Chapter 4 Promise you won't tell

'Why in private?" I questioned.

"Judging by the method you got fired, I think that would be the best way for you to handle it," Rita said to me.

"Rita," I called her name.

"Yes?" she answered.

"There is no way that I am going to meet up with Mr David in private and inside his office," I stated.

"And why not?" Rita asked, arms folded.

"Because I say so," I replied to her. "Look. You won't understand." I said.

"Oh yeah? Try me. Why do you keep avoiding private talks with your ex-boss?" Rita asked.

"Because he is hitting on me. He is trying to make moves on me." I said to Rita.

After a short silence, Rita burst out laughing. "What is so funny?" I asked Rita.

"You and everything else. That's what is funny." Rita said to me.

"How can you even say or think such a thing? I haven't for once seen Mr David look lovingly at you." Rita told me.

"That is because he is doing it to get me in secret. It's not for you to notice him. And as for looking at me, he only does it with lust in his eyes and not love. Can you believe he pinched my butt today at work?" I said to Rita who laughed at me again.

"Classic one Samantha. Classic." Rita said.

"You know what? I don't care if you believe me or not. I am not going to see Mr David and that is final." I said.

"Then how do you plan on earning money? I'm sure you were not even able to tell mom that you got fired today." Rita said to me. To that, I said nothing.

"Look, Samantha. You and I both know how difficult it was before we even got hired in the cafe. All the other shops around this area don't pay as much and don't even need any employees anymore. You have to meet Mr David. I can't feed all three of us alone." Rita begged.

Her words got me thinking. Rita was right. It took us a full month after dad's death to find any shop in need of sales girls. If I was to start all over again then I might never even find a job. And I can't let my mother know that I am currently jobless.

I looked at Rita who stared straight at me with pleading eyes.

"Please Samantha," Rita begged again.

"Fine. I'll meet him tomorrow." I replied.

"Yes!" Rita exclaimed.

"But only on one condition," I said.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Since he said it's private, that means he wants just me to be in office. I will meet with him only if you stand at the door and wait till we are done." I said to Rita.

"It's a deal," Rita told me.

"What time does he need me to come?" I asked Rita.

"Oh. In the evening near closing time. And he said you can only come tomorrow and no other day because he will be travelling the next day." Rita answered.

"Okay then. Let's get some shut-eye." I said.

We both lay down in bed.

I closed my eyes, unaware of when sleep took over me. When I opened my eyes I found myself in a room that wasn't mine.

"Hello?" I said then took a look around me.

"You owe me everything. You belong to me." I heard a familiar voice say.

My entire body froze. I recognized that voice. It's the same man from my nightmare.

I couldn't find him anywhere as I looked all around myself. I went for the door and turned the door handle but the door just wouldn't open.

"Open the door! Someone help me!" I screamed.

I turned my back to the door and searched around with my eyes. I noticed a human-shaped shadow in the dark corner of the room.

"St... Stay away from me!" I screamed. "Leave me alone!"

"Haha!" He laughed briefly.

"I'm going nowhere baby. You are mine. Your body is mine to play with. You can't escape me." he said to me.

I fell to the ground on my butt and my back was against the door as the shadow moved closer.

"Please go away. Just go away!" I screamed.

I saw that the man was richly dressed when he stepped into the light. I thought this would be my chance to see the face of my torturer. I took my gaze higher till I finally saw his face.

"Mr Bruno!" I exclaimed and woke up, sitting up in bed immediately and causing Rita to fall off.

My body was covered in more sweat than before and my heartbeat rate was even faster. Rita got up and was about to yell at me for pushing her off. She kept silent when she saw what state I was in.

I moved my legs from the bed to the ground, still seated in bed.

"Was the nightmare?" Rita asked with a mixture of fear and worry.

"I saw his face," I stated.

"Who was he?" Rita asked calmly.

"Mr Bruno..." I answered her.

Rita sat down beside me. "This doesn't feel right Samantha. Are you sure we shouldn't tell mom about this?" Rita asked me.

"No!" I answered sharply.

"We can't stress mom right now. This is just a nightmare. It cannot do anything. Mr Bruno can not stoop to that level if truly his reputation is as you had told me before. He is also married." I said.

"Then... Do you think he is connected with our past? If he has been appearing in your dream like that even before you met him face to face then surely there was something similar you must have witnessed from your childhood. Don't you think?" Rita asked.

"Look Rita, I don't want to fill my head with nonsense. Remember that I wasn't seeing any face in my past nightmares? Maybe it was because of what to place yesterday at the cafe that his face appeared. Dreams do that too." I opposed.

"I still think mom needs to know. This has gotten off hand don't you think?" Rita asked me.

"Rita, promise me you will not mention a single word about this to mom," I said to Rita.

"But we have to. I don't like seeing you this way each morning." Rita complained.

"Rita. Promise me." I said, with a stern look on my face.

"Fine. I promise." Rita replied.