Noah sighed. He could not imagine how hard it was to be an Elder, let alone to be the Head of the Elders and the Alpha of the clan. You carried the weight of it all on your shoulders and you constantly had to be thinking of what was best for every member of the clan. He knew that even with all of the young ones being separated into different educational institutions, they had all been allocated different dates of resumption as well. It was one thing to all go to different schools but they certainly could not go on the same day. Some young ones had already resumed weeks ago and finally tomorrow, he would be resuming with his sister.
Noah swallowed hard and he laid his back on the skylight. There was just so much to do and so much not to do as well. The orientation courses for the young ones in the clan had taken place just before they relocated to Aqua Vale and all he could hope was that no one made a stupid mistake that would cost them all their new homes once more. Not only did he like the new city, he absolutely loved his large house and his new room. The skylight was a great perk. He smiled to himself as he drifted off to sleep under the comforting warmth of the sun.
CHAPTER THREE
DESTINY
The appointment Destiny had after school was in a café very much like Ms. Josie’s, only fancier. Soft music wafted around the colorful room and she allowed herself some moments of admiration of the entire café. It was warm and cozy. There were several large armchairs scattered around cute tables in one section. In another section, there were wraparound booths with colorful tables between them and then, there were some long tables with cute, high wooden chairs scattered around them. The walls of the café held some of Destiny’s favorite things in the world—books. She really could not get her fill of the place. From where she sat on one of the stools at a long counter behind which customers’ orders were supposed to be taken, she had a perfect view of the quiet café. She was the only one that was around, although she had been let in by a woman who looked to be in her twenties. She had asked her to wait for a little while after introducing herself as the executive assistant of the owner of the café.
“Do you like what you see?” a voice asked and her head jolted up.
A slim darker skinned woman was smiling down at her from the balcony. She looked about the same age as the woman she had seen earlier, only this woman was more sophisticated. Destiny could not help thinking that her skin was just as dark as hers, but the woman’s was so shiny and smooth that she reminded her of rich chocolate. The woman walked down the spiraling staircase and as she got into full view, Destiny was able to see her properly. She was dressed in a pair of loose white pants and tucked into the pants was a fitted, white chiffon blouse with thin, beaded straps. Her lush and curly black hair was left free and it fell just below her shoulders. Her ensemble was completed with a pair of nude stilettos.
Destiny pulled herself out of her thoughts and jumped to her feet. She gave the room a once over before looking back at the woman. “Yes, ma, it is really so beautiful. I love this place. It’s so warm and refreshing and the colors, they just pop out at you.”
The woman laughed and she nodded. “I am happy you agree with that. That is exactly what we were going for and I am certainly glad that it does that for you. Youngsters like you are part of our target customer base, after all. I’m sorry, where are my manners? I’m Cathy. You are? Hello?”
“I’m Destiny,” she said breathlessly as she shook her head. She had once more drifted off into her own thoughts as she admired everything around her. “I’m sorry, it’s just that this place is so beautiful and you are really so beautiful.”
The woman smiled Destiny’s apology away. “Thank you and it’s fine. You know what? Why don’t we head over to the armchairs? I’m sure you will be more comfortable there. Come on.”
Destiny nodded and followed after the woman, still breathing deeply. She kept looking around the café. She would be so glad if she got a job here. The café was a couple of blocks away from school, just within walking distance. She had noticed the work being done on it during her walks to and from school for months, and on Friday last week, she had seen the ‘Hiring’ sign. Immediately, she had run in and she was told to return Monday afternoon and now here she was, hoping that she really would get it.
The woman settled into a coral blue armchair and Destiny sat in the one across it which was a midnight blue. Cathy smiled at Destiny as she crossed her legs. “So, what do you think? Does this look like it could be the afterschool hub for students like you?”
“Well, I can’t speak for other students but I can speak for myself and indeed, I am already imagining spending days here.” Cathy chuckled and Destiny continued, “the books, the ambience, they are all attractive. But wait, do we have to pay for the books?” As she said this, Destiny scratched her head and Cathy’s grin widened. “But really, even those who are not interested in reading would certainly want to come here if the food is great.”
“So, what’s your conclusion?”
Her conclusion? Destiny looked around and tried to imagine if someone like Megan, Damian or the boy from the car would be interested in hanging out in such a place. Granted, the place looked sophisticated enough, but she didn’t have enough material on Megan to reach that conclusion. If Megan wasn’t interested, it looked perfect for the science and arts kid. She could even see the sports bunch coming in here.
“Well, it is a great place for group gatherings and friends to have discussions, I guess,” Destiny said this in a wistful tone and Cathy raised her head and watched her. In the next second, Destiny was shaking her head and she said, “So, yes, I do believe that it is going to be a great hit with the youngsters like me. I guess you’ve already satisfied part of your customer base there.”
Cathy nodded and smiled. Destiny was glad to have said the right thing and it was a bonus that she wasn’t lying.
“You are right. I really want this place to be a success. You see, this café is really my baby.”
“Your baby?” Destiny raised a brow.
“Oh yes. You see, I’m a real estate developer as well as a chef. I’ve wanted to open a café in this city for so long and now, I finally did,” Cathy said with a smile.
“Why this city in particular? And if you have other projects, why is this one your baby? Do you have cafés in other cities?”
“Oh yes I do have cafés spread around the country but this one is quite special. This city, this building even, holds a lot of memories for me. So, tell me about yourself Destiny. You seem like a bright and intelligent young lady.”
Destiny nodded and let out a little smile. She understood that the woman was trying to change the subject and didn’t want any more questions. And so, obliging her, she said, “Well, I don’t think there is much to me. I’m fifteen years old and I’m a student at Havana Academy. I absolutely love reading. I think I can say it’s my all-time favorite pastime and I love good music as well.”
“Havana huh? I hear it’s a very good school.”
“Uh huh,” Destiny said and she averted her gaze.
“So, how about your friends? Do you like spending time with them too?”
Destiny looked at Cathy and then she looked around the café. In a small voice, she said, “I don’t really have friends.”
“Oh I see. So your books are your friends then?”
Destiny looked up and saw that there was a twinkle in the woman’s eyes. Destiny chuckled as she nodded, “I guess you can say that.”
“So I can see that you already love my café so much. What do you think you can do here?”
“Every single thing Miss Cathy. I can work in the kitchen, I can clean up, I can cook some basic foods and I think that I can cook some more if I’m given the chance. I really do find cooking interesting and I am a quick learner. I can work out here waiting tables and I can even do the accounts. I am really, really good at mathematics. Hey, I can even be the hostess if you want one.”
Cathy waved her hands to slow her down and she broke into laughter. “Relax dear.
It seems that you really are very eager. Have you actually done all that?”
“Yes, yes, I worked at the diner in my neighborhood for six years so trust me, I can do this.”
“Six years? But you’re fifteen now. When did you start working? When you were nine?” The crease on Cathy’s face was clear and the confusion in her voice was evident.
Destiny chuckled. “Oh no, I started working when I was way younger than that but I started work at the diner at nine.”
“Wow,” Cathy said and she leaned back in her seat. She looked at her. Destiny felt uncomfortable under the woman’s gaze, her mind wondering what the woman was thinking. She hoped she was thinking that she could handle the job. “You said you like cooking?”
“Yes, I mean I have no formal training and the best I’ve ever done is amazing eggs, but I’ve seen so much in so many books and I am really eager to try them out.”
“I see. Come with me.”
Cathy led the way into a beautiful kitchen with new stainless-steel appliances. Destiny’s mouth fell open as soon as she stepped in. The kitchen was painted white and there was a long table in the middle. Gas burners sat adjacent to the table and another table held a few ingredients. A few equipment like the pots, pans and different sizes of knife sat on another table opposite the long table. A deep fryer rested close to the wall where a medium sized window was embedded. The source of light was three white energy bulbs and from where she stood, Destiny could see a back door and a couple inches from the door was a kitchen sink.
Cathy walked to the long table in the middle and tapped on it, returning Destiny’s attention to her.
“How about you make me eggs benedict?”
“Really?” Destiny’s eyes widened in surprise. Not once in her life did she entertain the thought that she was going to get the opportunity to work in such a pristine and beautiful kitchen. The one rusted kitchen sink, the difficult to use stove and the fridge that was constantly on a fritz made up her kitchen at home.
“Yes,” Cathy replied with a smile. She tapped her chin and then, she pointed at a stack of boxes that were on the counter next to them, “And you’re in luck, we have some English muffins that Annie just got for the crew working on the décor on the upper level. So, do you think you can pull it off?”
Destiny nodded enthusiastically and Cathy clapped her hands. “Great. What do you need help with?”
At Destiny’s request, Cathy set out the needed ingredients and took a seat. Destiny diced up everything she needed, making sure not to make a mess in the kitchen. She tried to not dwell too long on the sharpness of the knife, the feel of the stainless mixing bowl in her hand, the blazing flames of the gas burner and the sizzle of the egg. Rather, she focused on making it the best eggs she had ever made.
Once she was done, she placed the eggs in a flat ceramic plate and placed them in front of Cathy. Cathy beamed at her and inhaled the aroma around her, a smile finding its way to her lips. She took a big bite of the eggs, her eyes going wide. Destiny’s heart stopped beating for a minute as she took in Cathy’s expression, trying to decipher her thought from the expression. Slowly, Cathy started to chew, and Destiny wondered if she was trying to savor the taste or struggling to eat it. Cathy took another bite, then another and another. She looked up at Destiny with wide eyes.
“This is amazing.”
Destiny broke into a grin. “Thanks ma’am.”
Destiny smiled as she bopped on her feet. Cathy was really engrossed in the meal and Destiny was pleased she hadn’t made a mess of things.
“And you’ve never made this before?”
“No. I saw the recipe in a book in the library at school. And I have never gotten the chance to try it out.”
Cathy nodded and then, she handed a fork to Destiny and said, “Go on, you can’t not have a bite of what you cooked.”
Destiny started to protest, but Cathy insisted she tried it. Reluctant by overjoyed, Destiny sat down as Cathy moved the plate over to her. Once the egg got in her mouth, Destiny froze. She could feel her taste buds coming alive. She was absolutely amazed at her creation.
***
Destiny skipped as she headed home, her eyes brimming with happiness. She really couldn’t believe her luck. Never, not even once had she had such luck with people. No, scratch that. Miss Josie was nice and so was Pepo. Yeah, that was it. And now, Miss Cathy. She was as nice as she looked. Her mind kept going over and over what the woman had told her after they had cleaned up the kitchen.
“For your job here, you’ll be waiting tables but apart from that, I would like for you to be groomed by the chef. But that’s if you are okay with that. I see great potential in you Destiny.”
Destiny grinned into the night because she finally had something good other than her scholarship going for her. Her steps faltered; her scholarship. Destiny loved food but she had never been able to go wild or creative because she barely had enough to sustain her little frame day in, day out. She devoted all her time to studying and now that she was taking on a job, so she would have to cut back on her reading time. Would she have the time to take lessons from the chef? Destiny wondered. She shook her head, ridding herself of the sad thought. She would not worry about that because she had a job and an opportunity to be the best cook. If it got too overwhelming, there was always the option of turning down the coaching offer. The other upside of her job was the free meals she would be getting every day. She let out a squeal of excitement which was cut short as soon as she turned the corner and ran smack-dab into him.
Ronnie’s hand quickly shot out and steadied her, his fingers lightly skimmed the back of her neck. Destiny froze but was quick to recover. She moved quickly away from him and she could feel the hairs on her neck standing. His lips turned up in a smile and Destiny could see in those dead eyes of his that hunger that he could never hide.
Ronnie was a tall black guy with low cut hair. He had a few tattoos on his arm and he spent majority of his days in a singlet and trousers that were two size bigger than him. He had a dimple on one cheek which Destiny suspected was responsible for girls even paying him attention. Ronnie smelt of weed and alcohol and Destiny wasn’t comfortable with him either way.
“Where have you been, Destiny? Your mother has been searching all around the neighborhood for you,” he said in a hoarse voice. Probably hoarse from practicing his terrible music in the apartment, Destiny could not help thinking to herself.
Destiny’s eyes darted around as he continued to look at her, awaiting her reply. The streets were dark and the sources of light were very many. The dimly lit moon, the light pouring out from a few houses, and a few streetlights that flickered every now and then. Her mind was working quickly and she was trying to think of a way to get out of the situation. Down the street, Destiny heard voices, no doubt the few boys who were convinced sleeping wasn’t for them. The air smelt of coffee and something else. Standing alone with Ronnie wasn’t in her best interest because self-control was a virtue Ronnie didn’t have inculcated in him. Chunk aside that fact, she could not tell him that she had gotten a new job. If she did, she was never going to see a cent of her earnings and she had so many plans for the money. Living with a mother whose interest never went beyond the bottles of alcohol she drowned herself in, the drugs she was always pumping in her system, and the few jobs she managed to hold down so she could purchase the items, Destiny had no choice but to fend for herself.
She had realized this at a very young age. When she was younger and started working, she had been naïve and every cent the little girl had earned had been gobbled up by her mother and her leech of a boyfriend. Oh, he was a leech all right. They were not wealthy but the little they did have, he was always there with his sticky hands, hovering and snatching.
“Hey, where you at?” a voice asked and it was followed by a light caress of her face.
Destiny quickly walked around him. He had not been expecting the quick action and so, he was stumped for a minute. She backed away as she said, “I’ll
go see mama now.”
Before he could say anything else, Destiny turned around and ran off. She took the steps two at a time, worry lurking in her heart. She could not understand why her mother was searching for her. Most of the time, she stayed back in school to read so she could not figure why the woman was suddenly searching for her now. She could only hope that she had not gotten into any trouble.
Destiny ran into the apartment and closed the door quietly. She made to sneak past the open kitchen door when her mother stopped her.
“Hey you, where ya coming from? Didn’t ya see Ronnie down there? He’s been all over looking for ya.”
Destiny turned around and took in her mother’s appearance. Her curly hair had been straightened out a while ago by low-grade chemicals and she redid it as often as her purse allowed. Currently, it hung in limp straggles around her face. One hand held a beer bottle which she was currently tipping into her mouth and the other hand held a lit cigarette. Her lean frame rested against the door frame and the sight of her mother caused Destiny’s heart to break. She had seen so many pictures and her mother had been so youthful and beautiful and full of life when she was younger. She was the one she had gotten her large eyes from. But now, those eyes were sunken into her face.
“Uh, I stayed back to do some studying in school. Did you need me for something mama?”
Her mother looked at her dazed for a few seconds and then, the bottle drooped from one hand as she said, “You were supposed to go grocery shopping.”
“With what cash, mama?” Destiny asked tiredly. She didn’t want to have this back and forth today.
Her mother’s cheeks puffed as she swallowed. Her eyes reddened as she glared at Destiny and then waved her away. Destiny breathed deeply and turned around. Sometimes, if her mother was in such a bitter mood, she would grab her bag and empty it out, searching until she was satisfied. If she found money, no matter how little, she would kick her out and force her to use it all and when she didn’t have any cash, she would still kick her out and ask her to return with something, as if she ever gave her a dime.
Destiny: BWWM High School Romance Page 3