What's Said in Silence

Sera- II

I adjusted my skirt for what had to be the millionth time before ringing the doorbell. I was ten minutes early, which made me glad that I had already done my hair and makeup for the day when Jessie texted me about my interview. I wasn't sure if being interview ready less than an hour after being told about it showed determination or desperation. I can only hope that the home owner would be impressed either way. Jessie had told me that my discretion was important for this job, but he already knows I'm not exactly going to tell anyone anything- not that I have anyone to tell in the first place. 

The door opens and Jessie greets me with a wide grin. "Didn't I tell you that things would work out?" I quirked a brow at him. I hadn't gotten the job, so there wasn't any reason to celebrate. Yet.

He ushered me in and walked me through the corridor into a dining room, where he pulled out a chair at a long table and motioned for me to sit. "He'll be out in just a minute. " He said as he took a seat next to me. The dining room wasn't open concept to the kitchen and felt more closed off than it should. Between the surrounding grey walls and having a lawyer sitting next to me thrumming his fingers against the table, this felt like more of an interrogation than an interview.  

"I should give you a heads up, he looks like Halloween personified." What the hell was that supposed to mean?

A tall figure appeared in the doorway and strode in, his footsteps nearly silent. He wore all black clothing, but in place of a shirt it looked like there was black paint across his torso. A black cape flowed behind him covering his head with a hood. His face was covered with a white mask that was red around the mouth, like it had been chewed out. A strange symbol was painted onto the forehead of the mask. Was he part of a cult? Was I about to be sacrificed?   

I wanted to give Jessie a look that would ask him what the hell he signed me up for, but I was too enraptured by the sight of the rather graceful man in front of me. He pulled out a chair directly across from me and took a seat. 

"Vessel, this is Sera. For obvious reasons, I'll answer any questions you have unless they're 'yes' or 'no' questions. "

His only response was to raise a hand and shoo Jessie. He actually shooed him, like a child. it was as amusing as it was impressive when Jessie stood up without argument and exited.

I turned my attention back to the man in front of me. Vessel, interesting name. I looked down at my own clothing. White capped sleeve shirt, pink ruffled skirt, and white flats. Polar opposite to Vessel. I straightened my spine and waited patiently for him to ask me something, anything. 

Seconds. Minutes. Silence. 

If he was using the silent approach to make me squirm, it wouldn't work. I've grown too comfortable with silence, and I needed this job too badly to be intimated by a mask. Not to mention the mess I had glimpsed when I first arrived. He needed me just as badly and we both knew it.

He slowly tilted his head to the side. As if he was asking me my first question.

What can you offer?

I tilted my head to the opposite side and narrowed my eyes.

Everything.

A wicked grin crept onto his face. He stood and made his way around the table. Again, I was dumbfounded at how quietly he moved, especially someone of his size. Every stride closer made my heart beat faster. Standing mere inches from me, he held out his hand. Hesitantly, I placed my hand in his and he helped me stand from my seat. A buzz thrummed across my skin at the contact, I could only hope that my nerves hadn't finally manifested itself into a physical reaction. 

Still holding my hand in his at chest-level, he turned and gently led me out of the dining room. we walked through the house and down a hallway. Minimal decorations throughout the entire house but the same symbol that was on his mask was painted on the wall at the very end of the hallway. I had to wonder what it meant. 

We stopped in front of a door. He turned the knob and pushed it open. The hinges squeaked and a rush of cool air brushed across my skin. It was as if this room hadn't had a human presence in years. A room that, without the bed and singular nightstand and dresser, would be completely empty. That emptiness paired with the grey walls and dark hardwood floors gave the room an eerie feeling. If I entered I might never be found again. 

"This is your room." He finally said. His voice was so deep and velvety it nearly sent me to my knees.  My head snapped up at him. "You're hired as my live-in housekeeper. You start immediately." With that he slipped his hand free from mine, turned on his heel, and strode away.  

I took a minute to steady my breathing and looked down at my hand. A light coating of black paint had smeared across my fingers. I rubbed them together as if feeling the paint was the same and feeling his hand again. It wasn't, but that buzz hadn't subsided yet. Then it hit me. I had a job. I was staying in the UK. 

I sped down the hallway, trying my best to ignore how loud my footsteps were against the hardwood floor. I ran into Jessie in the living room who held up my visa contract- signed.  

"Looks like you're safe, Sera." He said with a chuckle. 

I was safe. In more ways than one.