The following morning Miguel woke up with a dull headache and a tender forehead. Somehow, he was thankful for Mr. Kingsley, who brought him an ice pack and pain reliever yesterday. However, he was still wary of the man. Sir Henry quite has fierce temper. Aside from that, the man was filled with muscles that did not seem to be just for decoration. He could break Miguel with just his hands if he so wished.

Miguel shuddered at this thought. He sat up and took the remaining Ibuprofen.

It was a blessing that it was a weekend. He did not need to go to the school nor to the office. However, he still had another part time job later in the day.

            Miguel hoped that the rotund man from yesterday would not remember how his expensive clothes were soiled by his vomit. His boss knew the sleazy man based from his recollection of the events.

He dreaded the coming Monday. If the molester were to make any complaints to their company, who was to say that Miguel would not be implicated? It would be highly likely that he would be dismissed from his job at the company. The people of U country had a prejudice towards people of another race. It was a known fact that U country hated immigrants. He would not stand a chance even if he was the victim.

He could not afford to lose a job with the amount of debts he had to pay. He had to be careful not to offend anyone.

After taking a bath and changing his clothes, he decided to check in with Glinda. Just in case there was a problem at least he would be prepared to look for a new job.

While he was combing his hair, his smartphone suddenly rang causing him to be startled.

            He was filled with dread when he saw an unknown number. He got anxious with this kind of calls the most.

            “Hello?” He answered in a soft voice that didn’t seem his.

            “Hi! Is this Miguel?” The voice sounded a little hoarse.

            “Yes, Sir.” Miguel confirmed in a puzzled tone.

            The man on the other line cleared his throat. “This is Stephen. I apologize for not introducing myself first.”

             “Oh. It’s alright, Sir. I just did not expect you to call my number.” Miguel wondered why his boss called.

            “Ah, yeah. By the way I how are you feeling right now? Is your head hurting? Yesterday was...” His boss stopped mid-sentence.

            Miguel contemplated whether to talk about the incident because he did not know his boss that well; if he could even count on him or not.

            “I’m alright, Sir. Thank you for your concern.” In the end Miguel decided not to talk too much lest it will bring problems to the company.

            “I’m glad. You should rest well this weekend. What he did to you was wrong. Listen, I’ve already sent a heads up for the HR. Do you want to press charges?”

            Miguel paled. “I don’t want to cause any trouble, Sir.”

            “It wasn’t your fault. I’m sure there were CCTV cameras for the hallway. Maybe we should have gone to the hospital yesterday, then filed a complaint to the police? I’m sorry. Why didn’t I think of that sooner? Darn it.”

            “Sir. It’s alright, Sir.” Miguel couldn’t afford to pay for a lawyer and for incurring costs of the court proceedings. Eventually, he heard the man sigh on the phone.

            “If another incident happens to an employee of the company, I swear I’m going to have to file charges. No way am I going to take any sort of harassment lying down.” Miguel heard his boss’ resolute tone.

            When their conversation ended, the heavy weight on Miguel’s chest was lifted. He was so grateful that he found an ally in his boss. He was also glad that he still had a job to look forward to on the coming Monday. He left the villa relaxed and filled with renewed energy for his next work.

             His workmates to noticed how he smiled warmly. His bright demeanor was a stark contrast against the suspicious dark bruise on his forehead. The manager approached and couldn’t help but ask about his injury. He told her that he bumped against the edge of the door while sleep walking.

            Even his first client asked him the same question. After telling the same answer, he was able to do his work without any interruptions.

            His break rolled out and he was able to hold his phone. When he checked it, he saw a message from Victor.

            The doctor complained to him that his lab rats were being stubborn.

            Miguel chuckled and replied, “Maybe you should give it a rest. Give them some treat they could not resist. Then try again.”

            “Let’s make a bet. If your suggestion works, then I will treat you to dinner. If it fails, you will treat me to dinner,” the doctor replied with a wink.

            “That’s not fair.” *pout* “Either way you end up well fed.” Miguel stifled a laugh with the back of his hand.

            “Cheapskate!” *folds arms over chest*

            *Puffs steam out of nose* “Hey, don’t insult us money savers. You glutton!” *Stuck-out tongue*

            “Hey, don’t insult a connoisseur of good food. You piggy banker!” *Stuck-out tongue* “Catch ya later Dimples!” *grin*”

            Miguel couldn’t help but laugh at the doctor’s text messages. He kept his phone back in his sling bag and secured it in his locker. His other clients were not nosy thankfully so he was able to focus on his work. The last client however, turned up to be a no show. It was almost closing time. Even the manager told him to clean up and be ready to sign out.

And so, he began to fix and disinfect the room. His back was to the door as he removed the bed cover.

            Click!

The sudden sound of the door being locked made Miguel jump.

“We meet again Moya Milaya.”