06

-This is... It’s not... it’s just... I don’t know, I thought it would be more like a work contract. It’s okay that you put that I have to serve you twenty-four hours a day and every day, which I found a little exaggerated, but I also thought that you would put something more related to our professional together. My real workday, how much I’m gonna get, stuff like that.

-No, that kind of contract is the HR part of my company. The part that really interests me is this one. It’s your confidentiality! No one can know about our deal.

-All right then, I’ll sign this stupid contract.

She took a pen and when James parked in front of her building, she signed her name on the sheet and initialed it. James took a look out of the car. The building was old and well-finished.

-Do you live here?

Esmeralda noticed the tone of contempt in his voice.

-Sorry it’s not the castle you’ve been waiting for, but... it’s home.

-I wasn’t expecting a castle, but I wasn’t expecting garbage like this either.

-First: It’s not garbage, it’s my house! Second; not everyone has money to live in a cool place with a cool neighborhood.

-Do you pay to live here?

-Paid, lots of money. My rent is even late.

-Great, zero financial control then. Really, it was all that was missing.

-Hey, not everyone has money left at the end of the month.

James felt a little bad, but he wouldn’t apologize for it. Not having money was something he wasn’t used to.

-Does your building have an elevator?

-No.

-Tell me at least you live on the ground floor or first floor.

No, I live on the seventh floor.

-And how do you intend to get to the seventh floor? You have a leg in a cast.

-I turn around, I always turn around. I have had my way since I’m fifteen, it won’t be now that I’m going to stop turning around.

-Have you lived here since you were fifteen?

-No. I left home when I was fifteen and I’ve been turning around ever since.

-Why did you leave home?

-And does it matter?

It didn’t matter. Usually, James wasn’t that curious about other people’s lives, but he felt he needed to know a little more about her. He snorted.

Look, this is gonna be a problem!

-What? I have left home?

-No, your apartment! I need to go to work and I don’t have time to carry you up there.

I didn’t ask for your help.

-Okay, then you can come down.

-I’m gonna go down.

He stretched and opened the door for her. Esmeralda put her good leg out to lean on, but eventually lost her balance and fell. James rolled his eyes and got out of the car to help her.

-You know what, I’ll take you to my house. Then we’ll decide what we’re gonna do.

-I don’t want to go to your house, I want to stay at my house.

-Listen, I have a lot of things to do today. I won’t waste my time, which is very precious after all, carrying you seven floors of stairs. I’ll take you to my place, I’ll go to work, and then someone will bring you.

Esmeralda protested, but James did not listen to her. She felt that any words she said would not be heard, so she was quiet. Now it seemed that this would be her life now.