Gina is a young, hard working lady who gets heart broken on realizing that her boyfriend had been cheating on her ever since they started dating. Single and determined to take life as it comes, Gina comes across Henry, a good looking billionaire whom she misunderstood at first glance – which led them to part ways on the wrong foot. Unfortunately for her, where she ended up finding a job, was owned by Henry– and he refused her from getting offered a job immediately. Gina desperately apologized for the previous time they met because she desperately needed the job at that moment. Henry finally throws her a deal, for her to get married to him for a certain period of time, before she could get offered a job. Gina thinks that was the most absurd thing she's ever heard, but that didn't stop her from agreeing to get married to him when she saw the amount of money that was involved. Along the line, plans gets ruined, feelings gets hatched unknowingly and both individuals would come to realize just how fast and hard they were falling for one another, unhinged.
Chapter 1 i
GINA If exhausted was a noun, I would be the perfect example to show for it. I was drained; my bones were aching and it seemed as if my blood had clotted and it wasn't flowing again. Worse of all, with the number of people still coming in through the double glass doors of the restaurant where I worked and which was buzzing with noise as if it was noon and not five pm, it seemed like I was not going home anytime soon. "What are you doing relaxing on the kitchen door, Gina Georgia?" I turned around quickly to see the five foot thick black-skinned Mr Smith who happened to be my manager.
I quickly stood at alert. My body was already aching; so I could not afford one hour ranting from Mr Smith which I knew was bound to come if he for any moment thought I was not being alert at my job.. "I was waiting for the chefs to serve the orders I have given to them so I could serve our customers" I quickly said. For a moment, he looked at me looking for another complaint to pick on so he could still get to do his one hour ranting but having found none, he said, "Get serious with work." Oh please. With a stiff smile plastered on my face, I watched him strode to his office before reclining back on the kitchen doorway before I would be called to get my orders. Okay, I didn't hate my job here, at least not that much. In fact, I enjoyed asking customers what they would love to eat, then watch them bend their head over the menu deliberating on what to choose or asking their partners what was their best choice,, then serve them the food with a generous smile while expecting my tips that most of the time always came because my service was top-notch. I enjoyed building friendships with many of the regular customers. From the years of working here, I knew most of their special events such as birthdays and anniversaries because their family would come and ask us for a way to make them feel special on those days. I was good at granting those kinds of requests and it gladdens my heart when they beamed their gratitude with so much energy to me. It made me happy when I could make other people have smiles on their faces. The children loved me. The parents were grateful for me. Couples and Singles praised my abilities any time they came here. It was cool serving them and becoming their friends. I enjoyed the camaraderie between the staff. I knew most of the staff family members by their first name because of the easy friendship we have cultivated in the space of four years I have been working here. From the chefs to the doormen, everyone looked out for one another and saved each other's asses if any one of us needed it. Besides Mr Smith of course. That stuffy man who would rather complain than actually do his job was the only staff in this restaurant I could not relate with. I bet that was the main reason he was still single even though it was clear by his balding head and fixed frown that he going to his fifties. Who would really want to date the nan and manage his overbearing nature. What I certainly didn't enjoy was the fact that Kings Restaurant was understaffed despite them having the reputation of being one of the best restaurants in Trenton. The reputation of course made them to have a lot of customers coming into the restaurant to enjoy excellent food services. It was absurd to me how a restaurant like this that had at least one hundred customers coming in every day boasted of only three waiters to attend to the customers' needs. They also had just five chefs to cook the variety of meals they serve their customers every single day. It was crazy. Worse of it all, On Fridays which was actually today, they would do a twenty percent discount on the prices of all their meals making the restaurant literally turn into a market place. But did they add any more staff to come help out with the busy day? No. Which was the reason I was so drained like overcooked noodles today. I didn't know why the management board making these decisions of recruiting staff was this inconsiderate but I could bet my year salary that Mr Smith had a whole lot to contribute to it. That short greedy talkative. The pay was cool though. I don't know how I would have been affording my mum bills at the nursing home otherwise. Or assist my boyfriend, Ken Harrison, financially since he got laid off from work at the construction site four months ago. We have been dating for six months now and he seemed like a really nice guy. After all I had been through with guys, it was nice having a supportive and loyal boyfriend for a change. So the fact that he was presently unemployed was not going to make me love him less, not when he had made me really feel special in the last six months That was why I was still at the job. The great pay was why most of us were still at the restaurant working our asses off everyday despite the fact that it was seriously understaffed. As Chef Mike, one of the veteran chefs in the restaurant called out my name so I could get the meals I had given them orders for, I prayed silently for 6PM to come quicker than a bolt of lightning so I could go home and pull out my sweaty clothes. I balanced the tray of food on my right hand as I told myself "One more hour. One more hour to go and you can pamper yourself with a glass of wine from that Merlot bottle that is in your fridge, Gina" then went back into the dining area to do my work. It was going to be one long hour indeed.
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6: 30PM Finally, the day was over. God, how I hate Friday because of the heavy workload that comes with it. I was so glad that I was through with everything and I could go home now. As I washed my face with the water from the sink tap in the restroom, my fingers trembled lightly. I looked up at the mirror opposite me that was above the sink and studied my features. It was a miracle that I didn't look as exhausted as I felt. My brown hair which was in layers around my neck still nearly looked the way it had when I left my apartment that morning. My green eyes which I have always thought to be my most arresting feature still twinkled when I smiled wearily at the mirror. I was relieved I was not going to go out into the street looking like a nightmare. Thank goodness for genetics. Having an draining day was one thing. Coupling that with the knowledge that I looked like a mess was certainly one hell of another thing. It was certainly what I could not afford to deal with. So here, I was grateful for the genes of not really looking like what happened to me even though the parent that gave me those genes was certainly not one I adored. I picked up my strap bag from the sink, checked inside to make sure my personal items were intact and then wrapped the strap around my arm before walking out from the restroom into the kitchen. The place was opposite of what it had been just two hours before. Then, it had been a beehive of activities; now it was as quiet as a graveyard. Only one of the chefs remained. She was sitting on a chair, her head on one of the recently cleaned kitchen table. "Hey, Marie" I called and she raised her head up, looking at me with exhausted black eyes. "You are not going home yet?" I asked with concern. She was pregnant and should not be doing so much work but she insisted because she needed to help out with the bills at home. I could relate to that but I just hoped to God that the stress was not affecting her and the baby. "Peter is coming with our car to take me home. Man, I really am too tired to board a bus and then walk from the bus stop to my house. I tried all the online cab services I know and they said they were tied down with work. It's that busy time of the evening, you know." "So sorry, Marie. I hope Peter is not going to take much time coming. "-I glanced at my wrist watch -"it is already a few minutes till seven pm." "It is okay, Gina. He said he will be here in ten minutes. At Least, we know Mr Smith is still in his office till nine o'clock. I will be fine. You go home." "Alright. Let me go before I crumple here on the floor out of exhaustion." I said. Marie gave a small laugh, waved goodbye at me. I smiled and turned on my heel to walked into the dining area. The maids were still cleaning the dining area for tomorrow work as I walked in. It was customary for the restaurant to tidy up the place no matter how late it gets. It was good policy only I wished they would employ more hands to make it faster. I sighed as I waved good night at them before leaving the restaurant through the entrance door. Outside, I instantly felt the evening wind chill my face making the beads of sweats that had formed around my forehead to evaporate instantly. I wrapped my coat tighter around me as I began to walk to my apartment. My apartment was about three miles away and was basically a forty five minute walk if I used my usual route. I would have considered boarding a cab but the evening traffic would have made me stay on the road longer than I would if I had trekked so I forgot about the option. Since it was a Friday evening, the roads were more busy than usual as people who were coming from work and those who were going to places of relaxation for the weekend crowded the roads with their cars. I frowned when I saw that I could not really see more than twenty feet ahead of me because it had gotten pretty dark. Not that I was afraid to walk in the night but because there have been a lot of small robberies after dark lately on my usual route. The reason was it usually look lonely immediately it was 7PM and it was getting dark. I didn't have much money on me, just five dollars because I usually don't like to walk around with much cash. But I had my phone, a gadget that I had bought only two months ago and which was important to me because I had started writing lyrics again for songs in my phone and it was something I couldn't afford to lose. I also had my ATM card with me so yeah I didn't want to risk it at all. Because of it, I turned towards the left direction to walk the longer and safer route to my house. That direction had more houses and therefore was less lonely than the shorter route. I was exhausted, yes but that does not mean I should lose my phone as well. Barely able to put one leg in front of the other, I walked down the street. There were opened stores lined on both side of the street which was the main reason the street could still be busy at this time. Lights from the stores spilled out from the street. I hummed to myself as I worked; my strength being fueled by the idea of a long luxurious hot bath and the glass of wine I had promised myself. While thinking about how Ken and how I had not talked to him on phone today because of my busy schedule at work, a sharp movement made me turn my eyes to the other side of the street. At first, because it had become more dark, all I could see were silhouettes walking in the same direction that I was going to, then my eyes got accustomed to the darkness and I could make out the outlines of the persons who I counted as three; two tall persons with a shorter one. On finally seeing their faces well, I froze, my blood running cold immediately.
Chapter 1 i
13/06/2022
Chapter 2 ii
13/06/2022
Chapter 3 iii
13/06/2022
Chapter 4 iv
13/06/2022
Chapter 5 v
13/06/2022
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