1 Chapter One_Kiss Me

Valerie's POV

I walked sluggishly towards the changing room, I've to change to my walking clothes, well, that's how it is in this bar.

It's not actually a bar though, I guess the owner must be well-to-do to put on such an exclusive restaurant which had a bar and other entertainment things attached to it.

"Hello there, Valerie."

I looked up to see one of my colleagues walk towards me with a smile on her lips.

I guess she is not as tired as I am right now, I mean this is my third part-time job, well, what can I say, it's not like anyone would like to have so many part-time jobs at a time?

My mom's health is really taking a tour of me.

"You came in pretty early today."

She continued even without receiving any response from me previously.

"Yeah, lucky enough I wrapped up my work early, so I'm here."

I managed to reply.

"Okay, see you later."

She walked out after saying that and to be frank, I felt at peace when she left.

Walking to my position as the bartender, I hope that customers will wait for a while before they begin to suffocate me with their strong perfumes.

As a child my life was resplendent, I had everything I could ever wish for, until one fateful day, my dad went on a business trip and never came back.

Until date, I didn't quite understand why my father's family denied us our right to take part in his burial, nor did they give us the right to know where he was buried.

All I knew as a Seven-year-old child was that my mom came home from my uncle's house in tears almost every day until she decided to stop going there.

Our house, which was the only property my dad left for us, was forcefully claimed by his brother, and we were thrown out of it.

My mom worked day and night to make sure I never experienced paucity even after my dad's death, yes things might not have been as it was when my dad was alive, yet, she did the best of her proficiency and adroitness.

For as long as I can remember, my mom was really a strong woman, even until date she's still fighting death.

If my dad was still alive, my mom couldn't have suffered a heart disease. Being in comatose for two years now, she was meant to undergo a heart transplant, but that's close to insuperable with my current financial condition. If only she underwent treatment at the early stage of the disease, it couldn't have gotten to this point.

But just before I could smile at the empty seat in front of me, I saw a man walking towards me with a smile plastered on his face. I almost rolled my eyes at him, but then instead of that, I gave him a welcoming fake smile.

"Hello beauty, how is your day going?"

The man who was now seated on a long stool meant for customers said to me.

"It's going great. What will you have?"

I asked him to change the topic.

"Get me vodka."

He replied while scrutinizing me from head to toe.

"Okay sir."

I turned to get his request.

"What's your name?"

He asked when I passed his drink to him.

"Valerie."

I replied, trying to act as professional as I can.

"So, do you mind accompanying me for the night"

He asked me with a smug on his face.

"Sir, I work here as a bartender, not as an escort."

My words made him bend to his glass, perhaps I was rude to him, but he deserves it so much.

This is one problem I have with this job, so many people try to trample on my rights, they attempt to molest me in any way they can, but gratefully they haven't been successful.

Just then I turned to the staircase only to see a piercing look of a very handsome man.

He kept staring at me so much that I had to look away, thereby not getting to admire his handsome features.

"I can pay your manager for the time you will be spending with me. What do you say?

I mean, I love you already, and I want to have a taste of you."

The man opposite me said again and I stared at him with a deadly look, if not for my work principles, I could have long given him a resounding slap, I mean what exactly does he take me for.

"Please give me your answer, I can't wait to have you on my bed."

He uttered with a smirk.

Just when I was about to give him a piece of my mind, I felt someone tap my shoulder.

"Who on…"

I left my word hanging in the air at the sight of my manager.

"Miss Valerie, come with me."

I followed him like an obedient puppy would, but something came to my mind. My heart began to pound rapidly within my rib cage.

"Miss Valerie, I want to apologize for this before I go ahead, but the situation is beyond my control."

I noticed the bid of sweat running down his cheeks while he spoke with guilt.

"My job is at stake just as yours, but then this will also pay more money, even more than I pay you in six months."

I looked at him with bewilderment, not understanding the words he was spurting.

"Please go straight to the point, sir."

"Someone in the VIP area asked for your company."

He finally heaved a sigh of relief after saying that.

"Please, Valerie, my wife is heavily pregnant and I need this job so badly."

His pleading gaze almost made me agree to his request.

But I can't just agree to what he said so easily, who knows who the VIP person is, I can't just sell my dignity.

"Sir, no, I can't."

I replied firmly, he can't use his personal problem to force me into doing what I might regret later and if he thinks I'm so cheap as to accept his offer just because he mentioned money, then he's wrong.

"Valerie, you need this cash so much, remember your mom's hospital bill."

Yes, he's right, the worst of it is that the hospital made an addition and I have to find another part-time job to pay for it. If I take my manager's offer it will help me a lot, after some seconds of reluctance,

"Okay sir."

I agreed half-heartedly, frankly I don't believe that one day I will stoop so low as to accompany anyone just for a few dollars.

Walking back to the changing room, I put on my clothes.

Before walking towards the VIP area, my phone peeped, and I saw a credit alert from the manager which made me smile.

"This wouldn't be all that bad anyway."

I said to myself.

At the VIP area, I was shocked to the bone marrow when I noticed how scanty the whole place was.

But there was a man's silhouette at the side of the hall.

I heaved a sigh of relief before walking towards him.

"Hello sir."

I smiled while standing in front of him.

He slowly raised his head and my eyes met his gaze.

We stared at each other for a while before he shifted his gaze to my body.

"Hmm"

I cleared my throat to get his attention as I wasn't comfortable with his eyes hovering around my body.

"You can have a seat."

He said while relaxing in his seat.

I sat down slowly and took that opportunity to have a good look at the man sitting in front of me.

He has blue eyes, which can have anyone fall for him just by staring at his eyes.

His blonde hair seems soft to me and I want to feel it, he's damn handsome.

A waiter walked to us, bringing me out from my reverie.

"Your order please."

He politely said to us,

"What will you have?"

The blonde hair guy sitting right in front me asked me, and I couldn't help the urge to stare into his beautiful eyes.

"Anything sir."

I replied while diverting my gaze from him.

"Don't address me as 'sir' Christine can do."

Those words were like an order, but something caught my eyes;his dimples, he doesn't need to strain himself for it to be visible.

His face looks like someone who can't smile at all, somehow sending shivers all over my body.

"Okay"

I replied while bowing slightly.

"So, why did you choose to be a bartender?"

He asked to lighten the mood immediately when the waiter left, but for some reason he sounded rude, but I've to reply, after all, he's paying me for this.

"Well, there's no other choice for someone who doesn't have a college certificate."

I replied to him, looking straight into his eyes.

"Ohh…"

That sound coming from this serious face made me have a sudden urge to laugh, and I couldn't help but to chuckle loudly.

"What's funny?"

He asked with a slight smirk on his face, I love that smile of his.

But before I knew it, it disappeared quickly, as though it weren't there to begin with.

"Nothing…"

I was about to say something when the waiter came in with our food.

We ate silently and after which we were served a bottle of champagne just by having a taste of it. I fell in love with the drink, already forgetting about its alcohol content.

"Take it easy, Valerie, you would rather not get tipsy, do you?"

He said while taking the cup of champagne from me.

"Give me back!"

I whined like a child, while stretching my hands towards him.

I don't know what's suddenly happening to me, but I think I love this side of me.

"No, you can't."

He gulped down the entire glass, content with a smile on his face, did he just smile?

He must be having a lot of fun right now.

Furthermore, he licked his lips seductively afterward while smiling broadly at me.

My next action surprised not only him, but myself.

I shifted my seat closer to his, then wrapped my arms around his neck before saying.

"Kiss me."