Chapter 2 2

"One more song please?! Please?" 10 year old Ria begged as Olivia was about to pack up her guitar and head out.

Olivia glanced at her watch and saw the time ticking by at 3pm. It would take her about 2 hours to get across the city to her other job for a 5pm start. She was cutting it close to her start time as it was, she couldn't afford to sing another song for the orphanage kids even though that's what her heart desired.

Olivia looked up to politely decline Ria's request due to time constraints but saw the other kids has chimed in as well in Ria's support. Olivia glanced at her watch again and gave in to their wishful eyes. Although that meant she was probably going to have to forfeit the cheap transit alternative and instead opt for the costlier Uber to get to her other job. A job that didn't pay her much as it was.

"Okay, one more song and then I have to leave!" She plastered a huge smile on her face and unpacked her guitar.

A round of hoorays and cheers sounded around the community center room, making Olivia 's heart flutter. Seeing the happiness and innocence of the kids around her made her happy, made her content and that was her end goal. She wanted to open a music corner for kids -kids who didn't have much resources -and connect them with music to help then become the best version of themselves.

As Olivia began to sing, her eyes kept shifting to the clock at the back of the room. She knew she was going to be late. She was already on her last warning from the manager. She knew she couldn't afford to make any more mistakes.

~*~

"You're late. Again." Paul, the manager at Panache, a high-end, illustrious luxury restaurant taunted, pointing toward his watch which clocked in at 5;30pm as Olivia walked into the back kitchen carrying a notepad and pen.

"Sorry. It won't happen again."

"Sorry, sorry, sorry. How many more times will you say sorry? If I remember correctly, you said the exact same thing to me last week."

"I promise, Paul, this is the last time. I won't be late. Again. Please don't fire me. I really need this job." I folded my hands in front of him in plea.

Olivia hated Paul with every fiber of her being. He had once been a colleague of hers, waiting tables just like her. But to her bad luck or his good luck, he was promoted to manager and now the power had gotten to his head.

And now instead of helping his fellow colleagues, the man was on some weird power trip. But she also needed this job to get by until she came across something better. So she just had to suck it up and apologize.

Paul gave her a devious smile, "Make sure it never happens again. Or else don't bother to even show your face around this establishment." And with those last words, he turned around to exit the kitchen.

"Asshole." Olivia whispered, involuntarily. She hadn't meant to say it, especially not now when she was already on his radar, but old habits die hard and Olivia was never the one for take an insult lying down.

1

And she guessed he wasn't either. Paul stopped in his steps and turned around to face her.

"What did you just say?"

"Nothing." She avoided eye contact with him.

He had heard what Olivia had said clearly, but he didn't want to make a scene in front of his entire staff. But that didn't mean he could let them think it was okay to call him an asshole either.

Paul walked up to Olivia and grabbed her notepad and pen out of her hands.

"What..."

"You're on washroom duty."

"But...," She began to protest.

"Either that or be fired. Your choice."

Olivia lowered her eyes in submission. "Yes, sir."

~*~

Olivia glanced at her watch. 10pm. Only 2 more hours to go before she was able go home and sleep. She knew why Paul had put her on washroom duty. It was the worst and slowest way to finish a shift. A mere 5 minutes felt like forever when you had to wait on women to finish doing their business just so you could offer them a hand towel and fresh breath mints as they left.

But that's what she gets for being unable to keep her mouth shut so really, she had no one else but her to blame. She really needed to find a new job, one that pays well so she could make all her dreams come true.

A dream of opening her own music corner. Yes, she could ask her family for help but they were already against her choice of a career, so it wouldn't do her much good anyway.

The door to the bathroom opened and in walked in a lady wearing black stiletto heeled Louboutins with what looked like a very expensive gown. Her well manicured nails also looked like they cost a few thousand rupees from what she could see.

But for some reason, her face looked familiar. As Olivia pondered over where she might have seen this lady, the woman had already finished her lady business and was standing within an arms reach washing her hands.

"Linda?" Olivia asked, unsure of her guess.

"Olivia ?"

Linda looked up and took the hand towel that Olivia was holding our for her.

"Oh my god. You have changed so much!" Olivia exclaimed, her shock skyrocketing at seeing a prior colleague of hers looking like a million bucks.

Linda giggled in acknowledgement, "I know."

"But how?! It's been barely 1 month since you quit!"

Linda has not only been her friend at work but also her roommate for the last few years. That was until Linda had abruptly quit her job at Panache and moved out from their apartment a month ago. It was as if she had just disappeared off the face of the Earth one fine day only to show up as a patron at the exact same establishment she waitressed not even a few weeks ago.

"It's...complicated." Linda replied, avoiding the question. "But you tell me, how are you doing? What about your plans to open a music corner?"

"Same old man. I still need to get the funds. I don't even know if I have enough money to pay this months rent. I eat off restaurant scraps sometimes."

"I'm so sorry..." Linda replied, touching Akahds's shoulders gently.

"But I'll get through it. I always do." Olivia gave Linda a bright and hopeful smile. She hated pitying herself and her situation.

"I know you do. You always do."

"But I am genuinely very happy for you. You look amazing. I love that you are thriving." And Olivia was happy for her. From the bottom of her heart. She as genuinely very happy for her friend.

"Thank you," Linda replied. "I have to go," she said, pulling Olivia in for a quick hug.

"Oh yes, of course! It was nice to see you."

"You too."

Linda stopped in her steps as she began to leave and turned around and handed Olivia a card.

"Here. I normally don't do this. But you have been a good friend to me Olivia . You helped me out when no one else did, so I want to do the same to you."

"What is this?" Olivia flipped over the card. Matchrimoney. What the hell was Matchrimoney?

"It's how...I became this." Linda pointed to her gown and shoes. "It's a see if that connects people like us -"

"People like us?"

"People who are in dire need of money with people -rich, influential people -who would pay a lot of money for our services."

"An escort?! You want me to be an escort? Never!"

"Not an escort, Olivia ! Sometimes depending on the clients needs and the contracts you sign, you won't even have to touch them let alone sleep with them."

"Are you sleeping with your client?"

Linda hesitated for a minute, "Yes. But only because that's the contract I signed and that's what he required. Everything is consensual. I have to go now, but call the number and ask for Caroline . And tell her I gave you the number. Trust me. You won't regret it."

Olivia avoided replying back and allowed Linda to leave. Olivia watched as Linda placed her hand in the palm of a very older gentleman and gave him a soft smile. The older gentleman, probably aged 60 or so, slid his arm around Linda's waist as they walked out of the restaurant.

"Never." Olivia scrunched her nose up in disapproval as she stuck the card Linda had given her in the back pocket of her skirt. She needed money, but she wasn't desperate enough to sell her body and soul for it.