HEART FOR HIRE ✓

Thirty Three

"Why the fuck would you do that?" I yell at Aimee. "If you badly wanted to spend a night with him, couldn't you even ask nicely? You are a selfish bitch-"

Aimee chuckles and jeers at me from the other side.
"And what about you? You are leeching off him like a fucking pest! You aren't any different from me because both of us want his money."

"No, you bitch," I sneer, "I am nothing like you. You need the money to buy make-up and cool brands. I need the money to open my own business! I would never poison him even if it was the last option I had. You are crazy if you think that you and I can ever be the same people!"

"And lemme get this straight," I take a deep breath and continue. "I am going to him right now. I'll take care of him. I'll give him a place to stay and not kick him out like a bitch I know. In the morning, I will tell him the truth when he wakes up. I promise you!"

"He won't believe you."

"That's what I told you last time, didn't I?" I smirk but then remember that she can't see me. Nevertheless, I still smirk at myself. Who knew that having some kind of power over someone could feel so good? "I have the upper hand now. Zion will believe me over you any time, any day. You had your chances, I have mine now."

"H-he won't believe it!"

"He will," I affirm. "If he doesn't believe my words, he will hear the recording of this phonecall. So, if I were you, I'd be somewhere digging a hole to hide because I know something about Zion that you don't. He gets super angry."

"You-"

"Rest in pieces," I cut the call and rush to the living room where I find Jeanette trying to push Zion into the cold and close the door. "Jeanette!" I scream. "He was drugged! That bitch drugged him with Viagra!"

Minutes later, Jeanette and I manage to bring Zion into the living room and make him lie on the couch. He keeps turning and complaining that the room is so hot. The tent in his pants keeps getting bigger and before I know it, he dips his hand inside his pants.

"Are you crazy?" I turn around such that I don't have to see a grown man jerk himself off. "You can't jerk off in my house!"

"But I'm very uncomfortable," he whines

"You have to take a cold shower!"

Jeanette and I drag him to the small bathroom and command him to take a shower. While he does so, I start googling other effects of Viagra and how to take care of a person who's been dragged.

Throughout his time in the bathroom, he throws up as well - since there is evidence on the floor- but also manages to take a decent shower. When he is done, Jeanette gives him some of my old sweatpants as I clean the bathroom.

By the time I finish with the bathroom, Zion is asleep on the living room couch.

***

Jeanette, being the best person I know, wakes up earlier and prepares breakfast for  Zion and I. He is still asleep when I wake up so, I decide to put his clothes in the washing machine.

He wakes up some minutes later and waltzes into the kitchen where Jeanette and I are making cupcakes to sell at the theater.

"Uh," he clears his voice and both of us turn to look at him. My first thought is to close my eyes. He has taken his shirt off , so, he is half naked. "Good morning."

"Good morning rich kid," Jeanette replies and focuses her attention back to her cupcakes. "It'd be helpful if you put on a shirt."

Jeanette knows that if he were to stay here shirtless, I would never open my eyes again. Not because his body isn't pleasant to look at but because I'm not sure if I can my eyes off him.

He apologizes and goes back to the living room to get his t-shirt on and while he is gone, Jeanette signals for me to give him breakfast.

"Zion," I call out to him. He is standing in the living room looking through my sitcom collection. He turns around and smiles awkwardly at me. "Would you like some breakfast- scratch that. Your breakfast is ready."

"Thanks," he rubs the back of his neck nervously, "but can I have painkillers, please? My head is like a busy construction site."

"Sure. I can give you some Advil."

He takes the medicine and the glass of water in one go and turns back to me.
"Thank you."

"No problem, just eat your breakfast before it gets cold."

I know that it must feel awkward for him to wake up here. I have no idea if he remembers anything from last night or why he came here in the first place but if he does, he is doing a very good job at hiding it.

I turn to go back to Jeanette in the kitchen but Zion interrupts me by calling my name.
"Can we talk?"

"Can't it wait till after breakfast?"

"No," he shakes his head. "I can't eat knowing that I made a complete fool of myself and appeared here unannounced last night. I am sorry for being an inconvenience and I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."

"It's fine -"

"That's not all," he interrupts me. "I also remember everything your friend told me last night. You have every right to be mad at me and I'll do anything to make it up to you."

"My friend- oh!" Everything Jeanette told him last night? Jesus. I mentally facepalm and decide to change the topic. "How much did you drink?"

"I don't know," he admits. "When you left the party and I couldn't find you, I started drinking then. I'm not a drunkard, I promise. I haven't drunk this much in a long time."

"I drink as a way to cope. Aimee was there, she gave me the drinks and since you weren't there, I took them."

"Then what?"

"She took me to her room," he looks away and hangs his head. "But nothing happened, I promise. When she started saying stuff about you, I couldn't stay there, so, I left. Nothing happened, I swear!"

"I know that part." He looks at me, his eyes wide. "But do you know that part where she put Viagra in your drinks?"