The Unnoticed Billionaire

Chapter Eleven

Trying to reason with myself to let go is not working. No matter how much I try to tell myself things will be all right and work out, I can't deny the distress in the back of my head.

A new day and a new week start. I still haven't heard from or seen Tyler. I stopped trying his phone yesterday.

"Hey, you are early today," Mary points out behind me as she takes off her satchel.

I mentally sigh in relief. At least I'm not alone anymore.

"Good morning, Mary."

"You don't look happy today. I would assume leaving the café would make anyone happy. No one wants to work here." She huffs, circling the skirt around her waist, covering her short jeans.

"Well, I gotta find a new job. Someone has to pay the bills." I fix my shirt in the mirror. I glance at her through the reflection. She's buried in thoughts, staring at the floor. I can only assume she is recalling something terrible from the grimace on her face. "May I ask what happened to the last waitress before me?"

"What?" she asks, blinking. "Oh, yes. There was a whole rumor that she ran out of this place without placing her two-week notice. She just up and left, apparently. That night, the baristas closed shop before her. Some say Bill had . . . you know, done something to her. We never heard or saw her again." She locks her locker before arranging her blonde hair in an updo using her scrunchie.

I frown. I remember Dan warning me about Bill on my first day. He said something about the last waitress running away, but I never connected the dots until Mary explained the whole story. This might have been what Tyler was trying to tell me.

Just as we pass Bill's office, his door is yanked open, startling us. Mary stops in her tracks and looks behind at me with weary eyes. His sudden appearance makes me wonder if he's been intentionally waiting for us.

"Elena, I was actually looking for you. Maybe we can have a talk in my—"

"Hi, Elena. Oh, hey, Mary," Dan says, coming to our rescue. I release the breath that I didn't know I had been holding. "Sorry, Bill, but we gotta open. We are one waiter short today, remember?" Dan walks closers, putting himself almost in front of us, shielding us from Bill.

"Yes, sure," Bill replies, turning on his heels and walking back to his office before letting out a loud groan and smashing his door closed.

I look up at Dan, who is grinning down at me. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He winks at me before putting his hand on Mary's shoulder as reassurance. She looks visibly white as a sheet. Her eyes are round with shock.

A new wave of self-resentment washes over me. Tyler is right. This place is dangerous. I only wish he trusts me enough to tell me the truth. If only he would answer my cal and tell me what has happened.

I decide to take Dan's offer for a coffee from the other day to distract myself from worrying. I need to talk to someone, for as selfish as that sounds. But there is no one else I can turn to. Mom has enough pain to endure. Lucy is occupied and has a life of her own. And Nick has just got on his feet.

Once the shift is over, I change into my clothes and close the locker door with disdain. Dan waits outside for me.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting." I adjust the strap of the tote bag over my shoulder to mask my uneasiness. "So, any preference?" I ask as we walk out of the café.

"No, not really." Dan chuckles, touching the back of his neck.

We roam over to the bus station to wait for the next bus. I guess taking him to Molly's would be only logical. We become unnaturally quiet until the bus arrives. I look up at him, eyes searching his face.