technology to enhance the communication and ordering services around here! Here let me show you."
The wide eyed leader put the device in Mr. Rand's waiting hand. He received it and frowned at the man who was still holding the gun to Kara's head.
"And please move that away. There's no need for such drastic measures. This is all just a big misunderstanding."
The gun was immediately removed and Kara couldn't even move from surprise. Mr. Rand fumbled with the device and when it didn't respond to anything, he held it out to Kara.
"Here Marley show the gentlemen what it does."
Despite being momentarily shocked at him knowing her name, Kara took the device and skillfully turned it to its back side in her slightly trembling hands. This way her device would turn into the disguise mode and it turned on with red lights and beeped as it projected a small hologram above her palm, showing the history search as she slid her finger through it. Kara couldn't remember being this lucky in her entire life. She had searched to learn about various drinks since working at the bar in her free time and in this situation it all seemed like different drink orders in their eyes.
"SEE? No reason to be worried at all!"
Kai Rand chuckled as if this whole things was a prank and took the device from her to bring it closer for them to see more accurately. The disguise mode let the gadget to stay on far from her touch for a brief time.
The Men grunted and cursed and put their guns down. Mr. Rand only flashed them his brilliant smug smile and apologized further.
"You have to excuse her, she's new here and I apologize for any inconvenience she has caused."
All the admiration she had developed for Kai Rand for rescuing her, vanished instantly. Kara wanted so much to punch him in the face that moment. She had caused inconvenience?! How dare he ignore the insult that these dirty men had posed on her? How dare he just smile and humiliate her even more than she already had been.
Kara glared daggers at him while he was babbling on to distract the men and didn't even give her a glance. Then He tugged lightly at his cuff to straighten the wrinkles on his sleeve and cleared his throat.
"Very well gentlemen I leave you for a moment to handle this situation and return to you shortly. And as a compensation all the drinks will be on the house tonight."
Kara almost gasped at how far he was rubbing them in the face with gifts. How could he even think of pleasuring these low lives and spoiling them for being annoyed, while it was completely the other way around!
Kai Rand finally gave Kara – or Marley for all he knew – a nod and she went out of the door with Kai Rand on her tail and the door slid close behind them.
For a moment they were just standing in the almost dark hallway, looking at each other in silence. Kai Rand's eyes were boring holes in her, until he turned and started walking away towards the stairs without a single word.
After the relief she felt the moment she stepped out of that room, and the swarm of emotions in her from grateful to angry washed away, she turned worried and unsure of the man who was her boss and after all that he had done and the lies he had told in that room, he was ignoring her like nothing has ever happened.
What is he going to do? Am I fired? Is he going to call the royal guards? Do I have to flee now? Rao! Alex is going to kill me for sure this time when I actually called her on the beacon device. Oh no! The beacon is in HIS hands yet!
Kara actually felt the hallway spinning around her. With the adrenalin in her system gone, the fatigue and sleep deprivation was finally hitting her. She thought quickly and decided to confront Mr. Rand and somehow take back her device, whether with words or force, and then run for it.
Kara was about two steps behind him when he stopped abruptly, making Kara almost bump into his back. She was about to say something when he beat her to it.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
He's voice was a mixture of serious and disbelief. Kara felt anger and surprise at the same time. Mr. Rand spun around to face her again. His face was unreadable, but Kara didn't shrink from his stare.
"You could at least defend my honor!" Kara spat at him.
All the conversations and arguments she had prepared in her mind a few seconds ago, vanished as anger was the only emotion that was driving her at that moment. Her fists were clenched at her sides. The damn deformed trey was still in her left hand.
Kai Rand only huffed like she was a naive child and only he knew better.
"You foreigners are so dumb about Daxam and you Marley, have no idea what you just had gotten yourself into back there. You think they care about such things?"
He stood in front of her with crossed arms. Shaking his head in disappointment. Kara tried to take the reign in her emotions. She would never admit to him that he had saved her back there. She would argue that she could have handle it herself. Granted, Kara knew this conversation would never end and tried to change the conversation.
Nervously, Kara touched her glasses.
"Ehm... Mr. Rand... I know this looks bad, but...eh... could you give me back my communication device?"
Kara almost winced at how her voice sounded small and unconvincing. Kai Rand squinted at her for a few seconds, before bringing his hand up and looked at the device with the torn chain swinging from it.
Kara couldn't see his eyes anymore. The reflection on his glasses made it impossible to see them. He then tilted his head and Kara could see that they were fixed on her again, but this time he wasn't looking at her face. Kara saw how his eyes was observing her torn shirt collar. Kara was glad that lights were dim. She felt uncomfortably self-conscious and touched the collar of her white shirt. Only then she felt the stung on her neck where the chain had broken the skin.
Kai Rand held the device to Kara and she almost snatched it from his hand. Amazed how he would let her have it back so easily. He wasn't looking at her anymore, staring instead at his feet. He seemed upset or maybe even concerned.
He ran his now free hand through his hair.
"You should a... there's a supply room in the staff room for extra uniforms. You can grab a new shirt there." He said with a hoarse voice.
Kara opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water. She wasn't even sure what he meant.
"Are you... Am I... but I thought you would want to fire me with what you said handling this situation and all back there"
Kara saw a sparkle of mischief in his eyes.
"Yeah well, we're in a very busy season and can't afford to lose staff that easily. Even if they're pretty clumsy!" He smirked.
Kara didn't try to respond to his argument. Everything had unbelievably turned out okay and she wasn't sure what she had to do or say right now. She only managed to give him a faint smile. They stood like that for a few seconds, before he sighed and nodded towards the stair.
"Okay Marley Danvers, you go clean up and you can have the rest of the night off."
Kara nodded politely and moved past him to descend the stair, but after taking the first step, she stopped and turned around to see him. He was still standing where he was, watching her.
"Thank you Mr. Rand."
He nodded. He's face had turned serious and hard again.
"This was just one time Marley, don't be so reckless again, I won't be there next time."
Kara kept his sharp gaze for a few seconds, nodding in response and turned to walk faster to get out of the VIP section.
She almost ran to the supply room to find a new shirt, dumping the useless trey in a trash can and headed to the locker room. It was almost empty. Kara opened her locker and hid the beacon device among her civilian clothes. Today her locker was full since she had to move from her room and all she owned was in that locker.
Kara took a moment and rested her head on her stuff that bulged out. She was so tired and stressed that she couldn't even think what she was supposed to do now.
Should I stay? Who is this Kai Rand really? Is he a member of the rebellion and that is why he helped me? Could it be? The billionaire who owns one of the most recognizable clubs on Daxam, is a member of the Rebellion?!
Kara laughed at herself for even considering it. Another voice in her head screamed for her to run, that it was all just a play to trap her when she was most vulnerable.
This was all so overwhelming. Kara decided she couldn't reach any decisions now and instead went to the staff rest rooms to change. Her reflection in the mirror was more terrible than she expected. The bags under her eyes, her paleness and the mess that was her hair really made her look far from a Moon River waitress.
Kara washed her face. A thin line of blood on her neck showed where the chain had been torn. She groaned in frustration. Where could she find a new chain to hide the device now? She had to repair it somehow. She padded on the scratch with a wash cloth. Fortunately it wasn't bleeding anymore and wouldn't stain her brand new shirt.
It was past four in the morning when finally the last costumers decided to leave. Kara was almost asleep on a bench in the locker room when the commotion in the room caused her to wake fully. All the staff were getting ready to leave and it was time to close the club. Kara moved to change back into her regular clothing.
Now she had another problem. Where on Telos could she go now until working hours again?!
Dana shook her head. "No Marley, it's against the rules. I can't let you stay here. I'm sorry."
Kara sighed and followed Dana outside. This was her last option and now she had to walk around the city and stay awake until afternoon.
Rao she was tired. Even if she had money – which she didn't since that bastard Kar had taken all she had from her – to stay in a hotel, they were all booked for the Garata Fest.
When Dana left, Kara walked around the club exterior building a few times. It was still dark, but rather quiet. Unlike the neighborhood where her room was located, this part of the city was quiet. Kara could feel the wind grew stronger by the minute. Grife... now she had to get cover somewhere for the coming sand storm.
Kara covered her face with a scarf and shifted her heavy back pack on her shoulders. She moved to a side of the building that faced away from the direction of the wind and sat between a dumpster and the back door.
She wasn't sure how long she sat there, fighting sleep. Her mind was far too tired to use this time to form a plan – even with the wind howling loudly around her ears. She was about to doze off when she heard someone's weak voice among the strong wind.
"Mar...ley? Is that...you?"
Kara squinted in the dusty dark space to her right. Who was that? Then a dark tall figure emerged with a glowing device on his wrist, casting light to a small radius around it. In the faint light, Kara saw the face of the man that had called her.
Half his face was covered under his hand and the round glasses sitting on his eyes left Kara no doubt that Kai Rand was standing in front of her for the second time!
"Mr. Rand!"
Kara jumped to her feet.
Crap! Is he going to scold me for hanging around the club after closing? What is he even doing here so late?!
"Marley! What are you doing here?"
He asked and then coughed. Clearly he never had come out in the storms and had no knowledge to use a scarf in situation like these. The rich people had no clue when it came to harsh environmental elements.
"Mr. Rand! I... I'm just gonna go, sorry..."
Kara moved to go, but had no idea where to. Then she felt his hand grabbed her wrist and made her turn to face him. She didn't know why, but his grip on her hand made her heart race. Not in the same way that happened in a fight. It felt really different and she froze.
In the small white glow coming from his hand, Kara saw something different in his eyes that wasn't as cold as before and when he dragged her with him to the back door, she didn't resist him. He closed locked the door behind them and coughed a few more times.
In the stronger lighting, Kara could see that all his dark expensive clothes were covered in red dust. Kara removed her scarf and patted the front of her clothes – that had equally turned orange. Small clouds of dust raised from her. She stole glances at Kai Rand.
He took off his glasses to clean it. He looked much younger without them, maybe around her own age. That was when Kara felt like there was something familiar about his face. She couldn't put a finger on it. Anyways, she had a major headache, she could be wrong.
When Kai Rand put his glasses back on, he glared at Kara again. Looking angry.
"What did I tell you about being reckless!?"
Kara folded her arms in defense. "I wasn't being reckless!"
"What were you doing in the middle of the storm!?"
"I was waiting in a safe place for it to end, so I could go to my place!"
"The club has been closed over an hour! Why did you wait so long?"
He had completely trapped her in a corner. Kara gritted her teeth. Why did he make her feel both grateful and angry at the same time? She felt her face blushed with effort to come up with an excuse, and when she didn't say anything, he read right through her, his damn grayish blue eyes piercing her.
"You don't have any place to stay." It wasn't a question.
Kara reluctantly admitted. "No...I don't."
"Then you can stay in the staff room for a few days until you find a place."
Kara felt bewildered once more. She nodded weakly and this time felt her face blush with embarrassment. She was so helpless right now. Those men could have harmed her tonight and she couldn't have made it through in one piece without his help tonight.
Kara eyed him with wide eyes as he patted his shoulders to clean the sand. Then he cleared his throat and turned to walk back inside the club.
"Thank you again for helping me..."
He just shrugged and coughed with his back to her.
"Don't just stand there. Go get some rest. You look like crap! That's terrible for the business!"
Kara huffed and followed him inside, wondering not for the first time; Who is Kai Rand really?
*