Chapter 12 - RULES

𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑟𝑑 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑛𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟

Nino's moments of elation deflated when he mentioned rules. She has to obey rules in her own parent's house. Who does that? No matter how crazy and absurd it sounded, she has no choice but to compromise. He's the bearer of the house and until she's able to pay off her debts, she will do the things he said.

"Rules?"

He nodded and leaned against the sofa, crossing his legs again. "More of a contract on how things should be done while living with me."

She gave him a querying look but didn't try to quibble with him. "What do I have to do?"

He stood up and whisked upstairs to his room. Jiffies later he came back with a piece of paper and a pen and handed them over to her. Nino quirked a brow, wondering why he handed her a piece of paper and pen.

"To write down the rules," he injected, taking his place on the sofa. "Don't quiz me with your eyes and write," he authorized in a firm tone.

"One," he commenced. "I hate noise so I will appreciate it if you try as not to drop a pin because that little noise of it irks my ears." Nino sealed eyes with him, perplexed at his rule number one. What sort of human is he? Why is he trying to make it arduous for her to live in her house?

Is this a way he devised to send her evacuating? He signalled to the paper and Nino knew he meant her to write it down. "And no singing when I'm around."

"Objection Sir," Nino halted her hand and look up from the paper to him. "You can't stop me from singing, it's something you can't control.…"

"Yes, I can," he shushed her up. "Didn't you hear me say I hate a noisy area? If you want to live with me here, I suggest you don't oppose me and do as I have instructed. Nino licked her lower lip and gaped at him for a minute, she stifled a caustic chuckle and lowered her eyes to the paper. She jots down his absurd rules.

"Two. Don't use the kitchen when I'm using it." This time Nino drops the pen in frustration. She glared at him, infuriated at his weird rules.

"Excuse me but you are beginning to get me pissed with your rules. "This is my parent's house and you don't have to set some silly rules just because I'm at your mercy."

"And you must've forgotten I bought it over." He kept his eyes on her and never blinked. His gaze was causing trouble to her body. She felt herself falling prey to his eyes. Though she was the one protesting, his deterring and undecipherable eyes always make her efforts seem ineffective.

"You are right in one thing," he leaned forward to her, "you are at my mercy. Now write," he urged.

Nino scowled at him and quirks the corner of her lips in annoyance. She jerked the pen and jots in a torrent manner.

"Three," he leaned back but his eyes never left her. He looked at the woman before him. Something about her is enthralling, and he can't seem to figure her out. Her true personality. She always seems to switch attitudes making it difficult for him to know her. There's no point in doing so, he told himself.

"Don't ever inv...," she put up her hand in the air. "May I object Sir?" Toro ogled at her for a fleeting moment and nodded.

"What if I'm desperately in need to use the kitchen and you happened to be there? What if I'm super duper hungry?"

"Then you've to wait till I'm done."

"Seriously?" She looks away and laughs. She shook her head several times in frustration. 𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑠𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠? 𝑊ℎ𝑜 𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡'𝑠 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑒? 𝑁𝑖𝑛𝑜 𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑡. 𝐸𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑡, 𝑖𝑡'𝑠 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑎 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒. She inhaled, calming her nerves before turning to face him. "Continue?"

"Don't ever include me in your mess again. Whatever it is, don't drag me into them and deal with your shits yourself. I hate meddling in other people's affairs."

She nodded and tugged back her bangs, which obscured her view from writing. "Next?"

"Hmmm," he paused for a minute and puts a finger under his chin. "I think that's all. I believed you outlined that well?"

"One, no noise and no singing." She embarked on reading even when he didn't authorise her. "Two, don't use the kitchen when I'm doing so. Three. Don't involve me in your matters and four…. There's no four. Is that all?"

"I see you've more rules to write down." He prompts. Yes, the number four. The house should be tidy at all costs, so any form of dirt is an eyesore to me. Living with me, you got to be clean-minded."

"I need to employ cleaners too." He mumbled the last part to himself but she heard him.

"He heaved a breath and stood to his feet. He walks off but she stopped him in his tracks. "I've got a proposition for you," her lips curled into a smile but there was something devilish about the smile she gave him. What is she trying to do?

"Not interested," he yanked her hand from him and continue on his step but she was too quick to curb him with her arms spread out.

"Why do you have to employ cleaners when one is standing here before you?" She gestured to herself. The smug smile was still plastered on her face.

He raised a brow inquisitively.

"Why don't you employ me as your cleaner?" She paused and waited for him to say something or object but he didn't move a muscle. "I'm a very experienced cleaner and a fast one. Don't stress yourself by employing a cleaner, I can do the work."

Nino bit her lower lip and lowered her head. She shuts her eyes. Anger sipping through her skin, she got no choice but to gulp down her pride and become a cleaner in her parent's house. It's just a matter of time.

"This house requires a lot of cleaners, not just one."

"Shhhh….," she placed a finger on his lips. Shutting him up. Frisson jogged down his back at what she did. This woman is sure not fearless and he noticed she never uses honorifics on him except when she does with sarcasm.

"Mister, I have been living my whole life in this house. I have been taking good care of it, my whole life. So I'm more qualified for this duty." He didn't enunciate a word instead he gawked at her before tracing his eyes to her finger on his lips. Her sanity returned when she realised what she had done.

She hurriedly pulled her finger away from him, feeling her cheeks heat up with embarrassment. "I'm….sorry. You weren't going to listen to me but I promise you, you gonna marvel at my craft in cleaning."

"What do you want?" He tugged his hands in his pants pockets and strid back to the sitting area. Sitting down.

"The picture here is that you are the landlord and I'm the tenant." She followed him to the sitting room. "So what I'm saying is that I clean your house, and you pay me for the service."

"Okay," he said indifferently. "However your salary will be $200."

"Hold on, Mister? This is a huge house." She motioned at the rooms upstairs and the other rooms associated with it. "If you were to employ cleaners, you gonna pay more than that so my charge is $500 per day."

"I knew from the start you are money-minded." Nino shrugged at his comment but retained the smile on her face. "But I'm not going to pay you that. 300$ and if you try to haggle words with me, you might as well start your preparation of vacating the house."

"Fine," her shoulders slumped at his solid tone. "300$ is it. But remember any day you fail to pay it, the next day comes with interest." She jots on the paper and requests one of his fingers.

"Why my finger?"

"Just give it to me," she seizes his hand when he hesitated to give it to her. She smeared the ink pen on his thumb to his awe and attempts to place it at the right edge of the paper but he didn't let her.

"What are you doing?" He cast her an odd look, refusing to comply with her demand.

"Signing your signature on it." She forcibly pressed his finger on the sheet, though the aftermath came out roughly. "That's more like it, this will serve as evidence if you try to cheat me."

Toro muffled a quiet laugh. "Can I have your hand as well?"

"Why?"

He reached out and clasps her hand, taking the pen as well and smearing it on her thumb. Then placed it beside the rules she did write down. "It's official now. Any day you sever any of these rules marks your last day in this house and note that the relationship between us is that of a landlord and tenant."

She quirked the corners of her lips and sighed. "Ayé," she salutes. "Now it's official, let's introduce ourselves." She interjected wearing a crisp smile.

"I'm Nino Peterson, the owner of the house you prowled." She extended her hand to him. Maintaining eye contact with him.

"I'm Toro Kim, the rightful owner now." He retained his eyes on her for a brief moment before taking her hand. "And you resume work tomorrow."

"I have my company to take care of tomorrow." She revolts.

"You need to reschedule your company time because you work for me now." He stood up again and leaves but whirled to her. "Remember the rules. Remember."

"Let's exchange phone numbers in case of any emergency, technically to have each other's contact since we now live together." She stared at him, waiting on him to comply. Reluctantly, he pulled out his phone and requested her phone number which she called out for him. He called his after he had stored her digits on his phone.

"We are good then." He strode off.

She nodded and watched his figure disappear upstairs into his room. Her parent's room. She fistbumps in the thin air and wriggled her lips in annoyance. What an annoying egoistic brat.

Who is he to set rules in my own house? If only I'm done paying off my debts. I won't be stuck with him, she mumbled to herself. What planet is he from? Is singing prohibited on his planet including noise? She droops herself on the sofa's hood and stared into nothingness.

"Mom, Dad. If only you didn't borrow that huge amount of money from him ( Mr Warren ) I won't have to face this problem." For the first time, Nino felt the urge to blame her parents for her plight.