With trembling hands, she grasped the mug of warm tea and brought it to her lips, taking a small sip of the drink.
She lifted her gaze to the boy accompanying her, noticing that he had been watching her the whole time. James seemed concerned about her condition and cared about her more than she needed.
She set the cup down and rubbed her hands over the pajama pants she had changed into when she got home. Her going-out clothes were so wet that she could have squeezed a bowl of water out of them.
- I would rather not wake you up in the middle of the night, but you were the only person I thought about at that moment," she declared in a low voice.
He lifted the corners of his mouth upward and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
- And what did I mention to you before you left? - She blinked her eyelids as their gazes met. - After all, I notified you that I would be on the phone at all times.
She took the mug in her hand again, but did not sip her tea but stuck her gaze in it, unable to look James in the eye. She felt stupid when she thought about her childish behavior. Furthermore, she couldn't appreciate him when he extended a helping hand to her. He provided her with a roof over her head and a job from which she had a steady income.
He didn't hear any thanks from her, and in addition was pelted with mud, having to contend with her disobedience. Wouldn't another man have immediately thrown such a person out of his house? He didn't, and as if that weren't enough, he was able to come for her in the middle of the night when she was in danger.
Wasn't that strange?
She lifted her face and carefully measured the man sitting across from her, wondering what was his purpose in doing this? Why was he trying to help her from the very beginning?
- Why are you looking at me like that?
The blonde squinted her eyes and put a finger to her lips, assuming the position of a thinking person.
- I wonder why you are sitting here with me instead of going back to your bedroom. Don't you have to get up for work in the morning?
- I am able to stand without sleep for many hours, so I prefer to make sure you are okay and wait until you get there. - These words made a special impression on her, even though she tried not to show it from herself.
- I feel much better. I'll refill my tea, and then I'll lie down," she assured him, sending him a slight smile.
Her hands were still trembling, which was visible to him. He guessed that she still hadn't recovered and was trying to pretend to be a tough girl, as she had been doing all along.
Chloe had a character that did not allow her to admit any weakness. She would rather not show from herself that she was still shaken after what had recently happened to her. She was suffocating everything inside and was not going to open up to him, which is what he hoped for the most.
Furthermore, she put down her mug of tea and got up from the table, intending to head to the bathroom and take a warm shower, but was stopped by a firm grip around her wrist. She looked over her shoulder, surprised by the director's behavior, but let him lead her to the kitchenette, which was connected to the living room.
The young man took something out of the cabinet and pressed it into her hand. She looked at it carefully, then fixed her puzzled eyes on him.
- Why are you giving me this?
- You should take it. It will prevent a cold. - He let her go and poured some mineral water into a glass, slipping it under the girl's nose. - If you need anything else, go ahead and call me.
He headed to his room, but before he crossed the threshold, Chloe spoke up:
- Why are you kind and helpful toward me when others hate me? How is it possible that you still put up with my behavior and try to be on my side?
He stopped in mid-step, and a mysterious smile appeared on his face.
- Because I am different from others.
This was not the answer she expected, and she could have cut her hand off that James was hiding something. There were few people in the world who were so eager to show help to others, and certainly not people of his kind.
Then only one thought came to her mind: could it be that James knew her?
*
She woke up in a strange position; with her shirt rolled up to her breasts and her hands sticking out of the bed frame. She realized that she must have had a nightmare night, and indeed she had, since the quilt was on the floor.
Likewise, she rose to a sitting position and opened her eyes wider when she noticed the time on her phone. It was only then that her attention was drawn to the card that lay beside her pillow.
Good morning,
This morning is a particularly lucky one for you because I have turned off the alarm clock on your phone. I've decided to let you rest, but don't think to yourself that this excludes you from performing the duties that belong to you. Since you'll be sleepy, I'm counting on your work to be more efficient and especially to please me.
Your Employer
P.S This is the first time I've seen a woman sleep in the frog position.
Chloe opened her eyes wider when she realized that James had seen her in such a state. She slept uncovered, with her blouse rolled up over her stomach and in the baby position, which must have looked strange, considering that she was already a woman.
She crumpled up the piece of paper and threw it into the farthest corner. Furthermore, she got off the mattress and, scratching her belly, left the room. With hair that looked like it had come out of an encounter with a tornado and sleepy eyes, she was greeted by the landlord and Chris, who had just entered the apartment.
James seemed amused by the sight, which could not be said of his friend.
The brunet's face expressed bewilderment; he looked as if he didn't expect that there are women who present themselves in such a nightmarish manner after waking up.
- You wrote me a note in which you allowed me an extended rest, and now you bring home this snowman? - Her indignation was so loud that James decided to explain himself immediately.
- Forgive me, but I did not expect that this would be the exact moment when you would get up. I was hoping that you would continue to be immersed in sleep.
- Plunged into sleep? - she repeated and stuck a furtive glance at the tall man, who for some unknown reason began to giggle. - And what are you laughing at, idol? Haven't you seen a woman in pajamas just getting out of bed?," she sneered.
At that moment Chris felt like strangling her for the words that came out of her mouth, but was stopped by his friend, who blocked him from reaching the girl.
- How do you put up with this crazy girl in one house? Weren't there any other girls you could have offered the job of housekeeper to? I bet you would have had at least one decent line," he turned to him, not noticing the madness according to the blonde, who was not going to forgive him for calling her a housekeeper.
- That's not my housekeeper," James corrected him, glancing at the girl's fiery face out of the corner of his eye. - She's a roommate who helps me with household chores.
- You're bullshitting, man. - Chris patted him on the shoulder. - She's a regular housekeeper. Did she brainwash you?
He didn't have an opportunity to turn to face her, and he was already attacked. Chloe was much shorter than him, so she jumped up and grabbed him by the hair, pulling so hard that he bent in half watching the white ceiling.
- Are you taunting me like this and trying to pin the housekeeper patch on me at all costs?
- James, get this little monster away from me! - snarled at his friend, who, with a nod, asked the girl to stop.
She obeyed James because after what he had done for her, she was immensely grateful to him.
- And so on a day it will come to the point where she will pour boiling water on the head of this snowman," she threatened, gazing intensely at Chris' face. - I'm going to the bathroom, and I'll come out only after you say goodbye to your guest," she turned to James, who ignored her remark. He opened the drawer and began to take everything out of it, looking for a blue folder.
- Don't shower for too long, or you'll still drown in it," the brunette mocked. Chloe wrinkled her nose and showed him the middle finger, but the young man ignored this, not intending to stoop to her level.
- We only stopped by for a moment because I need documents, and we are on our way. Today I can go home a little later," James spoke up, looking through the contents of the briefcase.
- Are you guys already at the point where you write letters to each other, talk about everything and walk by each other looking so sassy? - Chris asked, pointing with his hand to the disheveled blonde. - It's normal that this happens when there is a man and a woman in the apartment, but James for God's sake, not with this monster! It in no way resembles a woman.
Although Chloe never cared about other people's opinions and didn't give a damn when someone claimed she wasn't as beautiful and well-groomed as other women, this time Chris made her uncomfortable. She didn't even know why. She couldn't fathom why it happened, when it came out of the mouth of a boy she didn't like.
But she understood it when her gaze automatically rested on James.
She felt humiliated with him and didn't want those words to reach him. She hoped he would at least ignore it, but he surprised her when he stood up for her and decided to tease his friend. He reacted to his words in a way that made her heart grow warmer.
- Everyone has an opinion, and I think the monsters are fake women who go under the knife even though they don't need it at all. I will never understand how they can please you. - Chloe discovered in this a gruff response, which particularly alluded to Chris's adoration of Isabelle. She supposed that girls like her were not his type. - Natural women are the most beautiful. - As he passed, he let out a discreet eye to her.
Chris looked deeply shocked. He didn't expect his friend to stand up for the girl, but he would rather not drag this out any longer, so he just let it go.
- Did you find the documents? - He asked, entirely changing the subject.
- We can go now. - They both left the apartment, and then a slight smile appeared on the blonde's face.
She went into the bathroom and looked at her reflection in the mirror, thinking that she looked pretty good for a girl who had just gotten out of bed.
She shrugged her shoulders and took off her pajama blouse, and that's when her attention was caught by an item that was lying on the sink. Furthermore, she took it in her hand and carefully looked at the bracelet made of black thong. Attached to it was a silver circle with the word "happiness" on it, and on the other side was the engraved initial "AG".
This bracelet was the same as hers, except that the initials differed.
Then Chloe looked at her reflection in the mirror again, and a bright light came on in her head.
Could James be that boy from the past? The person she met at the orphanage when she was a child? Was it a strange coincidence and they simply owned identical bracelets?