Mend My Heart

Chapter 2

Growing up with intimidating parents, whom at some point I thought were the descendants of Hades, you’d think I’d be immune to the glowering looks from most people. Well, I’m afraid to let you know that I was indeed very incorrect. So very incorrect.

Because the deadly glares I was receiving right now from Yolanda and Theodore, mostly Yolanda, should have had me in the morgue by now. From head to somewhere beneath the table, they were dripping with spilled food and water, and I’m pretty sure the plates had hit them as well. I gulped visibly as I watched Yolanda’s jaw tick ominously and a second later, a feral sound erupted from her mouth.

“You stupid, clumsy peasant!” she screamed, wiping the Alfredo sauce off her face. Theodore, however, remained silent as he continued to glare at me with so much indifference that it chilled me to the core.

It wasn’t long before the manager, Mr Morris, scurried over looking very apprehensive and alarmed. He passed me a brief punitive look before turning to the two damsels. “Miss Heinz, Mr. Duke, I am so very sorry about this minor inconvenience-,” he has sputtered somewhat angrily and apologetically simultaneously but was cut off abruptly.

“Shut up, idiot. Your stupid apology isn’t going to help with anything. Your idiotic employee just ruined my hundred-thousand-dollar dress, my cute hair and skilful make up, not to mention the damage she’s done to my Theo over there,” she shrieked belligerently, pointing an accusatory finger at me.

I finally stood up and felt the pain in my knees.  Troy had since disappeared, making me look like a complete clutz. “Hey, it wasn’t my fault. Somebody bumped into me!” I remarked defensively, throwing my hands in the air.

Yolanda clicked her tongue in response. “Liar, you did this on purpose! And just for that, I’m going to sue this restaurant for this, it’s like assault!” she added indignantly. Theodore was still silent, which irked me for some reason. How could he just sit there and watch this debacle? He had to have seen that this was an accident!

Mr Morris’s face contorted in fear. “There is no need to get lawyers involved in this. I’m sure we can work something out.” He then turned to me. “You’re fired. What you did is unacceptable,” he chastised with so much malice that it made me almost cry. Almost.

All of this was so unfair! How could I lose my job over something as trivial as this? I cursed lowly at my streak of bad luck. I’d already been fired from several jobs prior to this. My parents were right, I wasn’t going to get anywhere in life. I felt like such a huge failure.

“But that simply is not enough. The damage? Somebody has to pay for it!” Yolanda went on, making my heart tweak. Reparations? Heaven knows that I cannot afford to replace any of their expensive designer apparel!

“But I can’t afford to pay you back,” I mumbled lowly, holding my head down in defeat.

“I have a solution,” Theodore finally spoke. My head peaked over to him. He looked eerily calm, as he had taken out a handkerchief to wipe away the remnants of the food and water off his face and upper body. He once again looked at me through thick lashes, a storm swirling in his bewitching grey orbs. “You will come work for me in order to pay off the damages.”

Silence reigned all around us. Even the people nearby us had gone silent; I was pretty sure they had been listening in. Most of these rich folks were shameless gossips and I bet they were enjoying every second of this.

“What?” Yolanda, Mr Morris and I all exclaimed in surprise. Me, work for him? That was a terrible idea! I could never last a day, let alone working for his majesty, Mr Duke. He had to be joking, right?

Yolanda clutched his arm, face reddening with rage. “You can’t possibly mean that! I don’t want this woman to work for you. I don’t want her near you-,”