Heiress to Waitress Page 6

  I passed a group of men on the darkened street. They called after me, making me turn back to look at them. Pushing off the wall against which they leaned, they began to come towards me. I quickened my pace.

  “Wait up!” one of them shouted.

  I didn’t dare slow down. The street was deserted and it was still more than a mile before I would reach home. It baffled me to note how far I’d walked from the school.

  “Stop, lady!” someone shouted again, but this time it sounded much closer.

  “Hey!” another voice grunted. Next second, cold fingers gripped me above the elbow.

  I tried to jerk away, but the man’s hold was firm.

  “Let go!” I hissed.

  The man came closer. The stink of stale breath mingled with beer wafted into my nose. I turned my face away.

  “Let me take a look,” he said, bringing his other hand to take a hold of my chin.

  Fear shot through me as I saw two more men coming to stand beside us.

  “I will shout if you don’t release me,” I said.

  “Oh yeah?”

  My heart sank as I looked around. There were no houses nearby. It was just a long street, lit by lamp posts. Fear gripped me when I failed to throw the man off me.

  “She sounds funny,” said the man to our left.

  The man holding me chuckled. “She’ll be fun to play with.”

  That single sentence broke me into hysterics. I began screaming while renewing my efforts to get away from the man holding me.

  “Make her shut up!” shouted the man on the right.

  “Shut up or else!”

  But I didn’t stop. I screamed and fought with every ounce of strength within me.

  “Just listen to her. Let her go.”

  This voice was different. It lacked the drunken slur of the men around me, but the threatening command was thinly veiled.

  “Get on with your business or you’ll be sorry,” said the man holding me.

  “Let her go, Pete.”

  I felt the man’s grip loosen. Pushing against him, I stumbled backward. Under the street light, I recognized my rescuer.

  “You,” I uttered, my fear still not receding. I glanced between the four men while inching away from them.

  “Chill, Miss Buchannan,” said Ryan Hargrove, his eyes gleaming from the reflected street light. “No one will hurt you.” He glanced at the men. “Pete, take your friends and go home. You could get locked up for assaulting a woman.”

  “We ain’t assaulting nobody.”

  “You’re too drunk to know what you were doing. Go home or I’ll call the cops.”

  The men grumbled darkly. Would they decide to beat him and then come after me?

  Suddenly, all three turned around and began walking away. My breath came out of me in a loud whoosh. I had been holding it in, too scared to even breathe.

  “Buchannan? Are you all right?” asked Ryan from where he stood.

  My body shook badly and I suddenly felt like I wanted to cry. A sob escaped me.

  He came towards me at a slow gait, like he was approaching a frightened kitten. Keeping his hands held up, he continued to edge towards me.

  “I will walk you home,” he said in a quiet voice. “Walk ahead of me and show me the way. Can you do that?”

  I nodded.

  “Good. I’m here with you. You’re safe now.”

  There was something very soothing about his deep, gentle voice. Suddenly, his presence was no longer intimidating, but rather reassuring. I began moving forward, slow at first. To make sure he kept his word, I turned around. He stopped too. As my heart calmed down, I began walking faster.

  All through the rest of the way, Ryan Hargrove walked behind me. He could have marched beside me, but he never broke his word, allowing me to trust him. He did not speak either, giving me ample space to relax.

  “This is my home,” I said, stopping beside the picketed fence outside the house. Turning towards him, I said, “Thank you.”

  “It was no problem,” he said, his eyes fixed on me. There was no smile on his face. “Be careful while you walk around in the dark by yourself. It’s a safe town, but wild animals can come anytime.”

  Chill spread through my skin at his words.

  “Go on. Your family must be waiting for you.”

  I nodded, opening the gate to enter the front yard. It swung open with a loud creak. I saw a movement flash by the curtains of the living room window.

  “Is that you, Olivia?” I heard Sarah’s voice.

  “Yes, Mother,” I called out in a loud voice.

  The door opened and Sarah bounded forward.

  “Where were you?” she asked, pulling me into a hug. “I was so worried about you. I didn’t know where to look. I called Jonathan to help look for you.”

  “Call him and tell him not to come. I am fine.”

  “You’re so cold,” said Sarah, rubbing my arms. “Get inside.”

  Up ahead, I saw James’s head peering at us through the window. I turned towards the gate to say one last goodbye to Ryan Hargrove, but he’d vanished.

  “Is someone there?” asked Sarah, craning her head to look at the direction of my gaze.

  “No,” I said, walking into the warm house.

  James stood near the door. His eyes roved over my face and body. Slowly, the anxiety drained from his face to be replaced by careless indifference.

  “Don’t wander around so late,” he said, turning around and bounding up the stairs.

  “He went looking for you around the neighborhood and near the school,” said Sarah, walking past me to enter the living room. “Three times, if you must know.”

  I followed her, feeling both grateful to be home and guilty about worrying my family. The sight of the familiar surroundings further helped me to relax.

  “Stay here,” said Sarah. “I’ll get your dinner. You must be starving.”

  “No, Mother. I ate.”

  “What? Where?”

  Her usually wide brown eyes were narrowed at me.

  “Bramble Wood’s Royal-Tea Shop. I had a big meal there and the owner said she’d offer me a job.”

  “Royalty shop? Why would you go into a place like that? Did that friend of yours take you there?”

  “No, Mother,” I said, chuckling. “It’s a tea shop. The owner named it that way. She’s from Manchester, by the way.” Before she could ask more questions, I said, “Call Jonathan and tell him I’m home. He might be worrying too.”

  Shooting me a frown, she picked up the phone. While she spoke, I leaned back against the coach. The clock on the mantle showed the time to be past nine P.M. It was late for a school night. Guilt bloomed in my stomach at the thought of her worrying about me. Even James had been concerned.

  “Why didn’t you call me?” I asked when Sarah disconnected the call.

  “It kept saying your phone was switched off.”

  “What? I didn’t switch it off,” I said, opening my bag to get my cell phone out. To my horror, it really was switched off. When I turned it on, it beeped and displayed the low battery signal before going dead again.

  “Charge that thing every night before you sleep,” said Sarah, her face grim. She came to sit on the couch next to mine. “It’s not safe to be out this late all by yourself. Jonathan called Jenny’s house and her parents said she was home by four P.M.”

  I cringed. “I’m sorry, Mother. I was alone.”

  “But why? Jonathan asked the Economics teacher and he said you didn’t appear for his class. What’s going on?”

  “I was upset, Mother. After school, I went for a walk to clear my head. I didn’t pay attention to the time.” I paused to take a breath, deciding to leave the part about Ryan Hargrove outside the tea shop. “I was hungry when I came by the tea shop and went in.”

  “You spent the evening there?”

  “Yes. The owner is very nice. She said they were closing shop and let me have free cake, but then she came to speak to me and brought a
big meal to the table. It got late while talking to her. When I saw the time, I hurried home.”

  Sarah looked visibly more relaxed now. “I’m glad you’re okay, honey, but you can’t just go anywhere you like.”

  “I understand.”

  “Kids at school can be mean, but you can’t let them get under your skin. What if you got lost or something worse?”

  Something worse? A shudder ran through me as I’d come very close to that.

  “There will be a curfew from now on,” said Sarah, her voice grim.

  I groaned. “There’s no need for a curfew.”

  “There is,” she insisted. “We’ll discuss this tomorrow.”

  “Yeah. I’ll have to meet with Bramble and discuss my work schedule too.”

  “Bramble?”

  “The tea shop owner.”

  “Where exactly is this place? I want to go see it before I let you work there.”

  “It’s a bit far from here.”

  “Tell me.”

  “Oak Church Street.”

  Sarah’s suspicious frown disappeared. “That’s a respectable street. All the best restaurants in town are located there.”

  I resisted rolling my eyes. “I am going there tomorrow. Do you want to go with me?”

  “That would be best.”

  “After school, then?”

  Sarah smiled. “I will feel so much at peace knowing you’re not getting involved with a bad crowd.”

  I sighed. “I’m not a child, Mother.”

  “I know. It’s just that I am the only one responsible for you and James now. If something were to happen to either one of you, I’d just…just…die!” Her grim mask fell away to reveal trembling lips.

  “You can be so dramatic,” I said, getting up from my seat and hugging her. “We’ll be fine.”

  “I was so worried,” she said, her voice choking up as she hugged me back. “I’m being silly,” she said, giving a watery smile. “Go to bed. You must be tired and there’s school in the morning.”

  “Have you had dinner?”

  Sarah hesitated. “No.”

  “Go eat! You should have eaten dinner by now.”

  “Yes, yes,” she said, bustling away towards the kitchen.

  I made sure she was eating at the kitchen table before going upstairs.

  After entering my room, I fell onto the bed, too tired to move anymore. I thought of closing my eyes for a minute before going to take a shower.

  When I opened my eyes again, it was morning.

  Chapter 6

  A hot shower helped me wash away the exhaustion. It would have been relaxing too if James didn’t holler outside to be let in.

  For the day, I got dressed in jeans and a lavender top. It looked casual, but that was the look most of the students sported. I applied a light coat of lip gloss and was ready to go downstairs.

  James was scooping the last bit of his cereal from the bowl when I entered the kitchen. Sarah sat on the table with a cup of coffee, looking haggard.

  “Morning,” I greeted them.

  James looked up and downed his glass of juice. “Hey.”

  While I opened the fridge to get the milk out, James gave Sarah a hug, picked up his bag and went out.

  “How was his day at school yesterday?” I asked, turning to look at Sarah.

  “He found the soccer club,” Sarah said with a smile.

  “At least, he’s looking forward to school,” I said, feeling glum. “Can’t believe it’s only Tuesday.”

  Sarah chuckled. “Yeah. I feel the same.”

  I chewed through the milk drenched cereal and gulped down a cup of tea. It did not take me long to finish breakfast. Standing up, I took the bowl to the sink to wash.

  “Mother, James didn’t wash his bowl,” I complained. His cereal crusted bowl sat at the bottom of the sink. “You need to have a word with him.”

  “I will.”

  I began washing the bowls. Then, something came to my mind. “Will you be coming to pick me from school this afternoon?”

  “Yes. I want to check this tea shop you want to work at.”

  “Okay. Classes get over at three today,” I said drying my hands with a towel.

  “I’ll be there,” she said, coming towards me. “Hope you have a better day today.” She gave me a quick hug and let me go.

  “Yeah,” I muttered and picked up my bag. Opening the door, I stepped out.

  The day was cool with a clear blue sky. September was fast approaching and summer still seemed reluctant to go.

  As I walked, events from last night flitted through my mind. In the brightness of daylight, it seemed like a nightmare that one forgot as soon as they woke up. I felt gratitude towards Ryan Hargrove for being there. He may have been stalking me, but there was a chance he could just be visiting a store in that area. I practiced a little ‘thank you’ speech in my head as I neared the school building.

  I stopped short within minutes. Ryan Hargrove stood leaning against a tree trunk, watching me. Sun rays fell on his figure, illuminating his dark russet hair. His eyes seemed to sparkle as they held my gaze. There was something strange about the boy. Even when he was not being threatening, my heart began pounding on its own accord.

  I breathed deeply to calm my heart, but it didn’t help. So, with a pounding heart, I stepped closer and looked up at him.

  “About last night,” I began with confidence, but one look at him and all my bravery seemed to have leaked out of me. I could feel warmth creeping into my cheeks. “Err…I…I wanted to thank you.”

  He pushed off the tree and came to stand even closer. For a moment, I was staring at his chest. He wore a simple gray shirt over a casual pair of jeans, but only supermodels wore it that way. What was I thinking? I raised my gaze to meet his eyes. At the same time, I breathed in his scent. It reminded me of pine forests and limes. On my own accord, I leaned in closer to smell him.

  “It was no big deal,” he said, breaking me out of my trance. He had spoken to me before, but back then I was too busy trying to run away from him. His voice was deep and smooth. “Pete is just a troublemaker. He wouldn’t have hurt you in the end, but it’s best not to wander around in the dark by yourself. Beasts roam the nights here.”

  Chill spread through my skin at his words. “How do you know him so well?” I asked, suddenly wondering if Ryan Hargrove was part of a junky group.

  “He goes here.”

  “What?”

  “Over there,” he said, pointing past me.

  Turning around, I followed his gaze. Three boys were roughing up a smaller boy with thick glasses. They were pushing him around, poking him and trying to trip him. Continuing to watch them, I recognized the tallest boy among them. He was the same guy who had held my arm and wouldn’t let go.

  “Are you saying that man still goes to school?” I asked, my mouth hanging open.

  Ryan Hargrove chuckled. “Pete is a senior student. He’s been one since the past three years. I know him personally because he came to work on my uncle’s house this summer. His father is a plumber.”

  Somehow, seeing the trio in broad daylight helped ease the fearful memories. The sight of the three crude men with beer bellies and receding hairline suddenly wiped the menacing figures of last night.

  “Still, I want to thank you,” I said earnestly, glancing up at my rescuer.

  A smile came upon his lips. It lit his face and made him almost handsome.

  “You’re welcome, Buchannan.”

  I nodded and walked past him. I had only gone a few feet when he called me back.

  “What?” I asked, turning back.

  “You won’t even tell me your name?”

  Is that why he kept calling me by my surname? I thought it was because he wanted to keep up a formal front. Now that I remembered, Mr. Goon, the English teacher, hadn’t mentioned my first name.

  “Olivia,” I said. “Olivia Buchannan.”

  He shot me another grin, making my heart beat fast again.
Walking past me, he whispered, “Olivia Buchannan of two-one-nine Willow Lane.”

  I stared after him. Now, he knew where I lived!

  “Olivia,” said a voice, tapping me on the shoulder.

  Turning around, I saw it was Stacie. She wore a white shirt paired with a blue plaid skirt. Her curly auburn hair was pulled back from her face with a matching blue hair band. My gaze went down to the white socks and polished black shoes. The ensemble reminded me of British school girls.

  “Morning, Stacie,” I said with a smile.

  “Are you feeling better today?” she asked. “I didn’t see you for lunch yesterday or for the rest of the classes.”

  “I’m sorry. The other girl got me upset and I had to flee. I’ll try being more mature today.”

  She shook her head. “It wasn’t your fault. Jenny was being mean and petty.”

  I shrugged and began moving forward. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not letting anyone get under my skin,” I said, repeating Sarah’s words.

  “Good,” said Stacie, whispering. “Here, she comes.”

  I saw Jenny marching towards me. Three girls walked with her, their glares fixed at me.

  “Just keep walking,” I told Stacie.

  Looking forward, I walked past Jenny and her friends. I was determined not to let anyone cause me to break down again. My family hoped to start a new life here. Even though I’ll never forget my former life in Edinburgh, I had come to terms with the fact that it was over. We would never go back and it was best to accept that.

  “You’re strong,” said Stacie. “You didn’t even flinch as we walked by.”

  I chuckled. “It takes more than that to faze me.”

  Our first period of the day was Math. Mr. Jonathan Brown was writing down formulas on the board even before the bell rang. I followed Stacie to the second row of the class. For a fleeting moment, my eyes fell upon the student sitting in the last row. Ryan Hargrove sat there, his head bent over a book. Turning away, I took a seat beside Stacie.

  When the bell rang, more students entered the classroom. I watched as each person came in through the door. I was glad to see that I did not share this class with Jenny.

  After a minute, Mr. Brown turned towards us. His eyes fell on me. Giving me an imperceptible nod, he glanced at the rest of the students.