Chapter 4

“Eleanor, I don’t pay you to sit around and look sad about your miserable life; get to work,” My grumpy boss Dave says

“Sorry, boss,” I say, standing up from the chair in the kitchen. I just finished having lunch and was having a break.

“I don’t want you sorry, I need you out there attending to customers, so beat it,” He says, pushing me towards the entrance of the kitchen. Before I walk over to a table, I adjust my hair and check my uniform for any food stain. Once I look presentable, I walk over to the closest table to take their order.

This is my life now; I am back to waiting tables. I was lucky enough to get this job. Uncle Jack had to beg his manager to hire me. It’s been two weeks since I was fired. I have been avoiding Mr. Crawford’s phone calls ever since. I don’t want to come between him and his grandson. They have a good relationship, and I can’t bear to be the person that will ruin it, so I decided I should stop being friends with Mr. Crawford.

“Welcome; what can I get for you today?” I ask with a fake smile plastered on my face. I’m not too fond of this job, but I don’t have a choice if I want to help Uncle Jack with the bills. He has done so much for me; it’s the least I could do. 

The customer is under the table, picking something, and hasn’t replied to me yet. 

“I would like….” He says while bringing his head back up, but stops once he sees me. An evil smile graces his lips as he takes in my appearance. “Look who we have here.” He seems happy about the fact that I am his waitress. 

“Hello, Mr. Jason” 

“Hello Eleanor, how do you like your new job? I can bet you don’t like it so much,” he asks, smirking.

“You can say that, and please, what would you like to order,” I ask, trying to change the subject. I’m not too fond of the way he is trying to pry into my life after he has already ruined it.

“It seems you don’t want to talk about your life, and that’s understandable given your current situation.”

I am starting to hate this man. Because of his foolish doubts about me, I have to do this job and deal with my horrible boss Dave. I wish there were a way I could get him back for taking away such an excellent job from me. 

“Please, could you just tell me your order” I am seriously getting tired of standing here and listening to him indirectly mock me about my job. A job I have because of him and his foolish doubts. 

“I will have creamy garlic chicken pasta and a glass of your finest wine,” he says after looking at the menu. Thank God I could not take his mocking any longer.

“Alright, sir, your food will be ready in a few minutes,” I say and walk away from his table.

It’s been a few hours since Mr. Jason left. He left me a big tip, and I know it was an insult that I have to live off tips. I hate that man; I wish there were a way I could make him pay.

The following day is spent waiting tables, and I am trying my best not to make my boss angry at me so he won’t reduce my salary at the end of the month. While walking towards the bus station, a black car suddenly pulls up in front of me. I am not really good at knowing the brands of vehicles, but if I am not wrong, this car should be a Rolls Royce. The windows are tinted, so I can’t see who is inside. The back window rolls down, and the person inside is someone I was hoping I won’t run into for a while.

“Hello dear,” Mr. Crawford says, smiling at me

“Hi, Mr. Crawford,” I say with a sad smile.

“How are you doing, dear?” He says, stepping out of the car

“I am doing great, and how have you been?” I ask as he stands beside me.

“I would have been doing great if my friend here was picking my calls.”

“I am sorry about that; I have been so busy with work,” I lie through my teeth. I don’t want to tell him the truth.

“You don’t have to lie to me; I know Jason fired you.”

“How do you know everything that happens in that office?” I ask, surprised by how he knows everything.

“I have my ways, and why don’t we talk more as I drive you home.”

“That won’t be necessary, Mr. Crawford.”

“I insist; it’s the least I can do with Jason’s irrational behaviour” I am about to refuse, but he cuts me off before I can speak. “Please, dear,” He says, pleading. I nod my head, and we both walk to the car to be on our way to my house. Once the driver starts the vehicle, Mr. Crawford speaks.

“I know my grandson is firing you because he believes you are after his position is foolish. So that’s why I have worked something out to make sure that does not happen again,” He says and hands me an envelope.

“What’s inside here?” I ask before opening the envelope. I open it, and a document is inside. It’s a contract. It has many pages, so I ask Mr. Crawford what the contract is about because I can’t start reading it now.

“I have drafted a contract which states that I am your employer, and Jason cannot fire you under any circumstance.”

“Why would you do that?” I ask, confused with why he would do that

“I wish I could tell you my reasons, dear, but I can’t. Just know I am doing this because I have your best interest at heart.” 

“My best interest,” I ask. 

“Yes, I know how much you need a good job like this one to pay off your college debts, so just take it, and don’t overthink it.”

“I don’t think I can take a job with so many unexplained things tied to it,” I say honestly. Mr. Crawford won’t tell me why he would draft such a contract and, most importantly, why do I have to work for his grandson. I smell something fishy about everything.

“I will promise you this; once what I need to happen happens I will explain everything to you.”

“Why can’t you just explain it to me now?”

“It’s best you don’t know yet, but I promise you I will explain everything to you when the time is right” Mr. Crawford is not a man of a lot of secrets, so I wonder why he won’t explain why he is doing things this way. I am about to refuse the offer again when he speaks. “Just think about it and call me in three days with your answer. I really need you working for my grandson,” He says as the car comes to a halt. We must have arrived at my house.

“Alright, I will call you in three days with my answer,” I say and step out of the car.

“Thank you, dear, and I promise you won’t regret it if you decide to work for him,” He says to me with the windows rolled down.

“We will see,” I say before the car drives away.

The following day I meet up with Amber for lunch to discuss the contract. I am so lucky today is my day off, and Amber only works at night. I would have had to rely on only Uncle Jack’s opinion to answer tomorrow. His opinion is: I should take the job. He made some valuable points, but it won’t hurt to get another person’s opinion.

“So, what do you think?” I ask Amber as I take a bite of my food. 

“Uncle Jack is right; you should take it and forget about the fact that Mr. Crawford is bent on making you work with his grandson.”

“You think so too.”

“Yes, because as much as everything seems a bit fishy. It does not change the fact that you have college debts to pay, and your waitress job is not going to pay them.”

“I know that, but I can’t wrap my head around the fact that Mr. Jason also signed the contract.”

“He also signed it,” Amber asks, shocked.

“Yes, I didn’t tell you; I must have forgotten. He signed it, and that means he also agrees to his grandfather being my employer.”

“Hmm, that’s odd given the way he fired you last time based on his stupid assumptions.”

“I know, and that’s why I have my doubts.”

“I understand why you have your doubts, but you can’t put them first. Your debt comes first, and they need to be cleared, so take the job. Also, I would like to ask something?”

Everything Amber is saying is the same thing Uncle Jack said. They are right, my waitress job can’t pay my college debts, but this job can even though things around it are fishy. 

“You are right; I will take the job, and what would you like to ask?”

“How can Mr. Crawford be your employer?”

“He can be my employer because he is also Jason’s employer.”

“What do you mean?”

“Jason is not fully the CEO of the company until his grandfather dies.”

“Oh, so it’s like he works for his grandfather as the CEO.”

“Something like that.”

“It makes sense why he does not like you.”

“It’s not my fault Mr. Crawford sees me as a granddaughter to him, and Jason sees me as a threat even though I don’t believe I am.”

“Yeah, it isn’t your fault, but anyway, be careful. It won’t be easy working for someone who hates you,” She says, giving my hand a warm squeeze.

“Don’t worry; I will.”