3

Dixie jerked suddenly to the sound of her phone buzzing, a light kept blinking from her phone flashlight signaling that she had received a notification. She switched on the bedlamp then wiped the perspiration that coated her forehead with the back of her hand and picked her phone from the table.

She unlocked her phone and checked the message, it was from an unknown number. She read the message

We are sorry to announce to you that you didn't get the job but

She stopped reading and sighed, she ran her hands through her hair

"Ahhh!" She clenched her teeth,"Fucking shit"

Rachel turned slightly and flashed an eye to peer at the girl who was in an outburst in the middle of the night, "Holy fuck Dixie, what's wrong?"

She seemed pissed and also concerned, pissed for the fact that she was woken up from her beauty sleep. She was a light sleeper and any slight noise would wake her and Dixie's actions weren't pleasing at all.

She was concerned because she never saw her like this ever since they began leaving together after she had broken up with her boyfriend.

This was a first.

"I didn't get it" she sighed and turned her head away from Rachel as she bit on her fingers.

"Get what? By this time? Dixie have you looked at the time, what are you getting by this time of the night that can't wait till morning?"

Dixie slowly turned and glanced at the clock that was on the bed stand. It was 3 am in the morning and Rachel's eyes on her. Rachel arched her eyebrow giving her the 'explain yourself' look

"I didn't get the job" she sighed low and drawn

It took Rachel a while before the reply struck her, "Oh my God" she stood up and began making her way to Dixie's bed, she held her on the shoulder and hugged her from behind,"I'm so sorry Dixie, you would get another one soon, don't give up okay?"

"But what am I going to do?" Her voice croaked and she sobbed, "How long till I get another job?"

She sobbed harder and Rachel's arm was still around her, she kept trying to talk some sense into her because she had begun listing her life failures.

"I lost my mum when I was six, I have been through foster homes, I got into an accident, I almost died..." Her voice came out cracked as her shoulders shook

"Dixie please stop, you are not done yet maybe it was just not supposed to be your job, your job is out there and it is just not this one"

"I almost died" she continued lamenting, "I got cheated on"

Rachel rolled her eyes.

"And now I can't even get a job, for six months Rachel, six months" she showed the number six with her fingers and wiped the mucus that protruded from her nose.

"Dixie, you need to calm down"

"I can't calm down Rachel, I don't know what to do, I don't know what I'm going to do, I had really hoped this would work out, I really hoped it would" she cried louder

"This is so fucked up" Rachel sighed, she felt pity for her friend. Sleep had evaded her, she couldn't go to sleep knowing her friend was going through a dilemma. She sighed again not being able to make out words that would calm her friend.

Dixie hardly cried and this was one of the few times she did, the last time was when she had splitted from her boyfriend. She had woken up one morning and her demeanor was cold, she cried that morning and decided not to eat but Rachel had forced her to.

Rachel felt bad seeing her cry in front of her, it was heartbreaking, "It's okay Dixie, you could try again you know"

Dixie nodded while her head was still bent,"They said they didn't want me that I didn't get the job"

"Let me see the message" she rubbed circles on her back hoping it would calm her down

Dixie reached for her phone and unlocked then she gave it to Rachel, she turned her face away not being able to bring herself to look at the rejection message.

"What the fuck Dixie?" Rachel cursed loudly and Dixie's head snapped to her direction,"Are you fucking kidding me right now?"

"What is it?" She was confused wondering what was in the message that made Rachel curse.

Rachel held the phone out for her to read and she looked at it this time around reading it better and to the end

We are sorry to announce to you that you didn't get the job but you were given another job and we would love it if you could start tomorrow being the 6th of June. Thank you.

"You are so fucking stupid, you silly bitch" Rachel threw the phone right on her lap and stood up from the bed and made her way to hers lifting the blanket in an angry mood, "Asshole, stupid bitch" she kept cursing and turned her head sharply at Dixie who's mouth was slightly agape,"I hate you so much for this, stupid ass bitch, you woke me up in the middle of the night for some shitty shit, Oh gosh I hate you so fucking much" She emphasized on the fucking

"I hate you more than words can tell, Dixie gosh I wish I could kill you right here but I ain't that evil. You woke me from my beauty sleep for some nonsense and you hell know that I'm a light sleeper" She settled herself on the bed,"Fuck you know that I'm a light sleeper and I have to turn and turn in my bed and even sacrifice to the gods before I catch some sleep and yet you had to throw a tantrum like a toddler who wasn't given her toy"  she placed the blanket on her chest and turned towards the wall.

There was silence for a minute and Dixie had quieted down, she knew that she had done an immature and stupid thing and felt very embarrassed with herself.

What came over her?

She tried to blame her actions on the stress or what she had experienced the previous day at the office.

She knew deep down it wasn't any of those two. It was her being her.

This was the perks of being Dixie and she sighed,"I'm sorry Rachel"

Rachel didn't reply her, she thought maybe she had falling asleep since it had been a while she went to her bed. She made a mental note to apologize better to her in the morning maybe with a cake.

She turned to her side and tried to get some sleep.

"Dixie" Rachel called, she raised her head to look in the dark at her

"Mmh" she replied, her hand tucked her hair behind her ear

"Do you have a tampon?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"You might be getting your period tomorrow"

"Oh" she understood at that moment that she was referring to her outburst earlier, Rachel thought maybe it was PMS and she doubted it,"Maybe"

And she laid her head back on her pillow, Rachel wasn't asleep yet, all thanks to her.

"And Dixie?" Rachel called again

"Mmh" she replied again with her head still on the pillow

"Fuck you"

Rachel was right because the next morning when she awoke, she was stained already, she rushed to the bathroom and showered immediately, when she came out Rachel wasn't in the room and she had no idea where she had gone

Was she still mad at her about last night?

She shook her head at that thought, Rachel wasn't one to keep grudges.

She began dressing up and noticed that she hadn't bought a tampon yet.

She had no idea what  she would do next and just then Rachel came back and dropped something right in front of her without talking to her and made her way straight to the shower.

She reached for the item dropped in front of her and opened it. She was surprised to see a tampon there.

Words couldn't express how grateful she was and she felt so bad for what she had done the previous night.

She wore the tampon and by the time she was done getting ready, Rachel was already done with her shower and she stepped out in a towel.

"Thank you for the tampon"

Rachel nodded and walked away and she guessed maybe she was still mad at her. She sighed low, she had an angry roommate to deal with when she came back from work. She beelined for the door before Rachel cleared her throat which got her attention "Are you sure what you are wearing is okay for work?"

Dixie looked at her outfit, she was wearing a blue sweater tucked into a black denim with black ankle boots.

"I guess"

Rachel shrugged and she gulped maybe she needed to change, she didn't know

"Do you think I should change it?"

"I think you should"

Dixie beelined for the wardrobe and began rummaging through her clothes creating a mess in the process.

Rachel came closer to her with her wet hair and still in a towel, she dropped a new suit wrapped in a plastic waterproof in front of her.

Her breath hitched, she didn't deserve such kindness. She turned to her roommate with happiness in her eyes,"Thank you so much Rachel"

"You are welcome" she turned away not sparing her another glance and began cleaning her hair

"I'm sorry about last night, I didn't.." she was out of words,"It won't happen again"

"It better don't" the reply was cold.

She changed into the suit and trouser then made her way out of the room and down the stairs, she passed her neighbor's door and got stopped when she saw the cat outside, she bent down and stroked its fur. The cat made a sound to show it liked what she was doing.

"Is Mr fluffy ball happy?"

The cat meowed.

She chuckled and stroked it one last time before she stood up, "I gotta go now fluffy, I would see you" she pointed her two index fingers at the cat, "When I get back" and with that she was out of the building and heading to work.

She was greeted by a different receptionist this time, she wondered if they changed receptionists daily. This woman didn't act like the other one, she wasn't nice to her neither did she ask about her hair color. She was just mean and Dixie was tempted to ask if probably she ate a bad food that morning or perhaps didn't get a good fuck the previous night but she kept her thoughts to herself.

Today was her first day of her work and she needed to make the best impression. The receptionist directed her on where to go and she was out of her presence in a blink of an eye.

She headed straight for the office she had gone to yesterday and began praying that they changedbthe man just like they did to Sasha.

Her luck had ran out because there he was in all his glory with his gaze on a book.

Did he smile?

Did he laugh?

Was he nice?

As she stood there contemplating the man cleared his throat

"Welcome miss Johnson, I suppose you got the text message"

She nodded. He scrutinized her outfit, his expression remained callous.

"Wait here" he stood up and left

She reached for her phone which she didn't forget to bring, it was at the back of her mind considering what happened at the office the previous day. She wondered the outcome of the other interviewees.

Did they make it like she did?

Were they given the same job they had applied for?

Or were they given a different job?

She pondered for what felt like hour but was only just minutes and the man returned.

"You can go" He waved her off with his hand and she looked around her confused on what to do next

"Excuse me, where do I go?"

He gave her a card and with a map drawn on it, "You could simply tell me where to go" she blurted out

His eyes snapped to hers and she realized what she had said, she slowly stood up and made her way out the door all the while looking at the card

What was up with this company and card giving?

She shook her head and left the office, closing the door right behind her. She followed the directions on the card and it led her to an elevator which she took to the last floor, she stepped out of the elevator and was shocked to see a very beautiful office painted in white.

Her mouth was slightly agape as she looked round, from the paint on the wall to the couch and the flower vase all were white.

She figured this person must like the color white

She stepped out to the balcony and there she saw half of Los Angeles, the sight was beautiful.

"Wow" she took her phone and unlocked it to take a picture of the scenery

"Phones are not allowed up here" a  baritone voice spoke from behind her and she turned swiftly to be met with no one there and she swore she had heard something.

"Is someone there?" She looked round her and took few steps forward to the place she thought she had the voice come from, "Am I hallucinating?"

"Are you?" The voice came again and she looked behind her, she swore she heard it right behind her

"Who are you?"

A man stepped out with his hands clasped behind his back dressed in white from the crown of his head right to the sole of his feet, his hair was also white and she thought maybe it was dyed but above all he was good looking.

Too good looking for a man

"I should be asking you that?"

"I'm, uh" she struggled to find the words to express herself as she was nervous but didn't know why, her spirit was disturbed, "My name is Dixie and I was given this" she held out the card to him and he didn't take it. He just kept looking at it until she withdrew it.

"I was told that I got a job but they didn't tell me what it was so here I am right in front of you looking stupid all thanks to your staff"

He raised an eyebrow and scoffed, "He was right"

"Who? If you don't mind me asking"

"Lincoln"

She furrowed her brows in confusion,"I don't.. "

"He was the one who gave you the card" he interrupted gesturing with his eyes towards her hand and she looked at it and nodded. It was the man with red eyes.

"Oh, ok then, what was he right about?"

"You don't know how to talk" and with that he walked up the stairs with his hands still clasped behind his back

"Lincoln would come here soon to tell you what to do so until then keep enjoying the scenery" he gestured with his hand to the balcony and her eyes followed it, when she looked back he was gone.

"By the way" she heard his voice from the place he had gone into,"I'm Timothee and welcome to hell"

It felt like ages before Lincoln finally came up to the last floor but it had been barely few minutes, she couldn't enjoy the scenery any longer as her mind kept pondering on what Timothee had said. Welcome to hell

Was he bluffing?

She figured maybe he was, there was no way that helle existed in real life, she wasn't ready to believe it heck she didn't even fully believe in God. There was no way hell was real if it is that God wasn't but still the thoughts clouded her mind.

"You are to go home for the day but then come to this location tomorrow morning as early as seven in the morning" He handed her a card

"Why? I thought I was going to be working here"

"You are working here"

"As what? I didn't get the job that I had wanted, what did I get? Please tell me"

He was silent pondering if he should tell her the real reason why she was there and he decided to,"You are the personal secretary to Master Timothee"

"Master Timothee" she repeated and nodded lightly then took the card from him and read it

There was an address on it and she put in her purse, she had dressed up for nothing, she didn't really get to do anything. If she had known what the outcome of the day would be she would have just worn the blouse and trouser she had planned on wearing in the morning and saved this suit for a much better time.

Linvolnybegan making his way out of the room and she followed him at the back like a lost puppy.

They didn't say a word to each other while in the elevator neither did they utter a word when he finally left for his destination which was the office.

She held her bag tight and left the building, once she left she felt a huge weight got lifted from her shoulders.

Something wasn't right, her gut was telling her.

With one last glance at the building, she hit the ignition and drove away.

It took her a while to find the location as she was new to the environment she was in, she went round some corners before she let down her pride and decides to use the Google map which took directed her straight to her destination.

She got off her bike after parking it at a corner she felt was safe, she had hoped that today would be better than the previous day at the office when she met Timothee.

"Master Timothee please be nice" she muttered to herself and came to stand in front of a gate. She hit the bell button and looked into the camera then the gate beeped and opened. She walked in feeling like a model on a runway show. She took long strides as the place was quite big, she got to the front door and pressed the bell button.

Someone came to the door, an old woman who she guessed was probably in her late seventies, she was wearing an apron.

"Good morning ma, I'm Dixie and I'm.."

"Master has been expecting you" she replied curtly

"I guess so" she tried to force a smile but failed horribly at it.

She entered the house, it was different from what she had seen at the office, the house looked dark, portraying a male presence and nothing feminine and like before she felt something wasn't right. Her guts was telling her that but she decided to ignore it, it might just be paranoia.

There were bull heads on a side of a wall, paintings, ancient music instruments and ancient items. It seemed as though as she got closer and closer to where she thought he would be more items that were supposed to be in the museum kept on popping their heads.

"Shit, this place is a fucking museum"

She smirked

Something caught her eye from the corner, it was a coat. It looked ancient and worn out and she was surprised that such a thing still stood the test of time because it looked so old she wondered if his grandfather gifted it to him on his birthday.

It sounded petty but she couldn't help it, Timothee had acted like an arse and people like him felt the wrath of her tongue. Sometimes she was too blunt for her own good and even people around her complained.

There was one time when she had gone out with her exboyfriend to a mall and he told her she should pick out any dress that she wanted.

She picked a very gorgeous red gown and the lady at the counter had made a rude comment about her taste being too high and she told the woman straight to her face that she should be ashamed of herself for not getting a man who would show her off and the lady got hurt. She guessed it had hit her too hard bit she didn't care and neither did her boyfriend.

Her taste wasn't too high, the lady was just being mean.

She finished admiring the artifacts that were on the wall and as she headed out she spotted a wall filled with paintings, she smirked.

He was into what millenials were obsessed with, he was his own person. Someone who loved ancient artifacts and artworks.

She admired that, the fact that he wasn't ashamed to show what he likes, to leave it in the open for visitors like her to see.

Her legs took her outside through another door and right in front of a people, she liked around thinking she might see the skull of a bull or a horn but she didn't see any and she laughed low. That was silly of her because he  liked those things didn't mean that they would be all over his house.

She drew closer to the pool and stared at it, thoughts about her life came rushing into her head, her mind had gone for a stroll and fallen down a rabbit hole.

She heard a cough and didn't turn, if it was hers she didn't remember

"Are you always lost in thoughts like this?"

The voice startled her and she flipped around immediately only for her to loose her footing and the last thing she saw was his face.

Timothee

Then she fell into the pool and right then she knew the mistake she had just made because she couldn't swim.