7. LEO

I had so many questions I wanted to ask; I just didn't know how to be upfront about them. When I saw Susie at the flat, she gave me her signature look and told me to not get hurt whatever I was doing. I told her it was a job; I'd be able to make all the money I needed in a shorter period. It was the only thing I knew would stop her from asking me more questions about it.

Samuel had wild eyes, and I couldn't help noticing as they glossed over me when they did. I felt incredibly self-conscious. He'd made me feel like I had to change. I was a messy eater, that was just me. The amount of clothes I'd almost ruined with grease stains was way too many.

In the bedroom, I couldn't believe he'd forced me to stay here. It was like a hotel room, immaculately clean compared to me, covered in tomato sauce. "He's a millionaire," I grumbled to myself, running my hand along the top of the real wood drawers. "A fucking millionaire." I gave them a tap with my knuckle. This wasn't like that plywood stuff that collapsed after a couple months.

I continued to unpack my things from the bags. I looked at the unbuttoned shirt on me, the sauce stains were bad. And I didn't even know how much these things cost. For all I knew, he was going to be talking about my debt until I was ready to die.

I took everything with me. My clothes, my poster, my stuffed teddy, the only thing I left behind was the safe, although I had taken Samuel's wallet out of it to give it back to him. I just didn't know when or how to give it back to him. He was an asshole, I didn't want to give it back, but he'd already asked for it.

Leaving the wallet on top of the drawers while I considered what to do, I took a moment to relax on the edge of the bed. The mattress was comfy, and a little bouncy. There was an adjoining en-suite bathroom with a shower. There were windows in both rooms, but neither of them were suitable to escape through, although escape wasn't on my mind right now, I just wanted to make it through the night.

Once I'd packed away my collection of onesies, underwear, and the clothes I wore every day, I took a shower. The pressure was intense, and the products he'd supplied were fragrant and expensive, leaving my body and hair feeling soft. Everything in this place smelled and felt luxurious.

I towel dried and put on my panda onesie. I wanted to go to bed right there and then, but I couldn't. I wanted a glass to fill with water, and perhaps leave Samuel his wallet on a counter.

It took me ten minutes to build the courage to sneak out of the bedroom. On tiptoes, I walked down the hallway to the large open space with the lounge, dining room, and kitchen. Each one a huge space on its own, but together, it was the size of several bowling lanes. It was pitch black, except the light from the night sky shining in through the windows.

"Why aren't you asleep?" his raspy voice grumbled.

"I—" Turning my head to source the sound.

A light turned on in the kitchen. Samuel stood over the plate of carbonara. "What do you need?" he asked. "Oh—well." He stared at me, up and down with his cold gaze. He smiled. "You look adorable."

I clenched the wallet in my hand. "I was going to leave this for you. And I wanted a glass of water."

"You know, I'll have to get new cards," he said, approaching me. He grabbed my hand by the wrist, pressing his finger and thumb into pressure points. My wrist went limp, dropping the wallet. "I can't trust that you didn't have the numbers written somewhere."

"I didn't," I said. Although a lie, I'd taken pictures of them on my phone, but he still had that with him as well.

He let go of my hand. "Pick that up for me," he said, walking back to his plate of food. The large glass he'd poured wine from earlier was almost empty, sitting beside him on the counter. "I see you've taken advantage of the soap. And I'll get you more of that cream for your face."

I picked the wallet up and massaged my wrist at where he'd touched me, secretly begging for him to place his hand there again, or perhaps pin me against a wall. "Thank you."

He didn't search far before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the tube I'd used earlier. "Apply it liberally. Tomorrow morning, I have a meeting at the dock yard. There seems to have been some trouble with my order."

"What order?"

He smiled, flashing his teeth at me. "Look at you," he said. "Found those balls, I see, even dressed in—what do you call that, an adult baby grow?"

"This?" I asked, pulling the fabric of my onesie. "A onesie. It's for adults, not babies." Perhaps he'd caught onto me.

"Keep telling yourself that." He smirked. "Do you find comfort in those clothes?"

"I do. You should try one."

Samuel let out a laugh. "You should go to bed now. Tomorrow is going to be fun."

"When—when can I get my phone back?"

He looked me over, surely his eyes had grown sick of looking at me by now. "Maybe when I can trust you."

"I'm living in your flat, what makes you think you can't trust me?" I asked. "I just like to watch funny videos before I go to sleep."

"You managed fine last night," he said.

But he wasn't considering how frightened I was for my life last night. I was a lot more comfortable now. I took what he said anyway and nodded. Samuel enjoyed having power, and he had power over me. I just wished it could've been used in a way that wasn't so threatening.

In the bedroom, I dug through my things to find my iPad. It was mostly useless since I didn't have any connection to the Wi-Fi in the flat. But I had my games on it, and if I knew this was going to be my situation, I might've also downloaded some films or shows to watch.

I must've fallen asleep while playing as I woke to my face against the black screen.

Samuel was at the bedroom door, watching me. He saw me, cuddled up with my teddy and my face against the iPad. "It's seven. Get up." He pushed the door open. Dressed in a blue bathrobe, showing off his hairy chest. He placed a cloth garment bag on the ridge of the door frame. "I have clothes for you. They're more your size. You'll be taking notes for me, so I need you to look like you represent the brand."

I didn't say a word, hoping he hadn't seen the iPad or Tuffy, my stuffed panda toy. I was also doing my best to push away the erection, but all the pushing made it harder.

If this was happening to anyone else, I would've said they deserved it. But since it was happening to me, I didn't like it. I wanted to sleep in longer, and I didn't want to wear another shirt again, they made me feel like I was going to an office and look all important.

Inside the bag, there was more than just a shirt and trousers. There was a suit jacket too. All of it in a navy blue. My fingers rubbed at the fabric. I knew I couldn't wear this; I'd end up getting it dirty like I did his other clothes.

The door opened wider to reveal Samuel, standing in a pair of black boxers as he buttoned up his shirt. "Why aren't you getting dressed?"

"It's—" I almost bit my tongue as I told myself not to look at his bulge. But it was right there. It begged my eyes for attention. And my eyes told my brain, and my brain sent blood back to my erection. "I—"

"Get dressed now and you can have breakfast."

That was my worry, I'd probably get the food on it. "Can I have breakfast first?"

His tongue rested between his teeth. He shook his head and smiled.

He was trying to get me to make a mess, clearly, but it was his so-called brand I'd be ruining if people saw me looking a mess. "Fine," I mumbled under a breath as he walked away. I had no choice. I put the suit on and looked at myself in the long mirror. I looked like I was going to a wedding, except, without a tie.

"Come on!" he shouted. "Get your ass moving."

I walked out of the room into the hallway. He stood at the other end. "There's no tie," I said.

"Of course, there isn't," he said, snapping his fingers for me to move faster. "It's the casual part of the outfit. Ties are like walking nooses, a reminder that you're not in control. Someone else pulls the strings, and at any moment it could kill you." He smiled at the word. "Perhaps I should get you a tie."

"I'm ok, actually."

He walked into the kitchen with me following behind. There were several cereal boxes, a loaf of bread, and a selection of jams. "Help yourself," he said, grabbing his toast from a plate.

The cereal on closer inspection were all the healthy food stuff. I didn't want any of it. The bread had little seeds too, right in the middle of the bread. I didn't like the look of that either.

"Do you—have anything else?" I asked.

"What like?"

"White bread, or like chocolate cereal, you know the one that turns the milk into chocolate milk," I said. "I just—I don't like these."

Samuel nodding, chewing on his piece of toast. "I suppose I said I'd feed you."

"I don't want to sound ungrateful." And I really didn't. I didn't want to see the side of him that scared me, the side that raised his voice, or the one that cut my cheek. "I just—"

"It's fine," he said. "Make a list of food you enjoy, and I'll have them brought in. For now, you can have a—" he looked around the kitchen and pulled the metal fruit bowl forward. "A piece of fruit."

I grabbed the banana. "Can I have a coffee?" I asked, noticing his cup.

"I gave you permission to ask one question over dinner, and suddenly I have a list of demands," he snickered. "Sure," he said. "There are pods and cups in the cupboard, put the pod in the machine, press it down, and push the button."

I'd used one of them before, but it surprised me he had one, given how much money I assumed he had in the bank, he could've probably had an entire fancy espresso machine like they had at Susie's work.

"Make it quick as well, I have a car coming to pick us up in thirty minutes," he said. "And let's go over those ground rules for when you're with me and other people. You are my assistant, you don't speak, even if someone asks you a question, unless that question is from me. I'll give you a notepad and you'll make notes on numbers, dates, places, and names. Anything you think I might need to know in future, I want it noted."

I nodded. This was not the career progression I'd expected from pickpocketing rich men on the streets. "Ok," I offered back in a meek tone. I had to remember; this was only temporary.