Nikki's POV:
The next few weeks carried out in a similar manner. Every Saturday, at noon, without fail, we would meet at the park to eat lunch. It had become our ritual.
I no longer worried if she would show. I knew she'd be there.
She was still extremely shy and quiet towards me. And she still hadn't spoken very much and had yet to divulge much information about herself.
But, I didn't mind. I had no problem with her keeping to herself. I had a lot of patience and I was fine with us taking things slow. Because I knew that's what she wanted.
But Mother Nature, on the other hand, was not quite as patient, and was quickly forcing winter upon us.
Feeling pressured by the weather and wanting to get her off the streets before winter, I decided to set my plan into motion. And just hoped it didn't backfire and accidentally scare her off.
"So, how is the job hunting going? Any luck?" I asked her, nonchalantly, after a long a period of silence.
She looked at me. I had gotten her attention. Because I knew how important getting a job was to her. She had spoken about it several times.
She had a sad look in her eyes and a look of defeat. She shook her head no. Then quickly everted her eyes away from me.
"Well... as luck would have it. I'm actually looking for someone", I said, trying to sound as casual as possible.
She looked at me once again. But, this time with a look of curiosity.
"Ah, yeah. I'm actually looking for, ah, an assistant."
"An assistant?" she asked, in a quiet voice, her ice blue eyes looking directly at me.
"Yeah. You know. Kinda of like a personal assistant. Someone to help me out at work, especially when I'm traveling or on location. And someone to help me out at home. Run errands. And do small chores around the house. Things like that.
Her eyes went wide. And I could tell she was intrigued.
"So, I was kinda thinking that maybe you'd be interested."
"I-I don't know", she said, suddenly sounding nervous. I-I've never been a personal assistant before."
"That's Ok. You don't have to have experience. Because it's... on the job training. I'll teach you everything you need to know. Plus, I offer room and board."
Her eyes grew even wider and a smile spread across her face. And I swear, she looked like she wanted to hug me right then and there.
"Room and board?"
"Yeah. Well... you could live with me. Because... um... I have an extra room. And I'm a good cook, too. And all you've got to do is help me out when I need it. And I'll fully train you. So, you don't need to worry about a thing."
She thought about it for a minute. I knew she wanted to say yes. But, she was still apprehensive.
"There's no pressure. And if you decide you don't like it, you don't have to stay. It'll all be on your terms."
I could tell that she liked that I wasn't putting pressure on her. And that I was giving her options and letting her make the choices. It gave her a feeling of being in charge of her own destiny and a sense of control. Something I had learned from earlier experience, was important to her.
"I-I... I say yes", she said smiling, in a voice that for the first time, wasn't in a whisper, and with a glimmer of excitement in her eyes that I hadn't seen before.
"Well, then it's settled! You're officially hired!" I said , smiling back at her.
"I am?" she asked, her eyes still wide with excitement.
"Yeah. And it comes with an official title, too."
"I-It does?"
"Yeah. Head Personal Assistant." Actually, she was my only assistant. Basically, because I was just making the whole thing up. But, I wanted her to feel special. I didn't really need a personal assistant. But, she didn't need to know that.
"I am?!"
"Yep."
"Wow. That's sounds important", she said, grinning. "Really important."
"It is. And it's a big job. Do you think you can handle it?"
"Yes! I can do it! I promise I won't let you down! I'll be the best personal assistant you've ever had!"
"I know you will", I said, smiling at her cuteness.
"What do you say we get out of here? And go back to my house. And we can pick up your things on the way."
Her eyes suddenly went wide with fear. The idea of going back to my house was obviously scary for her. It represented a lack of control and a need to trust. Neither of which she was completely comfortable with.
"Are you scared to go to my house?" I asked gently.
She looked at me, then slowly nodded.
"It's Ok. I understand. I'd be afraid to go to a stranger's house, too."
"You-You would?" she asked, her eyes full of innocence.
"Yeah, of course I would. But, we're not strangers anymore, right? Me and you are friends, aren't we?"
"I-I... I guess so."
"Well then. There's nothing to be afraid of, right?"
"I-I guess not."
"And remember, we're still on your terms here, Ok? We'll go only if you want. And if you don't want to, you don't have to."
She thought for a minute, before making a final decision.
"I-I... I want to go. I want to go with you", she said shyly.
"You sure?"
She nodded, as a timid smile spread across her face.
"Well, let's go, then!" I said, jumping up, as she followed my lead.
I had driven that day because it was freezing cold outside. And now, I was glad I did.
Most of the car ride home was silent. I tried to make small talk. But, she didn't really seem interested. She was in deep thought. And I could tell she was nervous and overwhelmed about coming home with me. It would be a big change for her. After all, we barely knew each other. And living with a stranger would be scary for anyone. And that alone was enough to deal with. So I left her alone with her thoughts.
And admittedly, I was a little nervous about it myself. After all, I never lived with a stranger before, either. But, something inside told me it was the right thing to do. It was a leap of faith. But, for some reason, that wasn't quite clear, it felt like it was the right thing to do, and that it was a chance worth taking.
-
Lexi's POV:
Nikki helped me gather my belongings from the alley. Most of it wasn't really worth keeping and probably should have been thrown out. But, it was all I had. So, I kept everything.
It was hard to believe. A place that I had once called home, would soon be a distant memory. And it felt absolutely surreal that I would soon be living in a real home with a real job, with an official title and everything.
I couldn't believe how my luck had changed. It felt like a dream. It felt like the impossible was happening. And I began to wonder if maybe it all really was a dream. And that I would wake up and it would all be gone.
"You ready to go?" Nikki asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I looked back one more time to make sure I had everything.
It was a strange feeling. I was extremely excited and grateful for this opportunity. But, at the same time, I felt overwhelmed and just so scared. Because as bad as it was, struggling for survival, in one form or another, was the only life I had ever known. But, at least it was familiar and I knew how to deal with it.
But, this wasn't. And I had no idea what to expect. And it made me feel uneasy, nervous and unsure of myself and the situation.
And Nikki must have sensed my apprehension, because she looked at me with such kindness, patience and understanding, that it immediately put me at ease.
"You scared?"
I nodded.
"It's gonna be alright. I promise. Just give it a chance, Ok? If you don't like it, you don't have to stay. It's all on your terms. Remember that."
"Ok", I said hesitantly.
The rest of the car ride was silent. And as before, she didn't push me for conversation. And I was glad. Because I was far too nervous to talk. I just wanted to think. And to try to comprehend what was going on and what changes were about to happen.
A few minutes later, she pulled into a long driveway with a big brick house.
My jaw nearly dropped. This couldn't be it. Could it? Her house? This house was practically a mansion! Like something you'd see on tv or in a magazine!
She never told me she was rich! What was I going to do? There's no way this is going to work! I can't live in a mansion! I don't know anything about being rich! I'd never fit in.
My hands started to shake, and I began to feel nervous. I immediately felt subconscious and out of place. Like a fish out of water.
She got out of the car. But, I stayed put. I didn't move. I was petrified.
"You coming?" she asked, when I didn't get out of the car.
I shook my head.
"You don't want to come in?" she asked gently.
I shook my head again.
"Why?"she asked softly.
"I-I... It looks... scary", I whispered.
She walked over to the passenger's side and opened my door, and kneeled down so she was at eye level. But, I quickly veered my eyes away.
"Lexi, look at me. I know it's big. But, I promise it's not scary. And nothing's going to happen to you. Nobody's going to hurt you here."
"H-How do you know?"
"Because I'm going to be right there with you. And I promise, nothing bad is going to happen"
I thought about it.
"Who else is in there?" I asked.
"Nobody. I live alone. It'll just be me and you."
"Just me and you?"
"Yes. That's it."
I thought about it again.
"Well... Ok, I guess. As long as there's nobody else", I said, reluctantly getting out of the car and following behind her. She was my friend. And I knew as long as it was just me and her, nobody would hurt me.
We walked up to the house, and she opened up the front door. And I nearly fell over. My hands started trembling in fear.
It was the most extravagant house I'd ever seen! It was absolutely huge! With high vaulted ceilings. And huge, spacious rooms everywhere I looked. And I couldn't be sure, but it looked professionally decorated. The entire house looked just like something you would see on tv or in a magazine.
And everything was clean and neat. There wasn't a thing out of place.
It didn't look like a home at all. At least not like one I've ever been in.
It looked more like a museum. And everything looked brand new and extremely expensive. And very breakable. So, I made sure to make a mental note not to touch anything.
But suddenly reality hit, and I suddenly felt stupid for even being here. I felt out of place, embarrassed and uncomfortable. Because I knew I didn't belong in a big, fancy house like this. A poor kid like me, had no business even being here. I was way out of my league. And I suddenly wished I had never agreed to come.
"So what do you think?" she asked, after noticing how quiet I was being.
I tried to think of something positive to say. Because I didn't want to be rude. But, it was just all so overwhelming. The house was just so intimidating. And honestly, I wasn't sure I even liked it. It made me feel small, insignificant and insecure. And all the open, empty space made me feel vunerable. I much rather preferred tight, small spaces. So, I could hid good. Just in case I needed to. But, I didn't want to seem ignorant or unappreciative, so I just nodded my head, politely.
But, she saw right through it. We hadn't know each other very long at all, but she was already beginning to be able to read me, according to my mannerisms. And I wasn't quite sure if I liked that. No body has ever been able to read me before. It's not that I was difficult to read or anything. It's just that, no one ever gave a shit before or ever even took the time.
But she did. She took the time to notice. She took the time to give a shit. And it was odd. It was a strange, unfamiliar feeling, having someone care what you thought. But, it wasn't a bad feeling. It was just different.
"Are you scared", she gently asked, clearly sensing that I was overwhelmed.
I nodded.
"What's making you scared?"
"I-I... It's... too big", I whispered, hiding behind her.
"Don't let that intimidate you. You'll get used to it. And once you know your way around, it won't seem so big. Plus, having another person living here, besides just me, will make it feel not as empty, too. And it won't be so lonely. So, if you think about it, it kinds works out good for both of us."
"Oh", I said, surprised. "T-This is gonna help you, too?"
She laughed. "Of course."
I smiled. Because if it was helping her too, then maybe it wasn't such a bad idea after all. Afterall, she was my friend, and I liked the idea of helping her.
"You just gotta give it a chance."
"Ok", I said. Maybe she was right. Maybe I just needed to get used to it. Then maybe I'd like it better. And as long as she was here with me, maybe it wouldn't seem so big and scary.
"Hey. What do you say we go find your room?", she asked. "That would make you feel better, right?"
My eyes went wide with fear.
She smiled. "Don't worry. I'll be right here."
"Ok", I whispered.
She started to walk towards the stairs, but suddenly stopped, then glanced down at my hand.
I glanced down, too. To see what had caught her attention.
I hadn't even realized, but I had been holding onto her. My hand was gripping the sleeve of her leather jacket so tight, my knuckles were white.
"You really are scared aren't you?" She whispered, looking back up at me.
"I-I'm sorry", I said, quickly letting go of her jacket, then backing away from her. "I... I didn't mean too."
"Lexi, it's Ok. You didn't do anything wrong."
"But, I shouldn't have touched you", I said in a barely audible voice. "We barely know each other. I'm sorry."
"Lexi, it's Ok. You're just scared. And I don't mind you holding onto me."
"Y-You don't?"
"No, not all. In fact, if you want... you can hold my hand."
I was immediately taken off guard, and began to panick. I never held a girl's hand before. Let alone a girl that I though was pretty and that I was attracted to. And I soon found myself beginning to wonder what it would feel like to hold her hand. And the more I thought about, the more I wanted to. I wanted to know what it felt like.
A blush spread across my cheeks, as I shyly nodded.
She smiled. Then, slowly reached out and took my hand. Then gently entwined our fingers.
"Is this Ok?" she asked, hesitantly, not wanting to make me uncomfortable or to overstep her boundaries.
I nodded shyly.
Butterflies immediately erupted in my stomach. Her hand was tiny and dainty. Even smaller than mine. And her skin was so soft. Like silk.
It was nothing at all like holding Cal's big, calloused hand, that had only ever handled me roughly.
But, she held my hand softly and gently. And I thought it felt amazing. And for a brief second, our eyes met. But, I quickly looked away. Because I didn't want her to see the blush that I was sure was all over my face.
She continued to hold my hand as we walked up the stairs, as I followed close beside her.
Once we reached the landing, she stopped at the first room at the beginning of a long hallway.
"This will be your room", she said, opening the door and walking in.
I peered in. My eyes went wide and I gasped. Because it looked like a bedroom you would find in a castle. Not in a house. And it looked like a princess should be sleeping here. Not me.
"Do you want to go in?" she asked gently, still holding my hand.
I nodded, but didn't move. She gently tugged on my hand and took a step forward, indicating for me to follow her. So, I did.
I slowly walked in. I looked around in awe and literally couldn't believe that this was supposed to be my room. It was so big, open and spacious. And so fancy. Everything was brand new, modern, decorated to the tee, and spotlessly clean.
It had everything. A queen sized bed. A wardrobe, a dresser, and a vanity. It even had fireplace with a sitting area in the far corner.
I was speechless. I didn't know what to say. Or how to act. I'd never been in such a grand room before. I didn't even know that rooms like this really existed. It almost felt like I was in a dream. Like a fairy tale.
"What do you think?" she asked, snapping me back into reality.
"I-I don't know. It's just so -"
"So what?" she asked.
"I-It's just so... big and fancy. A-Are you sure you want me in here?"
"I mean... I like it", I added, not wanting to sound ungrateful. "But, it's just that... I might bust something. I'm really clumsy. And sometimes I get real dirty. And I don't want to get anything messed up", I said honestly, scared to death to touch anything.
I was beginning to rethink this whole thing. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. Me in a big fancy mansion where everything was clean and expensive and breakable? It sounded like a disaster waiting to happen.
She laughed. "You'll be fine. Don't worry about it. Besides, most of these things were my interior designer's idea, not mine. And I don't even like some of it. So break away."
I laughed. She was funny. And I liked that. I wasn't used to be around funny people. Everybody that I was usually around was mean and grouchy. Not funny, like her.
She smiled back. Seemingly amused by me.
I looked away and hid my face in my hands. Because I still felt timid around her. But even though I still felt shy, I was beginning to realize she really was my friend. And I liked her. Not only was she funny, she was nice. And she was pretty. And she smelled good too. And I liked holding her hand. Because it made me feel safe.
"Anyway", she said, finally releasing my hand.
The loss of contact instantly made me feel vulnerable. I no longer felt safe. And I didn't like it. I liked it better when I was holding her hand.
"This is your walk-in closet", she said, pointing to the far end of the room.
"M-My walk-in closet?"
I never had a walk-in closet. I had heard of them. But, I never actually seen one. At least not in person.
I peered in, curious to see what it would look like.
This was a closet? Now I understood how it got it's name.
It was bigger than my old bedroom! About twice the size. It was ridiculous really. If you thought about it. I mean, who would ever need a closet this big? Especially someone like me. Who didn't even own hardly any clothes.
"I know it looks big and empty right now. But, I was thinking that if you want, maybe later in the week, I could take you shopping for some new clothes. It'd be like... my treat."
"Shopping?" I asked.
I hadn't been shopping in... Wait a minute. I don't think I've ever been shopping. Not real shopping, at least. Unless Goodwill counts. And I'm pretty sure it doesn't. At least not by her standards.
I began to feel embarrassed. I must look pathetic. For her to even offer such a thing. She must think I was a total loser.
"Hey", she said, placing her hand on my shoulder, in an attempt to comfort me, obviously sensing my uneasiness. "I hope you didn't take that the wrong way. Because what you have is fine. And I know you're more than capable of buying them yourself once you get paid. But, it's just that you said you're new to town. And I just thought it would be like a welcoming present. And it would kind of be like a new start."
"A new start?"
"Yeah. Isn't that why you came here?" she asked, confused.
"Ah, yeah", I whispered.
It wasn't a total lie, but it wasn't the total truth, either. She didn't know that I was running away from a life of abuse or that I had no family or friends anywhere in this world, to turn to. So, it was the running away that was the real reason I came here. And the new start just happened to coincide with it.
But, I didn't want to tell her my whole story. Not yet, at least. And maybe not ever.
So, I didn't say anymore. And thankfully, she didn't ask any more questions.
"And over here is your en suite", she said, pointing to the adjoined room.
"My en- what?" I asked, not even sure if she was speaking English.
She smiled. "Your en suite. It's just a fancy way to say that your bathroom is connected to your bedroom. In other words, it's your own private bathroom."
I stopped dead in my tracks, not even being able to believe what she had just said.
"I have my own bathroom? For just me?"
She laughed. "Of course silly."
"But why?" I asked. I couldn't figure it out. Because I had seen a perfectly good bathroom downstairs already, when we walked in. How many bathrooms did you need? And why would you need a bathroom for just one person? It seemed silly. And ridiculously extravagant. And it seemed like a waste of money to me.
She laughed. "It's to give you privacy. I have one too in my bedroom."
"You do?"
"Yeah. And so does the third bedroom down the hall."
"Really?!" I asked in amazement. Three bathrooms on one floor?! My last apartment with Cal only had one bathroom. And it wasn't nearly as big. Shit. She must be loaded beyond loaded.
"Well anyway, if you want, you're welcome to take a shower. You know, to get freshened up and kind of get settled in."
I nodded my head. "Yes, I would like that", I said, knowing I desperately needed one, and feeling embarrassed and ashamed about how dirty and unkept I was. And I'm sure I didn't smell too great either.
"I-I don't really have anything clean-"
"Oh", she said, realizing what I meant. "Ok. That's no problem. You can wear something of mine. I'll go get you some clean clothes", Nikki said, as she went to go retrieve them from her room.
A few minutes later, she came back and handed me some of her clothes.
"Here's a pair of leggings and a hoodie. You're taller and thinner than I am", she said, as her eyes glanced over my body. "But, I think these will fit."
"Thanks", I said, as she handed me the clothes.
And for some reason, I began to blush. I sort of felt embarrassed that she had noticed my body. I don't really know why. Maybe it was because I had noticed her body and had been secretely stealing glances at her, that I didn't want her to know about.
Had she caught me looking at her? God, I hope not. I would feel like such a creep.
"And here's a pair of new socks, bra and panties that have never been worn. My mom gave them to me a Christmas present, but they were too small. But, they should fit you", she said, as her eyes quickly glanced down at my chest.
When she had realized I had caught her looking at my chest, her face turned beat red.
"Ah, well, it's not that I was looking or anything, it's just that... well, you're smaller than me... Not just there, but everywhere", she said, trying to dig herself out of a hole. "And I just thought that... Ah... Honestly, I don't know what I'm trying to say", she said, handing me the items and quickly looking away, in an attempt to hide her blush.
An uncomfortable silence followed. And I knew we both felt awkward because it was obvious that she had been checking me out. But honestly, I didn't mind one bit. Actually, I kinda liked it.
"Well, anyway, everything else you need should be in the bathroom. Just let me know if you need anything else," she said, before quickly leaving the room, obviously still feeling embarrassed.
Even though it had been an awkward moment, it was cute actually, to see her like that. All flustered, embarrassed, and unsure of herself. Because the Nikki I knew was always confident. Not vulnerable and insecure like this. But, honestly, I thought it made her look adorable. And I couldn't help but wonder if it had meant anything, or if it was just a misunderstanding. Maybe I was making too much of it. I was probably was, I reasoned. She would never like me like that. And suddenly I felt stupid for even thinking such a thing.
I sighed, then walked into the bathroom and sat the clothes on the sink.
Wow. Not surprisingly, it was fancy, too. It had a double sink, a vanity, and a separate shower and tub. Again, none of that made any sense. Not to me anyhow. Why would you need two sinks? And what was wrong with having the tub and the shower together? Rich people were really weird. And they had such odd ways of doing things and apparently had money to piss away.
I shrugged, then stripped off my dirty clothes.
I looked at myself in the mirror.
God, I looked awful. I looked like... well, like a homeless person.
I was absolutely filthy and my hair was greasy and full of knots.
But, what was even more shocking was how thin I was. I was practically emaciated. Nearly every bone in my body was visible. I mean, I had always been thin. But not like this. And it wasn't a good thin. It was a sickly thin. So much so, I hardly even recognized myself.
But, even more concerning than that was that my upper torso on my left side was still badly swollen. And it hurt to touch. The right side seemed to be Ok. But the left side hadn't gotten any better at all. In fact, it might even had gotten worse.
I left out a deep sigh. Because I honestly didn't know what to do about it. I didn't have any health insurance. So, there was no way I could go to the doctor. It wasn't even an option. All I could do was hope that eventually it would heal on its own.
I stepped into the shower, turning the faucet on to steaming hot and letting the water beat down upon my body.
God, it felt so freaking good! I hadn't taken a real shower in weeks. And I really needed one. Badly!
I took my time washing my hair and scrubbing my body clean. Then, I found a razor and shaved my entire body. I kinda had a weird thing when it came to body hair. I didn't like it. And I just felt better when I was clean shaven. Everywhere.
When I was done, I stepped out of the shower and dried myself off.
I ran a comb through my long dirty blonde hair, making sure to get out all the knots.
Then I picked up the matching black lace bra and panties Nikki had given me. They still had the tag on them. Victoria's Secret. I gulped. She was the fanciest person I'd ever met! Even her panties were fancy!
I put them on and looked at myself in the mirror. And I actually thought I looked pretty good. Kind of like one of those tall, stick figure run way models. Obviously I needed to gain some weight, but I actually felt pretty for the first time in a long time.
I then put on the clothes she had given me. It was a simple blue hoodie and black leggings. They were soft and comfortable. And they smelled good, too. Like lavender and vanilla. Just like her.
After I was finished getting dressed, I went back into the bedroom and sat down on the edge of the bed.
I looked around. It was such a strange feeling. Literally less than 24 hours ago, I was sleeping on the streets. But, tonight I was going to be sleeping here. In this big room. In this warm, soft, comfortable bed.
And even though my room was nice, and I was extremely grateful, it was still strange and unfamiliar. And it was full of expensive, fancy things. Things that were way too fancy for someone like me. And most of them looked breakable. And none of which I was used to.
And as grateful as I was to be here, I knew there was going to be a huge adjustment period. This was a big change for me. And it was definitely going to take some getting used to.
But, I had faith that it was a good change. And one that couldn't have come at a better time.