Chapter four
Layla
What did he just say? Did I really hear that I’m going to start working as his maid? But… but I… thought… he must have had the interview with about twenty other ladies could it really be that he didn’t give any of those ladies the job. And all I was passing through was a test of sorts? Because why would he give me the job when it was made clear that I'd offended him on my first day in his house? Him and the entire mansion actually. I really don’t want to come here again, everything is just weird but he is giving me the job and that is going to make me stay in this house. No! I’m not taking the job. I don’t want it anymore, I thought, with the little I’ve seen I might not have peace of mind here if they’ll be testing people like this and/or I’ll have to be involved in it like Martha and the guards.
“Sir, I really don’t want the job anymore. Please, You can give it to someone else” I said and he chuckled, a rich sound that was heart warming, hearing it almost made me whimper.
“Do you know why I picked you?” He asked rhetorically “Ever since your applications came in using the ticket code, I did a research on all the candidates, I asked of your name a few moments ago but of course I already knew it, Layla Mary Vance” he said calling my full name and shocking me, we had applied truly as it was directed in the ticket to send our name and ticket code and some other petty info, I didn’t drop my middle name because I don’t use it, I’m not a believer like my dad was, so Victor Lockwood must have truly done the research he claims to have made or at least he had gotten people to make them for him, he shocked me further with his next words.
“Dead father, living with your mother and brother with little or no means to cater for yourselves despite the multiple shifts that your mom pulls, your brother is still schooling but it’s possible that he drops out when there is no money to foster his education anymore, which is likely to happen pretty soon” he listed my family issues so plainly, do you get that kind of info from the internet too? I asked myself, but I knew the answer to that already, the most probably way was to have had a private detective slash investigator on the job.
“You know when I got the ticket info on you, I thought this girl must be either really stupid or really desperate because there was no way you could have gotten that ticket unless you stole it or by happenstance you found it somehow, so I decided to learn which it is and had people tail you and your family for a while to learn all these, it was then that I realized that it was desperation not stupidity, or rather stupidity out of desperation, something you still portrayed this morning from your repeated ringing of the bell to a mini estate” he said and rolled his beautiful eyes.
“Just think about it, are you ready to go back to that kind of life with your family when you could change all that just by working for me here, the allowance and allocations alone is enough to enact a real change for your family, not to talk of the salary. Well, you are free to go now, I have chosen you, it is left for you to either choose for yourself to live good with your family or to continue to live a miserable life, be back by morning if you’ll accept” he said before walking out.
I felt so scared right then, the thought of a continued miserable life really hit me, it is true that what we might not survive if there is no change in our state of living, which is what might happen if I refuse to work for him, but was I really ready to take him and this whole debacle of the rich and entitled on? There is still his family to contend with, he is accepting of me (out of pity but still accepting), what if his family isn’t as accepting. And then there was this unnatural attraction that
I feel towards him, I call it unnatural because I refuse to believe someone could be as drawn to another person as I was drawn to him, I just want to drown in his every features and moves and speeches.
A lot of thoughts kept rummaging through my head as the guards led me outside the mansion. “If you’ll take the job, make sure you’re here tomorrow morning and with your luggage because you’ll be living here while working, you may decide not to come with anything as well, everything you need will be provided” a guard said before pressing an envelope to my palm and then he went back inside.
I took a look at the contents of the envelope and found a wad of cash too much to serve as transport fare, I gasped at it and quickly hid it, I looked at the mansion as well one last time before boarding a cab home, I have a really big decision to make.
**
Victor
I walked into the sitting room and Olivia spotted me immediately, she got up and ran to me, tackling me with a tight hug. Damn! I’ve really missed her and her goofiness and her craziness.
“Hey bro, I’ve missed you so much” she said still hugging me and although she would never admit it or accept it, I knew for a fact that her voice trembled with emotion.
“Aww, I’ve missed you too lil sis” I said smiling. I’ve really missed her so much, things just weren’t the same with her around, bossing people about and yelling at the slightest provocation, at the very least, now that she is here, my days won’t be as boring anymore and she can finally take back her role as mistress of the mansion, that job wasn’t meant for men, not even those that are good at it, like I have been told I was.
“Ohhh!... Right, my bad… Victor you know my friend, Bayley, I’m sure and Bayley well… my brother, Victor” she introduce us as if we were meeting for the first time, although this could possibly just be the third time we’d meet and the previous ones we didn’t get to see like this. I hadn’t really noticed her before, but now that I did notice her, I have to admit, she is pretty, a real cute one, but the cuteness to me was like that of a mouse, something you keep around as a pet.
“Of course I know him” her friend said smiling at me in a very flirtatious way, “Everyone knows the infamous Victor Lockwood, model and living legend” she said again and I could only smile to that, hoping to God that I don’t look like a mouse as well with the fake smile I gave her, I don’t like such flattery.
She brought her hand up for a handshake “It is such a pleasure to meet you Bayley” I said taking her hand and she still went on with the flirtatious smile at me, when she let go of my hand I noticed she had left a paper in my palm, I opened it without being obvious to Olivia and it read ‘call me maybe…’ with her number scribbled visibly under the words, in my mind I rolled my eyes, I was right after all, nothing but a mouse.
I would have loved to play ball with her, see where all her advances take us, I’m pretty sure it won’t last, besides I can’t see myself enjoying any part of having any sort of relationship with her, but aside from all that, she is my sister’s friend, if we ever have anything together, she’ll know and then I’ll be in for it, she might not let me even dump her properly, she’ll start talking about sticking together and being all serious and responsible. So no, I’m not gonna pursue this, besides… my thoughts trailed off.
“Uhm… Liv, I’ll be leaving now, my parents must be very eager and anxious to see me by now” Bayley said smiling normally at her friend Olivia and I found the smile she gave my sister more loveable than the flirty one she was pulling with me, I rolled my eyes inwardly, pfft, girls.
“Aww… here I thought we could have dinner together before you leave uhn” Olivia said, sometimes I forget how my sister really is, whenever I see her being sweet and doting, especially to someone that is not a family member, I get this whiplash as if I teleported to another universe where my sister is indeed a really nice person, but then, I knew otherwise, her radar for niceness was just so limited, so if it ever picked you up, don’t mess it up, and it seemed Bayley got the memo early.
“Tutt, uhm, maybe some other time Liv, I can visit at anytime now, I Will visit frequently now” Bayley said emphasizing the ‘will’ and a gave a short fast flirt glance at me again, I really wanted to strangle that look off her face and at that thought, I felt a dark ominous chuckle from within me, I rolled my eyes inwardly again, ‘you’d like that wouldn’t you’ I thought before bringing my attention back to the ladies.
“Yeah of course you can, I’ll definitely be expecting those visits” Olivia was saying as she pulled her friend into a hug, I got the indication that they whispered something into each other’s ears, if I concentrated I could have probably made out what they said to each other, but I really wasn’t in the mood to pick up on girl gossip and chatter.
“Uhm… Vic… would you please be a gentleman and help see Bayley off while I go see about dinner and have some of the maids to set up the dinning, Mom and Dad should be about anytime now, hopefully, I want them to meet a typical Liv dinner set up to add to the surprise and celebration of their princess being back home” Olivia said forming the lie within seconds, well the dinner part was true, our parents being back was just a probability but that wasn’t the actual reason why she wanted me to see her friend off, maybe I should have tried to listen to that whispering between them after all. Now I know Olivia is definitely up to something and if it is what I think it is, I really wouldn’t like it, I gave her a knowing look and she just smirked back at me. ‘Oh? Game on?’ I thought.
“Ok fine” I said with a bit of a groan, it was evening already, I really don’t want to be taking aimless walks about under the moonlight, but then, the sun was only just setting.
“Okay then, Bay, we’ll talk later, uhn” she said all too quickly to mark her victory then twirled about on the balls of her feet and headed to the kitchen area.
“Yeah, yeah, ok bye” Bayley said to her departing friend after which both of us headed outside as well.
“So… I kinda feel honored to be escorted by none other than the hottest and most handsome model and movie star in all of New Mexico and arguably all of America ” she said flirt smiling again, my thoughts was ‘Oh really? Flattery? Is that how you wanna play this?’ and I was getting in the mood already.
“I’ve heard that a couple million times Bayley, but coming from a pretty damsel like you, I’m going loco over it” I said now actually flirting back with her.
“Wow really! You just called me a pretty damsel, you really think that of me?” she said blushing and obviously flattered, now, I thought she was probably just a dunce or just clueless if she let herself get flattered by such obvious flirting.
“Haven’t anyone told you that before?” I asked and decided to draw back a bit on the flirting, while I’d want to actually engage her in the flirting game, I really wouldn’t want to lead her on into thinking I’m into her or something.
“Well duh, of course I’ve had many say that to me, but then, coming from the infamous Victor Lockwood, I just feel so special” she said almost purring like a well petted kitten, annoying.
'Uh, special indeed’ I thought with another mind eyes rolling. “Ok so, I’ll call you later and we’ll talk some more. I need to go back and sort a few things before the whole family is set for dinner” I said to her once we got to the place by the road where she is to wait for the car that was coming to pick her up, - one of ours that was being brought around by one of our bodyguards, all arranged by my sister- the last thing I wanted was to have awkward moments with her whilst standing and waiting even if it was for the shortest of minutes.
“Yeah, ok, sure” she said smiling happily, so after thinking about it for about a nanosecond, I gave her a quick soft peck on her cheek before heading back inside. I really do hope that I don’t come around to regret doing that.
**