Chapter 3 CUP OF COFFEE

(★CUP OF COFFEE★)

<••>

"He did... nothing...wrong" Lina replied, and Jemima turned swiftly to her...

"What!"

____

"I never said anything" Lina quickly said with a blink.

"I told you to call the cops idiot!" Jemima fired.

"But he's already gone" Lina replied, and Jemima turned to the road. He's really gone, no sign of him.

"A wimp like him talked down on me? I'm gonna search the whole of Paris if I have to, I must find him and give him a dose of his own medicine!" She threatened and made to get in the car, but when she saw the ice cream on it...

"Damn!!! Who the f**k is he!" She shouted frustratedly and faced Lina again.

"Throw it out" she ordered.

"This will be the second car you threw out tonight" Lina blinked

"I didn't buy them with your money" Jemima glared.

"I'm sorry, ma'am" she quickly bowed.

"I'll call for another car" she said and made the call.

Within five minutes, it came together with a designated driver.

Jemima got in immediately, and she was driven away.

Lina released an heavy breath, holding her chest. "She'd be my death" she muttered and walked back into the hall.

No one is allowed to bring secretaries or PA in, but being the leader's secretary, she enjoys the luxury.

All the club members were already in when she got back.

Celebrities are standing in groups with cups of cocktails, either talking about the prices of their expensive dresses or badmouthing the dresses of others, it's the weekly routine here

Lina gathered bravery and walked to the middle.

"Attention everyone!" She shouted, but no one answered.

"Arggggghhh!!!!!!!!" She screamed, trying to get their attention, and it worked.

Everyone turned to her at once, and she smiled.

"I'm the leader's secretary like y'all know, and....I'm sorry but tonight's party has been cancelled" she announced.

🗣️ What!

🗣️ I bought this dress for millions, specially for tonight

🗣️ What the hell!

Everyone began murmuring, and CleoSpeedy stepped forward with a smirk.

"I don't know what's directing the head of your boss, but just because she's the leader doesn't mean she gets to ride us anyhow! It's insane!" She shouted.

"Is she mad? How dare she waste my time when she knew it was gonna get cancelled" Lincoln said behind her.

"Don't talk to my boss that way, she's not your mate" Lina said boldly, and CleoSpeedy scoffed before landing a hot slap on her face.

Lina staggered and fell on the ground, but she stood immediately.

"So...what if they talk badly about your crazy boss?" Tatiana appeared, and Lina's eyes widened.

She's also a member of the club.

"Now you have the guts to defend your boss? No one is allowed to bring secretaries in here, but you're in cos you're her f**king secretary!, you think you've made it? B**ch!" Tatiana spat and gave her another slap on that same cheek.

Lina fell again, and the redness on that cheek increased as everyone laughed.

CleoSpeedy did worse when she came forward with a glass of wine which she poured on Lina's hair.

"Oh! Sorry!" She laughed, throwing the glass on the ground.

Everyone laughed again before starting to leave the hall.

Tatiana was the last person to leave.

She squatted in front of Lina and smiled.

"You should have known your place" she muttered before standing, then she walked out too.

Lina kept sitting there, and before she knew it, she was already crying.

•••

Jemima was still fuming with anger as she entered, meeting Francesca in the living room with Dolores.

"Mum!" She jumped down from the couch and rushed to hug her, but Jemima broke it with a push.

"Get away" she smirked and started going upstairs.

"Mum! I got ten on ten in my essay in school today! My teacher said I can be a linguist in college" Francesca said again.

"I'm already mad here, can you just stop adding to my problem? Go to bed and stop bothering me!" Jemima snapped angrily and finally left without looking back.

Francesca squatted below the stairs and started crying again.

"Francesca!" Dolores rushed to her.

•••

Jemima threw her bag on the bed when she arrived at her room, and it was followed by the flinging of her shoes.

She dipped her fingers in her hair and began walking around the room, thinking about the guy from earlier.

"Is he an alien? Even the cockroaches in Paris knows the great Jemima Andrade-Kings, how dare he.... urrgg!!" She groaned, and her phone rang.

She wanted to ignore,but when she saw it's her dad, she picked.

"Tatiana reported me to you again, right? That mad b**ch"

"Jemima, why not just settle with one of the men you f**k with, is it that hard to do? F**king them will only spread rumours about you, think about what It'd do to Skyline" chairman replied.

"Are you serious right now? I took over the company when I was 23 remember? And now I'm 28, meaning I've been running it smoothly for five good years! Nothing bad happened to the company since then, so why are you worrying now? Not like I just started f**king men" she retorted.

"And about Francesca...

"I don't wanna talk about it" she hung up immediately, throwing her phone on the bed

"Why did I pick his call? He's good at adding to my headache" she muttered, stripping herself before entering the bathroom.

•••

The last customers in the bar were already on their last bottles when Maxwell came in.

Liquor Alchemy is not the most popular bar in the neighborhood, but at least, granny Suzy has substantial customers.

"Mell!" Warren shouted from a table. He was already sitting with Cypress.

They all come here to drink almost every night.

Maxwell ignored Warren first and went to granny Suzy who was already tidying up.

"Baby Suzy" he hugged her from behind and kissed her grey hair.

"Told you to stop doing these things to me, save them for your future girlfriend" she laughed.

"It doesn't seem like he's getting a girlfriend till death, he might be planning to be a Reverend" Warren replied from their table.

"While at it, I know a popular Catholic Church down the street, I can take you there to start your evangelism" Cypress laughed.

"You're not worthy to be my sis, seriously" Maxwell muttered, leaving granny Suzy to join them.

Cypress gave him a knock on the head immediately.

"Ouch! Cypress!" He winced, rubbing the spot.

"That's my reply to what you said to me in the morning" she smiled.

"You refused to give us a ride, isn't that enough punishment? I hate you" he said, opening a bottle of beer for himself.

He began drinking directly from the bottle without stopping.

"Mell!"

"Mell!"

"Mell!"

Warren and Cypress began chanting till he drank it all and dropped the bottle.

"Did something happen? Ok Warren told me about what you did to Lincoln, are you scared about that?" Cypress asked.

"I met the richest lady in this country tonight" he replied.

"You kidding?" Warren blinked.

"Does it look like it? I said I met Jemima or whatever!" Maxwell replied.

"What!" They gasped.

"She called for a designated driver, and I went there, she sent me to buy pads" he said.

"What!" They gasped again.

"Pads?" Granny Suzy appeared.

"Trust me" he nodded.

"So what happened afterwards?" She asked.

"I took the debit card" he replied.

"Yes?" Warren and Cypress chorused.

"I left, and I got potatoes, it's good for the brain yunno?" He said.

"Yes!" Warren and Cypress stuck hands.

"You're really my grandson! I was already scared" granny Suzy laughed as she left the table.

"Wait...you have an interview tomorrow, right?" Warren asked.

"Sure" Maxwell replied.

"It's in her company! Skyline!" Warren gasped.

" What!" Cypress laughed, gulping down her cup of beer.

"You're done for, now I see you selling potatoes in the future" Warren laughed hard.

"You're mad, I'm getting the job" Maxwell replied confidently.

"Say what? Tell me how that arrogant peacock is gonna give you a job after you bought her potatoes" Cypress laughed.

"I threw ice cream on her car too" Maxwell replied.

"What!!!" They screamed again.

By now, the bar is dry, all the customers are gone, and granny Suzy carried her bag.

"I'll go home to prepare dinner" she said, coming closer to stroke Cypress and Maxwell's hairs.

"I'll give you a ride" Cypress said.

"You know I'll never ride in that car ever again, you forgot what it did to me last month when it broke down on my way to work? I'd rather ride the bus" she replied, walking out of the bar.

"See ya at home baby!" Maxwell shouted after her.

"If you get the job, I'm gonna give you all my next salary" Cypress said.

"Me too, my next pay from the coffee shop is yours" Warren said. He's actually an upcoming actor who works part time jobs.

"I'm in, deal" Maxwell smiled.

"Deal" Warren and Cypress chorused and clinked their cups on his own.

They drank at once, but Cypress finished hers first. She made to pour another cup, but Warren held her back.

"That'll be the tenth cup, it won't be nice if you get drunk tonight again" he said.

"Get your hands off" she smirked, and he slowly let go of the bottle.

She drank it all at once, and by the time she dropped the bottle, her face was already so red.

She smiled, and Maxwell faced Warren.

"Have you eaten" he asked.

"No, I think I'm gonna faint tonight" Warren replied.

The slamming of Cypress's palms on the table made them look up as she stood.

"Let's go home!" She shouted drunkenly.

Maxwell quickly held her before she'd fall.

He was able to guide her out of the bar, and Warren locked the door before joining them, holding her from the other side.

"Let's get her to the car" Maxwell said, and he nodded, but before they could move, Cypress snapped out of their grip, leaving their eyes wide as she squatted in front of them.

She looked up slowly, and their eyes widened even more as she asked the expected question.

"Do you know Usain Bolt?"

"Cypress, no don't!" Maxwell replied fast.

"Please... I've not eaten" Warren muttered, but it wasn't even working as Cypress stood and took off like flash, running down the street drunkenly.

"Cypress!!!!" They screamed, running after her immediately.

Running is her drunk language, and anytime it happens, they suffer the pains of chasing her all night.

"Cypress wait!"

"Cypress!!"

She wouldn't stop. She kept going through corners, alleys, crossing roads and jumping.

"Cypress!!" Warren held his waist as he ran.

"What the hell is she? A monkey? Cypress!!!" Maxwell screamed, crossing another road to go after her.

Luckily, he was able to grab her, and they went down together. She smiled sillily immediately.

"I love you brother!" She pecked his forehead, and he gritted his teeth, breathing heavily.

"I'm not sure you're my blood sister" he muttered as she slept off on the ground.