Chapter 7: Special Coffee

"Aren’t you tired?"

"No, not really. It won’t take long," she replied with a small smile.

"Alright then. Just bring it to the front later, I’m stepping out for a smoke," James said with a faint grin.

"Sure thing, sir. I’ll get right on it."

Without wasting time, Nancy got to work, brewing the coffee just the way James liked it. Barely five minutes passed before it was ready.

"Your coffee’s ready, sir," she said gently, snapping James out of whatever fog he’d been lost in. He glanced at her and gave a warm smile.

"Thanks. And sorry for asking you to do this so late."

"It’s totally fine, sir. It’s part of my job anyway, right?"

James nodded slowly. She had a point, sure. But that didn’t mean he should take advantage of her. She must’ve been exhausted from the day.

"Haven’t gone to bed yet?" he asked.

"I was just about to, sir."

"Feeling sleepy?"

The question caught her off guard. "Not really… not too much."

"Mind sitting with me for a bit?" he asked without hesitation.

"Um, well…" she hesitated.

"Just for a while. I’m not in the best mood tonight."

Nancy looked uncertain. Part of her wanted to say no, but it felt wrong to turn him down.

"If you don’t want to, that’s totally fine. I’m not trying to force—"

"Just for a short while, sir," she cut in. "I’d feel weird doing this if your wife were here."

"Why’s your coffee always this good? It’s exactly the kind of sweetness I like."

Nancy gave a tiny smirk at the compliment. "I used to make coffee for my dad back in the village. Helped my mom at the food stall too before I had a job. Everyone liked their coffee a little different, so I kind of learned to match it to their taste."

"You’ve definitely got the touch," James said, taking another sip. "Did you put ginger in this?"

"Yeah, just a bit. It’s good for keeping your body in sync."

James nodded again, clearly impressed. She paid attention to the little things, and that stood out to him. People like that were rare—most just worked for the paycheck. But maybe it was too early to tell; she’d only been here two days.

"I swear I’m gonna get hooked on your coffee."

She laughed softly. "You’re teasing me. I’m sure Mrs. Brown's coffee is better."

"Well, it should be. But she’s so busy lately, she barely makes it anymore. Maybe just once in the morning—rest of the time, I’m on my own," he said, clearly reminiscing.

James still believed that wives shouldn’t neglect their household duties, no matter how demanding their jobs were. He never really appreciated all Elisha had done for him—just because of one mistake.

"Maybe she’s just tired, sir," Nancy offered gently. "That’s probably why she hasn’t had the energy. But hey, I’m here now. If you need anything, you can always ask me."

"You’ll really follow my orders?"

"Of course, sir. I’m here as your maid. It’s my responsibility to handle everything around the house."

"Everything?" James asked, narrowing his eyes as he glanced at her sideways.

"Yes, sir," she answered.

"Including my sexual needs?"

Nancy’s heart skipped a beat. Her eyes widened as she stared at him, stunned. "Wh-what did you just say?"

Realizing he might’ve gone too far, James chuckled awkwardly. "I’m kidding. Just a bad joke."

Nancy swallowed hard. His laugh didn’t exactly put her at ease.

"Nancy? Hey—don’t take it seriously, alright? I was just messing around," James said again, trying to smooth it over.

She nodded stiffly. "That shocked me, sir."

James gave a dry laugh. "You think I’m that type, Nancy? Please. I love Elisha. I’d never cheat on her."

Nancy nodded again, more out of obligation than belief. "Yes, sir."

A few quiet moments passed. Then James asked, "It’s late. Don’t you want to get some sleep?"

Nancy stood from the bench. Yeah, she needed rest—and she definitely needed to clear her head. "Yes, sir. I’ll head in now."

"Hm."

James watched her walk away. Once she was gone, he was alone again.

About five minutes later, Elisha came downstairs looking for her husband. She’d checked the kitchen but found it empty. With a frown, she started searching other parts of the house.

When she peeked into the side yard, she finally spotted him—sitting alone, lost in thought, a cigarette between his fingers. She didn’t bother checking how many he’d had; her eyes were fixed on him.

"Babe…"

Her voice pulled James back to reality. He looked up at her, noticing how sad she seemed.

"I’ve been looking everywhere for you."

"Why? You’re happier talking to your boss anyway," he snapped, sarcasm dripping from every word.

"I’m sorry, babe," Elisha whispered, reaching for his hand. "It was an emergency call. I couldn’t ignore it."

"Oh, right. So now your boss is top priority, huh? Maybe you should just go live with him."

"Why are you saying this? If it hadn’t been important, I wouldn’t have taken the call," she said, her voice trembling.

"But the truth is, your job comes first now, doesn’t it?" James’s voice rose. "So much that even your husband’s needs don’t matter anymore." His face showed full disappointment, his needs weren’t fulfilled at all.

"Babe, I—"

"You can work, talk to your boss all you want—but can’t you give me even a little time? Just one hour… is that so hard?"

Tears welled up in Elisha’s eyes. It seemed so petty, yet he made it feel like the end of the world.

"Would you rather I go get my needs met somewhere else?" James asked coldly.