Sonja
The mailman stood at my stoop, brows knit, holding a sparkling golden envelope in his hands. A letter addressed to me in bold lettering from a person I'd never heard of before. "Miss?" he questioned, glancing from me and then back to the envelope.
"What is it?" I asked back. Something about the font raised the hair on the back of my neck. Packages I could understand, but mailmen didn't usually hand deliver letters, especially ones that looked like they belonged to some Countess living somewhere instead of an ordinary waitress like me.
"It was stated this had to be personally delivered to you." He handed it over and held out his clipboard "Sign here please."
Sighing I jotted my name and with a wave to the postal worker I closed the door and padded over to my kitchen to grab a letter opener. Who even sends letters nowadays? I sliced it open and pulled out the crisp heavy letter inside.
Sonja,
I have been waiting for this day ever since you were a small child. You will come meet me at the following address. My driver will be there to pick you up and I expect you to be on time. We have much to discuss, and I'm looking forward to being with you again.
Don't make me wait,
Jasper Bright
I set the letter to the side as I racked my memory. But I didn't know anyone named Jasper and the tone of it bothered me. Where did this stranger get off on telling me what to do and where to go? It was ludicrous. Ah, maybe that was it then. Maybe it was just some joke. Had to be.
I looked at the address again and pulled open the search feature on my phone inputting the letters in. Staring at the results, my hand shook.. Why in the world was some super rich person looking for me? No, this had to be some huge setup. There was no way someone that lived in a literal mega mansion was looking for me. Still, the date on the letter was tonight. A matter of hours in fact.
I bit my lip. Well, it didn't matter. I had a shift to do and I wouldn't be held up by someone's weird idea of a prank. Running my hands through my hair I retreated to my closet to get dressed and prepared. If I knew Eddie's the place would be packed because of the Fry Day Special.
I twisted the knob in the tub to let my sizzling hot shower build up and focused on shimmying out of my clothes when the doorbell rang again. I debated for a moment about wrapping a towel around myself and answering it but didn't want to give the intruder a free show. Shrugging I closed the door behind me and stepped into my bliss.
Humming a pop tune to myself to drive my mind away from the strange letter I scrubbed my body with my loofah and lathered my hair until the bathroom smelled like chocolate and oranges with a touch of cinnamon, rejuvenating my mood.
Turning off the water I heard it. Heavy pounding that wouldn't quit. I dressed as fast as I could. Towel drying my hair before creeping to the apartment door and peering through the eyehole, who was it? The man on the other side was garbed in black. Blue suit, black tie, black gloves, and he had a large package with him. He slammed on my door again and I stepped away.
"Miss Sonja, I know you're in there. Please, just open the door," demanded a deep gravelly voice.
I stared at the door handle. It was still daytime, and the walls of the apartment were thin enough that if I screamed help would come, but would it come in time? I bit my lip. Was I just being silly about not answering? But this whole day was giving me the creeps. Shivers that just wouldn't fade away.
"Miss Sonja, I can not leave your doorstep until you receive this package. Please, for the sake of my family will you open this door?"
Sighing I gave in and wrenched the knob as I pulled the door open. "Sorry, I was in the shower-"
He held up a hand. "I'm here on my Master's behest. He wanted you to have this for tonight's meeting," he tipped his head to the box. "And he wanted me to remind you that tardiness will be punished."
Punished? "There's been a mistake. I don't know who this master of yours is. I'm just a waitress trying to get by in life and tonight I have a shift. There's no way I'm missing it for some random stranger, especially not one that thinks he can bully and intimidate me!" Huffing I pushed the door to close it but the man grabbed it and wrenched it open.
"Take the box, read the instructions inside. I think for your sake it's best if you cancel your shift tonight, Miss Sonja. If you don't," he glanced away from me, dark brown eyes softening, "you will not be pleased with the results.
The box in question was a large flat square and I couldn't deny that I was tempted to know its contents. Who wouldn't be? "What's inside it?" I demanded.
"All I was ordered to do was to make sure you open the box. I'm now allowed to leave here until you do."
Scoffing, I rolled my eyes at him and slammed the door before locking it. There was no way I could believe that! He wanted to play a silly game like that, fine. I needed to get ready for work or I was going to be late and my boss did not tolerate that. A lot of people had been let go for far less, so humiliated they never came back. I needed this job. Without it I'd be kicked out on the street and with my parents dead and gone, I had nowhere else to go. I retreated back to the bathroom to run a brush through my hair and did my best to forget about the strange man and his even stranger box.
Opening my fridge to prepare a quick meal before work, I bit back a sob. I'd forgotten to get groceries. Chewing on my fingernail I weighed my options. I could go into work early and plead my case with my boss. Even if he wouldn't give me free food, at least it would be reduced in price and out of my wages. Or maybe I could put off eating until after my shift. All I needed was a couple of good tips and groceries would be mine again.
Sighing I grabbed my keys and opened the door to leave and froze. I'd been so distracted by my stomach I'd forgotten the whole strange man with a box, and yet here he still sat, nearly half an hour later. Adjusting my purse on my shoulder I nodded to the box. "If I take that, you'll leave?" He nodded. Bending down I picked up the box and gestured at the exit. "There, I have the box."
"Open it." He insisted, adjusting his tie and running his hands through his smooth black hair, ruffling it in the process. "Please."
I needed to get to work and eat or I'd be on my feet without food again. The last time that happened I'd nearly fainted at work. "Fine." I yanked the top off and promptly dropped the whole thing on the wrong. "What the hell?" I demanded pointing at the thing as if it contained deadly vipers. "I don't know who this guy is, why would he send something like that?"
"He wants you to look your best for tonight's meeting I imagine," the other answered with a shrug. "Thank you for taking it." He turned to leave and glanced back at me over his shoulder. "He's serious about you not being late, Miss. Sonja. Please don't disappoint him. You will not like it if you do." And with those threatening words he walked away and left me alone with the box.
The box that held a full fucking outfit, complete with sparkling jewelry that at least appeared to cost a fortune. Who was this Jasper and why was he so desperate to meet me? I scratched the back of my neck as I stared at the cocktail dress. There was no way in hell I was going to put all this on to meet him. I didn't care who he was or who he thought he was. I had a life to lead and some mysterious stranger was not about to be part of it.
I opened my door and slid the box back inside the confines of the apartment. I'd figure out what to do with it later. Maybe I could just mail it back to that address or whatever. For now, I needed to get my ass to work and get something to eat. The last thing I needed was to be bullied by the other women again if my boss had to care for me in his private office because I passed out.
