Sophia's Pov:
I woke up with my head heavy. I had barely slept because of the message I got. I hadn't replied but I looked back at it again before getting ready for another depressing day of work.
I was scared at how far he went to talk to me. It made me feel like I was being targeted but I tried not to think about it.
I got into the shower and got ready for work. But I kept thinking about it against my will all through the bus ride to work.
When I got to the Cafe, I tried to act normal. I greeted Nia and picked up my apron. She looked at me like she sensed I wasn't okay and wanted to ask but she didn't. I was glad she didn't because talking about it all was the last thing on my head.
I tied my apron and walked back out to attend to customers. I told myself I wasn't going to think about the message again. It was rush hour at the Cafe and I knew I couldn't afford to make any mistakes. Mr Tony would take it all out on me.
I wiped tables and attended to customers with a forced smile. But every five minutes, my hands moved to my apron pocket where my phone was. I wanted to check each time just to see if the message was still there, even though I knew it was.
While taking an order from a customer, I got a notification and I immediately took out my phone to check. I knew it wasn't what I was thinking but I just had to check. I went back to the message and just stared at it, longer than I intended to.
"Miss? Hello?" The man said, waving his hand in my face.
I jumped. "Oh. Sorry. I'm sorry"
I put my phone back into my pocket. "What can I get for you?"
"I already told you." he said.
Before I could apologize again, Mr Tony who was already watching me from the counter, came behind me. "Sophia, focus. You're messing up the smallest things."
My stomach dropped. I whispered an apology again and walked away to attend to a different customer. But I could still feel the weight of the message on me.
The morning went on and I tried not to think. I just worked and kept my head down. But around noon, the front door opened loud and fast.
I looked up and froze in place.
My mother walked in.
My whole body went cold. She looked scared and rushed toward me like she was running from something. Her clothes were wrinkled and her hair looked like she had been pulling at it.
"Sophia. I need you. Please."
I felt everyone in the cafe staring. Even Nia paused halfway through pouring a drink.
"Mom. Why are you here?" I whispered.
"They called me again. The debt people," she said. Her voice shook hard. "They said they are coming tonight. I need money before they show up. Please. Do something."
I looked around again to find everyone's attention on me. I felt the anger surge through me. My body felt weak and I was holding back tears.
"Mom not here," I whispered. "Please. Not here."
She grabbed my arm tight. "I know you got paid. I know you have something. Please hurry. I'm serious, Sophia."
I wanted to disappear. I wanted to sink into the floor. I could hear Nia whisper something under her breath. I could see Mr Tony walking over with an annoyed look.
"Ma'am," he said quietly. "You cannot do this inside my store."
"I am not doing anything," she said, her voice rising. "I am just talking to my daughter."
My chest felt tight. I quickly walked to the back to grab my bag. I ignored the stares and even gently pushed Nia away when she tried to hold my arm.
I walked back out and saw her arguing with Mr Tony. "Mom. Let's go outside. Please."
I guided her out while everyone watched. The air outside felt even colder.
She looked at me with wide, scared eyes. "They said they'll take everything if I don't pay Sophia. I need something now."
She was shaking. I hated that I felt scared too.
I gave her the little money I had in my bag. She grabbed it fast and walked away without even saying goodbye. I watched her leave and felt something inside me sink deeper than before.
I walked back inside and Mr Tony sighed. "Sophia. You need to handle things at home. This place cannot be your drama center." He sounded very stern. Like he was giving me a warning.
I nodded, even though my throat hurt. "I am sorry
He turned around and told the customers that the issue had been sorted and they could go back to enjoying their coffee.
Even with that, people still stared at me and whispered amongst themselves.
I went to the back room because I felt like crying. I sat on a crate and held my hands together so they would stop shaking.
Everything was too much.
My mother, the debt, my job, my life.
I felt trapped and tired in a way I couldn't explain.
My phone buzzed again. I picked it up without thinking.
It was a text from my mother that said "Thank you baby girl"
It had been years since she called me that and I never thought the next time she'd call me her baby would make me tear up so badly.
I scrolled down to see that the message from him was still there.
I stared at it with my heart pounding.
I didn't trust him and neither did I want to call him.
But right now, it felt like the whole world was pushing me to do something. Anything.
I closed my eyes.
And before I could stop myself, I tapped his number.
It rang two times.
Then I heard his voice.
"Sophia," he said softly.
Like he knew it would be me. "I have been waiting."
"How did you get my number?" I asked, wiping my tears.
"I have my ways." he said calmly.
I hesitated. "What do you want from me?"
"You sound eager. Are you desperate?"
That question spiked something in me. I was desperate but why did he assume I was?
"No. I'm not. Just wondering why you'd go this far." I lied.
"Well, I have an offer for you. But it'll be over as soon as you get paid and you get to walk away like nothing happened."
He sounded tempting but I knew exactly what a man like him would ask for and I didn't want that. But as I remembered my mother and all the debts I had, I reluctantly asked to be sure.
"What's the offer?"
"How about a night with me? Like I said you get to walk out like it never happened."
I was right.
"I can't do that" I said in a low tone and hung up before he could say anything else.
I sat there for a while….thinking about what he said and my living conditions. I hated that a tiny part of me wanted to accept it.
I had never been intimate with anyone and I didn't want my first time to be with a man who couldn't care less about me or anything involving my life.
I thought about it while fighting back tears. It was just one night right?
I was so wrong.