Helping the Female Passenger

"Chase Wind is taking your order."

Rachel blinked at the screen and then heard the app's notification ping.

She looked again, it was an order from Marriott International.

Wait, seriously? Could that be real?

Her heart skipped a beat.

She suddenly felt nervous, even a little embarrassed. Still, she tapped the call button and dialed.

"Hello, I'm the driver from Chase Wind. I'm in a blue car, license plate A2219. I'm parked right outside Marriott International. You can come out now," Rachel said politely.

"Okay, thank you."

The voice on the other end was a woman's, soft and pleasant to hear.

Rachel exhaled.

Why was she hoping it was him?

She shook her head and laughed at herself. That was ridiculous.

She was parked just across the street, so she drove over quickly.

Soon, a young woman walked out. She was beautiful, with light makeup and a clean white blouse tucked into a lavender professional suit.

Her figure was tall and slim, and she looked elegant and confident.

"Are you the driver from Chase Wind?" the girl asked, peeking through the window.

"Yes, please get in," Rachel said with a warm smile.

The girl got into the back seat and finally seemed to relax.

"Sister, you're so pretty!" Cora suddenly exclaimed from the passenger seat, her sweet little voice full of admiration.

The girl looked forward and noticed the tiny figure sitting beside Rachel for the first time.

The child was adorable, her round cheeks looked like soft red apples, and her long eyelashes framed a pair of bright, curious eyes.

Her pink lips were pouty and sweet, like a doll's. She looked like a little princess from a storybook.

The girl smiled.

"How come there's such an adorable little kid?"

"I'm so sorry…" Rachel quickly explained. "This is my daughter. I didn't feel safe leaving her alone at home so late at night, so I brought her with me. She's really quiet and won't disturb you… I hope you don't mind…"

She bit her lip nervously. She'd already gotten a customer complaint before, and her boss had warned her, one more and she'd lose the job.

"Sister, I'm really good," Cora said, blinking up at the woman with wide eyes. Her voice was soft and polite, like she'd practiced it.

The woman laughed.

"No, it's totally fine! I actually feel more comfortable riding with a female driver, especially one with a child."

She smiled kindly at them and added, "Last time I worked late and ordered a car, it was a male driver. At first, he just complimented me,told me I was beautiful and all, but then he got creepy. He started touching me, and when we got to a quiet street, he got even worse. I was lucky I ran. Honestly, it still scares me when I think about it."

"What?" Rachel blinked in shock.

"Yeah. It was awful," the woman continued. "He kept flirting and touching me. I ran the second we stopped."

"People like that are disgusting," Rachel muttered, scowling.

She thought about the messages flying around in her company chat group earlier.

Some of the things those guys said… She honestly couldn't stand people like that.

"They're worse than animals," the girl said, gritting her teeth.

"No," Rachel said coldly. "Animals don't act like that. Those people aren't even on their level."

The car went quiet for a moment.

Then the girl smiled suddenly.

"What's your name? I feel like we're totally kindred spirits!"

"I'm Rachel," she replied. "And honestly… yeah. I feel the same way."

"Your name sounds really nice. I'm Faith," she said.

"Your name is down-to-earth," Rachel replied, trying to say it was really nice too.

"Too down-to-earth!" Faith laughed, making fun of herself.

"Haha!" Rachel giggled.

She really liked Faith's straightforward vibe.

Even though Faith was super pretty, she didn't act stuck up at all. That made Rachel like her even more.

"If you ever have to work late again, you can call me. I usually do night shifts anyway, and I can pick you up at the Marriott," Rachel offered kindly, changing the topic.

"That would be amazing!" Faith said, clearly excited. She looked so relieved, probably because now she wouldn't have to worry about creepy guys anymore.

Right away, she asked for Rachel's phone number. "Make sure you save mine when you park," she reminded her with a grin.

"I will. As soon as I stop the car," Rachel promised.

They chatted the whole way, and time flew by. In what felt like just a few minutes, they arrived.

"I work at the front desk of the Marriott. If you ever need anything, just ask for me," Faith said, smiling brightly.

"Okay," Rachel nodded, feeling just as happy.

"Goodbye, pretty auntie!" Cora beamed, reaching out her chubby little hand to shake Faith's.

"Bye, sweetie. Be careful, you two," Faith waved goodbye, smiling at the adorable little girl.

She genuinely liked Cora, such a well-behaved, lovable child.

Faith lived in the suburbs, kind of far out. On the way back, only Rachel and Cora were in the car. It was pretty late, and the roads were almost empty.

Tall trees lined both sides, their shadows swaying under the dim streetlights.

The wind rustled the leaves, making the street feel a bit creepy.

"Mummy, the road is so dark… I'm a little scared," Cora whispered.

Honestly, Rachel was scared too. If someone suddenly popped out from the darkness, she didn't even want to imagine what would happen.

"Don't be afraid, Cora. Mummy's here," Rachel said, glancing at her daughter's nervous face.

She was trying to be strong even though her own heart was pounding a little.

"Wanna sing a song?" Rachel asked, trying to lighten the mood. Then she started softly,

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are…"

Cora smiled a bit and joined in, her small voice blending with Rachel's.

Together they sang down the long dark road:

"Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky…"

They sang the whole way back to the city center, keeping each other brave.

That night, Rachel and Cora took lots of orders between the city and the suburbs, working together until it was super late before heading home to rest.

---

The Next Day – Mansion Café

"Excuse me, let me pass," Rachel said, gently pulling down her mask. Her fair face was slightly flushed, lips curved into a small smile.

She was holding a cleaning bucket, yep, cleaning the restroom. Just next to her was a young and super pretty college girl, carefully applying makeup.

The girl was Stella, a part-timer from H University. She was stunning, big, sparkling eyes, full lips painted bright red, and a chest that made other girls jealous.

She looked like one of those internet-famous girls you see on livestreams.

Stella had been standing in front of the bathroom mirror for almost half an hour, fixing her makeup.

Rachel had already cleaned the whole restroom, except for the exact spot Stella was blocking.

When Stella finally turned and caught sight of Rachel's bare, makeup-free face, her attitude instantly changed.

Her lips curled like she'd smelled something bad.

"Can't you see I'm doing my makeup?" Stella snapped, rolling her eyes like Rachel had just ruined her day.