ALIYA TORRES
"And Aliya. Have you seen her by any chance?" Ethan asked.
"Ethan my boy. Give the girl a moment to rest, she has been here for a day and you are already treating her like a slave. Whatever you have to say to her, you'll tell her when you come back for your trip"
"But I-"
"No buts. Time is of the essence",Mila pushed him out of the house and I felt relief wash over me.
I was hiding behind the wall that led to the dining room. I watched as he took the brown bag and his duffel bag and left.
The only thing pondering in my mind is whether he would get to read the note or not.
After the total awkward encounter in his room, I ran to my room, wrote a few letters on a piece of paper from my diary before I took off the watch, wrapped it in my handkerchief and enlisted Mila's help.
I told Mila everything. Well not everything everything. I might have excluded the part where I saw Ethan Carter naked like a pear displayed on a plate infront of artists.
Mila understood me and she devised a plan to sneak the letter among a couple of things like her charms and a big Christmas sweater to keep Ethan Carter warm.
I had never been scared of someone like I was with Ethan.
The need to prove that I was not a thief had prompted me to write a letter in mere three minutes.
Not that I was trying to amuse him or anything. I was only trying to make him understand my side of the story because he, always assumed the worst of me.
"You can relax, dear. He's gone",Mila came to assure me and I huffed the rugged breath that had almost choked me the entire time.
"I hope he reads the letter", I said.
"Ooh am sure he will and he'll understand. We all get carried away sometimes. I remember the first time I tried Mrs Lisa's clothes. The two hundred dollar dress tore when I wore it, I thought I would get fired on the dot",she mused and out of curiosity, I asked,
"Then what happened?"
"Mrs Lisa came home found the dress torn and when I went to confess my misdeed, Ethan stepped in. He said he tore it by accident"
"Ethan saved you from getting fired? Well that's hard to believe", I humored.
I couldn't imagine egocentric Ethan Carter helping someone other than himself. I mean sure he helped me with my mother's bills but that's just because he wanted something in return. I was sure of it.
"Yes. Ethan. Your boss. I've seen him grow well I can say I've raised him to be a fine young man and I don't understand why you can't see that"
The talk proceeded to the kitchen where I sat on one of the bar stools, placing my hands on the kitchen island while Mila whipped up something for dinner.
Though I really didn't understand why she was preparing dinner considering that the boss was all the way in Philippines.
We were only three people in the house. Me, Jai and Mila. I hadn't seen Jai around since I saw him earlier and I had the feeling wherever he was, the last thing on his mind was dinner.
Perhaps the fridge was filled with all sorts of food, surely I could salvage something from there to eat.
My mind jolted to the present. Ethan, a fine young man? I couldn't say he was a fine young man because everytime I met him, he would always concoct an insult making me feel like someone less or someone who didn't deserve to breath the same air he did.
"Mila, you are a wonderful woman and am sure you did a great job raising him. People change, Ethan Carter must have changed too", I said taking an apple from the bowl of fruits and taking a huge bite.
"Oh nonsense! My Ethan would never change, you just don't know him well enough just like he doesn't know you",she pointed a knife at me before going back to chop the carrots.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked taking another bite of the apple.
She paused staring at me in the eyes saying,
"Believe me, I've lived long enough to see two people misunderstanding each other. You view Ethan as this arrogant, evil man while Ethan views you the same.
I know Ethan is a bit of a handful at times but he is a good man while you, Aliya are a nice woman. An honest woman at that. You came to tell me immediately when you took Ethan's watch by accident.
Not everyone is like you. That watch was expensive, had it been someone else, she would have left and gone to sell it in an instant"
I mean the watch really was pretty but stealing? That was the last thought on my mind.
I never stole even when my mother and I went hungry for three days straight. Let's just say I had been raised better.
"Well not everyone can like Ethan Carter and I myself happen to think that I'm one of those people", I raised my head proudly.
"Ethan Carter? If you want to know him well you should start by calling him Ethan. What I don't understand is why you are working for him if you don't like him"
It was more like a rhetorical question but somehow I felt obliged to answer her. I had to tell her, she did help me out with the watch the least I could do was tell her.
"We have an agreement", I blurted.
"What agreement?" Mila asked raising a brow curiously.
I had to tell her how I met Ethan, how Ethan Carter thought I was obsessed with him, how I almost blinded him with wasabi, how he paid for my mother's bills and how I accepted to be his maid to repay that debt.
"Know I understand why you think he is arrogant. I would too if he thought I poured coffee on him just to touch him",Mila chuckled.
"And the wasabi? That was you? Mrs Lisa was so shocked to see her son's memes surfing the internet like crazy. Though she laughed out loud at first before wondering whether her son was okay"
"I was so mad at him then for getting me fired, I didn't think that people would take pictures of him", I said guiltily.
Though the wasabi must have hurt his eyes so much. I laughed at the thought of Ethan Carter shouting and screaming that 'I can't see! Someone help, I can't see!'
"You don't have to defend yourself, I get it. Youngsters these days,"she slapped her forehead nodding her head sideways in amazement.
X
The next day flew by fast, I didn't think I would have so much fun just touring the house.
Mila spent most of her time watching Spanish telenovelas. I did love telenovelas but I couldn't understand one Spanish word except amor or senora.
I left the house once more stumbling upon the pool and the beautiful poolside with white pool chairs and white umbrellas.
I don't know. I just wished I knew how to swim so that I could feel the water against my body to cool down the effects of the summer heat.
Or maybe just feel myself swimming non stop against the blue liquid then emerge from the water like those Indian hot girls that look like hot models from Vogue.
But alas! A girl could only dream. I ventured off from the pool going down the marble path that led to the garden.
All the while I had my phone taking pictures of everything. Every tree that I found beautiful, a picture of a butterfly just fluttering about.
The marble path led me to a little house or should I say bunker up ahead. I instinctively went to peep inside but the windows were sealed shut and so was the door.
What was in there? A botanical garden perhaps? A greenhouse? No, I doubt that.
If it was a garden, then here should have been light to peep through to the plants. I went back to the door, examining the lock on whether I could open it with a hair pin.
"Don't even try. Unless you want to get fired",Jai's voice bellowed behind me and I almost jumped like a cat out of fright.
"You scared me! You should really give one a heads up when you decide to creep up behind them", I said watching him smirk.
He always did that. The man without a care in the world who always smiled. I could smell his aftershave from where I was standing, and judging from his outfit, black boots, a pair of black jeans, a white shirt and a black leather jacket, he seemed like he was going somewhere.
"Well am giving you a heads up that if you try getting inside, Ethan will fire you",he said.
"Why? What's inside?" I asked curiously looking at the bunker.
"I don't know. Think of it as the forbidden place where no one's allowed"
Forbidden place?
"Why? Is he hiding a dead body inside?" I asked sarcastically.
"I sure hope not",he said before adding,"and what are you doing here anyways. Don't you have like some laundry to fold or dishes to wash?"
"Mmh funny. You know I could ask you the same thing. What are you doing here and where are you going dressed like that?"
"Well am here because I live just down there and as for the look, Ethan isn't here so I might as well play while the cat is away",he grinned pulling the edges of his leather jacket in a macho way.
"You have your own house?" I asked with curiosity.
"Yeah. Ethan thought it wise for the driver to have a bungalow all to himself"
"Lucky you. Can I see it?"
"I've got plans but when I come back, I'll personally take you on a tour around the house",he winked before walking away.
I ventured further from the bunker and what do you know! There was a bungalow just beyond the garden. A small one but it still looked cozy.
Who knew Ethan Carter was considerate enough to let his driver have his own home?
After a little exploring, I went back to the house.
Mila was still on the couch laughing at something on the TV. I went to the kitchen to get a bag of Cheerios to join her when I heard the door bell ring.
"I'll get that", I said out loud though I doubt Mila heard anything I said.
I turned the knob, fixing all the creases on my maid's uniform before I opened the door.
Oh crap!
Standing at the porch, was a blonde woman dresses in a pants suit, a big Chanel bag on one hand and brown shades covering her eyes.
I hoped she didn't recognize me from the restaurant. Heck, I prayed she didn't recognize me as the girl who poured wasabi on her boyfriend.
I managed to organize some words in my head before I croaked out,
"Welcome to Carter's residence, how may I help you?"
That was the dumbest thing I could have said. She slowly took off her glasses taking a good look at me and the look on her face said she didn't like me at all.
"Since when did Ethan get a maid?"she asked,"do I know you?"
"No, ma'am. Am new here", I said curtly.
She walked right in, her heels clicking against the floor and her perfume filling the house.
"Mila?" I heard her say and I walked right into the living room.
"Ma'am Crystal!" Mila greeted her back, hugging her.
They knew each other, huh?
"I didn't know you were coming. Nonetheless I'll prepare someone for you",Mila said happily getting up and running to the kitchen while I was left standing there like a meek servant.
Ma'am Crystal didn't bother to sit instead she eyed me again and I felt nervous.
"Is Ethan back?" She asked.
"No. He didn't tell us, I thought you knew",the last part came as a whisper but she was the girlfriend, wasn't she supposed to know about these things.
"What did you just say?"
"Nothing, ma'am", I said quickly.
"No, you said something and I wanna hear it"
"I meant no disrespect but I thought you as his girlfriend knew when he would be back"
"Girlfriend?How did you know I was his girlfriend? Now I know, where I saw you. I don't forget faces and yours is a very uncommon one. You are that girl aren't you? The one who assaulted Ethan with the wasabi"
And now she knew.
"It was a mistake, ma'am"
"Clearly not, if you are in Ethan's house. Is something going on between you two?"
What? Hell, no!
"Ofcourse not", I said sternly watching her take quick steps towards me.
I didn't anticipate that she would grab me by my hair and spit vile words at me,
"Listen here. Listen well. Ethan is mine and whatever fantasy is going on through your head, it's never gonna happen. There's no way you assault him and the next thing he hires you when he doesn't even hire maids to begin with-"
I couldn't let her finish, not when my hair was tangled in her tiny little fists. She was hurting me and I couldn't allow it so I pushed her off me with all my might.
Unluckily, she fell on the coffee table with a thud and unfortunately Mila saw everything.
"Aliya! What do you think you are doing?"
