Say Sir, Ill Pay
Say Sir, I”ll Pay
Friday morning Olivia woke up to a text from her boss asking her if she could cover a shift the next day, on Saturday morning.
Groaning, she realized that wouldn’t leave her much time to prepare for her new client on Saturday. She sighed and accepted it anyway, grateful for the chance to make money. One thing to understand about her is that she wouldn’t be relaxing her hustle any time soon.
Her niece couldn’t afford her to.
Olivia performed her morning routine before going into her living space and stared longingly at her worktable, where she displayed some of her architectural work she managed to complete before she was forced to quit school to help take care of her grandfather.
Giving up her full-ride scholarship destroyed a piece of her that she didn’t even know could be damaged.
She and Vanessa had dealt with their parents dying, and having to move in with their grandpa in the last four years of high school. Things seemed to be looking ok after graduation.
Vanessa had met this man, and they’d married before moving in together in the house that Vanessa lived in now.
Allison was born shortly after Olivia was accepted into an Architectural program, before their Grandpa Stephen”s brain tumor came to light. Vanessa’s husband bailed after seeing the extent of Allison’s poor health, leaving her with the expense of the house and medical bills and worry. Due to not having support, Vanessa couldn’t manage all of Allison’s medical appointments on her own, the house and bills, and help take care of their grandpa.
So, Olivia had to quit just two years into her program to help take care of him.
After he died, his will bequeathed his life insurance to be split amongst them both, and Olivia gave her share to Allison and Vanessa. Worried about the financial strain of the monthly expense of the drug that Allison needed. But shortly after that the money ran out, leaving Olivia no other option than to resort to nefarious antics to help get them by.
She worked at the diner because her rental needed proof of employment to afford the monthly payment. And unfortunately, all she could afford in Connecticut was a crappy one-bedroom basement apartment that couldn’t even hold a dining room table.
But she made it hold the remnants of the life she once wished for herself. Walking slowly to her worktable, she gazed down at the blueprint of the house she designed as a project in the last year she attended school. It was a beautiful mansion. One that she’d hoped she’d be able to build for herself. Once she’d became the head of the Architectural firm she’d dreamed about and planned on opening in Connecticut.
But that dream was shot dead before it could even really take root.
Her eyes stinging with tears, she walked slowly away from the table, and through the doors to head to work. To head to reality. She pushed the thought of mansions into the box of hurt that she kept secreted away in her brain. Only able to keep going at her back-breaking pace she’d been doing because she could compartmentalize and shut her emotions down.
Gypsy met her on her break at the diner, and they sat in Gypsy’s nice Range Rover.
“Here, Percocet, I hope it helps. Your arm has been fucked up for too long. Why haven”t you gone to see a doctor yet?” her connect asked, giving her a bottle of pills.
Olivia opened it, frowning.
“There’s only eight pills here,” Olivia stated, ignoring her question. She looked over at her acquaintance and boss, annoyed that she didn’t give her enough to at least get through two weeks.
Gypsy raised a blonde eyebrow at her.
“Hey, don’t look at me like that! This is all that was available at the moment that I could trust was safe. I couldn’t risk getting you something laced with fentanyl. It’s killing a bunch of girls right now,” Gypsy said in her smooth voice, taking a long drink of water from her tumbler.
“Thanks for looking out, G,” Olivia said, tossing the pills back and swallowing them with some water of her own.
Olivia glanced over at the woman’s bouncy blonde curls. She decidedly still did not look like the head of the secret underground ring that Olivia circled, in order to make her extra money. You would never tell by looking at her that this woman was a big boss. Gypsy only dealt with the elite of society, government dignitaries, politicians, high-powered lawyers. Even a few members of royalty.
“No problem, I’ll get you some more when I source them safely. How’s the niece?” Gypsy asked, turning towards her in the car and smiling, her icy blue eyes showed nothing but kindness to her.
Olivia looked at Gypsy. Not crazy about the woman, but happy that she was considerate towards her. She didn’t trust many people, preferring to feed them with a long-handled spoon. The only friend she trusted inexplicitly was her friend Aliyah. And due to both their grueling schedules, she didn’t get to see her as often as she liked.
“She’s making it. Thank”s for asking,” Olivia responded quietly, not wanting to get into it. Her hand smoothed down her hair absentmindedly tucking a wayward strand into her bun.
She’d still had an entire shift left before she had to make it to her part time bartending job. She only bartended on Friday nights, as it was the only day during the week that she had free, besides Sundays.
And she reserved Sundays for Allison.
Gypsy nodded before hugging her goodbye. Olivia bid her farewell, reminding her to get the lawyer’s information for Saturday. Heading back into the diner, she hurried to the back to put the pills in her bag in her locker. Coming back out to the front, she clocked back in at the register before looking up at the customer who’d just appeared in front of her. Her breath caught and her eyes widened as she took in the tall, broad chested figure in front of her.
Him.
“Well, well. Fancy meeting you here,” Colin stood in all his manly glory, smiling down at her.
Heat blossomed in her belly, and as she met his chocolate -eyes her heart rate sped up unexpectedly. Not able to help herself, she gave him a quick once over. He was in dark gray slacks, and a dark slate button up shirt that looked rather obviously expensive.
Eyes narrowing, she saw what might have been a hint of a tattoo just beneath the left half of the shirt that was slightly unbuttoned. His hair was manipulated in a tousled style, the strands seemingly untamed. His slight beard was meticulously groomed, the dark strands standing in deep contrast to his olive skin tone.
Fuck he’s sexy, she thought. Not quite able to take her eyes off his beard she swallowed thickly, managing to smile back.
“I see you survived the storm,” she winced, very adult like.
“Am I ever going to get a greeting or farewell from you?” Colin said with a chuckle, leaning a hip onto the counter as if he had all day. He crossed his arms, silently waiting for her reply.
She frowned slightly.
“What do you mean?” she replied, craning her neck to look behind him, there were three customers waiting to check out.
“When we met the other night, you didn’t say hello or goodbye. Every interaction you seem to have seems to be to move on to the next thing. Can you ring me up the peach pie please?” Colin replied softly, handing her his card.
Her lips pursed slightly seeing he held out a black Amex. A no limit black Amex.
Jesus, she rolled her lips together.
Olivia grabbed his card from him, careful not to touch him and rang him up. Sliding his card through the payment system and prompting him to finish, she handed it back to him like it burned her. She smiled politely at him again before turning to take the other customers in line, effectively dismissing him.
Ignoring him blatantly watching her interact with the other customers.
Olivia visibly seethed as he accepted his pie and opened it right at the register, eating it while she rang the other customers up. She resisted rolling her eyes, turning to him again once she had the last customer taken care of.
“Was there anything else you needed, Colin?” she said, her voice dripping with kindness, laced with a touch of sarcasm.
Colin made her wait while he chewed another bite. His eyes downcast to his pie momentarily, as if he was contemplating something important while he took his time chewing. She took the time to observe his attire more. Black belt, expensive silver watch on his wrist, however not a Rolex. Her eyes meandered upwards, seeing soft arm hair peeking out from under his shirt. She was struck with awe once more at how well-maintained his short beard was. He obviously cared about his appearance.
Olivia”s mouth went dry, and her stomach fluttered. She twisted her lips in annoyance at the feelings he seemed to be unknowingly inflicting upon her.
She bristled, not enjoying being made to be patient, and not appreciating these new feelings. Colin turned, crossing over the few feet to stand in front of her and present her with another card. This time a business card.
C. McDermont Associates and Tech Holdings, LLC.
“Okaayyy….” Olivia said slowly, placing the business card on the counter in front of her. ”I”m not into tech,” she said, sweeping her arm and referencing the diner.
Colin just smiled that devastating smile at her again, tilting his head slightly.
“No, I can see that. I would like to take you to dinner,” he grinned harder, crossing his arms and regarding her closely. His gaze left her eyes to slowly drag down the length of her face, down her neck and then her breasts before flickering back up to her eyes.
Olivia felt her body overheat and then she shuttered herself closed so fast even she could hear the bang of the lock clicking shut.
She all but bared her teeth at him because she knew it wasn’t a smile, and she struggled to get her facial expressions under control.
“No thank you,” she said politely, sliding his card back to him. Colin looked at her hand with the card before flicking his eyes to hers. He grinned once more before pushing himself off the counter without another word and leaving the diner. Dismissive, and without his business card.
She tore it in two and tossed it in the trash.
Olivia ran out of the diner at the end of her shift and raced to the store and then home. She barely had time to put away her meager groceries, more rice and instant noodles. Preparing for her bartending job, she rushed through a warm shower. Hurriedly brushed her teeth and put on a black tank and form-fitting jeans. Riffling through her closet, she decided to top the look off with a long sleeved red and white checkered button-up shirt that hung mid-calf. Fearing being cold, as the weather was turning chilly.
She left the button up open to show the curves of her body and roughly brushed her hair until it was shiny then spritzed it with a spray to keep the volume. She got better tips when her hair was voluptuous.
Olivia again raced to the bar she worked at and pumped out another five-hour shift. Her tips hit perfectly, and the manager of the bar gave her wages under the table. She went home beyond tired, putting the money in the shoebox before warming up the noodles in the microwave. She set her alarm once again as she fell into bed. Exhausted.
***
The next few weeks passed by in a blur. Olivia beat her clients until her arm felt like it was going to fall off. She hung out with her sister and niece on Sundays, spending three days a week taking Allison to school to help her sister out so she could get to her nursing assistant job on time.
At the end of the month, she again barely had enough money to scrape together to give to her sister, pay her rent, and afford the pain killers that Gypsy could trickle down to her.
Her reality was a distressing one.
Colin came to the diner four times a week, each time leaving his business card with her. Obstinately requesting to take her to dinner. Each time her response was the same, she tore it up and put it in the garbage.
She continued to bury her feelings of attractedness to him.
On the fourth week, she broke when she realized she had to forgo paying her electricity bill and groceries in order to not short Allison’s medical bills. Bills which, for some reason, seemed to be getting more expensive.
She laid her head against the window, sobbing quietly in her car after she got off her shift. She held Colin’s business card in her hand, remembering his black Amex card. Attempting to press the numbers into her phone through blurry vision, she swiped at her cheeks angrily as she typed out a text. She was hungry, irritated, needed food, and to rest her arm.
I give, I’ll go to dinner with you. Since you won’t leave me alone-I’m free tomorrow night. -Olivia
She stared as the three dots showed up on the screen.
Good girl. I’ll text you tonight for your address. -C
She scrunched her face up.
That’s a bit…forward. she thought, frowning slightly at her phone. Feeling those uncomfortable butterflies flutter around in her stomach.
No, I don’t need to be picked up. And I’m definitely NOT a good girl. -O
This only works one way, my way. And until you play nice, no dinner. For either of us, bad girl. -C
Olivia’s eyes hit her hairline as she saw the text, rereading it a few times just to be sure she read it right. She bit her lip and narrowed her eyes as she contemplated her next response. Her tears were completely gone, extinguished by the surprise tone of his text.
The man had audacity, as well as a dangerous aura. He should be walking around with a warning sign. Her teeth almost bit through her lip as she saw the dots again and read his next response.
Are you not cold in your car? -C
She gasped and whipped her head around, not seeing him anywhere.
That’s none of your business. -O
It’s all going to be my business, soon. -C
What does that mean? -O
Ask your boss. =). -C
……excuse me? Elaborate, please. -O
I’m buying the diner. I’m going to know your address, anyway; you might as well give it to me instead of playing hard to get. Isn’t it tiring never being able to let go? It’s written all over you plain as day. You’re not doing a very good job of hiding from me, despite the many refusals you’ve made me suffer through this last month. -C
Rage filled her.
Rage unlike any kind she’d felt since the day she found out her parents died, and the day she found out the extent of Allison’s medical issues filled her. Seeping through her body in a white-hot inferno. She felt more so than saw her vision go red.
Hands trembling, her fingers tapped out a response.
Fuck you. You arrogant, disrespectful asshole. -Olivia
Not waiting for a reply, Olivia threw her phone into the passenger seat and stomped on the accelerator. Kicking up a dust trail behind her. Fumbling blindly for the phone once again, she quickly pulled up the google maps apps and typed in ‘food pantry’ and put it as a stop in her GPS.
“I don’t need this shit,” she mumbled to herself, her fingers digging into her steering wheel until they went numb.
Blinded by hurt and anger, she didn’t notice the dusky blue BMW trailing a few cars behind her. She pulled slowly into the food pantry and glanced around nervously before getting out of her car, slinging her purse over her shoulder.
The elderly woman at the front desk gave her a list of information that she would need to submit to qualify to utilize the pantry’s services, and with rising irritation, she realized she didn’t have the required documentation. She thanked the lady graciously and trudged back to her car. Stopping to throw her gaze to the sky, she once again asked God why the fuck he gave her and Vanessa this life.
In a fit of anger, she kicked her door hard, before getting in and resting her head on the steering wheel. Thinking about the money in the box at home and knowing she couldn’t touch it. She was barely able to scrounge up the required money in the last couple of months before the bills went up. If she started dipping into it, then she definitely wouldn’t have it next month.
Miserable, Olivia cried fresh tears at thinking about what would happen to Allison without the drug she needed for her liver.
Figuring nothing else would make her feel worse, she picked up the phone, pulled up her email and typed in ‘match’ in the search bar. The email she’d received from the hospital from four years ago showed up, explaining that she was not a match for Allison despite their family tie.
Letting herself have a rare emotional moment, she cried some more before putting her key into the ignition and pulling away from the food pantry. Still not seeing the BMW trailing her a few cars back.
Olivia pulled up at her apartment, parking carefully in her spot and looking at her text thread with Colin once again.
I apologize for the last text. Though I think it’s incredibly infuriating that you’re buying my place of employment. I will relent to being picked up at my apartment. There better not be anything sketchy going on-I’ve got friends. -O
=) That’s nice to know. What kind of friends? -C
Aren’t you a smart alec. You know what I meant. I’ll be sending you my location tomorrow. You can pick me up at 7p. Apartment 1B. -O
5p, please. -C
7p. I spend Sundays with my niece. There was no question mark after ‘please’. So bossy! -O
I am. Interesting, you don’t look old enough to have a niece. -C
She wrinkled her nose. Was he some kind of pedophile pervert? After her because he thought she looked like a teenager? She didn’t.
I’m 23.-O
Hmmm, I’ll see you tomorrow. I’m really looking forward to it. Do you have a dress to wear, or would you like me to send you one? We’re going to an Italian restaurant. -C
I know I don’t have air in my car, but I have a dress to wear to a restaurant. Not exactly sure what you”re thinking, but I don’t live in a diner uniform. -O
I was just making sure you are prepared; I never want to put you in an awkward position. At least, not THAT kind of awkward position. -C
He sent her the demon emoji.
Olivia’s eyebrow raised as she let a little giggle out at his text. The man had nerve. She briefly leaned her hips against the hood of her car, stalling walking inside of her home that wasn’t a home.
Sir. Are you flirting with me? -O
Oh Olivia, the money I’d pay to hear you say ‘sir’ to me in person is absolutely sickening. I’d pay a lot. -C
Her eyes widened and she bit her lip, wondering if he’d be a suitable candidate for Esmerelda’s Ring. Then quickly dismissing the thought, frowning. For some reason, she didn’t like that idea at all. A tiny tinge of jealousy over this man she didn’t even know surged through her and she shook her head.
Girl, get it together, she thought to herself.
She replied to Colin’s text with an angel and demon emoji as a response.
Olivia went in her apartment to see that there was no real food, so she popped a Percocet before getting ready to beat the shit out of her new client. Motivated by hunger she did so well he gave her a two-hundred-dollar bonus, which went straight into her shoe box.
***
She said yes to dinner. She’s 23 years old. -C. Kent
Hm. You ever date anyone that young before. – J. Dawg
No. And before you ask, no. She doesn’t know I’m a sadist. Nosy as fuck. -C. Kent
Speaking of fuck, when’s the last time you got any?-J.Dawg
John, why? Jesus. I swear you”re just as nosy as a girl. You suddenly grow a vagina under your pants or something?-C. Kent
Because you’re about to unleash all your sadistic shit onto a 23 yr old. Maybe you should go fuck a few women first, get it out of your system before you do something to scare the poor girl. And if I DID have a vagina, it”d take a better pounding than you could. -J.Dawg
...Yuck. Don’t be fucking gross, hermano. And I wouldn’t do that. Stick my dick in some random, then stick it in her? She doesn’t deserve that. She’s different. – C. Kent
They’re all different. That’s why I’m single. Does she know you have money?-J.Dawg
NO! God you’re annoying.-C. Kent
You know you love me. -J.Dawg.