When the Night Falls

JASMINE

When I burst through the door I had a look of terror plastered on my

“What is it?” Chef Hobbs said.

face.

“I” I stuttered. “I need to talk to you.”

He crossed his arms as if to say go on then.

“Alone,” I added hurriedly. I needed to explain my side before Mr. Jefferson inevitably stormed. in himself.

“Fine,” Mr. Hobbs rolled his eyes. “But make it quick.

He led me to the back down a narrow hallway and into a room.

“What is it then?” he asked, shutting the door behind him.

“It’s Mr. Jefferson,” I explained, out of breath. “I think I made him angry.”

“What did you do?” Mr. Hobbs closed in on me.

“I just offered his daughter a handkerchief,” I answered. “She was crying.”

“Jasmine,” he grabbed my arms tightly. “You never interfere with guest matters. Especially guests as important as Theodore Jefferson.”

“I know,” my eyes started to sting from the tears building up in them. “I-I just wanted to h-”

“Who do you think you are?” Mr. Hobbs snarled. “Mary Poppins?”

The tears were now streaming down my face. This would be the end of my career. All my hopes and dreams flashed before my eyes. The bistro I wanted to open, all the recipes I had be perfecting for years, none would be within reach.

Surprisingly, Mr. Hobbs smirked.

“You messed up, Jasmine,” he reminded me. “And usually, that would mean I had to fire you.”

“Usually?”

Jasmina vou know tua haan your mentor for quite some time now” he said.

“Jasmine, you know I’ve been your mentor for quite some time now,” he said.

I nodded, not saying a word. He stood up and walked toward me.

“You want to become a chef like me one day, is that correct?”

“Y-yes, chef.”

“Well, in this industry,” he continued, “you have to really want it.”

I wasn’t sure what he meant.

“I do really want it.”

“How badly d

you want it?” he whispered directly into my ear. “Because I have an idea on how you can avoid getting fired.”

The feeling of his breath against my n*eck sent a shiver down my spine. I tensed as his hands gripped my waist tightly. He was slowly guiding me backward, pressing me into the wall.

“Do you want it enough to let me get what I want?”

He gazed at me hungrily.

“I-I don’t know what you mean,” I replied.

“Oh, come on,” he rolled his eyes. “I see past this innocent girl act you put on.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. He was making me sound like some manipulative seductress who would do anything to succeed in life. When the reality was far from this. I was still a virgin.

Half the girls my age that I knew were getting married, and here I’d never had a real boyfriend. I’d never even had S**.

I watched porn videos when I was in the mood, but I couldn’t even mast urbate. I felt too shy to do that, which sucked.

The lame k*sses from those lame boys, I dated every now and then, had been nothing compared to the k*sses I’d read about in novels. I was a huge su cker for those erotic and BDSM novels.

I shook my head angrily, pushing him off of me.

“That’s not true,” I said.

My eyes burned as I fought back tears.

Don’t cry, Jasmine, I told myself. I didn’t need him to think I was a volatile baby too.

The dark, windowless office was closing in on me. It was like the air was too thick to breathe. I needed to get out of here before Lchoked.

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I turned to run out.

“You’ll never make it in this industry, darling.” Mr. Hobbs grabbed my arm and shoved me up against the wall.

I pushed him off and ran out of the room.

Tears rushed down my face as I grabbed my things and walked out of the restaurant.

I made my way home on foot.

The cool air from outside hit my face like a ton of bricks. What had just happened? What would happen to me now?

The question triggered even more tears.

I thought of all the bills waiting for me at home. Their presence was somehow more menacing

now.

Bills, it was always bills. Despite having a full-time job at the restaurant, I had not been paid in months. Management falsely reassured us that our checks would be mailed as soon as possible, And yet they never arrived.

I still hadn’t even paid my rent this month.

Suddenly, I noticed a blacked-out limousine slowly driving by my side. Despite the streets being empty, it maintained my pace, almost as if it was following me.

Walking a little faster, I glanced nervously back at it. I didn’t recognize the driver, but it wasn’t al car one would drive themselves, it’s the type of car you get driven in. I wondered who sat in the back seat.

I froze in place, waiting to see if the car would stop too. It did, I took a step forward cautious and the call rolled along.

More tears welled up slowly at first, then all at once.

Great, now I was being stalked.

My head snapped in the direction of the car when I heard the car window roll down.

A man’s hand reached out toward me, offering me a handkerchief. The veins on the hand were prominent under the street lights. On his wrist was a silver Rolex. Those cost a fortune.

Grabbing the handkerchief. I skeptically inspected it. This was how people were kidnapped, I thought to myself.

Then I noticed that it was embroidered in midnight blue. On the crisp off white handkerchief was aT and a J.

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When the Night Falls

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Grabbing the handkerchief, I skeptically inspected it. This was how people were kidnapped, I thought to myself.

Then I noticed that it was embroidered in midnight blue. On the crisp off white handkerchief was

a T and a J.

“Come in the car.” a dark, husky voice instructed.

When the limo door swung open, sat in the back was none other than Theodore Jefferson.

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