TENDING TO THE STORM

CHAPTER 1

"Ugh!unbelievable!"Lilly exclaimed coming into the employee's locker room as she gaped at her stained apron and dress. Their shift was over thankfully. Lizzy just wanted to go home even though it wasn't much right now at least they had a bed and a roof over their heads which was not so when rain fell.

  Lilly forcefully pulled her locker door open and she screamed into her locker.

"What happened this time,Lilly? Why..." Lilly pulled up her hand to signify for Lizzy to wait ,she buried her head back into the locker and let out another scream of frustration.

  Some girls ran out into the locker room with wet hair and having showered with eyes wide and panic written all over their faces,Lizzy couldn't help but pity them.

'They must be new' she thought.

  It was normal for Lilly to do this. This frustrates the hell out of other people who didn't understand her. Lilly has been out of foster care for about 7 years now which left her with anger management issues. She has an explosive behaviour which she's taking anger management classes for,which is expensive by the way!

She gets easily ticked off and is constantly getting into trouble which got her fired from her last two jobs in the past and hopefully she won't this time.
Breathing in deeply,Lilly pastes a wide fake smile on her face and turns to face Lizzy.

"Its nothing, just some guy who wanted to get with me like am some prostitute" You can tell that she was furious.

"...is it too hard to believe that girls in night clubs are not all here to sell their bodies?" She finished with a strain in her voice as she struggled to control her temper.

"Its a normal thing for them to imply. Most of the men that come here are mostly drunks or likely looking for entertainment or a girl they can take home" Lizzy replied with a strong sense of reasoning.

Taking a deep breath,Lilly glared at Lizzy.

"I hate it when you're right" Lilly said and they both chuckled.

  "Come on,let's get out of here" Lizzy said placing an arm around Lilly's shoulders and pulling her in for a side hug she waved the other hand around in front of them as if to show an illusion
"...to the land of hot cocoa,a home cooked meal,crappy air conditioner and no television"
Lilly hit her playfully on her arm and chuckled.

"Let's go. Let me just change and pack these up" then sighing
tiredly she added.

"Now I have to wash these. I was hoping to not wash them for at least 2-3days".

Lizzy laughed " you always do that. You're just lazy that way"she stated jokingly.

"And I also hate that you know me so well too" the girls chuckled.

  The girls from the shower hissed and went back to the bathroom to continue their shower after seeing no signs of imminent danger. The two girls chuckled and left for the night.

                 *  *  *  *
   It was around 3:00am by the time they got back to their apartment. Standing outside,a junkie was busy banging at their door. Obviously,he was high.

Turning around,he sighted the girls walking up the stairs and ran, rather staggering down the stairs and rushing to take Lilly's hand scaring the two girls.

"Lilly,please take me back. I promise I'll be good. please, don't just abandon me".

  Rolling her eyes,she takes her hand away from his strong grip and looked coldly into his eyes,

" I didn't abandon you Pat,you chased me away remember? You chose your drugs and irresponsible behaviour over me right?"

   "Am sorry!" panicking, he pleaded
"I'll die without you. Come home with me,please?" He says dragging her arm eagerly hoping to persuade her into coming back  to him.

Trying to twist her arm away from him she screams "let me go,Pat. You're hurting me!".
Struggling, she pushes him with no effect.
  " let me go!"she shouted.
Lizzy came straight to her friend's aid,she manages to push Pat down and Lilly away from his grip. With Lizzy acting fast ,she shoves Lilly inside their apartment and stood in front of the door with her two arms stretched out guarding the door as Pat recovered quickly.
He tried to shove Lizzy out of the way but she wasn't having it. So she spoke much to his and her amazement..
  "You know what Pat,you're a revolting person. Do you know how many times Lilly came home with bruises inflicted on her by you only to not still give up on you. I didn't want to say anything to you because it was her decision but now am talking and you have to listen. She doesn't want you anymore. The pain has to stop sometime".there was pause Then she continued
  " she's not going to throw away her whole life just for you. You get that? So leave and stop bothering her."
Pat glared at her for a brief moment  before he turned around and ran out falling down many times along the way. But she knew it wasn't over yet.
Breathing a sigh of relief,she unlocked the door and entered inside to calm and console her weeping friend.
                 *  *  *  *
  "Baby,I want a house in the Hamptons where we can live together and ..." Blake dozed off blocking out all the dreamy talk his latest conquest was talking about. He was bored of having her for one whole week. That's the longest he's ever had one woman.
     Sure,the house he could get but for the rest...it can only be a dream. He wrote down on his mental checklist  to get her out tomorrow giving her a rather satisfactory payment for warming his bed. That's what he does to all the women he finesse.
  Frustrated with her whining about him not paying any attention to her, he rudely left the room naked unashamedly. What has he got to be ashamed   of?
  He was a big deal in the company of women and in life. He had it all.
   Going over to his mini bar,he grabs an Armand de Brignac Midas bottle of wine,pops open the cork and pours himself a drink and savours the taste of the wine as it slips down his throat leaving behind its bitter taste.
    Walking over to his work desk with a drink in his hand,he goes over what his assistant mailed over to him which included invitations to events, public talks,seminars...one file caught his eye with its simplicity with only a postal address where it was sent from. It read from 'Rivers foundation college '
  Gulping down the last of his drink, he carefully opens the invitation.
   "Dear Mr. Blake Stone
       It is my greatest honour to invite you to our 018' college graduation ceremony. To come and speak to the students and maybe share a few words of encouragement to them as they step out onto this path in their lives.
    It would be greatly appreciated if you come. The students need you.
                           Signed
                        Yours faithfully
                     Vice chancellor Dulby
Looking down at the letter in his hand,he tried to find something special about it that would explain the compelling feeling he felt towards it. And the date read Tomorrow.
     As tired as he was ,he had a busy schedule,his company was about expanding, trying to add a chain of restaurants to their line of production which needed his attention there
But pondering over it for a good minute,he picks up his cellphone. speaking in Spanish,he gives out a set of instructions and after placing a call to his assistant telling her to postpone all his early morning appointments till afternoon. He clicks off. And the staggering skinny blonde comes into his office looking dumb and drunk wrapping the bedspread around her in an attempt to lure him back to bed but he just flashed her a grin. pressing his intercom,he calls in his bodyguard, Roberto to take her out of his room.
  Muttering to himself ,'I don't even know why I picked her'  he sighed.
Unable to go back to bed, he tried to get some work done.
              
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Hey guys,let me know your comments on this first chapter. There are more to come. I'll be posting 2 chapters every 2 days. Happy reading!✌😃