chapter 30

Esmeralda’s POV

When I got back to the apartment, I immediately noticed the door was unlocked.

I frowned.

‘Why is Mulan still at home? She was supposed to be on the afternoon shift, so why is she still here?’ I thought as I pushed the door open.

“Mulan, I'm back!” I hollered, but was met with silence. As soon as I stepped inside, I froze.

My mouth fell open at the scene in front of me.

There on our couch were Mulan and our next-door neighbor, Reyes. They were kissing, and not just kissing. They were practically all over each other like two dogs in heat, their lips locked hungrily as they devoured each other.

I stood there with my arms folded, waiting for either of them to notice me, but they were lost in a haze of passion.

Finally, I cleared my throat. Still no response. Apparently, I was invisible.

“Not on the couch!” I shouted, rolling my eyes in fake annoyance. “You horny teenagers couldn't even wait to reach the bedroom?”

That got their attention. They broke apart so quickly, like a wall collapsing, that I let out a loud laughter.

“You’re home early,” Mulan said, looking completely unbothered, as if I hadn't just interrupted them from fucking right there on the cushions.

Meanwhile, Reyes's face turned red all the way to his ears as he shifted uncomfortably on the couch.

“Yep. I can't exactly walk the whole of LA in a day, can I?” I said sarcastically, sitting down on the exact spot they had just been occupying without a single shred of remorse. “Shameless creature,” I mouthed at Mulan.

She only smirked.

“Oh, whatever,” she finally said, leaning back comfortably beside Reyes. “Let me introduce you guys.” She pointed at him. “Esmeralda, this is Reyes. And Reyes, this is my friend and roommate, Esmeralda.”

Reyes gave me a shy smile. “Hello, Esmeralda.”

I smiled back mischievously. “Hi, Reyes.” Then I looked at Mulan. “Oh, I see.”

She narrowed her eyes. “What do you see?”

“The reason you ditched work today, dumbass! And here I was, poor naive me, leaving the house thinking my friend was getting our daily bread. Oh, what a life!” I teased, winking at Reyes. “Oh God, we’re going to starve.”

“Esmeralda…” Mulan looked like she was running out of patience.

I looked at Reyes again and pretended to size him up. “Well, I can see the appeal.”

Mulan immediately pointed a warning finger at me. “Watch your smart mouth, or I won't tell you the good news I have for you.”

I instantly made a gesture of zipping my lips shut. “Forgive me.”

Reyes looked away, obviously trying not to laugh.

Mulan shook her head. “Baby, should I tell her?”

Reyes smiled at her. “Yes, love.”

I couldn't help watching them with admiration. They looked so comfortable together, so naturally happy, and I couldn't help but wonder where on earth Mulan had managed to snag such an innocent-looking, handsome, and charming boyfriend.

‘Next door,’ I mentally reminded myself.

Mulan finally turned toward me. “Well, Reyes found an opening for you at his friend's restaurant.”

My eyes widened. “Really?”

“Yes. It's just down our street. The pay is good, and the hours are nice. You'll mostly serve customers and maybe assist the chef in the kitchen during rush hours.”

For a second, I just stared at her. After an entire day of hearing, “No vacancies,” I had finally heard something different.

I immediately stood up and grabbed Mulan's hands. “What would I do without you?”

She shrugged. “Probably die, silly.”

I pinched her.

“Ouch!”

“Don't say that.”

She laughed.

I turned toward Reyes. “Reyes, thank you.”

He smiled. “You're welcome.”

I looked between the two of them before glancing back at the couch, a mischievous smile spreading across my face. “Now that you've made me happy, you can go back to what I interrupted.” I gestured toward the cushions.

Mulan's eyes widened. “Esmeralda!”

I burst out laughing as I quickly scurried toward my room. A cushion flew past my head, missing me by inches.

For the first time in a long while, I felt a little lighter. Maybe tomorrow won't be so bad after all

****

Two days after.

"Are you daydreaming again, newbie?"

Lucy, my coworker, nudged me hard at the kitchen door, her lips curling into the same wicked smile she had been giving me since I started working here yesterday. I had no idea why she despised me, nor did I care.

I blinked and straightened up.

The truth was, I had been dizzy since morning. The nausea had stopped sometime last week, but in its place came a persistent dizziness. Frankly, I had every intention of getting whatever was causing this dizziness treated once and for all this weekend.

"Go and serve Table 16," Lucy snapped, thrusting a heavy tray into my hands with a smirk. She enjoyed exerting her authority as the head server over me, and wasn't subtle about it in the slightest. “And stop lazing around. Gosh!"

"I'm sorry," I said, taking the tray. "Right away."

I smoothed my uniform with my free hand, squared my shoulders, and stepped out of the kitchen to the restaurant floor.

I had barely crossed the room when I saw him. Kane was sitting at Table 16, and beside him was my previous boss, Jayson.

I stopped walking so abruptly that Lucy almost slammed into my back.

“You can't do anything right, can you?” she hissed under her breath as she sidestepped me to reach her own table.

‘Not today!’

I thought, ignoring Lucy completely. ‘Why does he have to be here? Out of every restaurant in the entire city, why does he always seem to appear whenever I finally catch a break?’ I groaned.

"Move along, idiot," Lucy whispered sharply, stepping back in front of me when she noticed I was still rooted to the spot.

‘And a very warm afternoon to you too, Lucy,’ I thought, but forced my feet to move.

I can do this. I am a professional. I survived my first night at Meridian and Victor's vicious loan sharks, so I could certainly keep my composure while serving them. I repeated it like a mantra.

Holding onto that, I approached their table.

"Well, well, well," I heard Kane's icy, low voice as I reached them. "If it isn't our runaway temptress.”

His voice shocked me so badly that my hands completely forgot what they were holding. The tray tilted. I lunged for it, but missed.

CRASH!