Chapter 105 Katniss, Come In
When Katniss rolled back into the store with the coffee, Brenda had already wrapped up with the customers and was strolling out of the break room, ready to punch out.
Seeing Katniss, Brenda paused for a sec, then hustled over and grabbed the coffee. "Sorry, Mrs. Grayson, for making you wait."
Brenda didn't give her any grief for being slow, which kinda threw Katniss off.
Cynthia and Brenda whispered something to each other, then shot her a look with a bit of worry.
"Katniss, there's a customer waiting for you in the VIP room," Cynthia said, arms crossed.
Katniss, who was fixing her clothes at the door, stopped and glanced toward the VIP lounge.
"Katniss, we've been playing fair at work these past few days. We haven't given you any extra crap, so don't make things tough for us. We're all in this together; let's help each other out," Brenda said, trying to sound friendly but coming off a bit awkward.
Feeling a bit confused, Katniss just shrugged it off and headed into the VIP lounge.
Cynthia gently tugged on Brenda's sleeve, worried, "She actually knows Miss Astor, the future boss of Synergy Global Corporation! Their relationship can't be that tight, right? What if Katniss really rats us out?"
"We haven't given her any extra crap. Just zip it and let's listen in." Brenda pulled Cynthia to the outside of the VIP lounge, eavesdropping on the convo inside.
Inside the lounge, Katniss was surprised to see Bella and Isla chilling on the sofa chairs.
Bella was the happiest, not only because she found Katniss, but also because she saw that Katniss was indeed the lowest-ranking server!
"Miss Astor, Miss Tudor," Katniss quickly got her game face on, smiled, and walked up to them. "Welcome. Here to check out some dresses?"
Bella, sitting with her legs crossed and back straight, said, "We just heard you were working here and came to see you. After all, we are acquaintance."
Katniss politely replied, "Thanks, Miss Astor, for thinking of me. I'm doing pretty well here."
Isla couldn't help but laugh. "Katniss, you don't really think we came here just to see you, do you?"
Standing six feet away from Isla and Bella, Katniss could feel the bad vibes coming off them. She knew they weren't here for a friendly visit but to mess with her.
But Isla didn't catch on; Katniss was just playing nice.
After a couple of laughs, Isla's face turned red, and she shot Katniss a look. "So fake!"
Katniss smiled again, definitely fake.
"Since we're here, let's check out some dresses and help Katniss with her sales." Bella got up and wandered around the custom-made dresses in the back, casually pointing at two dresses. "Grab those two for me to try."
"Okay." Katniss didn't care if they were actually buying or just messing around. She turned to take the dresses off the mannequins.
Isla quickly picked two more to try on.
Taking this chance, Katniss prepped some tea and snacks, standing outside the fitting room, waiting.
After a bit, Bella came out, checked herself in the mirror, and said it didn't work, then went back to change into another one.
Still not happy, she picked three more, trying them on over and over.
Isla did the same, and soon Katniss was holding seven or eight dresses that had been tried on and tossed aside.
But she kept a polite smile on her face, showing no sign of losing her cool.
Seeing this, Bella pushed it further, plopping down on the sofa and casually pointing at two more dresses. "I'm beat from all this changing. Take those two down so we can check out the material."
Katniss turned to grab them and handed them to Bella, who felt them for a moment before passing them to Isla.
Almost all the dresses on the mannequins in the lounge were taken down, along with some hanging on the racks.
When Katniss brought them over, the dresses were still on hangers, but Isla took the hangers off and tossed the dresses in a heap on the single sofa.
"We've been looking forever and haven't found anything we like. I'm super thirsty," Bella said, rubbing her throat. "This tea is cold. Can you get us a fresh cup?"
"Sure, no problem." Katniss took the cold tea away and soon came back with two cups of warm tea. "Here you go, enjoy."
Bella raised an eyebrow and said, "I don't like tea. Get me some coffee."
"I don't drink tea either. Get me a milk tea," Isla said, exchanging a glance with Bella, feeling smug at Katniss's obedient demeanor.
But Katniss didn't react as they expected. She took the tea away and soon returned with coffee and milk tea.
Bella complained that the coffee was too bitter and asked for a different flavor.
Isla said the milk tea was too hot and asked for ice.
The snacks on the table were either too sweet, too dry, or not pretty enough.
After three hours, it was dark outside, and the lounge was a mess, with all the dresses thrown on the sofa.
The table was cluttered with various teas and snacks.
Bella got a call from her parents, which finally made her think of leaving. She got up, grabbed her bag, and walked over to Katniss with a smile. "Seeing you puts me in a bad mood. I don't want to buy anything. You don't mind, do you?"
"Of course not." Katniss's professional smile seemed glued to her face.
No matter how long Bella had been messing around, Katniss stayed cool. "This way, please. I'll see you out."
She opened the lounge door and followed Bella and Isla out.
Laura quickly approached with a smile. "Miss Astor, Miss Tudor, thank you for your time. Please come this way to settle the bill."
"Settle what bill?" Bella glanced at Katniss and said, "None of the dresses fit well. Can't we just not buy anything?"
For the entire three hours, Laura, Cynthia, and Brenda all thought Katniss had landed a big sale!
'After all this time, they must have picked several dresses, right? But not a single one?' Laura wondered.
"And by the way, your staff's service is terrible. Can we file a complaint?" Isla added.
Laura was stunned and turned to look at Katniss.
Katniss stood behind them, showing no intention of defending herself.
"Of course, you can," Cynthia said, turning to fetch a complaint form from the counter. "It's more convenient to sit here and write."
Bella and Isla moved to another spot and seriously started nitpicking.
Isla wrote first, and just as she was about to hand the pen to Bella, Cynthia quickly said, "Miss Astor, only one complaint can be filed per visit."
In other words, Bella and Isla's complaint would only count as one.
Bella's face darkened, looking very displeased.
"But Miss Astor, you can come back tomorrow to file another complaint. Additionally, each complaint deducts a thousand dollars from Katniss's salary, and after three complaints, she faces termination." Cynthia reminded them while glancing at Katniss, who was being called to a corner by Laura for a talk.
Bella smiled with satisfaction. "I see. In that case, I won't complain today. See you tomorrow."
Cynthia and Brenda escorted Bella and Isla out, then gathered together, feeling secretly pleased. They peeked into the messy lounge, both surprised and excited.
When Laura questioned her, Katniss only said, "Personal grudge."
Seeing the state of the lounge, Laura believed it was indeed a personal grudge.
Laura said, "You need to handle this well. Fortunately, there were no other customers this afternoon, otherwise it could affect others. If they come back tomorrow, try to avoid them."
Katniss nodded. "Thanks for the heads-up, Laura. I'll be more careful."
"Alright, you all clean up here and get ready to clock out." Laura called Cynthia and Brenda over, but they refused outright.
"This mess wasn't made by our customers. We're not cleaning it up."
"Yeah, Cynthia and I have plans after work. Let her clean it up herself."
Laura wanted to say something but saw that Katniss had already started cleaning, so she didn't push it.
The custom-made dresses were made of silk and other delicate materials, which would wrinkle easily if not handled carefully. All the dresses thrown on the sofa needed to be ironed before being hung up again.
The cups and other items they used also needed to be washed and sanitized.
By the time everything was done, it was almost midnight.
Feeling hungry, Katniss rubbed her sore back and couldn't help but sit on the sofa for a short rest.
Looking at the lounge, now restored to its original state, she rested for five minutes before grabbing her bag and leaving.
By then, the mall was empty except for the patrolling security guards.
There were hardly any people on the street, and the cold wind whipped against Katniss's cheeks, stinging painfully.
"Katniss," Tyler's car had been parked by the roadside. Seeing her approach, he rolled down the window and asked, "Why are you getting off work so late?"
Katniss felt a bit annoyed, not realizing he was there. "Mr. Wright, I've just finished cleaning the store; It took quite a long time."
"Get in, I'll drive you home," Tyler said, leaning over to open the car door.
But Katniss immediately closed it from the outside, bending down to say, "Thanks, Mr. Wright, but I live nearby. It's just a few minutes' walk. It's late, time to go home and rest."
Without waiting for Tyler to say anything, she turned and walked away.
Tyler grew increasingly curious about who Katniss really was.
The HR manager at headquarters not only refused to tell him about Katniss's identity but also advised him to stop asking and to stay away from her.
He drove quietly behind Katniss, following her for two blocks until he saw her enter an apartment complex. He was stunned.
That apartment was worth a fortune. Could she really afford to live there?
At Synergy Global Corporation, Ryan, with dark circles under his eyes, reported on his work. After Tristan responded with a simple "Got it," Ryan didn't leave.
Instead, he quietly said, "Mr. Forbes, these tasks aren't urgent. They can be handled tomorrow."
It was already late at night, and he was barely holding on.
"Schedule a visit to Grand Era Mall for tomorrow morning," Tristan said without looking up.
Ryan shivered. No wonder they were working through the night. He quickly went to arrange the visit to Grand Era Mall for the next day.
At 3 a.m., Tristan put down his pen, rubbed his temples, and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, lighting a cigarette to clear his mind.
In the reflection of the window, his features were obscured by swirling smoke, carrying a hint of restlessness.
Whatever he was thinking about, he turned and dialed the intercom. "Katniss, come in."
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