"Oh?" He repeated before raising his hand over to her neck.
She could feel him gently squeeze around her throat. Her eyes never seemed to leave his. She tried to pry his hand off her, but his monster grip never eased.
"Adrik, she's scared," Johnathan spoke up, taking a step closer to them.
"You're scared?" he asked with his Russian accent protruding quite a bit.
Avelina quickly nodded her head as she felt tears threatening to fall from her eyes. His grip slowly began to loosen.
"Good," Adrik stated.
He then let go of her neck completely and walked off with Anton following right behind him.
The second he was gone, she let out a shaky breath. Johnathan was fast to walk up to Avelina, who touched her neck at the realization that no one had ever gone as far as grabbing her in that way. She didn't know if she liked it or hated it.
"Don't be shy to tell him when he goes too far. He doesn't know," Johnathan said.
Avelina shook her head, her face still full of shock by what had just occurred. "I'm not sure this job is for me.”
He let out a sigh before gently grabbing hold of her arm. She didn’t say anything as he walked her towards the couch.
"Look, he can't help it. He often told me that I look ugly in blue suits or that I started to get fat. It's all a part of being on the spectrum. Yeah, he asked you if you were a virgin strictly out of his curiosity. He likes to know everything about everyone and what he doesn't know—he asks. His brain doesn't detect the fact that it was rude," Johnathan explained.
“I understood that. I researched ASD to the pinnacle last night. It stated that they tend to speak their mind without worry about how it would make others feel. When he asked the question of me being a virgin, did it take me by surprise? Yes, but it didn't upset me.”
Looking down at her fingers, she began to play with them in her lap. "I know that when that man grabbed my neck, it wasn't his autism. He did that simply because he wanted to. I'm sorry, but it's not something I signed up for."
"He's a lot to handle. It just takes some getting used to. Just please give him a try," Johnathan pleaded.
Her granny used to tell her all the time that she shouldn't give up on something without giving them a fair chance. That was something she wanted to stick by.
"Okay.”
Johnathan smiled brightly at her words before standing up from the couch. "I'll show you around the house.”
Avelina nodded her head before following him up the stairs. She glanced over in the place that Adrik had just exited and let out a sigh. It was going to be difficult taking care of him, and she knew that.
"This is Adrik's room where you can go in and clean as you want. He usually keeps the door open, but when it's closed, make sure to knock because that means he is in there," Johnathan informed her.
She stepped inside of the room to feel the entire atmosphere suddenly turn dark. It was a massive room with huge curtains that reached an exceedingly high ceiling to block out the light. The bed was up against the wall with a gigantic painting above it.
Avelina found herself staring at the painting intensely before attempting to walk into the bedroom. Suddenly, she stopped herself and turned to look at Johnathan. "Is it okay if I go in?"
He quickly nodded his head, leaving her to step further into the room and over to the painting.
"He doesn't mind anyone in his room. Like I said, he just hates when people are in here while he's in here," Johnathan reminded her.
She nodded her head and then reached over to touch the beautiful painting. The painting was of a flower that looked to be blooming, and it made her heart sing in happiness at the sight of it. It was only done in black and white, but it only added to its symbolization.
"His bathroom is over there," Johnathan said, completely interrupting her thoughts by walking into the room and pointing towards an open door.
She peeled herself away from the painting and walked over to the bathroom, where she turned on the lights. Her jaw dropped at the sight of it. The bathroom was the size of her entire house, from the marble flooring to the bathtub with a fireplace near it. It was beautiful and screamed out exactly how expensive everything was.
Johnathan nodded his head in understanding with a smug grin on his face. "It's gigantic, isn't it?"
Avelina was quick to nod her head. She didn't even want to guess how big the closet was.
Johnathan waved her over to follow him.
They walked out of the room and headed towards a pair of double doors. When Johnathan opened them both up at the same time, her jaw dropped once more.
It was a railing of the entire lower portion of the house. As she gazed down, she saw the enormous indoor pool that looked inviting.
"You're free to use everything here. This place is going to be your home for the next three months, so you might as well enjoy it," Johnathan smiled.
She beamed down at the pool in happiness. Hopefully, the men had packed her bathing suit.
"Come."
She looked over at him to see that he had already left the railing and was back in the hallway. Avelina walked over to him and watched as he shut the double doors. They began to wander throughout the entire house, where he showed her a movie room, the second kitchen, and Adrik's office. He even showed her the other living room along with the dining room and bar. The house was big, and she could not wait to have the chance to explore it all.
Finally, he showed her to her room for the next three months. The flooring was wooden, and there was a fluffy white rug that sprawled out in the center. What she loved most was the bed seeing as it was simple yet very comfy. There was a dresser, a few hung pictures, and a beautiful view of the city through a gigantic window. The room was perfect.
"Your bathroom is over there, and the closet is right there,” Johnathan spoke after pointing in the direction of her bathroom and closet. “Also, I had written out everything you need to know in that journal on top of your bed. I have to go now, but you have my number, so feel free to contact me if you have any questions,"
"How many people live here?" She asked, furrowing her brows most adorably
He smiled kindly. "Adrik, and now you. That is all.”
She nodded her head slowly, feeling herself become nervous once more as he shut the door.
Avelina walked over to her bed to see her suitcase beside it.
Then, her eyes trailed over to the journal on her bed. The second she picked it up and began to read all the rules, she groaned. Avelina finally understood why she was getting paid so much just to care for a man for three months.
The strict instructions stated that he wanted his food to be the same and served to him at the same time every day. It also brought up the 'knocking' thing. As she read through his words, she memorized everything that she needed to know.
Avelina glanced at the clock. It was time to cook Adrik his lunch. Shchi, a Russian dish. Avelina had to use her phone to look up a recipe to make it. As she looked through the pictures, she realized that it was just a cabbage soup.
-
After many tries, she had finally succeeded at making the Shchi. Her eyes gazed down at the cabbage drowned in yellow soup along with the many veggies that surrounded it. She smiled proudly.
Placing the bowl on a tray, she hurriedly walked over to Adrik's office only to see that he wasn't in there.