Chapter 4

°°°

'Macy,hurry up,we're late already'. Sophie called from the balcony.

'I'm almost done, I'll be with you in twenty minutes'. She called back.

'I'm trying to figure which shoe to wear'.

'Twenty what?'. Sophie matched into her room.

'You mean,you need twenty whole minutes to decide on what shoe to wear. Seriously? Macy'.

'It's not the shoe Sophie'. She decided to come out clean.

'I'm having a bad feeling about this party'. She confessed.

'What bad feelings Macy. You seem to always have a bad feeling about everything. Remember you promised Ray you'd be there and you know how bad he will feel if you ended up not coming.

I thought you were so keen about making things work out between the both of you.

Why are you so uptight anyways, I can't believe we're seriously having this conversation'.

°°°

Macy turned in time to see a man beckon on her.

He had just taken a seat on one of the lounges.

She dragged her wobbly feet up to him and read him the normal 'welcome line' and then the menu.

The man who looked quite well to do ordered the best wine they had in stock.

°°°

'Raymond please. I beg you please...'

'Be compliant Macy or I won't fulfill my promise of being gentle'.

'Please,just please'. Her tears were already falling in heavy torrents.

The words died on her mouth as His fingers sliced across her face,leaving a stinging sensation behind.

'For two years,I have been the one saying please, remember?. Now the table is turned Darling. What are you gonna do?'. He mocked.

She felt it then. An excruciating pain in the center of her womanhood. The ache so intense,it took her breath away.

She closed her eyes if only to absorb it. But closing her eyes didn't take away the nightmare nor did it swallow her grief.

°°°

She settled the tray on the table, the man seeming oblivious of her presence. She uncorked the wine and poured it into the glass.

°°°

'You have to lay still Darling. Two of my buddies want to have a taste too'.

'Where in God's name do you get these women from. I envy you bro'.

'I can't promise to be gentle,Ray. Man,this one is a sculpture'.

'Not to worry man. She likes it rough'.

Raymond laughed, the ugly sound reverberating through the room.

Another tear slipped,and then another.

°°°

Macy didn't notice she was actually crying until a tear slipped and fell on her cheek,realizing herself, her hand shot up to wipe her face knocking the bottle of wine in the process.

Her eyes widened as the bottle hit the cup and it's content spilled unto the table and soaked the paper the man was studying.

He seemed to be dazed for a moment,then slowly,his eyes lifted up to hers.

Macy gasped when her eyes caught his dark gaze.

She has landed into trouble again,hasn't she?

'I'm sorry' she stated simply, unable to keep her eyes on his for too long.

'You are sorry?' He returned. His eyes turning red with fury.

'I...I...didn't mean for that to happen'. Macy tried again,her heart pounding wildly in her chest. She fought hard to keep any tear from slipping in order not to infuriate the man more.

From the first day she had stepped into this place,into this world,she had known she couldn't do this. She just couldn't do this.

How could she,when she knew nothing about anything.

'Well...I'd like to see your manager,Supervisor, Employer, anybody that is not a stuttering tiny woman who only knows how to say sorry' The more than angry man half yelled.

That moment, Macy's world crumbled yet again.

In just eight weeks, she had worked in four different bars and has succeeded in getting her self thrown out four different times.

The first time,she'd stepped on a woman's expensive gown,tearing the lace into shreds and causing Ma May to fire her on the woman's insistence.

Jasmine's mum had taken her in after that,having her as a replacement to one of her staff who was on a sick leave after a surgery. She couldn't stay long there too. All she needed to ruin everything was two days absence from work and Jasmine's mum had told her plainly that she couldn't keep up with incompetent staff.

The third time,she'd fainted during work hours. Her boss had given her that one look and had told her he didn't employ boneless, fragile, pregnant women and so she could take her pitiful self elsewhere.

Now,she has a client's business documents covered in red liquid and steam coming out from his ears.

It just seems like this particular time,she is going to get more than just 'thrown out'.

***

Daniel lifted his gaze from the unpleasant sight before him,his eyes collided with wide,terrified ones.

The waitress who had taken his order few moments ago stood before him,her face pale,her lips and hands trembling and her eyes wide like saucers. She seemed to be having a hard time,convincing her trembling self to make a move to correct the severe damage she had caused.

'I'm sorry' she stated simply, unable to keep her eyes on his for too long.

'You are sorry?' He returned flatly,anger building up from within him.

How dare she stand there and give him the pathetic word 'Sorry'.

She might have ruined a big deal for him. Hell! She might have ruined his whole life as well. And to think she just stood there,like a dumb kitten and stared down at him,with her head bowed, as if he was a statue and she an ardent worshipper.

Do people this dumb still exist?

'I...I...didn't mean for that to happen'.

She tried again.

'Come up with something more convincing'. Daniel spat.

'Well...I'd like to see your manager,Supervisor, Employer, anybody that is not a stuttering tiny woman who only knows how to say sorry'.

Daniel has gone beyond angry,he was furious.

What in God's name was he going to do with this obviously foolish woman. How could she be so careless, and so lousy.

How on earth does she want him to explain to his manager and Mr. Lawson that a nonchalant waitress had emptied a glass of 'cheap' wine on  his part of the deal?

How does that qualify someone for a role?

He pushed back his chair and stood up. A million thoughts racing through his mind.

The stupid woman stood there,unmoving. Her legs seemed to be glued to the ground.

He ran his eyes across the table and beheld the ruins she'd been the architect of. The papers had become glued to each other and the colour have turned to something resembling dark blue. Reaching out,he picked up the glass and set it straight.

'I demanded to see your supervisor'. He roared and she shrank back with horror.

Daniel stopped in his track. What happened to his resolve not to shout at women?.

'Do you know what you have done?. Do you know what this is going to cost me?. Do you think you can pay for the damages you have done?. Daniel felt his frustration heighten.

Still,she stood there,saying nothing else. She didn't make any move to go call her supposed supervisor. No other waitress came over to know what happened and it seemed that everyone in this stupid place liked minding their businesses and he had chosen a spot at the very end of the whole building.

Her continued silence was becoming infuriating.

Tiredly, he sank back into the lounge.

'I'm gonna have to arrest you'. He murmured, not sure she had heard him but from bulging of her eyeballs and the visible paling of her face,he knew she'd heard him.