“Watch your step, young lady,” the old uninviting woman snapped. This is the third time someone has called her attention to such.
“Oh, I’m sorry” Lopez responds hurriedly as she steps aside for the woman to walk on the space she assumes to be her lane.
The day had been a relentless grind of customer demands, endless queries about beauty products, and the constant hum of fluorescent lights that bathed the store in a sterile glow, yet she had been standing for almost two hours, waiting for her boss.
“I am not leaving here today without my pay” Lopez mumbles as she continues to pace the same lane like a little girl waiting to be picked up from school.
“I guess you are the next” a red-haired girl said to her in almost a whisper. That’s Taddy, her colleague at work whom Lopez detests so much, and of course her friend, Sky. They both find joy in bullying her and by now she ought to have been used to their bullying but the opposite is the case.
“I would advise you rather not go though. I can bet there is nothing for you” Sky mocks.
“What do you mean?” Lopez asked, ignoring her sneering smile.
“I mean, nothing enough is coming out from there that can stop you from ranting about how to feed your dying mother” Sky continues but is soon interrupted by Taddy.
“Come on girl”, Taddy drags Sky. “She can check for herself” she turns to Lopez, “don’t say we didn't tell you,” she says as they walk away.
Lopez sighs heavily, digesting the piece of information. This is not her first time experiencing this. In fact, it happens ninety-five percent of the time. Some days it is about how they did not make enough sales and other days, it is an unreasonable excuse.
The most annoying thing about working here is how long they have to wait to get the payment that is not even certain and the distance they have to stand away from her door.
“Evening ma’am” Lopez greets, standing by the door.
“Lopez?” the thick gold-haired woman asks without raising her head from the phone she is pressing.
“Yes, ma’am” Lopez responds, already gnashing her teeth.
“That is your pay” her boss points to two ten-dollar notes on the table.
“Sorry, what? Lopez exclaims disbelief etched across her face. “Twenty dollars? For what? She questions.
“That is what you have left after all the deductions, Lopez. The company isn’t financially buoyant to overlook all your mistakes, you know?” the unconcerned woman answered.
“Mistakes? What mistake? Today is the fourth day of the week and I haven't received any payment at all this week and now you are giving me this?’ she points to the money on the table with contempt.
“If you have any problem with the company’s method of payment, you can put down your complaint. The box is right there” Her boss points to the box at the corner of the room,
Lopez did not respond. She stares at her with a mixture of pain and contempt. “If you can't do that, then you have to keep your mouth from running, else…”
“Else what?” Lopez snapped, unable to contain her anger anymore.
“Careful girl, you still have a job while I am still calm.” the woman answers, looking up at her face for the first time.
“Job? You call this a job? Is this a joke?" she demanded, her voice steadier than the storm raging within her.
“I have worked tirelessly all week with nothing to show for it and now you sit there and tell me this is a job” She begins to rant but the manager didn't move an inch. The manager's indifference only fueled the flames of frustration.
“You know what? I quit.” Lopez added, breathing heavily from her ranting.
“Okay,” the woman responded, her eyes now glued to her phone screen as they were when Lopez entered.
“What?” Lopez exclaimed, shocked by her nonchalance. She turns to leave then remembers the twenty dollars on the table. She reaches out for the money but the manager picks it before she does.
“That is no longer yours. I only pay workers, not ex-workers.” the manager said, grinning.
Lopez storms out of the manager’s office, her vision blurry with angry tears.
Twenty dollars.
After four days of work.
Her hands trembled as she tightened her grip on her bag. Humiliation burned through her chest. She had tolerated insults, exhaustion, and unfair treatment because she desperately needed the money.
But this?
This was cruelty.
She walked towards the exit, trying to calm herself, but the anger kept rising.
“Unbelievable,” she muttered. “Absolutely unbelievable.”
Just as she reached the entrance, a security guard stepped in front of her.
“Miss Lopez, the manager wants to see you again.”
Lopez let out a bitter laugh.
“For what? To deduct the air I breathed too?”
Just as she was about to make her escape, a sharp voice behind her cut through the air. "What are you doing?”
She need not turn as she already knows whose voice it is from the tone. One of the security men at the store.
“Stop right there!” the man yelled. The guard’s footsteps echoed behind her and his expression hardened as he drew close to Lopez.
“Open your bag.”
Lopez froze.
“What?”
“We received a report that you stole company products.”
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
“You’re accusing me of stealing?”
“Open the bag.”
Anger surged through her. First, they cheated her. Now they want to brand her a thief.
“This is insane.”
People had already begun staring.
Her humiliation deepened. And that was when a sleek black car pulled up and stopped directly in front of the store.
The back door opened. Long legs stepped out first, then polished black shoes. The man was in a perfectly tailored suit. Everything about him screamed power. His presence alone made the noisy entrance suddenly quieter.
Even the security guards hesitated.
Lopez stared.
Rich, cold, dangerous and annoyingly handsome.
Desperation fueled her as she darted behind the young man, using him as a shield. The security guard hesitated for a moment, confronted by the imposing figure and the security personnel accompanying the young man.
Caught off guard by Lopez's sudden appearance and the commotion around her, the young man turned to see the security guard approaching. Lopez, breathing heavily and still hidden behind him, sent a silent plea through her eyes.
Before the man could take another step closer to them, the security personnel stepped forward.
“Stay back, a husky voice said, sending shivers down Lopez’s spine.”
Intimidated by their physique and appearance, the security man turned around and hurried back into the building without looking back.
“Which would you prefer, the police or my men?” Adrian said, facing Lopez who is still hiding behind him.
When she didn't respond, Adrian released himself from her grip with disgust on his face. “That’s a 26,600 dollar suit. Will you be able to afford it with everything you own?” he inquired, his tone commanding attention.
Lopez, feeling insulted and vulnerable, emerged from behind Adrian . “That would not be necessary,” she said, her hands in the air, indicating that she was no longer holding onto him.
Adrian scoffed at her response. “I would like to know why you were being held ,” Adrian said.
With almost no hesitation, Lopez responded, transferring her anger, “I appreciate the help, but this doesn’t concern you.” With that, she withdraws from the proximity, checking out to see if the security man has been lingering around.
“About the police, they need them more than I do,” she added before walking out on him.
Adrian watched her leave, amused within himself.
Most women either feared him or tried to impress him.
This one had done neither which he found interesting.
“Sir, do you want me to get her?” one of his men asked.
“Of course not.” Adrian responded.