Chapter 5 The waiting game

CHAPTER 5

"Stop the car; stop it now!" Claire yelled. The car slowed down and parked. Claire jumped out of the vehicle. "Get back in here right now!" her dad yelled at her. "You and your awful wife can go to hell! I hope you never come back home!" Claire yelled and slammed the door angrily. Her dad watched as she boarded another cab and disappeared out of sight. He sighed. "Hey man, I know what you're going through. If you need someone to talk to about it, just know..." "Just shut your stupid mouth and take me to the airport!" he yelled at the driver. The driver started the engine and drove off to the airport.

Anita arrived at the restaurant, her face etched with sadness. Miss Thompson quickly noticed and approached her, asking if everything was okay. Anita simply nodded. Anita's somber expression persisted throughout the day. However, her mood suddenly shifted when a car pulled up in front of the restaurant. Anita craned her neck, trying to catch a glimpse of who had just stepped out of the vehicle. It was the men who had dined there the previous day, including the wealthy, brooding young man. Anita quickly devised a plan to approach them differently today. Only three of them came today, and Anita considered asking about their friend's absence. She promptly dismissed the thought, deeming it unnecessary. Anita watched as the gentlemen approached the entrance. The men walked in and called on her to take their orders. Anita approached the table and cleared her throat. "Good morning, gentlemen. I apologize for being too forward yesterday.

I didn't know you were dumb," Anita said. Jake didn't respond, but only stared at her strangely. "Oh, he's deaf too?" Anita asked, directing the question at no one in particular. One of the men covered his mouth, trying to stifle his laughter, but he couldn't contain it anymore. He burst out laughing so hard. Anita stared at him, confused, and watched as the men laughed even harder. "Hmm, I think his friends have issues too. What a weird group of friends!" Anita exclaimed and walked away from them. She went to the kitchen and returned with their orders, serving them with a flourish. As she had expected, the quiet guy didn't touch his food. Anita walked away from them to attend to other customers, finishing her tasks before taking a seat. She gazed over at the young men, her curiosity piqued.

and saw them talking to the quiet guy. Anita saw the boy nod in response to something said to him. "Maybe he's just shy, yeah, that's it. He can obviously hear what his friends are telling him," Anita said to herself. Anita saw one of them point at her, and her heart skipped a beat. Her heartbeat accelerated when she saw the man stand up and walk slowly towards her. "Hey, my friend thinks you might be a great housekeeper. Would you consider working for us?" he asked. "What? I can't just quit my job here and..." "The pay is $500 per week," the man interrupted. "I'm in!" Anita exclaimed, thrilled by the amount she could earn per week. Anita gave the man her home address. They were to come by the next day to discuss the details.

come pick her up later in the day. The man went back to his seat and continued eating. They soon finished their meal and left the restaurant. Anita walked happily to Miss Thompson and told her all that had happened, and she congratulated her. Anita decided to leave immediately to go prepare. "Oh, one more thing," Anita said and walked to the manager's office. She went in without knocking. "I told you to always knock and wait for confirmation before entering my office!" The manager yelled angrily. "Do this one more time, and you might get yourself fired!" He yelled. Anita stared at his face, which was sweating profusely. She instantly knew something was amiss. "I actually came to tell you that I quit," Anita said. "Oh, that's good news. I wish you well in your future endeavors. Now, get out of my office!" he exclaimed, still visibly agitated.

Anita stood up and walked to the door, she stopped and stared back at him. "I can see your mistress hiding under the table!" Anita said and walked out. She closed the door and heard him mutter some incoherent words. She walked away from the door and waved goodbye to Miss Thompson, then boarded a taxi home. She pulled out her phone and dialed her dad's number. He didn't answer. She tried again, but he still didn't pick up. She put the phone back in her handbag and relaxed as the taxi navigated through the city. She arrived home and went straight to her room, ignoring her stepmother sitting in the guest room. Anita returned minutes later, "I've landed a job with the CEO of Jake's Ltd. He'll be here to pick me up soon," Anita announced.

And turned to leave. "What position could you possibly hold at Jake's Ltd? Their janitor, perhaps?" Claire's stepmother said with sarcasm. "She's lying, Mom, Jake's Ltd would never hire someone like her!" Mitchell sneered. "You'll see for yourself!" Claire retorted and walked back to her room. She picked up her phone and dialed her dad's number again. This time, he answered, and they discussed Claire's new job. Claire was undoubtedly thrilled to have finally secured a new and lucrative position.

Anita paced back and forth in her room. The men were supposed to arrive by 5 pm, but it was already half past six. She left her room and went to the living room, where her stepmother watched as Anita walked out of the house. Anita checked both ends of the road but saw no car approaching. "Are they going to show up? They'd better. Wait, what if they don't? I already quit my job at the restaurant. I hope they come," Anita said to herself. She walked back inside, where Mitchell mocked her, "Just relax, girl, nobody's coming to pick you up!" Anita ignored her and went back to her room, locking the door behind her. She lay down on her bed, thinking about her next move. "I shouldn't have quit my job yet. What if this new opportunity falls through?"