Chapter 64: You're Perfect for the Job

HELENA I steeled my steps, and made my way towards the front and the crowd. The clamoring rapidly increased as soon as they saw me, and some of them tried to come at me. I waved my hands frantically in the air, trying to calm them down. 'People! You have to listen to me. I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong! This is not the right approach!" I yelled on top of my lungs. A woman stepped forward. 'Why have all our accounts been frozen? For no valuable reason! I've been banking with you guys for 2 decades and this is what I get? Unacceptable!" The crowd roared in unison. Frozen? Why would Mr. James freeze everyone's accounts? I glanced back at Georgina and the rest. They had the same surprised looks on their faces. We need to find Mr James. But until then, I needed to find a way to calm the raging crowd. 'When did this happen?" I asked the woman who had come forward earlier. 'This morning! I wanted to send money for my daughter's fees, only to see that my entire account was frozen. What was the reason? Unanimous decision. The heck is that?" A man yelled from the crowd. 'Are you people that incompetent? This is people's assets we're talking about!" Another woman. Slowly, they all began to air their opinions. I rubbed my temples. At this rate, I wouldn't be able to get anywhere. I put my hand in the air, and the clamoring died down slowly. 'How about this, all of you that have been affected by the ‘strange occurrence' should file an official report. Make a complaint to the complaint officer. In an orderly manner. I am as confused as you all are, and I just wanna help." I felt helpless myself. Sigh. 'That seems fair enough. But only if our complaints are being attended to. We don't want false hopes." The woman said, and they all began to murmur in unison. The crowd's expressions softened up, and they all began to move out one by one. Phew. That was a really close call. I was elected manager. Yes, you read that right. It was a general decision, and I wasn't even aware of the election. Everyone filed up in front of the bank the next day, waiting their turns at the complaint officer's desk. I had to make sure they were all listened to, and slowly, we rectified the issue. My coworkers, along with Georgina, were all very happy at my management skills, and decided to host a private election without telling me. They didn't want me to object. 'Helena, you're perfect for the job, and we need a replacement as soon as possible. We wouldn't wanna see the bank fall." Georgina said. Her opinion was highly respected in the office, so naturally, everyone agreed. Mr. James had completely vanished from the surface of the earth. I found it completely absurd though. One day, he's hale and hearty, well not hearty, but he's perfectly normal Mr. James. The next, he's this crazed psychopath who tries to eat an elderly woman? Something didn't sit right. I was on my usual walk back home from the office when I received a text from Aaron. ‘Hey, on your way yet?' his text read. I smiled and texted back, ‘Yeah, want anything?' I made it a habit to always ask. He always wanted something crazy. The thought of what outrageous dish was on the menu today made me giggle with joy of a possible adventure. ‘Yeah actually, but it's not food. Can you come to the restaurant maybe? I'm having a bit of trouble.' I stopped in my tracks. That text was weird in so many ways. It was serious, not playful. What could he have possibly gotten himself into now? I tried asking him what happened, but he didn't respond. I groaned inwardly. Regardless, I made a U-turn and walked uptown, towards where the restaurant was. I was halfway through the journey when I realized this was gonna be a lot harder than I thought. Why was I walking in the first place? I flagged down a taxi with exhaustion and continued my journey, half awake. 'Ma'am.." I saw a familiar figure waving at me for a while. It stood on the other end of the sidewalk, standing out from the other humans that paraded the streets. 'Ma'am…" The figure materialized slowly in my vision, very very slowly. It took me up to 30 seconds to realize who it was. 'Ma'am…" My face went pale as the figure strode closer. I shut my eyes tightly, trying to tell myself it was a dream. It was, actually. But it felt so real. My heart pounded erratically, and all I could think about was how to get out of there. The figure got closer and closer, and I braced for impact. 'Mom..no.." was all I could say before I was startled awake by the taxi driver. 'What ..I….um." 'We're here ma'am." He said, almost impatient. I felt so freaking embarrassed already. 'I'm sorry." I muttered, handing him his pay and getting off. My jaws dropped as I took in my surroundings. This is where Aaron got a job??? I had heard of the Cuisine from a few old friends, but I hadn't actually expected it to look this….dazzling. Bright neon lights displayed the restaurant's name on the outside, decorated with golden lights. Two doormen stood at the entrance, with two large security guards on either end. They greeted me warmly. I waltzed into the restaurant, and only then did I realize the lush red carpet on the ground. The layout of the tables were like those in old British movies, with antique plates and cups displayed in a case at the far end. Customers chatted lightly, enjoying their meals. The atmosphere was beautiful. I pulled out my phone and texted Aaron that I was here, while taking a seat. A waitress came up to me almost immediately. 'Good evening ma'am. Welcome to the Cuisine. What can I get for you?" She smiled, winking a bit. For some reason, I looked deep into her eyes. Her pupils were dilated fully, but she had eye bags. She looked tired, worn out, but still ever ready to do her job. Her waitress outfit was basic, similar to the one I had seen at the Sunrise Cafe a few weeks ago. My mind drifted back to that day. The laughs, the memories I remembered, and a certain male species that shall not be named. Yes, I said it.