Page 57 of Neverland

Chapter 15

TWO YEARS LATER

The excessive banging on the door caused the whole apartment to shudder. And when I say ‘whole apartment,’ it consisted only of one tiny room fitted with a mattress on the floor, a toilet and shower in the corner and a fridge with a microwave perched on top.

“I’m coming,” I hollered, rolling out of bed and searching desperately for something to cover myself up.

Three more pounds on the door sent a plastic cup vibrating off the countertop.

“I said, I’m coming,” I bellowed, annoyed at their impatience. Slipping on an oversized sweater, I stood on my toes and peered through the spy hole and saw Gerald, the building manager staring straight at me.

“Shit,” I murmured.

“I heard that. Open up, I haven’t got all day.”

Falling flat, I heaved a heavy sigh and reluctantly opened the door. “Morning, Gerald.” When he saw my face, he faltered, eyes narrowing slightly like he was seeing me for the first time, except we saw each other most days as it was impossible to avoid him. He stared a little harder and then shook himself back to reality.

“It’s afternoon,” he replied flatly. He handed me a folded piece of paper. “You’re late… again.”

I sighed once more. “Gerald, you know I’m good for it. Shifts are slow at the moment. I did offer my services here, you know at reception, cleaning the—”

“Judging by the state of your room, your cleaning skills aren’t what I’m looking for.”

I wanted to tell him that an unmade bed is hardly messy, especially since I’d just rolled out of it. Everything is where it should be… well, except for the plastic cup on the floor.

“Then I’m sorry, but you’ll just have to wait until I get paid. I promise you will see the money soon.”

“I don’t have to do just anything.” Gerald was bald on top with a thick band of hair on the bottom half of his head. His nose was pointy sharp, eyes beady yet catlike. His people skills were non-existent simply because he… hated people. “You have until midnight, otherwise you’ll find the locks changed.”

Gerald didn’t wait for a response because he didn’t care what I had to say. Closing the door, I leaned against it and sank to the floor. There was no way Franko was going to pay on demand. And even if he did, it wouldn’t be enough. I was three weeks behind on rent because shifts had been cut, and there was talk amongst staff that Franco had lost a considerable amount of money in a casino.

“Just once…” I murmured, a single tear rolling down my cheek, “… just once give me a break.”

~~~

“I’m not serving them anymore,” Katie, one of Franco’s girls, stood her ground, arms folded tightly across her chest.

“You don’t have a say, so get back out there and do your job,” Franco ordered, the threat of sacking in his tone.

“As my boss, you should care if one of our clients in trying to stick his finger up my pussy while I serve him his whiskey. If I wanted to work in a whore house, I would.”

“If you don’t get back out there and look after your section, a whore house is exactly where you’ll end up.”

They were referring to the particular group who’d hired The Boardroom. The Boardroom was a venue catering for corporate meetings who wanted ‘entertainment’ while they discussed business. Katie was a topless waitress who, while happy to do her job, objected to the men getting too hands on. Franco simply didn’t give a shit. He expected his girls to ensure the clients left satisfied, and that meant sometimes doing more than your job description.

I poured drinks to complete an order and watched in my peripheral as they battled it out.

“Tasha still isn’t here, so it isn’t just my section I’m covering.”

“I don’t have anyone else, so stop your fucking complaining and deal with it.”

“Take Damian off clean-up, put him in Lucy’s spot, and she helps me. See, fucking easy and I’m not even the boss.”

A dampness soaked through my blouse. “Shit!” I jumped away from the counter and flipped the vodka bottle upright. “I can’t go out there.”

“Why not?” Katie asked, still with her arms crossed over her large naked chest.

“Because I’m not a topless waitress.”

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