Ava Taylor and her friends could be seen talking merrily and laughing in their favorite spot in the coffee shop.
“I don’t feel sorry for her one bit, it serves her right. She deserved every bit of it,” Freya said with disdain, her face distorting with a grimace.
Ava shook her head, “I do feel sorry for her. Although she might be arrogant and all that, but she didn’t deserve to be slapped by her boyfriend in the class,” she spoke her mind, looking quite sorry.
“I second on that, Ava,” Caleb spoke up this time, and Freya could only scoff.
“Learn how to be nice, Freya,” Caleb bantered with a crooked grin which made him earn a light punch in the tummy.
“You better keep shut, if you don’t want me to ruin your face,” Freya threatened fiercely, bringing her fist to Caleb’s face.
“Moreover, I am nicer than you, aren’t I?”
Caleb didn’t react but continued to stare at Freya’s fist under his eyeglasses.
His ignorance provoked Freya to elbow his rib and he countered immediately with a groan.
“Yes, you are nicer, Freya”
Ava’s lips upturned in a smile as she watched them with pure adoration in her eyes.
“How about our last discussion, Freya?” she suddenly asked.
Freya returned her attention to her face and stared at it for a long moment as if she was fighting with herself in her head.
Ava shut her eyes briefly and let out a small sigh, “The job employment I told you…”
“Oh my, I remember now. Sorry,” She cut in. “And yeah, I’ve found one but I doubt if you can do it,”
Ava readjusted on her seat and leaned more closer on the round table, “Why? What’s it about?”
“Babysitting,” Freya whispered.
Ava made a face, “Only to babysit? Or is there more to do?”
“No, Ava. Just to babysit,” Freya answered while opening her bag and dipping her hand into it.
“Here,” she brought out a piece of paper and pushed it toward Ava on the table.
“I haven’t called the number yet and I learned from the platform I got it from that the person needs a babysitter desperately,”
Ava picked up the paper and stared at the number written on it with a bright smile gracing her beautiful face.
“Thank you so much, Freya,” she said with a deep sense of gratitude.
Freya’s eyes and mouth opened in disbelief, “You want to do this, Ava?”
“Of course, Freya. I can do it,” Ava enunciated with a positive vibe.
“But what if the kid or maybe kids are demons? Oh, no, I’m so worried for you, Ava,” Freya blurted out her fear, looking at Ava with troubled eyes.
Ava smiled gently, reaching out to hold Freya’s hand on the table.
“I understand your fear, Freya, but don’t worry. I can take care,”
Freya then released a long breath and nodded perfunctorily, “Okay then. Let’s call the number already,”
“I hope one of you will get to explain what’s going on to me later,” Caleb pronounced, after watching them for a long while.
“Of course, Caleb,” Ava assured with a warm smile while Freya collected Ava’s phone and punched in the digits.
“Is it ringing?” Ava grilled impatiently.
Freya only smile and nodded.
The phone got connected on the third ring, “Hello,” she spoke first.
“I’m sorry, it’s about the babysitting job, sir. I’m interested,” she continued.
“Oh, really? 10 am tomorrow? Thank you so much, sir. I’ll be there,”
With that, the phone went off.
“Tell me, tell me,” Ava beamed.
Freya opened her mouth to talk but the shrilling sound of Ava’s phone interrupted her.
She gazed at the screen and her smile grew wider as she gave the phone back to Ava.
“It’s quite evident the person is badly in need of a babysitter, Ava. Look how he sent the address in a blink,” Freya expressed with amusement.
Ava studied the address for a minute, dropped her phone, and jumped on her feet to embrace Freya.
“Tell me, Freya. How do I repay you?” she quizzed on the verge of tears?
Freya smiled against her shoulder and then disengaged from the hug.
“A treat,” she said with a broad wink.
Ava nudged her shoulder playfully and went back to her seat, “There’s no way I can afford that anytime soon, so stop messing around, Freya,” she reprimanded calmly.
“Of course, there’s a way Ava. You have Zachary…” Freya was saying and the look Ava gave her made her close her mouth immediately. “Sorry,” she mouthed.
***
Ava looked around the white magnificent house. The surroundings were big and vast. They would contain about ten homes like hers.
The front yard villa was covered with a large lawn with green and soft grass. There was a rockery beside the plants, with water rushing through it.
Below that was a pool filled with ornamental fish, peculiar-looking green fish with long tails. They looked like some rare valuable species.
In the front, there was a round table, four rattan chairs, and a parasol.
The tiled floor was sparkling clean, and she wondered if humans stepped foot on this floor.
The tall glass windows were nicely cleaned, and the ray of sunlight that penetrated through them made the windows shine brightly.
The suit man she was following his lead was now ahead of her, she ran after him, afraid she would lose her way in this house if she didn’t follow his lead.
At the front door, Ava spotted a few men wrapped in all-black suits and dark glasses, walking back and forth with guns in their hands.
She became highly strung up and for a moment, she stood rooted; contemplating whether to continue following this man or should flee.
The man she was following seemed to notice her fright.
He smiled gently at Ava and assured, “Come on, Miss Taylor. You’ve got nothing to worry about,”
Ava then nodded slowly and followed him again.
The man pushed the door to the foyer and then to the living room.
The pulchritudinous living room was a perfect definition of paradise on earth. Ava’s jaw dropped as she fed her eyes with the beautiful ergonomic interior design of the room.
The tall ceilings were above ten meters; she had never seen tops that tall.
“Have your seat, Miss,”
Ava almost flinched at this sudden voice but soon composed herself and turned around to face the man.
It was then she saw another set of those men-in-black hanging around in the place too, with their guns.
She fought a sliver of panic and held her breath.
‘Gosh, have I come to the wrong address?’ she thought bitterly inside her heart as she reluctantly perched down on the loveseat sofa.
“So, you said you’re a college girl,” The man began, looking at Ava bit by bit.
Ava bounced her head directly, “Yes, sir,”
“Do you think you can manage?” he further inquired.
Ava put on a bright smile, “Of course, I can, sir,”
The man then nodded and adjusted his suit, “The kid will be staying here for just three weeks and my boss has asked me to pay you at the end of each week. I hope you are fine with it?”
Ava’s heart was now threatening to burst with excitement. She only nodded in response as she was too overwhelmed to say anything at that moment.
“Now come with me,” He stood up and ambled toward the staircase.
Huh?
Ava stared at the man’s receding back view. Won’t he talk about the payment?
“Just get out of my room and don’t ever come back!”
This tiny voice sounded through the hallway and Ava watched as a young man rushed out of a room and shut the door behind him loudly.
“What’s up, Nick?” the man questioned as he and Ava got closer.
Ava swept Nick’s features, light brown hair that covered his forehead, and his toned body was hidden beneath a pair of black crew-neck tee and jeans.
“Damn, I really can’t stand that little demon. What’s up, man?” Nick paused and stared at Ava’s face.
“Is this the babysitter?” he asked curiously without discarding his gaze from Ava’s face.
“Yes, Nick. Her name is Ava,” the man introduced, also looking at Ava.
“Whoa, Ava. I wish you the very best of luck,” Nick said with a smile and walked away.
‘But what if the kid or maybe kids are demons?’ Ava shrank inside like a withed flower as Freya’s words replayed in her head.
“Don’t mind him, Ava. I’m sure you’ll be able to handle her since you are both the same gender,” the man assured and walked toward the door Nick came out from.
He knocked briefly on it and let himself in.
“Nick, didn’t I tell you…” the pretty young girl on the bed was saying but as soon as she saw the man at the door, she kept quiet instantly but glared at him instead.
It seemed she didn’t like the man.
“We have gotten a new babysitter for you, Aurora. Please try to corporate with this one,” the man implored.
“If she doesn’t corporate with me, then I’ll send her away,” the girl shot at him and he just soughs and turned back to the door.
“Come on in, Ava,” he persuaded.
Ava inhaled and exhaled twice before setting her pace into the room.