CHAPTER 5

I breathed out as I hurriedly tried to make coffee, no cream, for the graying old man standing impatiently across the counter. Sweat trickled down my back as his glare turned harsher.

He muttered out a "Finally" when I passed the plastic cup to him before slamming his money on the counter. I gave him his change, and he rushed out like the cafe was on fire.

This was a normal Monday morning in the cafe for me.

Delilah snorted, and I turned to look at her. "You have the friendliest customers." She deadpanned, trying so hard not to laugh at the whole scene. "He seemed like such a sweet soul, that one."

"They can be really intimidating. I got anxiety alone from trying to make his coffee." I chuckled nervously.

"All back. No cream." Delilah said mockingly, imitating his grating voice, and I laughed. She wiped off the syrup on the corner of her lips. "Your waffles taste so good, by the way. You need to open up your own cafe."

"Did Josh let you come to the shady part of the town all by yourself? And with your present condition?" I asked, brushing off her last sentence.

Delilah was 3 months pregnant, years after hoping and praying for one and ever since she took in Josh has been really protective over her, never letting her out of his sight and always putting a watchdog on her when he wasn't with her.

So, I was really surprised to find no one trailing behind her when she walked into the cafe.

"You know me," Delilah smirked. "I needed to see Estelle. She still as chubby as ever?" She gleed.

I nodded my head, and my mind went back to the stranger from last week. I didn't know how to ask Delilah if she had seen him too. I mean, I wasn't going to just randomly ask if she had seen a group of god-looking billionaires strutting around town with their custom edition Patek watches and custom made, tailored-to-fit-their muscles, suits that could buy the small cozy cafe we were seated in.

I asked subtly. "Have you by any chance noticed new faces uptown?" I sneaked a glance her way, watching as she slurped on her glass of orange juice.

"Hmmmm, not really. Although, Josh mentioned something about a few investors trooping in for the old security company. Apparently, Dr Jones is keen on selling his old security firm and moving out of the town for good this time around and a few buyers from New York will be here for a few months to check it out, and complete the whole buying process." Delilah responded. "Have you seen any new faces yet? I hope they're sexy, so you can snag yourself some New York dick." She grinned.

"You're delusional." I laughed, moving right to pick a towel so I could wipe the counter between us even though I had cleaned it twice before then.

Delilah giggled. "More like dick-lusional. Jokes aside, though, how does your vagina feel? I have a feeling she wails and cries with each passing time. Don't you think a little smexy time is long overdue?"

"I don't need a man in my life right now, Dee. You know this. After Adrian, I think my vagina knows the best thing to do is to avoid men right now," I wiped harder with my head down to avoid looking into her eyes.

Delilah placed a hand on mine and my whole body stilled at the contact. I swallowed before raising my head to look into her eyes.

"Look, I'm not asking you to get a man or get into another shitty relationship. All I need you to do is live a little. You turn into a shadow of yourself the more I see you and, to be honest? No man should have that power over you. You had the worst relationship with the biggest scum bag of the earth and it broke you, I completely understand that. But, baby, you are hands down one of the most gorgeous ladies I have ever seen. With those curves and the sexy aura you have going on?" She clutched my hands tighter. "Honey, you deserve so much better. You can't keep working in this little cafe forever. You are more smart and talented than you think. So, I'm going to need you to stop wallowing and pick up your broken pieces and be the Kayla you're meant to be, okay?"

I couldn't help but get emotional over her little speech.

Honestly, it has been so hard for me to cope as a young single mother.

With trying trying to provide food on the table for Estelle and I, trying to be the best parent she ever knows and trying not to breakdown in the middle of the street every now and then, I rarely had time for myself anymore.

I always stepped out smelling like baby puke or slobber or pastries from the diner.

I really needed to get on my feet and start working for me.

So, I asked her, "What do you have in mind?"

And with the way Delilah grinned, I just knew she had something cunning up her sleeves.

"You'll see." She said with a sly chuckle.

~~~~~

What I thought Delilah had in store for me was definitely not what was happening.

We were seated at the back of a black sleek car, with a young man driving us to a club.

Not that I hated clubs. It was actually quite the opposite but it was Dee I was worried for.

I looked at her to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

Josh never let her out of his sight or out of reach. And with her present pregnancy, his protectiveness went up a notch, so I was really surprised when she showed up on my doorstep, wagging two VIP tickets to the new exotic club for the rich and famous in front of my face.

She had strutted in with sharp pointed heels that could pierce through chest to my heart and a simple but sexy dress that would normally be meant for brunch but on Dee? It looked like it was made for clubbing.

Yes, she was that good.

She had dragged me into my tiny boxed bedroom, demanded I bring out all of my clubbing outfits, and she finally chose a hot pink bodycon dress with a plunging neckline and back-line that would make a hooker look like a saint next to me and made my ass look rounder that it was, before dragging me into the car parked on my apartment driveway.

I looked at Dee before asking her again, "Are you sure Josh knows about this? I really don't want to get on his bad side. You realize that you're not supposed to take any alcohol, right? Do you think they serve punch there? I don’t -"

Dee placed a finger on my lips, shutting me up instantly. "I'm the pregnant one, Kayla." She giggled. "I love how much you care about me but tonight is all about you, Chica! And don't you worry about Josh." She smirked, "Let's just say I have him settled and all is well."

I sighed in relief but I had one last question. "Where did you get the VIP passes from? I heard Lacy at the cafe say it cost one thousand for it. And you have two passes. That's a lot of money, Dee."

"Babes, let's just say going to those fancy golf clubs as a semi trophy wife has it's perks. And listening in on conversations and interacting with the Elite most definitely has it's perks because those ladies are getting lit all weekend." She grinned. "And weekdays."

They had recently promoted Josh to the Chief of Police in our town and they were doing so well financially. Dee had to quit her bartending job to run her luxurious spa uptown and then she took in.

Running a luxurious spa in the rich part of our town meant you get to be around the Elite and get sucked into their world. And Dee was doing a damn good job of making sure anything but the latter happened. 

"You're definitely hanging with the Elite." I chuckled. "Please tell me they’re anything but a nose-in-the-air-pearl-clutching trophy wife. I've received a lot of backlash since Estelle and I would literally die if someone looked at from beneath their nose one more time."

Dee snorted. "I wouldn't know," She wagged the tickets in my face. "I only care about these babies."

I laughed and we checked and retouched our makeup before getting to the club.

I struggled to keep my mouth close when we got down from car because the name and rumors I've heard about the club do no justice to the actual club itself.

It was an absolute beast in our not-so-big town.

With the ladies in designer dresses and red-bottom five-inch heels, and the men with cigars and glittering gold rings trooping in and out of the club? It was definitely a club for the rich rich.

I sighed, clutching my purse tightly.

I could only hope I survived the night in one piece.