Vanessa knew that her father, who had passed on a couple of months ago, had been buried neck-deep in debts. And unlike most parents who left behind a wealthy inheritance for their kids, her father had left them a boat-load of debts, and they were currently underwater. Vanessa took a step closer to the man and spoke in a hushed voice, "You can't do this to me again, please. This is where I work. I promise to pay when I have the money, please." She pleaded, her eyes threatening to burn with tears.
The man gazed at her for a moment before erupting out a round of cynical laughter, earning them more attention from the other patrons who had been minding their business.
He took a step to the side and picked up a vase sitting on one of the tables. Before Vanessa could guess what he was about to do, he let the flower vase slip from his hand and shatter to the ground, making her jump back in fear and earning theatrical gasps from the patrons, who quickly stood up and moved away.
The leader's lips curled up wickedly when he saw the frightened look in Vanessa's eyes. He picked up some wine glasses and plates on a table and smashed them hard as his smile completely disappeared from his face and was quickly replaced by a dark and graven look, which made the hair on her skin stand.
Anger and malicious intent flashed in his eyes as he advanced towards her and grabbed her by the neck, pulling her closer and choking her as her eyes bulged and reddened.
"Security!" The manager yelled in alarm, and the security men stationed outside the restaurant came running, but their path was blocked by three of the thugs.
"We have no business with your restaurant. Our business is with her, so do not interfere." One of the men said with a growl, revealing the gun which was well tucked in the waistline of his trousers. Fear chilled down the spine of those who had seen it. The manager nodded for the security men to stand down while they all watched the scene before them helplessly.
The leader gazed at Vanessa. "This is nothing compared to what I can do to you, little girl." He drawled at her. "I've been lenient enough by giving you more than enough time to mourn your father and pay back what I'm owed. But I won't be so patient with you anymore." He spoke harshly. His tone and words made Vanessa quiver, but she tried not to make it visible. Tears of embarrassment and humiliation pricked her eyes, but she bit her tongue to stop them from falling.
The man violently let go of his grip around her neck, making her stumble backward, and it took her whole will to prevent herself from falling in shame. She could hear the soft murmurs coming from the customers. She pursed her lips and forced herself to look ahead at the man who was glaring at her.
"I don't run a charity organization to feed poor and helpless people. I want my money. I don't care if you whore yourself around or sell that sister of yours. All I want is my money. A week. I'm giving you seven days to pay up, or I will do with you and your sister as I please." He declared with a dangerous smile which told her he meant every word he had said. And with that said, he walked out of the restaurant, leaving her in the limelight of the chaos he had caused.
How she had managed to walk out of the restaurant was something she still didn't know. But somehow, she had managed to walk in there, picked up her bag, and muttered something she couldn't remember to the manager before leaving, all the while trying not to meet the eyes of any of the patrons or her colleagues.
She had taken sheer willpower to keep herself from crying, and she had just kept humming a song under her breath as she walked to nowhere in particular. After walking for some time, she noticed someone was following her and turned around to see it was a young man.
"What? What do you want? Wait! I think I know. I owe you too, right?" She asked, laughing hysterically, "How much do I owe you to make you stalk me this way?" She asked, drawing attention to them both.
"Calm down, please. You're creating a scene." The man said, looking embarrassed by her sudden outburst. He had been trying to find the right time to approach her after seeing her on three different occasions. But seeing what she had just experienced inside the restaurant, it seemed like the sign he needed to make his move.
"Do I owe you or not?" She asked angrily.
"You don't."
"Then get lost." She yelled before walking away. But he hurried after her. He couldn't afford to miss this opportunity.
"I could help you. I have a proposition for you that could help you pay up your debts." He blurted out as he kept following her.
At the mention of her debts, Vanessa halted in her track and turned to look at him, "What do you know about my debts?" She asked aggressively.
"Enough to know you need money and enough to know my proposition might be the miracle you need. So why don't you calm down, and then maybe we can sit somewhere and talk about it?" He asked politely.
"What is your proposition about?" She asked evenly.
"We can't talk about it..."
"It's either you say it, or you get lost!"
It was obvious she wasn't a very easy person to deal with, but then who would be after experiencing that manner of humiliation? He mused.
"Okay, if you insist." He said as he tried to figure out the best way to make his intentions known. What was the polite way of telling a lady you wanted her to be a baby mama for a stranger and then give up rights to the baby?
"So?" She asked impatiently.
"Well... It involves you carrying a baby..."
"You mean babysitting?" She asked, wondering how a babysitting job would pay enough to clear her debts.
"No. Not that." He said with a shake of his head, trying not to stutter, "I mean you being pregnant with..." Before he could finish, she kicked his leg.
"You jerk!" She cursed as she tried to hit him with her bag, but he moved away before she could.
"Just listen..."
"Get lost! I'm not interested. Never!" She spat out angrily before walking away.
The next day she had opened her door to find an envelope containing the details of the proposal, alongside a business card and an address to come to if ever she changed her mind.
Now here she was five days later, undergoing assessment for something she had said she would never do. Well, as the saying goes, 'Never Say Never.
She was brought back to the present when the door was pushed open, and the doctor with the most pleasant-looking face walked in with an apologetic smile, "I'm very sorry it took so long. We had to carry out so many tests to ensure you were in perfect health. Now if you don't mind, please come with me. Let's discuss the details of this contract." He said as he held out the door for her to follow him out.
***********
Alex had a pleased look on his face as he dialed Kyle's number and waited for him to take his call. Kyle being his best friend, was the first person he wanted to share his good news with.
Kyle had thought him crazy when he told him the exact kind of lady he wanted for the job, and now he was more than delighted to announce to Kyle that he had gotten his desired lady.
"What's up, man?" Kyle asked the moment he took the call.
"Well, let's just say you're lucky you didn't make that bet with me." Alex started.
"What bet are you talking about?" Kyle asked, trying to recall which one among the many bets they always had.
"Well, the one we almost had last Friday at the club while celebrating my birthday," Alex said, trying not to let his excitement be evident in his voice.
"Well, I can't remember. So tell me, what's up?"
"Remember when I mentioned something about wanting a brunette with green eyes, an oval face, and..."
"Get out of here!" Kyle exclaimed in disbelief while Alex chuckled.
"I'm serious! I just received a call from the doctor. He's got someone that fits the description completely. I guess I'm going to be a father sooner than expected." Alex said happiness lingered in his voice.
"How can you tell if he's saying the truth?"
"Well, he offered that I could send a random person over to check her out. So I thought, who better than you, my baby's Godfather?"
"Really? You want me to go there and confirm?" Kyle asked, wondering if Alex had forgotten about not wanting to know the subject's identity.
"Yeah, you're the only person I can trust with something as important as this. So I'll let the doctor know you're coming over, and then you can just do so passively, I mean without communicating with her or allowing her to know who you are." Alex suggested.
"Alright, man! I got you. Let me know the time and place. Need to run, was in the middle of something," Kyle said before hastily disconnecting the call.