HEART FOR HIRE ✓

Seven

"Mystery man, what a pleasant surprise!" Jeanette greets a dumbfounded Zion with a sickeningly sweet smile. Usually, Jeanette is the welcoming one but the kind of welcome she is extending to Zion is VIP. Her ear to ear smiles are reserved for very few people and I doubt that a stranger would be one of them.
But here we are.

"I found him parking his car in the lot," Alex explains, putting the bags of food on the table. "He also brought food by the way."

"I'll go get him a chair from the supplies room," Jeanette walks stealthily out of the room

"And I will go and ease myself," Alex follows.

From the wiggling of my workmates' eyebrows, it doesn't take rocket science to figure out that none of them meant anything they said. In short, they just want to give me some quiet time with Zion, who by all means surprised me by being here.

Is he here to demand for an answer?

"What are you doing here?" I ask nervously as I scratch an imaginary spot behind my neck.

"You wouldn't give me an answer last night, so, I decided to switch up things to see if you will agree to me," he smiles, putting a bag which I hadn't noticed he was holding in the first place on the table. He pulls himself a chair and sits. "I brought food, let's eat together."

"Wh-what do you mean? You can't just come to my workplace with food!"

He raises his eyebrows. "And why can't I?"

"Because I won't be able to say no," I mutter under my breath and hope silently that he hasn't heard me.

Unfortunately for me, he hears me.
"I'm glad that works on you. I wonder what else can make you say yes without questions!"

"Uhh," I pull myself a chair and sit facing away from him in order to hide my red blushing face.

Luckily, Alex and Jeanette come back into the room, with Jeanette carrying an extra chair for her since her own is already occupied by Zion.

"So, mystery man, to what do we owe this visit?" Jeanette starts. I throw her a warnings look but she flips me the bird and looks back at Zion as if he holds the formula for time travel.

"I'll pay you any amount of money you want if it means that you will tell me why you call me mystery man," Zion answers instead.

"Money? I love money!"

"Let's just eat. It's not good table etiquette to eat while talking," I suggest.

"And when exactly did you start caring about that?"

"Anyway," Alex cuts in to stop Jeanette and I from shoving food into each other's months. Zion on the other hand looks very amused. "I brought the drink that I wanted you guys to try. It's new on the market and is very helpful in terms of immunity and stuff. It's called probiotic yogurt."

"Is it sweet?" Jeanette asks

"I know that's all you care about but yes, it is."

"And it tastes like normal yogurt?" I ask

"You won't even know the difference."

"I'm impressed," Zion looks away from his phone. "Not many young people take such healthy drinks."

"I doubt that he will ever take this yogurt again," Jeanette scoffs earning herself a questioning look from Zion. "He doesn't drink it because he loves it. He takes it because he wants to review it on his YouTube channel."

"You review drinks?" Zion turns his attention to Alex.

In the meantime, Jeanette and I enjoy the juicy food that Zion brought along with freshly made apple juice.

"Yes," Alex looks away embarrassed.

"How many subscribers do you have?"

"About four hundred," he mutters and turns back to his yogurt

"Well, do you think you can review my drinks on your channel?" Alex looks at Zion in shock at the question. "Relax, you won't be doing it for free. I will pay you per drink you review."

"What?" Alex can't seem to wrap his head around this whole scenario but neither can Jeanette and I. It's not because Alex doesn't deserve it. It's because it's all happening at the same time that it sounds unreal.

"How much do you normally charge per video? 250$?"

Alex spits his yogurt out, after which he reaches for the napkin and cleans the mess, his eyes never leaving his new fascination.

"Oh, I didn't mean to make you choke. Is that too little? I haven't done this before, so pardon me for underestimating you," Zion tries to apologize although he clearly doesn't know why Alex chocked.

It's not everyday that you run into someone that promises to pay you 250$ per video you do to just drink and review something.
It's basically a fantasy, one Alex or any of us never thought would become true.

"I'll double that. How's 500$? Is it okay?"

Alex shakes his head, probably out of words to describe the experience.

"Great. When are you free to start?"

"Is tomorrow okay?" Alex squeaks out

"Of course it is. I love your ambition and I hope we have fun working together. Who knows? Maybe your salary will increase if your first video impresses me," Zion shrugs like he did not just promise to pay half a thousand dollars to random person he has never met. "How are you liking the food, ladies?"

"This chicken is delicious," Jeanette replies while licking her fingers to emphasize her point

"You like it?" Jeanette nods her head. "You can always text me whenever you want some chicken. Natalia has my number."

"I do not," I deny immediately.

If anyone promises to give chicken to Jeanette, she can be kidnapped by that person. Whatever obsession she has with chicken is rather unhealthy and absolutely crazy.

"I left you my card, didn't I?"

I don't reply and focus on eating some bones from the chicken wings. Jeanette is right, the chicken is delicious but Zion doesn't need to know that.

His ego will grow twice the size of Africa.

After having our meal, Zion stands up and says farewell to my workmates. I let him know to wait for me outside the theater as I stay behind to discipline my workmates who suddenly started worshipping a random man as soon as he promised them their guilty pleasures.

But as soon as Zion exits the theater, Jeanette and Alex start cheering like a bunch of football fans.

"Even if he asks you to marry him," Jeanette shouts amidst the cheering, "please don't hesitate as long as I will be getting chicken."

"500$ baby!" Alex dances

"Please say yes to him, will you?" Jeanette shouts again.

I nod my head and make my way out of the theater. Who am I to turn down money? Even Judas Iscariot couldn't.