Chapter Four
Lucas saw the neighbourhood and immediately understood how much she needed her job. The stairs were too steep and chipped off from the edges. They were badly in need of repairing but in an affordable housing complex no one had the funds to repair it. He simply followed her wordlessly up the stairs.
Violet chewed her lips nervously as she climbed up the stairs. She didn't have any coffee or tea to offer. In fact she didn't have any drink apart from the watery milk which they drank. She had to add equal quantities of water to the milk to make a sufficient quantity for all of them.
She climbed to the second floor, followed by Lucas towards her apartment and rang the doorbell. She didn't know why he insisted on coming to her humble home. Walter opened with a depressed look and downcast eyes.
"What happened to you?" She said, going inside and allowing Lucas to come in too.
"I'm sorry Violet. I didn't mean to but my school shoes tore and fell apart today. I don't have anything to wear to school tomorrow, " Walter wailed as he turned around. He stared at Lucas standing in their small shabby home wearing a well tailored expensive navy blue suit, exuding a strong aura of power and wealth. He looked at his sister who looked nervous and fidgeted with her hands, not knowing what to do.
"We'll deal with that later. Where's Will?" She asked him, looking around.
"He's doing his homework," informed Walter and Violet nodded.
"Lucas, this is my brother Walter and there's his twin too, William," she introduced. Lucas shook hands with Walter who flashed him a dazzling smile.
"I'm Lucas Parker, " he introduced himself with an amused look on his face.
"Are you Violet's boyfriend?" Walter asked him with a grin.
Violet was too shocked at Walter's question and she cried out in panic, "No, he's my employer, my boss. The owner of the hotel where I work. What's wrong with you?" She glared at Walter.
"No, I'm just asking. Only boyfriend's dropped their girls home," he said, wisely. Lucas's face broke into a chuckle which soon turned into a happy grin.
He leaned towards Walter's ear and whispered, "Soon."
"Hey what are you two whispering about?" Asked Violet glaring at her brother who caught hold of Lucas's hand and pulled him towards his room ignoring Violet.
"You're cool Lucas. You must meet my twin, William," he said, leading him to his small room which he shared with his twin brother. Violet stared at their retreating backs when Lucas turned to look at her and grinned. He winked mischievously before disappearing inside with Walter.
Violet went to her room to change for her cafe duty. She hurriedly came out and went to the boys room. Lucas turned towards her, taking in her red short skirt and white top which all waitresses at Lily's Cafe wore.
"Will, run to aunt Mary's and get me some coffee powder and milk," she asked William. He got up to do as asked.
"What for?" Asked Lucas.
"Sorry I don't have coffee powder or milk to make you a cup," she said, feeling embarrassed.
"I don't need it. William, stay. Water will do just fine. Please don't get so worked up," he said casually sitting on their beds and looking through their maths text book. Walter went to get him a glass of water and some cookies that uncle Mike got for them.
"Where are you off to?" Lucas asked, looking at her short uniform with disapproval.
"I have a waitress duty at a local cafe from six to nine at night. I'm already ten minutes late, gotta rush. See you," she said, going out.
"Hold on Violet. You're too exhausted to work another shift. You're not going anywhere, " he ordered strictly. He drank the water that Walter brought and patted his arm with a smile.
"Thanks champ," he said and then glared at Violet. "Let's go to that cafe of yours. You will hand over your resignation now," he ordered.
"Then who will pay my bills? Please sir, let me live my life. I don't have anything handed out to me on a platter. I need the extra money to meet my family's needs. We skip lunch everyday. If I leave the cafe duty we have to skip dinner too," she said, upset at his high handedness. She had to struggle to make ends meet. It was her daily routine and she had accepted it with a smile on her face.
"The hotel duty surely pays you enough. Who do you spend your salary on? Your boyfriend? That's where you must be going to now," he said, looking up and down at her tight and short clothes. His face was red with anger and his hands clenched into fists.
"You're really impossible. Ask Dominic how much he pays me. He makes me clean your apartment for free," she added with sarcasm and then simply climbed down the stairs, running down. She was late and her pay would be deducted. She needed hefty tips to be able to buy a pair of school shoes for Walter.
Walter and William stood dumbstruck by Violet's temper. To them she was always this sweet, loving and understanding older sister who almost seemed like a mom to them. They loved her too much, more than they loved themselves.
"What have you done, Lucas? You've made her too upset. She's never been so angry before," said William looking at Lucas with dismay. Lucas felt guilty after she ran out angrily. He had no idea that Dominic didn't pay her for cleaning his huge penthouse. He would have to check.
"You need to apologise to her Lucas otherwise she'll never forgive you and be your girlfriend," advised Walter and Lucas looked at him with concern.
"Then what do I do?" He asked them. At nine, they had more love advice to give him than his twenty six year old brain.
"Go to her cafe and be a customer. When she approaches you, apologize. Simple," suggested William.
"Silly Lucas. How do you manage a hotel when you can't manage a girl?" Asked Walter with concern for Lucas.
Lucas grinned inwardly at their conversation. "She's not any girl. She's Violet, the impossible. She'll run for the hills if you say the L word," said William and Lucas laughed out loud.
"Correct," he said and they stared at him incredulously.
"Don't tell me you've told her and got rejected?" Asked William.
"No no I haven't, " Lucas said and they heaved a sigh of relief.
"Keep it for the last. Now go and apologise, " said Walter. "She works at Lily's cafe. Go straight from here. Take the first right turn and at the end of the road is the cafe. Best of luck," informed Walter.
"Thanks a lot guys," Lucas said, going towards the stairs.
"Will you come tomorrow too Lucas?" Asked William.
"Maybe," Lucas grinned and left. He loved the twins and would love to meet them again. But first he had a job to take care of. Mission Woo Violet.
He started his car and drove as per Walter's directions. He spotted the cafe and parked his car in a dead alley beside the cafe. He strode towards the small cute little cafe, painted in red and white. There were lilies planted in quaint little terracotta pots, lined along the cafe window sills. He opened the door and went inside. It was a small family owned cafe with enough seats for twenty five people. He sat at a table near the window. He looked around for Violet but didn't see her. The cafe wasn't full, only a few people sitting and chatting over steaming cups of coffee and snacks.
A young waitress came inside the cafe and handed him a menu card. She eyed him from head to toe like he was edible and on the menu. "What can I offer you sir?" She asked, leaning down in front of him and pulling her shirt down to show more cleavage through the already open buttons.
Lucas wasn't interested. He didn't even look up at her, while reading the menu card. "I want Violet Nelson. Call her please," said Lucas.
"She's busy at the back with a customer. She can't come," said the waitress. Lucas's blood boiled. What did she mean? What busy work was she doing at the back with a customer? He stood up and banged his fist on the table.
"I said call her now," he said, angrily and the girl ran inside. The other customers stared at him to see what the matter was.
A haggard looking, dishevelled Violet came out of a door. Her eyes went round with disbelief seeing a furious Lucas standing and shaking with anger.
"What are you doing here?" She asked Lucas. Lucas saw red the moment he looked at her. He strode towards her and picked her up on his shoulders and walked towards the exit.
