"Smart answer... Andy," he paused for a second as he read my nameplate. "You don't look like an Andy. Did you steal that nameplate?" he asked, raising his eyebrow in suspicion.
"No, sir. My father gave me that name since he wanted a son, but he had me instead," I explained sarcastically. This man is really testing my patience.
"What is your real name?" he asked, his eyes gleaming with interest.
I looked at him for a moment before giving him a reply. "It's what's written here, Mr. Maxwell. Bold and clear," I replied bluntly. I also tapped my nameplate twice for emphasis.
He raised his eyebrow again in surprise. From the way his eyes hardened afterwards, it was obvious he didn't like my answer. He tilted his head a little as he continued to stare. "Have you always been this invigorating?" he asked, his voice practically dripping with sarcasm.
"I think so," I replied to humor him.
"Are you not afraid of losing your job, Ms. Peterson?" he asked, his voice serious and commanding.
"This isn't the only job out there for me, Mr. Maxwell. I have other offers," I said with confidence. That last part was a bluff, though. If he knew how much I needed this job, it would surely fuel his arrogance.
"In that case, I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem if we no longer need your services," he stated with finality.
For a moment, I was caught off guard. I can't believe the man just fired me (what irked me more was I still found him charming, but I disregarded that notion). "By divine providence, you finally went straight to the point," I mumbled with tight lips. "You don't have to be so cunning, Mr. Maxwell. The least you could have done was humiliate me in front these people," I said sarcastically, gesturing around the room.
"Would you have preferred to be humiliated, Ms. Peterson?" he asked, again, raising his eyebrow at me in question. I think that was one of his tricks.
"No. I was just humoring you, Mr. Maxwell. Besides, since I already humiliated you once, I thought a man like you would've returned the favor," I stated with sarcasm as I untied my apron. When it was loose enough, I grabbed hold of it and threw it at him.
"You don't have to fire me, Mr. Maxwell. I wouldn't want to bother you with such trivial matters. To make it easier and simpler, I quit!" I shouted the last two words, making sure my voice was heard throughout the entire room.
At that moment, the room went silent. I could feel everyone's eyes on me as I stared at him with rage. I stood there for a second, savoring his stunned expression. Before he could come up with a reply, I walked away from him and stomped towards the locker room. In my peripheral vision, I saw Terry's stunned expression and my manager's shocked face. In fact, everyone's eyes were on me as I made my exit.
I quickly changed out of the uniform, stashed it in my locker (or what used to be), and went out through the backdoor. The streets weren't as busy that night, and only a few people were present as I waited at the bus stop. For a moment, I felt hopeless. What have I done? I can't believe I've done something so reckless. My actions must have been caused by my lack of sleep and extreme stress.
I stopped pondering over what happened as soon I saw a black car stop in front of me. Afterwards, a man, with dirty blonde hair, got out of the passenger seat. As I eyed his familiar stature, I mentally cursed him with all of the profane words I could think of.
Five
"What is wrong with you? You don't have the right to make a scene like that in my restaurant!" William snapped as he walked towards me.
"Just because you're the boss does not mean you can just treat me however you want!" I countered just as angrily, jumping up from my seat in the waiting area.
"I didn't make a scene when I fired you. You should be grateful that I hadn't humiliated you in there," he stated, practically spitting the words at me.
"Oh sure! Because firing someone in the middle of work is much less embarrassing," I sneered and rolled my eyes sarcastically.
"Stop being so snarky," he interjected, snorting as he shook his head in disbelief. "This kind of behavior only shows how unrefined you are. You lower class people are so outspoken and rude. It's as if you were raised with no standards at all," he added, stabbing my ego.
"Oh! And you think that your kind is any better? People like you are so full of yourselves. You think you have the world in your grasp. Well, news flash! You wouldn't be on top without us unrefined, lower class people," I barked in rage. The man was exactly who I thought he was. He thinks just like any rich, douchebag socialite, and he has absolutely no regard for humanity.
He opened his mouth to reply but closed it again. Then, he took an unsteady step back from where he stood, looking dumbfounded. I stared him down and mustered some confidence as I took a step closer to him.
"You might own most of the city, Mr. Maxwell, but you can never own a person's free will," I resolutely said to him without batting an eye.
I'm glad that the bus arrived right after I said those words. I didn't wait for his reply or reaction and just hopped in. When I was finally seated, it was like this smog of contempt was lifted and I could breathe again. For a moment, as the bus drove away, I saw a glimpse of his figure. He stood as still as a statue, but his eyes looked turbulent. I regained my composure and looked ahead, ignoring his pointed stare.
When I finally got back to Terry's apartment, I was so drained that I crashed on the couch face down. I think the adrenaline rush from being fired by Mr. Mogul fueled my actions earlier, but once that ran out, I succumbed to the exhaustion and finally rewarded myself with some much-needed rest.
I didn't realize I had fallen asleep until I heard someone barge the door open and call out my name. I forcibly opened my heavy eyelids to see a man's silhouette. Once I adjusted to the darkness, I finally recognized the person standing in front of me. Terry looked both surprised and worried.
"My god, Andy! What were you thinking?" he asked in awe.
I blinked my eyes a couple of times and stretched my stiff body. After that, I slowly sat up in the couch and yawned. "He asked for it," I replied inaudibly, my voice slurry from grogginess.
"I can't believe you just did that to William Maxwell!" he shouted in amazement.
"Yeah. Don't remind me," I mumbled in disinterest, rubbing my face sleepily.
"Why the hell did you do that?" he asked incredulously.
"Do I have to explain?" I looked at him pointedly.
"Right. The man was a douchebag," he said empathetically. "That was an awesome exit though," he added in praise.
"Why, thank you." I bowed my head in appreciation and twitched my lips to a smile. I managed to bite them so I could hide my amusement.
Terry couldn't hold himself back and laughed in reply, and I couldn't help but giggle with him.
Later on, I went to my second job (I was unsure if I still had it since Mr. Mogul also owned the other place I worked in). Terry was very supportive by accompanying me to the club. I felt a slight chill at the back of my neck as I marched towards the bar. When Jack saw me approaching, he gave me a little wave. I took that as a good sign and continued to walk towards him.
"Hey. I need a hand with these orders," he greeted once I reached him.
I smiled to myself, relieved to know that I still had this job. "I'll get right on it," I replied with a nod.
After that, I concentrated on the work at hand. Terry accompanied me in the bar as he waited for Andrew, encouraging me the whole time. At least my busy job helped me forget what had happened earlier in the evening. By the time the club closed, it finally sunk in that I still had work. For that, I was grateful.
Jack offered to drive me back home again. And, just like yesterday, I didn't refuse. We were silent for the first few minutes as he drove out of the parking lot. But then, he said the words that I prayed he wouldn't mention at all.
"So, why does William Maxwell want you fired?" he asked, his voice low.
I turned to him abruptly, stunned by his sudden question. "Did he call you?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.
"He did before you came in. He told me to fire you. Why is that?" he asked, curiosity evident in his voice.
I looked away from him exasperatedly, a little relieved that his attention was on the road. I bit my lips to prevent curses from pouring out of me. In an attempt to calm myself, I took a deep breath and exhaled. "I quit my other job and insulted him," I replied, my voice shook a little from trying to control my temper.
He slowed down to a stop when the traffic light turned red. Then, he turned towards me as his lips twitched in amusement. "You insulted him? Why?" he asked.
"Well, he insulted me first. I just returned the favor," I stated.