In the morning, I use the five-step skin routine, starting with the blackhead mask that I keep on for 5 minutes. I rinse my face with ice cold water for 3 minutes, then use a cotton pad to dry off. My skin looks flawless! Beauty sleep is no joke. I lean forward in awe and examine my face. It looks like I just got a facial. My black and white heads are gone. My skin is lighter and smoother. I love the squeakiness.

"This is crazy!" I add aloe vera, glycolic acid, oil, and sunscreen. The primer in it has a blurring effect. "Oh wow, look at my face!! Ahhh!" I happy dance and take a selfie without a filter. I look like I have glass skin...my dark circles have even lightened. Omg, this is bomb! My skin has never looked this amazing!

When Lily sees me at work, her mouth drops to the floor. I know I look good in the sunlight; I did a check on my camera on the way here. I rotate in front of lockers and pose like a model. "Holy shit!! Why doesn't my face look that nice??!" She grimaces. There're tiny red bumps on her chin and a few on her cheeks. "What the hell? I'm doing the same shit!"

"Maybe you're allergic to something. Those look like allergy pimples." I analyze the red bumps.

"Maybe it's the acid..."

"Try cutting that out and see what happens."

Lil dials in a combination and opens her locker to stuff a cross-body bag inside. "You shouldn't waste the glow you have. Use that beauty power."

"Oh, I will. I feel super hot."

"Good...use that energy on him." She closes her locker and tosses me a leather wallet. I squint at it in my hands, baffled. Why is she giving me a wallet??? "It fell out of his pocket and slid under the table. Jace will be in today for it, hopefully before the sun goes down. You're shining; he has to see you in daylight."

"You. I...said...you need to stop! That's stealing! You're probably on camera!" I stammer furiously.

"I was sly with it." I try to give the wallet back, but she races off when I jab it her way. "Get that rich life!" She shouts on her way out.

Lil?! Ugh!" My hand goes to my forehead. What the fuck?!! Is this what she was planning last night??? I'm not keeping this! My feet peddle to the lobby to hand it over to Sam. "Hey, a diner dropped their wallet." I hold it out for him to take.

He throws his hands up as if surrendering to a cop. This confounds me. "No way! Lil threatened to beat my ass if I took anything from you today."

"Well, report her!" I rage. "This is against company policy; you're supposed to hold lost and found."

"Sorry...but she scares me." His dark eyes dash to the staircase in fright. "She's heavy-handed...my arm is sore."

"I'll tell Mr. Thompson then!" I threaten.

"No, you won't, then he'll fire your bestie." He shrugs. "Deal with it; Lily has you checkmated."

I groan angrily and stomp up the stairs. "Fuck both of you!"

"Oh, when?" He taunts in a titillating tone.

I storm through the doors to the banquet hall and probe the room like an eagle. A few diners look at me while chomping on French toast and sunny side eggs. I reserve myself and smile at them awkwardly. "Good morning," I blurt, and stride past. Lily is waiting on a table; she glances at me with a smirk, then jots in her notepad.

Oh...I'm going to...I'm going to slap her! I inhale all the air I can, my nostrils flare. I roll up the gate to the bar and circle around to the back. I put the fancy wallet in a drawer and close it. This isn't funny! Upbeat jazz music flows through the room and pisses me off because I'm the opposite of cheerful. The corners of my mouth curl downward like the Grinch.

I bend to take apple juice and orange juice out of a mini fridge and grab lemons and strawberries. I cut up the fruit like a mad chef and decorate the rim of glasses with slices. I ready drinks in advance. When I'm done, twenty beverages line the bar counter. I look over at Lil, who pushes through the kitchen flap doors, carrying two full trays in both hands. She serves omelets and bacon to the guest.

When she comes over to fill the trays with the brews I've made, she says, "turn that frown upside down," in a chipper tone. Then balances the trays on her palms and steps off. I brutally glare after her.

Time passes into the evening, when only wine is served. I keep my eyes on the French doors as I hand out the red drinks. He doesn't come on Mondays, only Sundays. I'm sure Jace is too busy stopping world hunger and adding notches to his belt. The guy won't come in today. I'm sure. If he does, I'll give as little communication as possible...same as he's done with me. It'll be nice to return the favor of being uninterested.

When all the guests are seated for good, I have nothing to do. After wiping the counters, I stand there twiddling my thumbs and scratching my head. My eyes dart to the drawer.

Hmm...I could take a peek inside. I wonder how a billionaire's wallet looks. I check if the coast is clear, glancing ahead and then to the side. No one is around. I roll out the drawer and unlatch a button on the side of the leather wallet. I unfold it, keeping it in the drawer.

The ID photo is the first thing I see. It's by itself on a jumbo picture slot. Lily wasn't lying. His state ID picture stirs up jealousy. There's no embarrassing blinking, no off-guard reaction, not a single hair out of place. The lighting is even different. It's not ultra-bright and unappealing.

On the other side, there is a row of ten cards. White, silver, and gold. I can tell that each has weight by their widths. I stare down in amazement.

Wow...I'm scared of having three credit cards, and he has ten??? It must be nice to not face the risk of getting rejected. My eyes fill with envy like a hypnotized peasant. My fingers reach toward the cards, sliding down the occupied slots. These aren't made of plastic...maybe steel; if anything. Unbelievable!I pull my hand away and clamp the wallet shut, then push the drawer in.

That's enough spying. My curiosity has been squashed. Jace is a spoiled man, just like the others here. That's all. The evening comes faster than any Monday I've ever worked. It's annoying how time speeds up when something unwanted is on the way. Even my break feels shorter.

I smell the veggie soup before the servers exit the kitchen with the meal. It's spicy and robust. I chop ice to a slushy consistency. Mix margaritas and daiquiris in wide-rimmed glasses and insert limes. Every now and then, I peep at the drawer.

If he's super wealthy and gives out billions a year, how much money is on those cards? I'm pretty sure it's more than a few million. The thickness of the cards proves that each is loaded.

If I was a thief or greedy enough, I would take it home and skip town. But I can't do that...I'm too moral...too righteous. Also, too smart. Cards can be tracked and deactivated right from an app. I wouldn't get far with how fast suspicious activity is reported. How quick cards are locked. It's not worth going to jail for money when I can work for it.

I spot Lily flapping her arms from my peripheral vision. She's flagging me down. I turn, she points at the French doors. I look in the direction. There, in an all-white suit, is Jace Harrison. When he opens the door, my body goes rigid. My gut flips. His lime eyes eagerly search the floor for the wallet. He doesn't find it because I have it.

He waves down an employee to exchange words; his lips move in a sleek fashion. Lil's sight stays glued on him while she collects empty plates from tables. My co-worker points the rich man in my direction. I rip my eyes away just as Jace follows the point. I look down at my workstation.

He's coming over!!

I spot him walking my way in a flawless glide. The fabric of his pants bunch at his crotch and thighs, and his belt cuts across hefty hips. My face goes scarlet. No, stop! Why is that happening??? My throat tenses, my mouth moistens, and my skin grows goosebumps. The billionaire reaches the counter and rests his veiny hand atop it.

#Romance
#Love