Chapter Fifteen
Pia's POV
"Wow, you're still so fit at forty-five, Miss Rosi, climbing so fast like a twenty-two year old," Cameron mocked me, he shouted from the ground.
He was off duty already, and he came to help Jack and Larry with the ladder.
I glared at him, showing how mad I was. This idiot has no word of honor.
"You good?" Jack asked when I settled on the balcony.
"Yeah," I gave him a thumbs up, and hugged the box of medicine kit.
I pulled the sliding door of the balcony, feeling relieved that it was not locked. I went inside the master's bedroom, sneaking like a stray cat looking for food.
The room was so dark, my eyes found it hard to adjust to the darkness. I had been at the dining hall. They turned the lights so bright there, after Hector's throat got pricked by a fish bone.
I stood frozen, waiting for what to do next. There was no way that I could find any of the light switches, my only resort was to ask help from FREDA.
"FREDA, turn on the dim lights."
"Beam lights activated in three seconds," FREDA answered abruptly.
A sudden glaring light filled the room. My goodness, I did not know where it came from, it looked like the roof opened and a bright ray of sunlight got in.
I looked at the master on the king-sized bed, he was sleeping deeply like a log.
I missed what FREDA said, and I answered yes. Thinking that she would turn off the glaring lights, I was shocked when I heard the deafening sound of rock music.
The master stirred, he was awake.
I stayed silent. Waiting for him to speak, as I stood frozen at the foot of his bed.
"What the fuck," he said weakly, then he stopped the music and the glaring lights with a single instruction on FREDA.
Enough lights were turned on, and I saw him clearly. He was still lying on his bed, so weak and flushing.
He lifted his head, then jolted when he saw me.
"What the hell, I thought I already died, and saw a ghost!" he dropped his head back on his pillow, "what are you doing here, Miss Rosi. Eyeing for another book to read?"
"You're right, sir, but I can do that later. Right now, I have to do my job, and that is to take care of you."
"Ah, saving your employer from dying again," he said in a very tired voice, "leave me alone."
"No sir, you have to get better. I told you we don't want you to die. We need you to have better lives. Hector and Jean's daughter is going to enroll in a university. How can they afford it when they're jobless? I haven't even received my first paycheck yet, and the incentives that go with it. You need to be better to sign the check voucher."
"I don't need to sign anything for the payroll, it's automatic in the system," he muttered sleepily.
I moved closer to him, and pointed a digital temp gun on his forehead.
"What are you doing?" his forehead furrowed.
"Taking your temperature," I showed him the result, "it's 40 degrees celsius, it's too high."
"I don't give a damn, leave now," he rolled to the other side of the bed, away from me, "and that's an order."
I went to the door, and opened it using the passcode. Jean was already outside the bedroom door waiting, with a tray of chicken noodle soup.
"Thanks Jean," I said, when I took the soup from her.
"Is he awake?" she whispered.
"Yeah, but having tantrums like a toddler," I whispered back, then Jean left.
I closed the door, and brought the soup to the bedside table.
"Do you always whisper like that? You should know that I heard what you've said so loud and clear."
"Oh. We were not talking about you, sir, but her grandson."
"You're a terrible liar, Miss Rosi," he twisted his lips when he saw the soup, "I'm not hungry, take it away."
"You have to eat so you can drink your medicine."
"Either you're deaf or hard-headed. I said I don't want to eat."
"You haven't eaten all day," I said firmly, "either you eat this, or I'm going to call an ambulance. Your choice."
"Do that, and you're fired," his eyes riveted at me, angrily.
"You can't fire me, Mr. Stavrakos. I haven't done anything to breach a contract. In fact, what I'm doing is for your best interest. So, which is which?"
"Get out of here!"
My goodness, he's so stubborn.
"I promise I will, after you eat and take your meds."
He exhaled heavily, his lips pressed together.
"I hired you to follow my order, and now you're disobeying me."
"We'll, employees have the right to refuse an order, sir. Especially if their employers are acting like a three year old kid."
"What did you say?"
"See? Fever affected your hearing. You can't hear clearly what I said."
"Don't play games with me, Miss Rosi. You're only asking for trouble."
"I'm not, sir. I just want you to feel better. Come on, just eat a little, then take your meds," I moved closer, and touched his shoulder, to help him get up.
"Why are you touching me?"
I removed my hand immediately, like I was burned.
"Oh, sorry. I'm not aware that I have to ask for your permission first. I just want to help you up."
"Nobody touches me, Miss Rosi. Unless you share my bed."
"Oh... I'm sorry," I sat down on his bed, then touched his arm, pulling him up, "get up, your soup is getting cold."
His eyes darted at me, then left no choice, he sat up.
I put the bed tray over his lap, and the soup. He eyed the soup oddly at first, then ate two spoonfuls.
"Done. You can go now."
I shook my head, "that was too little, it did not even reach in your stomach. Just ten more."
"Ten more! Are you ordering me, Miss Rosi?"
"Of course not, why should I? You're the boss here," I twisted my lips, "okay, ten more and that's it."
"That's it."
"That's it," I nodded slowly, giving him an encouraging look.
He frowned, looking very angry again.
"You're treating me like a kid."
"Me?" I shook my head, "no, I would never do that, sir. Eat your soup now, or do you want me to do the choo choo train?"
"You're a crazy woman," he muttered, then ate ten spoonfuls of the soup.
"Done," he said and gave me the bowl.
"Hey, there's only two spoonfuls left. We don't want to put this into waste," I said, but he shook his head.
I took his spoon and fed him the soup, "open your mouth."
"I said..." he muttered, and I fed him the soup, "what the hell are you doing," he complained but still swallowed the soup.
"One last, and we're done," I pushed the spoon on him, and he did not argue anymore, and ate the soup, "very good. Nice job!"
He did not resist anymore when I gave him the medicine. I let him sleep afterwards, while I stayed and waited for his fever to subside.
The following morning, I woke up feeling so rested. Last night was one of my best sleeps. I touched the bed, loving the feel of it. The pillow, it was kinda hard, but felt deliciously warm.
I smiled, touching my pillow.
My eyes suddenly grew big in alarm. It was not a pillow at all, but an arm!
Feeling nervous, I turned to the other side of the bed slowly, and saw the man sleeping peacefully beside me.
Oh my God! Why am I in Kristov Stavrakos' bed?