WORTHY (2 page)

Chapter Three

Caprice is packed to the rafters, like any other night. No surprises there, it is after all one of the popular French restaurants in New Jersey.

Reservations must be made at least several days before. Unless of course you are one of the elite patrons, then, you can waltz in and a table with a view will be readily provided.

Working in a 5-star restaurant can be grueling and maddening at the same time. Both the maitre d’ and the chefs have huge egos, so do most of Caprice’s clientele. Tempers can easily reach boiling point.

But Caitlin loves the hectic pace. She hopes to run her own small restaurant in the future. Working at Caprice also has its own share of perks. Waiters have a ringside view of every imaginable drama the rich and famous seem to thrive on and every so often fall victim to. From a subtle snub to an all out confrontation, you name it, there’s never a dull moment.

“Katie! The gentleman in Table 9 is complaining his steak is on the raw side. He specifically stated he likes his steak well done. Take it back to the kitchen.” Lucas, the maitre d’ barked out.

“Ogre!” Shannon mumbled under her breath, eyes rolling upwards. Caitlin bit back a chuckle as she made her way to Table 9.

Shannon is the complete opposite of Caitlin. The former has no trouble speaking her mind and going after what she wants, while Caitlin is more of the reserved type. While Shannon seems to have a new guy every other week, Caitlin has never had a boyfriend. The boy who kissed her on the cheek back in 3
^rd
grade certainly doesn’t count.

Shannon has often told to Caitlin to loosen up a bit, but to no avail. But over the course of their friendship, Shannon had seen Caitlin’s claws come out when she was pushed against the wall, like that one time a waiter got cocky and tried to force his attentions on her.

Over the months, the two have somehow forged a unique friendship and closeness to the surprise to the people around them. Shannon is treated like a part of Caitlin’s family and is often a familiar face at the Williams’ dinner table. Well, before Caleb was admitted to the hospital.

It was past 11 PM, and the crowd has slowly dissipated. Shannon and Caitlin finally found a chance for a little chitchat.

“So, how’s it going with Caleb?” Shannon asked trying to sound upbeat, but her eyes showed her worry.

“He’ll be all right.” Caitlin murmured without looking up.

“When will he be discharged, then?” Shannon persisted.

“Perhaps a week after his kidney transplant.” Caitlin was not ready to give Shannon all the details; not because she didn’t trust her but because she feels she cannot contain her emotions. And she certainly doesn’t want to cause a scene and potentially lose her job.

Caitlin could feel Shannon’s stare drilling through the back of her head as if trying to read her thoughts. She gave Caitlin’s arm a comforting squeeze before going to the other side of the room to attend to a customer.

Much later, Shannon and Caitlin finally had the chance to talk and Caitlin poured out all her emotions, which she had been valiantly trying to rein in while she was at the hospital.

“So you’re saying you need to raise twenty grand by the end of the month?! But that’s like three, no,
two
weeks from today.” Shannon knew she was stating the obvious but she needed to say it out loud to allow the information to slowly sink in.

“Seventeen grand, to be exact. I’ve saved up three grand for next semester. But, yeah. I’ve been wracking my brain for ideas. Right now, I’m just about ready to try anything.” Caitlin said, her voice revealing a hint of desperation.

After a minute of silence…

“Hey, I can loan you two grand. It’s not much but it’s yours if you want it.”

Caitlin started to come up with a refusal.

“—And before you start turning down my help, I am not doing this for you. I am doing this for my old buddy Caleb, you hear? So let’s skip the nonsense. A simple thank you will do.” Shannon said, her tone quite familiar. It’s the tone she often used when she would not take no for an answer.

Tears started to well up Caitlin’s beautiful blue eyes. “Thank you, Susie.” Caitlin threw her arms around Shannon to hug her.

“Hey, hey… It’s going to be all right. We’ll try to come up with the remaining amount. Don’t go calling me Susie now, the guys may hear and my reputation will be ruined beyond redemption.” Shannon comforted Caitlin with her own brand of humor.

Chapter Four

The persistent ringing of the phone slowly penetrated Caitlin’s consciousness. Disoriented, her sleep fogged brain tried to locate the source of the annoying sound. With eyes still closed, Caitlin’s hands reached out to retrieve her cell phone from her jacket, which had fallen on the floor, below her bed.

She was just supposed to take a quick shower and get fresh clothes before heading back to the hospital. But exhaustion had finally caught up with her.

“How long have I been asleep?”
Caitlin thought. She felt so weak, she could barely move the rest of her body. A quick glance at the clock on her mobile phone revealed she had slept for 5 hours.

17 missed calls—all from Shannon.

These days, with her brother in the hospital, a phone call often brings some trepidation. What could be so important Shannon had to call her incessantly at the wee hours of the morning?

Pressing the return call button, Shannon answered halfway through the second ring.

“Katie! Thank God, I’ve been trying to call you for ages!” Shannon’s voice seemed so loud, trying to talk above the music pumping in the background.

Caitlin chuckled softly, trust Shannon to exaggerate. “What’s the matter? Where are you?” Caitlin tried to speak louder so Shannon can hear her on the other end.

“I may have the perfect solution to your problem! We need to meet up!” Shannon’s excited voice erased the last traces of sleep.

Sitting up, mind alert, “You better make sure this is not one of your pranks, Susie.” Caitlin warned, her excitement welling up. Despite her carefree nature, Shannon would never pull anything this stupid, but Caitlin just had to make sure. It sounded too good to be true.

“What? No! Of course not! Can you meet me up at The Brew in say, 30 minutes? I need a strong cup of coffee to sober me up.” Shannon said, her excitement did not wane.

“All right, all right. I’ll meet you there. And Susie, whatever the solution is, thank you.” Caitlin said with a rush of emotions.

“Haha, thank me after you hear the deets.” Shannon chuckled.

* * * *

Shannon was already at the coffee shop when Caitlin arrived, her hands around a steaming cup of coffee. Caitlin made her way towards the back section and took a seat across from Shannon.

“I ordered you a cappuccino.” Shannon said, her mood surprisingly somber.

“Thanks, Susie. So where have you been?” Despite her excitement, Caitlin tried to control the urge to pounce Shannon for answers.

“Listen, Katie. I initially thought it was a brilliant idea. For me, it’s the perfect solution. But when I thought about it and you…” Shannon heaved a deep sigh.

“Susie, you’re killing me with suspense. Out with it!” Caitlin let out a nervous laugh.

Shannon leaned forward and started to talk in a hushed tone. “Well, remember the guy I occasionally hang out with at the bar? The one from Princeton?”

“Not really. I long ago stopped trying to keep up with who’s who and who’s the latest.” Caitlin teased, Shannon rolled her eyes in response.

“Nah, you just have a very short attention span.” Shannon retorted. “Anyway, I’m referring to Nick. He’s one of the filthy rich and popular guys in the campus. We occasionally see each other at this bar at I frequent and hook up every once in a while.” Shannon grinned, her eyebrows moving up and down, looking totally obnoxious.

Caitlin tried to act nonchalant but could not stop the blush creeping up to her cheeks. Shannon let out a loud laugh, which echoed across the diner. Apart from the two of them, there were only two customers a few tables away.

“So anyway, Nick is planning to pull a birthday surprise for his best friend, what’s-his-name. And…” Shannon looked at Caitlin intently.

“And…?” Caitlin could feel the butterflies in her stomach.

“And Nick is willing to pay five grand for a night of performance, and another five grand if you are able to seduce the guy and pull him out of his depression.” Shannon let out a nervous laugh. She was looking closely at Caitlin, trying to gauge her reaction.

Try as she might, Caitlin could not stop herself. Her eyes bulged out and her jaw dropped ever so slightly. She was literally stunned at the words spilling out of Shannon’s mouth.

“Of course, I immediately thought of you. I showed him your picture and we both agreed you are the perfect girl for the job since he did not want to hire a slut off the street. Apparently, his best friend has a thing for blondes.” Shannon continued, biting back a laugh. She silently wished she had a camera with her and snap a photo of Caitlin’s face. It’s definitely one for the books!

“Katie?” Shannon snapped her fingers twice.

“Am I getting this correctly? Are you telling me to sleep with the guy and get
ten grand
in return? Like…like playing a high class hooker for a night?” Caitlin slowly rolled out the words as if talking to a 3-year-old child or someone with a comprehension problem.

“Uhhmmn… yes, that’s basically it.” Shannon grinning from ear to ear. She thought it was prudent to let the idea sink in and allow Caitlin time to get used to it.

Several minutes passed. The silence was only interrupted when the waitress delivered Caitlin’s coffee.

“C’mon Katie. Where else can you earn five grand working for a few hours? And besides, you don’t have to go all the way…” Shannon explained.

Caitlin’s head snapped up. “What do you mean? I don’t have to have sex with him?” Her eyes hopeful.

“Well, Nick is basically looking for someone to seduce the guy. Just a sexy lap dance for his birthday, just you and him in the room. If the dance does lead to something else, then that’s another five grand. I know you can dance, not the sexy way but I can teach you.” Shannon explained.

“What if I get cold feet?” Caitlin asked, still not fully absorbing the idea.

“It was you who said you are willing to do anything for your brother, remember? Then you just have to focus on the reason for all this. C’mon, to be honest with you, if I haven’t thought of you, I’d jumped at this opportunity even if I’m not desperate for cash. ten grand is ten grand.” Shannon asserted.

“Besides, if you are not comfortable, you can just perform then leave. End of story. You never have to see him again.” Shannon’s words are slowly knocking away Caitlin’s resistance.

“Did you tell Nick I’ve never been with a man?” Caitlin asked in a small voice.

“Hell no! That would freak the living daylights out of him! I don’t mean to offend you Katie, but you must be the only living and breathing 20-year-old virgin in the state of New Jersey right now, or the entire United States for that matter. The way I see it, the guy will be doing you a favor!” Shannon knew she sounded abrasive, but she wanted to stop Caitlin from thinking too much, which she was prone to doing.

Caitlin blushed. It’s true she had never been with a man. She sometimes wondered what it’d be like to be kissed passionately and to surrender to a man in wild abandon just like in the movies. But she was far too busy with her family to simply hang out and get to know the opposite sex.

Caitlin inhaled deeply. She knew she had to do it. It’s the only way. Forcing her reservations aside, she tried to focus on what she needed to do.

“Okay, I’ll do it, but promise me you will not tell a living soul about this, and we will never speak of this after. Promise me, Susie.” Caitlin implored.

“Of course. You know you don’t have to ask me that. You’re like my sister.” Shannon reassured, reaching out to squeeze Caitlin’s hand. “So, it’s a done deal then? I’ll contact Nick later today.”

Shannon’s words sealed her fate.