An unwanted Job

"Open your eyes, Greg. I saw you."

"Are we dead?"

"Yeah. Welcome to hell." Her sarcastic voice rang.

Greg peered through his lashes and then slowly opened his eyes to an unfamiliar environment. A sharp pain shot up his neck at that instant and he winced.

"Easy there, Big Boy." Arlene called, helping him sit up carefully. His eyes drank in his surrounding. Basically everything here was either black or golden. Even the furry black couches had golden stripes on them. "Wow."

Arlene stared at him with creased brows. "Wow over an enemy's abode?"

"Quit being dramatic." He rolled his eyes.

Arlene chuckled. "Someone was being dramatic by passing out." And that earned her a glare from him.

"Even you would've passed out if you were gun-butted that way."

"Just admit that I'm stronger."

"Pfft." He harrumphed, turning away.

"Quit bantering already, will you?" Jove said with a chuckle, descending the stairs. Yes. They were finally in the right place. At least Arlene knew it the moment the leader had asked someone to place a call through Jove. If Jove didn't live here, they wouldn't have bothered with it.

"I can't find it, Arlene. I didn't see him either." Jove said, a disappointed look on his face. He had rushed over when he was contacted, upon hearing Arlene's name. He knew how deadly Zayde's men could be and he couldn't risk it. Now he wondered how she was able to trace this place.

"Where then could he have kept my phone?" I really do not know what he wants it for." She sighed.

Jove walked up to her, a slight chuckle escaping his lips as he sat opposite her. "If I didn't know you, I wouldn't have believed he took your phone." "You've checked the entire house for him?" "Yeah."

"Are you sure he's here?" That was Greg. He just couldn't see why Zayde would hide if he were truly here.

"The men around said they saw him. Besides, his car's packed outside."

Arlene got to her feet. She wasn't having any of these. "Where to?" Greg asked. "I'll go find him. You coming?" "But Jove just checked everywhere now and..."

"I'll have a recheck. Can't trust two best friends." She muttered, heading out. "Good luck then. I'll sit here with Jove." Greg called, sitting back in his seat a bit more relaxedly.

Arlene glared at him before running up the stairs. "I hate you!" She called. "Yeah. I love you too." He added with a laugh.

"Tell me more about her." Jove started immediately she disappeared. "Why?" "Well, now she's my friend too, so I need to know about her."

"Seriously? Fine. What do you want to know?"

"Let's see... everything."

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Arlene crouched on the corridor, confusion and exhaustion etched on her face. She'd been going round and round in circles and was yet to find him. The house was just too big for one person. The 'stones' that guarded the doors casted weird glances at her, probably wondering why a woman was roaming round the house. But even at that, they didn't speak to her.

Arlene looked ahead. She was some steps away from another man. With all the strength and courage she could muster, she got to her feet and walked up to him. She glanced behind him and this time, the door was slightly open. Didn't Jove say no one was home? 'Maybe he didn't check here', she shrugged.

Before she could raise a question, the man beat her to it, staring at her. "What do you want?"

"I want to see him." She tried her luck. She was unsure if he was the one in. "He's busy."

Arlene scoffed. "So?" This is where he was hiding.

"Don't you savvy English?" The man asked irritatedly.

"I do, but I can't seem to place a hand on the thrash you're spouting. It's not English, is it?" There was mockery in her voice. "Kindly go in there and tell your... whatever you call him, that someone has to see him this instant." She spoke calmly, her rage hidden beneath her words. "Do I need to repeat myself?" She queried with a raised brow at his silence.

"Shut my door." A voice came from inside, finally confirming Arlene's suspicion.

"Don't tell me you've gone into hiding, huh? You know, you're simply being a coward right now. Just give me my phone and I swear, I'll act like these sickening dramas never happened." She ranted, but she was sure he didn't even hear her as the door was immediately shut. The soundproofing wasn't even in her favor.

The corridor turned silent. Then she said with a smile, "You must think I'm on the losing side here. Well then, guess who's staying locked up the whole day?" She said as she made herself comfortable on the floor, sitting with her legs tucked underneath her thighs.

"Ma'am please leave." The man spoke with restrained annoyance. All he wanted was his Boss's orders and he'll throw this crazy woman out.

"Does it look like I cherish here? Do I really look comfortable with all these? Ask your Boss to hand over my phone and...like, what exactly does he want with an old model?! I stuck to my own part of the deal; I paid my debt, and that is more reasons I still cannot understand why my phone was seized. This is a technology era for darn sake and you don't expect me to be apart from my phone for this long! Why is he making me look like the crazy one here?" She took a deep breath before resting her head on the wall. "Do get me some snacks, and water too. Preferably, cold. I'm parched." She stated, and the man's jaw hung in shock.

Where exactly did their Boss find this maniac?

Arlene looked up when she didn't get a response from him. "What? You'll deprive me of water too? Since y'all plan on keeping me here, you might as well treat me to some snacks. I'm a guest too, you know."

The door eventually opened and Zayde stood, a dismissive look on his face. The man got the message and padded out. Zayde tore his gaze away from the girl who sat leisurely on the floor.

Arlene had shut her eyes after making her demand, quietly humming some strange tunes while patiently waiting for her orders.

Why again was he trying to keep this girl? She talked way too much for his liking. This wasn't how women behaved, was it?

He had taken her phone without thoughts. He knew Jove had helped her and for some unknown reasons, he was mad at Jove for soiling his plans. He knew he had to come up with a backup plan if he wanted to keep her.

There was just something strange about her and he sensed it. "You'll have your phone on one condition." His magnetic voice came as he watched her sit up immediately. Her calmed expression was gone and was replaced with anger. He controlled the tug on his lips as he watched the sudden switch. Did he really find her fascinating?

Arlene scoffed, getting to her feet while dusting her pants. This man gave her the burns. "You have absolutely no right to give me conditions on getting back my phone. Please give it." She called with an outstretched palm.

Zayde stared at her for sometime. "You'll work three months here, at least until the next session commences as it happens to be that I'm short of a maid." This was probably the longest sentence he has made, and it wasn't even related to his work.

Arlene burst into a hysterical laughter, one that echoed down the corridor. She spoke amidst cracks of chuckles, "I'll have to work for my phone, is that what you mean?" Zayde shut the door behind him, tucking one of his gloved hands into his pocket.

"School closes in a couple of weeks. The agreement form should be ready by then. You'll have your phone when you're done." There was an air of finality in his voice as he walked out.

Arlene glared daggers at his back. "You're one quiet creep. Why do I have to work for my phone for Heaven's sake?!" She tried running after him, but was caught by some men who had come out of nowhere. "Let me go this instant! I need to give your stupid Boss a piece of my mind." She yelled, struggling fruitlessly to free herself as she watched him leave without turning back.

Soon enough, Jove rushed up with Greg, confusion washed on their faces. "Let her go." Jove ordered, and the men freed her, walking back to their original spot. "Can you believe your crazy friend?! I have to work to get my phone. Like seriously? Who does that?"

"Calm down, Arlene."

"Don't you dare ask me to calm down!" She fired back at Jove.

Jove turned silent. Something was not right. Why would she work for him? He needed answers but Zayde wasn't going to give if he didn't want to. What was he doing?

Arlene had calmed a bit, enough to find her way out of the 'burning hell' as she tagged it. She left wordlessly, with Greg running after her.

"Wait up." He called, but she ignored him. "You're hurrying like you'll walk in freely when you get to the gate." And that got her pausing on her feet. She'd almost forgotten in her fury that they had snuck out that morning.

She took out her expired gate pass and began scribbling. "What are you doing?" "Getting myself a pass."

"No, Arlene! This is..." He watched as she continued on her path, unbothered.