Chapter 3

She sat in her room thinking about what Mrs Lorelei had told her the previous night.

"Should she accept Paxton's offer to spend a night with him?" she pondered on this. Truly, she needed to build her life with the money and above all, she wanted to stop working at the coffee shop. So giving it a try wouldn't be bad, she thought. She picked up her phone to call miss Lorelei to tell her she had accepted but on a second thought, she decided to rethink accepting it and whatever her outcome would be, she knew she had to think fast.

**phone rings**

"Hey girl" Tyler said over the phone

"hello" she said faintly

"are you okay? you don't sound too good"

"uhm... I just need to get some rest"

"rest?" Tyler shouted and she jerked "what's the matter? why did you shout?" she was surprised

"You're meant to be at work"

"Work?" she looked at her phone screen "what? I'm done for!" she sobbed. All these while, she had been thinking it was the weekend.

"Did you forget?" Tyler was getting concerned

"I actually did. I thought it was Saturday" she ran her hands through her hair in frustration "what about miss Lorena? I guess she has noticed that I'm not at work" she knew it was over.

"She left earlier, she said she'd be back later in the day. So, I can say.... today is your lucky girl! get dressed and come to work" he hung up. She quickly took her bath and put on her work clothes, she needed to get there in time before miss Lorena does! she didn't bother to have breakfast, she just had to get there on time before thinking about that. She quickly took her bag and left.

She was so lucky to have gotten there before miss Lorena

"You're here" Tyler said, she was two hours late

"Is miss Lorena back?"

"Not yet, help with the pastries" he said and she helped move some pastries to the show glass. Customers trooped in and out and they all wondered what the occasion might be. Miss Lorena walked in later in the day.

"Good morning ma'am" the employees greeted her and she smiled at them as she walked past but she didn't forget to give Beatrix a stern look and Beatrix hated that look.

"tch! she always does that" she sighed and Tyler chuckled "you're meant to be used to it by now and it should have nothing on you" he tilted his head playfully and smiled.

"oh that's true. I guess I'm working on that"

Tyler stared at her for a while and she widened her eyes "do you have something to say?"

"yeah, but I don't know if I should ask or not, you might not say the truth to me" he said and she turned away and rolled her eyes before turning to him faking a smile "what's that?"

"I came to your apartment yesterday and you weren't home, where did you go?"

"huh?" she was nervous "you heard me! why do you look nervous?"

"am I?"

The previous day, Tyler happened to be in her neighborhood and he caught sight of her leaving in a black coat. He opted to trail her but he didn't want to be guilty of invasion of privacy, so he made up his mind to ask her at work today.

"I went to visit a friend" she lied

"hmmm... a friend! I didn't know you had friends in San Francisco" Beatrix didn't have friends in San Francisco except those she met at work and she wasn't someone to visit them out of the blue, and Tyler knew that. Tyler gave her that look which meant that he knew she was lying and she covered her face with her palm. As long as Tyler didn't know about her other life, she was fine with whatever he thought.

"you obviously didn't know" she laughed nervously "you thought you were my only friend, silly" she hit him still laughing and Tyler just turned away "better get to work so that miss Lorena won't give you her deadly stare" he smirked and she immediately went on with her work, that was the last thing she needed, miss Lorena's deadly stare.

Miss Lorena walked in accessing the progress of the coffee shop and engaging in conversations with customers she was familiar with "Beatrix, after your shift, I need to see you in my office" she demanded turning back to take her leave

"hmph" Beatrix sighed moving closer to Tyler

"do you think she knows I was late today?" she whispered "you worry alot girl" he chuckled " how would she know? I don't think she does" he smiled and she hoped he was right.

As the end time of her shift drew near, she became more nervous by each passing time. Finally, the time she dreaded was here and she had no choice but to face it and stay positive. She took deep breaths as she brought her fist to miss Lorena's door and knocked

"who's there?" her voice echoed, it didn't sound as mean as it normally did but Beatrix didn't care a bit about it.

"Beatrix" she opened the door slightly and peered into her office "oh, come in" she smiled, Beatrix could tell it was the devil's smile.

"my shift has ended and you requested to see me" she took her seat, hoping for the worst.

"yeah, you think you're smart, don't you?" miss Lorena leaned into the table as she gave her the deadly stare which Beatrix hated and her lips curved into a devilish smile.

"you came in late today!" the smile on miss Lorena's face disappeared and Beatrix wished it didn't disappear. "how did miss Lorena find out about it?" she wondered.

"with the look on your face, I'm guessing you forgot about the cameras" she smiled.

Fuck! why didn't she think of those? At this moment, she knew she was fucked! there was nothing she could do to keep her job, it was over for her except a miracle would happen but she wasn't one who believed in miracles. She would have to accept Paxton's offer! she said within herself.

"You've been silent?" miss Lorena looked at her

"uhmm... I'm totally speechless, I can't deny showing up late and I made a deal with you and deals must be....."

"I'm glad you remember the deal and you're willing to keep it" she smiled but Beatrix didn't return the smile, there was really no need to.

"I'll give you one last chance....."