CHAPTER 5

A ginger pale girl stands up and grabs her drink, then pours it down Denven's head. He only sat there quietly, trying to control his anger. The girls laughed and one by one they spilled drinks on Denven while Mark watched and smoked, laughing at the sight before him.

"He's totally harmless, what a fucking loser" a   haired chick laughs, then whispered something to the pale ginger bitch.

The ginger girl nods her head and the   haired chick walks to Denven, looking innocently. Just then, the lady slaps Denven hard making him drop on the floor.

"For a big guy, you sure are a weakling" The   haired girl sneers, laughing with the bimbos.

A man enters the private room and sits beside Mark. Denven props himself up and quickly stands.

He sits himself back where he fell and looked like nothing happened.

"Do you not have any dignity, boy?" The man asks, sipping in his cocktail and takes his hat off. The man wore a striped shirt with brown pants. He had a beard, glasses, and a hipster look.

"What dignity, just look at him, Devin-" Mark drunkenly spat, pointing at Denven in disgust.

"He looks like a dropout, probably robbed a couple of businesses and maybe the reason why he's jobless" Mark laughs out, then chugs from his smirnoff.

"Yet you're the one who's educated and spitting insults at him" Devin chuckles, making the girls and Mark quiet.

"Excuse me?" Mark says, setting his mule down.

"Am I wrong? He's not fully accomplished nor near my success" Mark heightening his voice, making Denven uneasy even with an unfazed facial expression.

"The man's got some self control than you, evem though he's some nigga who didn't finish college" Devin laughs, enraging Mark.

Denven stood quickly before Mark could even pull a hair out of Devin. Mark then pushes him away and straightens his suit. He coughs, clearing his throat and tries to stand still though he's drunk.

"I wonder if he can out succeed even your future goals" Devin continues to pester Mark's irritation.

"Oh you think so? We'll see about that" Mark then stands to his feet.

Denven quickly guides Mark out of the building and calls the valet for their ride. 

Denven carries Mark inside the car and slides himself in. The driver then starts driving them home.

The maids rush in to help their master inside the mansion, while Denven stood awkwardly in the hall. A butler taps on Denven and gestures to him to follow.

"Where are you taking me?" Denven asks, following the man through the halls of the mansion.

"Do not speak to me, you are nowhere near clean, educated, or even mannered as I am" the man says and opens a door.

"I am only following orders. This will be your room where you will be staying at" He explains, giving Denven the key to the room.

"The mansion is built with 24/7 cameras recording live footage. Try doing something funny and you won't see tomorrow" The butler says, threatening Denven before leaving.

Denven sighs to himself and turns the lights on inside the room. The bedroom had a nice interior design, a bit small but cozy. A double bed at the center, closet, and another door that must be the bathroom. The walls were cream colored and floor to ceiling windows for either side of the bed.

He sat by the edge of the bed and plopped down. Tomorrow is Mark's rest day, which meant Denven would be left at home. Just a day for himself and not be around judgmental racist people.

He couldn't stand another thought of them, then suddenly he remembers his mom. How is she now? Could she still remember Denven despite her dementia?

He sighs as the memories flood in on him.

"What happened, Mama?" Denven asked aghast through the phone. He sat down on his leather sofa that was beside the big window and fire emergency exit.

"I won't be able to visit you this week, " A frail elderly woman softly speaks through the phone. Denven felt his heart ache, thinking to himself why again would another person die in his life.

"don't put it unto yourself, my dear boy" The woman gushes out, almost as if she knew what was going on in Denven's mind.

"Love will make a way for people we hold de-", "Mama, enough with that. How are we going to pay for your bills?" Denven cries, thinking of his mother getting confined.

"You worry too much, my dear boy" Denven sniffles a bit, not caring that he's crying to his mother.

"Tsk- it's because I love you, mama" Denven states, giving a small laugh which the old woman laughs along.

"And when we love, we do smart things. We are not stupid, because love comes second nature, we know and we show" and those were the last lines he heard from her before she her mother panted heavily.

"Mom, I will work for you whether I have to lick their spit," Denven murmured, hung up the call.

Denven stood to his feet, blinking off the memory from his mind and pushing it aside. Walking towards the bathroom he slips off from his work clothes, tossing them to the basket, and entering the shower.

The water drizzled onto his warm chocolate glow, his hands placed on the tiled walls and his head down having the water pour onto his neck.

"I've made a decision to take this job, to save my mother and myself" Denven sighs, lifting his head up to the shower head, closing his blue hued eyes while doing so.

"I have to endure, even if it meant wrecking my pride and dignity" he wipes down the water from his face, turns around and grabs a bottle of shampoo.

It felt nice, the minty scent and cool feeling it gave on Denven's scalp. The only moments he would have gotten a good shower were days when customers at the coffee shop would pay big tips for his hard work and hospitality.

Denven felt a lump on his throat, the thought of missing his boss and coworkers. The smell of coffee throughout the day. He doesn't even despise the usually broken espresso machine, anymore. Denven thought to himself if they missed him, after telling his boss he had to go. 

"I don't understand-" his boss sat there, dumbfounded at the news.

"It's a long story, and a personal one" Denven says, under his breath