Chapter 1

Getting into the crowded restaurant,or bar as it usually seemed at night, I searched for Miss Lauretta.

        Sighting her with one of our regular customers. I approached her with heart in my hands,I had no place to sleep and this was my only hope of getting a place to stay.

    Let me give a brief description of the restaurant.

It was a very big building with few rooms with a very large room which hosted customers during the day but acted as a bar at night. I'd never ran an evening shift cos I hated attention.

      Walking over to where she was with hungry eyes on me, I coughed to get her attention,"Good evening Miss Lauretta"...she loved to be formal.

"Natty what are you doing her... you have never ran an evening shift?" She asked.

"Could I talk to you privately?".

"Ok... only for a few minutes"she answered.

She excused herself from the man, we went to a more quiet place...

"Can you tell me what you want... I have a customer to attend to?"she said.

"Can I spend the night here please...." I then narrated to her how I was thrown out of the house by my mom.

"Susan will never change..... you can spend the night here but your stay is temporary" she said casually.

  I gasped with surprise,miss Lauretta never did something out of kindness, which meant that for what ever reason she did this, I will definitely pay back in cash or kind.

  "Just find a place to stay and keep your bag safe"with that she walked out.

  I searched for a quiet place and I found one,it looked neglected but I didn't care..a begger has no choice.

  I sat for a while and reminisced on my life.. I had never had a good life,from being picked on by my mum's numerous boyfriends,to being called a bastard in school. I always envied kids with loving parents. I was a lone girl, no one wanted to be my friend except for Christine. 

       Christine was my best friend from grade 2 and I loved her as a sister, she always brought cookies for me. No don't get me wrong I didn't love her cos of the cookies,hell no. She always stood for me. We were friends till grade 7 where she relocated to Los Angeles. I missed her,her smile, her petite body, and intonation. She was a blonde.

    With that I fell into a deep slumber.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I woke up with a pain in my neck,it wasn't easy sleeping on the bare floor. Also it seemed I had caught a cold, I sneezed and my eyes watered. I checked the time on my Watch..it was one of my most prized possession, it was given to me by Christine as a birthday gift. It was 6:30 AM. I quickly arranged myself, I was hungry as hell,but there was no way I could get anything to eat. The restaurant usually opens by 7:30AM, it would be a very long time but I have no choice.

    I heard a slight movement, I grew scared, I thought this place was unnoticeable, the movement was getting closer....what could be moving at this time of the night, no scrap that, this time of the day. It got closer, oh god please save me....

"Are you awake"I heard Miss Lauretta's voice, I heaved a sigh of relief.

"Yes Miss Lauretta"I spoke back in a rush

"You are an early riser...."she paused for a while before she spoke"Natasha..".

Miss Lauretta never called one by his or her full except she meant serious business,she didn't wait for me to say anything, which meant that my say wasn't needed.

"You know very well that's it's not in my person to act nice, I don't mix business with pleasure. I know you are surprised, I did accepted to help you, I have a proposal for you.... "