Chapter 125 Miss, is he bothering you?
The next day after school, I head to this local coffee shop for the interview like we planned.
It is not some high end job or anything, but the pay is really good. Almost too good, honestly. If all I am doing is making coffee, serving pastries, and mopping the floor, then I am definitely getting paid way more than I should be.
The place is in the university district, right next to the school library. So when I walk in, I am not surprised to see it is packed with college students reading, writing, and talking about their assignments.
There is this cute girl behind the counter with pink hair and lip rings. She gives me this big smile when she sees me. "Hey! What can I get for you?"
"Hi." I smile back at her because she seems nice. "I am here for an interview. My name is Sophie Bennett?"
"Oh yeah, I have been expecting you. Follow me."
She comes out from behind the counter and leads me to the back, into this small office. When we get inside, she points to a chair for me to sit in and then sits down behind the desk herself. "Can I get you anything to drink? Water? Tea? Coffee?"
So she is the one doing the interview. That is fine. She seems friendly enough, but I am still a little nervous. "I am good, thank you though."
"Relax." She grins at me like she can tell I am nervous. "You can call me Lola. Honestly, I do not have any questions for you. Alex already told me everything I need to know, and it sounds like you are more than qualified. You can start whenever you want."
I can not believe it is that easy. "Sorry, but Alex told you about me?"
"Yeah. Did you not know?" She looks surprised too. "Alex's aunt owns this place. So when he told us his friend needed a job, we were happy to help. Plus we are understaffed, so we could really use the help. Honestly, you did not even need to come in for this. You could have just texted me when you want to start."
I had no idea.
I thought Alex just walked by here, saw they were hiring, and told me about it. Or maybe he worked here before and put in a good word for me. But he did not tell me he already got me the job before I even showed up.
I just sit there trying to process it, and I feel all these mixed emotions at once. On one hand, I am really grateful for everything he has done for me. But on the other hand, I feel like I will never be able to pay him back. Especially since I know he has feelings for me.
"Hey, you okay?" Lola's voice pulls me back. "Do you have any questions for me?"
"Um, no. I am good." I take a deep breath. "I can start tomorrow if that works."
"Perfect!" She smiles. "Okay then, I will see you tomorrow."
I nod and grab my bag. She opens the door for me and says, "I will not walk you out because I am still waiting for my next interviewer. Oh, here you are. Right on time."
I turn around without thinking to look at who she is talking to. And the next second, I am face to face with the person I least expected to see.
It is Jordan.
My asshole ex boyfriend who cheated on me and dumped me and blamed me for everything.
What the hell is he doing here?
I know my face looks as shocked as I feel. And he looks the same way, like he just got hit by lightning.
We both just stand there stiff, staring at each other with our eyes wide open. The air feels so awkward.
Lola looks back and forth between us and frowns. "Do you guys know each other?"
"No." I finally snap out of it. "Bye Lola, see you tomorrow."
I look down and try to get out of there as fast as I can. But Jordan moves to the side and blocks me. "Sophie."
"Out of my way." I snap at him.
The second I saw him, all those horrible things from the past came flooding back. The harsh things he said to me. The shitty things he did. It all still hurts like it happened yesterday.
I thought I had moved on. But no. I still hate him so much.
He better get the hell out of my way before I lose it.
After a few seconds of silence, he finally moves aside. I walk past him and rush out.
I hurry through the coffee shop, out the door, and onto the street. I take a long deep breath of fresh air and finally start to calm down a little.
I can not believe I just ran into him like that.
I stand there by the street holding onto my bag strap, and worry starts to fill my chest. If I am going to see Jordan every day I work here, I better quit right now.
But what is he even doing here? From what Lola said, it sounded like he was coming in for an interview too. Why would he need a job? I thought his family had money. Maybe he is just working here for fun?
This is so messed up. Right when I thought I found the perfect job, that jerk has to show up and ruin everything.
I sigh in frustration and pull out my phone to text Liam. I tell him the interview went quick.
While I am waiting for him by the street, I hear someone calling my name from behind me. I turn around, and it is Jordan again.
"Stop right there." I point my finger at him to warn him. "Do not take another step closer."
"Okay, okay. Calm down." He holds his hands up and stops a few feet away from me. "It is all good. I just wanted to say hello."
"I think we are past that. We are in the hate each other's guts area now." I do not even try to hide how disgusted I am. "Can you just walk away and pretend you never saw me?"
But he does not move. He just stands there staring at me in this really creepy way. "Sophie, I never hated you. I miss you. Everything has been wrong and different since you left."
My stomach twists. I feel like I am going to throw up.
His words, his face, everything about him makes me sick.
"Just go. Now." I wave my hand at him like I am shooing away a fly. "Please. I do not get it. You slept with someone else. You dumped me. I have moved on from that already. Why are you even talking to me right now?"
He opens his mouth like he wants to say something, but then stops. He frowns and twists his fingers together, like he is trying to work through something in his head. He looks thinner and paler than the last time I saw him. He has dark circles under his eyes.
But I have lost my patience. If he is not leaving, then I will.
I turn around and start walking away. But he rushes forward and grabs my elbow from behind. "Sophie, wait!"
"Let go of me!" I yell.
"No. Okay, one sentence, alright? Just one sentence and then I will leave. Please, just hear me out." His voice is urgent and low, and he tightens his grip on my arm. "Your stepfather is Alexander Thorne, right? Please, you have to help me. My family is going bankrupt because of him. If you could just talk to him and"
I can not believe what I just heard.
That cheating pig has the nerve to come back to me and ask me for a favor?
My whole body is shaking. My head feels like it is going to explode. I am so angry I can not even get a full sentence out.
"How. what are you FUCKING thinking? Do you really think do you seriously believe I am this stupid? No. No. Fuck. Get away from me!"
I start fighting with everything I have. I try to hit him with my bag. But he will not let go.
His hair is messy, his eyes are bloodshot, and his face looks twisted.
And he is still begging. "Sophie, please. This is serious. This is about the future of my family. And mine. I know we did not end well, but we had some good times together, right? Can you do this for the sake of our past? Please, I am not asking for much. Just one call. Just one word with Mr. Thorne would be enough."
He is scaring me. I start screaming for help, loud enough that people walking by stop to stare. Some guy steps forward and shouts at us. "Hey, stop. Miss, is he bothering you?"
Before I can answer, Jordan snaps his head around and shouts back. "Stay out of OUR FUCKING BUSINESS!"
He is crazy. Jordan is crazy. He is literally losing his mind.
I want to run, but my feet feel numb because I am so scared.
Right then, I hear tires screeching. A black Maserati comes flying down the street and stops so close to us that it almost knocks Jordan over.
Jordan jerks around like he is about to go crazy again. But his whole body goes stiff when he sees the driver's door fly open and Liam steps out with fury all over his face.