HEART FOR HIRE ✓

Five

The man from Valentine's day - or who Jeanette likes to call mystery man - is leaning against a wall when I exit the theater.
To be honest, a part of me didn't really expect it to be him while another totally wished it is him. The man is a literal puzzle. Why would a good looking man with such an impressive height and bulging muscles need to pay me hundreds of dollars when he could land any date for free?

Not that I'm complaining, it's not everyday that I get to save those dollars.

Theater is not like a restaurant where customers may leave tips. Here, they come, buy tickets, watch movies and leave. The only tips may come from the snacks section and that only happens when the customer tells me to keep the change.

So, it's safe to say that he has given me the biggest tip since I started working here.

The man looks up from his phone when he hears footsteps approaching him, stops scrolling and puts it in his pocket.
"Hey," he is the first to speak.

"You called for me?"

"I did. Do you have some time right to talk?"

"Sure," I shrug, "what do you want to talk about, stranger?"

He lets out a soft chuckle and clears his voice. "I didn't tell you my name, did I?"

When I shake my head, he continues. "My name is Zion, just Zion and I have a proposal for you."

"Me? Why?" I can't pinpoint an exact reason why he came all the way from wherever to give me a proposal. Do I look like there is anything I can give him? "What proposal are you talking about?"

He steps closer to where I am standing and for some reason, I can't move my feet. I look at him with wide eyes as he leans closer and then whispers in my ear, a little bit of his unshaven moustache rubbing on my neck.
"Do you want money?" he whispers.

Before I can answer, or recover from the heat induced by his proximity, he pulls away and looks straight into my eyes, both of his hands in his pockets.

"Dude," I smile awkwardly, "everyone needs money. That's a dumb question."

"I can give you money," he says softly, "more money than you make at this theater. Does that sound appealing to you?"

"It does. But I can assure you that I don't need to sleep with rich egoistic bastards to get money," I scoff. "I am absolutely comfortable with my position."

Even with the insult, Zion remains unfazed. Instead of a frown or an angry red face with literal smoke coming out of his eyes, he chucked deeply.

"I have no interest in your body or whatever nonsense you just spat," he says, looking me up and down with a calculating look. "Does that mean that if there is no sex involved, you are willing to take up my offer?"

"That sounds too good to be true. Why exactly would you be giving me that much money again?"

He takes a deep breath and smiles.
"That's progress. You're considering it, aren't you?"

"Just get to the point."

"I want you to work for me, and don't worry, there isn't much to be done. Do my laundry, iron my clothes, eat with me and whenever I come to this theater, you must watch a movie with me."

"You call that not much to be done?" I scoff. "Why do I have to eat with you?"

"I hate eating alone."

"Who eats with you now?"

"Are you the one interrogating me, Ms Natalia?" he shakes his head and chuckles. The man loves chuckling, doesn't he? "But if you must know, nobody comes to buy shoes barefooted. I have someone doing all these things for me but they are quitting soon and I am looking for a replacement."

My phone vibrates and the screen lights up. My eyes widen at the time, 11:23pm.

Zion's eyes follow my movements and he notices that I was indeed looking at the time.
"What's wrong? Do you have somewhere to be?"

I shake my head. "It's getting late, I have to go home."

"I can give you a ride," he offers, "and before you refuse and start ranting about how you don't want to bother me, I am the one that offered. So, unless you have good reason to turn down my offer, I am taking you home."

Zion drives me home, both of us not saying much through the entire ride and me wondering how he can sound so convincing and threatening at the same time.

His offer is not bad, I would be jumping up and down if such an opportunity came to me before I was hired at the theater.
But he offers at such a wrong time when the boss is leaving town and there is just three of us left to do the work. It's not like Jeanette can hire new employees now, can she?

No matter how money-hungry I am, I can't leave my friends. They need me and I need them too.

So, when Zion parks the car at a wrong street I intentionally told him to make my point that I am comfortable with where I am, he turns to me, obviously waiting for an answer.

"Your offer is very good, just Zion."

"But,"

"It's a bad time. I can't leave my workplace, that would be awfully selfish of me."

"Can you at least think about it?"

"I don't know Zion," I sigh, "I don't see a way how I can leave my friends like that. It's true I need the money but it has come at the  wrong time."

"I will leave my card," he takes one from his jacket pocket, "if you change your mind, please give me a call. Will you?'

After assuring him that I would definitely consider him, he drives off. He doesn't get to see me running at lightning speed to catch the bus that goes to my street.

Since when do I lie?

Comment who your favorite character is.
Tash:)