Page 5

She leans back in her chair and looks at me again. “What made you want to use our home care services?”
I’m looking for cash. A lot of them. My present part-time employment doesn’t assist that much.
I felt like I almost blurted that out.
“Well, I’ve always been passionate about helping people.” I smile.
She returns her eyes to her computer. “It says here that you applied for a job in live-in care, respite care, companion care, homemaking care, hospice care support…”
That’s right. I really did apply for all of them. I need money that badly.
“That’s right,” I remark, maybe a little too excitedly. “I can help sick people. I can also make sure my client has someone to talk to. I can do the laundry, clean the house, cook meals, or do other chores.”
“Hm.” Karen’s eyes are still on the television. “But from what I found here, you haven’t had any similar experiences in your past jobs.”
That makes me feel bad, but I won’t give up just yet. “I’m a very hardworking person and a fast learner.”
While I’m attempting to see what information on my CV she’s reading, I catch a glance of my photo on the computer and instantly regret why I chose that picture.
I was smiling too much in that photo — I believed that a cheerful picture could be ideal for this application, but then other clients might think that I just appear plain stupid.
“It says here that you’re used to taking care of your grandmother, though. And it’s also stated here that she’s blind?”
“Yes, she is,” I answer frankly.
“Well, that might help.” She hums and turns her chair around so that it faces me again. “Ms. Fiat, your client is also blind.”
There is a short period of silence.
My mouth drops open. “Are you saying that I got the job?” My tone makes it clear that I don’t believe it.
I don’t think the other truth is a problem because I’m used to taking care of Kate. I don’t mind taking care of another blind person.
“Yes,” Karen says with a nod.
I want to run up to her and give her a big embrace. Instead, I calm down before I do something that makes me seem bad.
“Surprisingly, your profile met the requirements for this client.”
“Okay.” My hands are becoming moist because I’m so excited. “How old is she? My client.”
Karen corrects, “He.” “Your client is a man, and he’s a young one at that. He’s only a year older than you.”
I’m still trying to understand this. “Does he expect personal care? I’m willing to help clients with disabilities, but I remember putting some conditions on my application for that.”
I feel uneasy. I might not feel comfortable helping a guy my age with personal activities like showering and dressing, and I might let him down.
Karen appears to know that I’m worried and shakes her head to show that she understands. “Don’t worry. He can do all of that on his own. In fact, he’s better than us in some ways.”
I furrow my brows in perplexity.
“He can’t see,” she says.
“What?”
“A fighter. A martial artist.”
She laughs when she sees how confused I am. “Yes, it’s amazing, isn’t it?”
I can only nod slowly. “Yes, it is.”
I have more and more respect for this possible client. He has done such things even though he is blind. It’s good for him.
But then I look at Karen with my eyes half-closed. “Can you tell me more about what kind of help he needs from me? And why did he choose me over the other applicants?”
Karen lets out a sigh. “I was also curious, especially about your last question. His assistant will go over the specifics of your tasks with you tomorrow. If you’re willing to take care of him, he will pay for your flight from Ohio to Florida and pick you up at the airport.”
My eyes open wide right away. One word in her speech catches me off surprise. “Tomorrow?”
“Yes,” Karen says. “This client needs your help right away. He said it was urgent.”
There are a lot of things on my mind. I can’t pass up this chance. I’ll do anything to help my family get out of this money problem. Kate is blind, and Tyler is too young to work.
I just can’t tell them I’m leaving them tomorrow yet. Is it okay for Tyler to look after Kate by himself while I’m gone?
“So, what do you think, Ms. Fiat?” Karen is waiting for me to answer. “We’ll talk about your payment first. Do you think you can handle this client?”
I take a deep breath and pray in my heart that I’m making the correct choice and that everything will be fine.
I pull my suitcase behind me as I leave the arrival gate. I look around the airport till I see the sign with my whole name on it in huge, strong characters. Then I walk towards it.
“Emily Fiat?” the man holding it says to me.
I nod and grin at him. “Yes. Are you Mr. White’s assistant?”
Someone told me that Jason, my client, would send his assistant to get me. I’m simply pleased I can find him because I don’t know where to go.
I can’t see the man’s face because he is wearing sunglasses. But he looks youthful, maybe only a few years older than me. He has on trousers, a black jacket, and boots. He doesn’t seem too formal.
“Welcome to Florida.” He helps me carry my suitcase before I can say no, and I have to accompany him to the parking lot.
It would be an understatement to say that I’m worried.
I never thought I would fly all the way here to work, but I felt I couldn’t pass up this chance because of how much the client would pay me.
Kate and Tyler were probably astonished when I informed them I had to go to Florida early to get my living situation in order before starting college at Florida Tech University. I had said that someone else would get the flat room I wanted to rent if I didn’t arrive here today. They trusted me.
The sun is already going down when I leave the building and head to the parking lot. I wonder whether I can sleep well tonight, even though I still have to get used to this new place. I believe being sleepy will help. I didn’t get enough sleep last night because I was in a hurry to pack my belongings.
A black limo pulls up in front of us, and I raise my eyebrows in surprise. The man carrying my bag opens the door for me, which surprises me.
As it turns out, Jason White is very wealthy. I didn’t think I’d be picked up in a limo.
The man puts my suitcase in the trunk and then gets into the car behind me instead of taking the seat next to the driver.
The driver, who is wearing a formal suit, starts driving. This is when Jason’s helper presses a button on the armrest that lowers the partition down. He might want to chat to me about something private, but it doesn’t make me less alert because everything that happens to me seems strange all of a sudden.
He pulls off his shades. “I’m sorry. I haven’t introduced myself.” He turns his head towards me, and now I can see his dark blue eyes, which are very different from his blonde hair. He smiles. “Zane is my name.”
“Assistant to Mr. Jason White?” I ask again.
He didn’t answer when I first met him, even though I knew the answer.
He lets out a sigh. “I am your client’s assistant, but I’m afraid you’ll need a lot more information.”
My eyebrows are furrowed. “What do you mean?”
He doesn’t answer my query and instead pulls out his phone from his jacket pocket. I see a tattoo on the inside of his wrist while he’s looking at his phone.
It has red lines and the wings of an eagle. The wings of the tattoo have long, slotted feathers, and each one is incredibly intricate and well-made, even though the tattoo is little.
I’ve never seen a tattoo that was so mesmerising. It’s alarming how much a tattoo can affect the person who sees it. I don’t know why, but the hair on the back of my neck instantly stands up. I can’t explain why Zane has a hazardous aura.
It looks like he is reading something that someone else wrote. “He just sent the money. You should check it.”
I pull out my phone from my sling bag and see a notification from my mobile banking. My curiosity grows. My eyes widen in shock as soon as I open it.
The amount of money that went into my bank account is more than what the care agency informed me. That’s definitely too many. I need to double-check the quantity of zeros. With this money, I can pay off all of Kate’s medical costs and even the tuition for the best university in the country, or possibly the world. I can even preserve it for Tyler’s future.
This is crazy. My hand is shaking while I grip my phone.
“Wh-what?” I can’t help but stutter.
It’s not that I don’t want the money; it’s the answer to all of my family’s troubles. There must be a mistake, though. A big one.
“The payment was made in full instead of every month,” the man next to me says in a nonchalant tone, as if it doesn’t matter. “He paid for your one-year contract in full.”
I turn my head quickly towards him. My chest is going up and down a lot, and my eyes are wide. “I’m sorry? There must be a mistake. I didn’t apply for a job that paid this much.”