Sealing the deal

Malia's P.O.V.

I woke up to the sound of someone knocking on my door. 

Ack. My back felt like it's been stabbed multiple times! I bit my lip as I felt my private part aching as well. Right. We did it last night. 

I groggily got out of bed and stumbled over to answer it. It was the girl who had helped me last night, the one who had brought me to this room and given me that lingerie.

"Hey," she said softly. Compared to the stoic expression she had last night, right now, she's giving that motherly vibe. "Sorry to wake you up. Mr. Marcus needs to talk to you but he's not here right now. He'll be back soon, so just stay in the house and wait for his orders."

I rubbed my eyes, still trying to wake up fully. "What kind of orders?" I asked.

"Just whatever he needs you to do," she replied cryptically. "Don't worry, though. You did great last night, and he was impressed with you. He just needs to talk to you about some things."

Fuck it. So, she knew what happened.

How can she say those words with a straight face? 

I felt a knot form in my stomach. I wasn't sure I wanted to hear what Mr. Marcus had to say. But I know I don't have a choice either. 

"Okay," I said hesitantly. "I'll wait here."

The girl nodded and turned to leave. "Just relax," she called over her shoulder. "Everything will be okay."

As she disappeared down the hallway, I couldn't help but wonder what Mr. Marcus had in store for me. But for now, all I could do was wait and hope for the best.

"Ha…" I felt relief as soon as I laid myself to bed. 

It's better to wait here, that way, I still have time to recover. Mentally and physically. 

Every inch of my body's aching from last night. I wasn't aware that Mr.Marcus would do it until dawn. 

The memories of last night came rushing. 

Hmph! "He's unfair," I mumbled. 

The evil and angel in my conscience are telling me that I am nuts to agree to Mr.Marcus' offer last night. But I can't blame them, it was my choice after all.

I could not even blame Mr.Marcus alone and call it that he'd taken advantage of me because I did have a choice to refuse.

"It's just that…" A tear fell on my cheek. "This is what desperation feels like." I suddenly felt emotional.

I should've known this feeling, but ever since my parents abandoned me and my brother, I never offered myself for mere money. 

"What the hell am I thinking? It's for my brother's medication." 

And I wouldn't even be caught up in his mess when I stopped him in the powder room. Somehow, half of what's happening to me is my fault. 

Dang. I feel pathetic. I even told myself that I'll seduce him and get a few dollars out of his pocket, but now that I'm here, I was shocked by everything. 

"Having sex with him isn't in my plan anyway." 

After being quiet for a few seconds, I shook my thoughts off. Let's not think about him for now. 

"I need to call Dorothy." 

I took a deep breath and picked up my phone to call my best friend, Dorothy. 

"Hey, girl!" Dorothy answered cheerfully. "What's up? How's the event?"

I smiled, feeling a little nervous. "It was good!" I paused. "I have some news," I said, trying to sound as casual as possible. "I accepted a job out of town."

"What? That's amazing!" Dorothy exclaimed. "Where are you going?"

I hesitated for a moment, trying to come up with a plausible answer. "It's a little town in the Midwest," I said, hoping she wouldn't ask for specifics. "But I wanted to let you know since we won't be able to hang out as much anymore."

Dorothy sounded a little disappointed but still supportive. "Well, I'm happy for you, Malia. When are you leaving?"

"I…I left last night…" I said, trying to sound convincing. "But I'll wire you some money this week for my brother's medication. I don't want to leave him without it. Can I leave it to you, please?" 

Dorothy's tone turned sympathetic. "Of course! Hey, Is everything okay?"

I forced a laugh. No way, did she notice that I'm lying? "Everything is fine, D. Don't worry about me, I'm grown up, you know." I jokingly said. Trying my best to change my tone. 

Dorothy didn't sound entirely convinced, but she didn't press the issue. "Okay, well, let me know if you need anything," she said.

"I will," I promised. "Thanks, Dorothy. You're the best."

We chatted for a few more minutes, but I was eager to end the conversation because I'm feeling guilty lying. I knew I was lying to my friend, but it was the only way to keep her from worrying about the mess that I'm right now. 

If she ever finds out, she'll for sure glare at me for the whole day. 

I pressed myself onto the bed more. I feel exhausted.

****

I woke up to find Mr. Marcus sitting on the couch, watching me intently. For a moment, I was disoriented and confused. Then, the memories of last night came flooding back to me. 

"Sleep well?" He said in a calm, collected voice. 

I sat up slowly, feeling a little groggy. "Yeah, I guess so," I replied, feeling a little self-conscious under his gaze.

Mr. Marcus didn't seem to notice my discomfort. "I wanted to talk to you about our deal," he said, leaning forward. "As I promised you last night, I can offer you ten thousand dollars for your services."

I felt a little taken aback by his straightforwardness, but I tried to remain calm. "What kind of services?" I asked cautiously. 

I mean, I already have an idea of what he's talking about, but I wanted to hear it from him directly.

Mr. Marcus smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Just serve me when I need you," he explained. "For the next two weeks, you'll be at my beck and call. And in return, you'll get the money I promised you, plus an advance payment."

I felt a little uneasy, but what's with the advance payment? "What do you need me to do?" I asked, trying to sound confident.

"Whatever I ask," Mr. Marcus said simply. "You'll come at me when I call you, so you should be prepared for anything." Oh damn.  

I took a deep breath, trying to wrap my head around the situation. "Okay," I said slowly. "I'll do it."

Mr. Marcus smiled again, this time a little more genuinely. "Excellent. I knew you would make the right choice," he said. 

"And from now on, you can call me Callisto. That's my real name," he added.

"What do you mean real name?" Do business tycoons have a stage name as well? 

But he shrugged my question off and said, "You'll find out soon." He stood up and walked towards the door. The uneasiness that I felt a while ago vanished. 

"Why are you being nice to me?" I can't help but ask. "We just met at that event, you can just push me out of the car or leave me in that place." Wherever you look at it, I don't see any reason as to why he'd go this far to bring me to his home. Like, hello? He's someone I can't touch easily, who would've thought that he'll bring me to his home? 

Oh- "Did you plan everything?" 

He chuckles. "Plan what?" 

I shrugged. "Everything? Did you plan to kidnap me as well?" 

He raised his left brow as he showed me his amused face. "I'll never do such a thing. Stop with your fantasy. It just happens that we're together when they attack me." 

Is that so…

"Then, did you fall in love with me the first time you see me?" I asked. 

I was waiting for his answer but I never received one. What the heck?

"Go down if you're ready to eat, you can do whatever you want but don't get in my way." As he reaches the door, he leans on it and stares directly into my eyes. "Always remember, curiosity kills the cat."