Care: Book One

by A. Marie

  She flipped over to the back and made sure that he wasn't lying. After reading through it, she picked up the pen and signed her name on the line.

  "The man's name is Adrik Zolotov. He's twenty-nine years old, owns casinos and a few companies. He is beyond intelligent. The last time I checked, Adrik was fluent in fifteen different languages. This man also can read people so well that it may scare you.”

  "What is wrong with him? You said that he is twenty-nine. That is noticeably young to need a caregiver. Most of my clients are in their sixties," she pointed out.

  "He's had it since he was born but didn't know until recently when a doctor diagnosed him with Asperger’s. Well, no one uses that term anymore—it's Autism Spectrum Disorder," he said.

  Avelina's brows furrowed once more.

  "ASD? He's a billionaire with Autism; that’s quite inspiring," she said, smiling slightly.

  Johnathan let out a sigh. There was so much more to Adrik that he couldn't quite tell her because she would run away in fear.

  "To take care of a man like Adrik Zolotov is amazingly easy. He's gone on business a lot, and he mostly takes care of himself. He only requires assistance on minor things.”

  Nodding her head, she completely understood. "I can do it. How bad can it be?"

  As she signed her name on the contract, Jonathan could only frown.

  "Perfect. You get the money at the end of the three months. Mr. Zolotov will need to sign the contract at the end of the three months to release you to Brazil,” Johnathan began, “Also, the man lives extremely far in a secluded area, so it is expected of you to move in—if that's not a problem.”

  "Not at all. I've moved in with a few of my clients before.”

  He stood up and shook her hand, guilt trying to take over his features. She was making a deal with the devil and didn't even know it.

  "Great. You start tomorrow. I will be sending you the address and going to your house at around ten to pick you up," he stated, ready to turn around a leave before she changed her mind.

  "Wait, what about Miss Paola?"

  “We already have the perfect person for her. She'll be okay."

  He hurriedly turned on his heel and exited the coffee shop with one thing on his mind; Adrik would ruin her.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Care for Goodbye

  As soon as she got out of her taxicab for the second time that day, she walked over to the hotel elevator. Immediately, she was welcomed by the sight of Mr. John Jones. The moment he saw Avelina, he smiled brightly at the young woman as she got into the elevator.

  "Hi, John. Your children came home today, right?" She asked him.

  Mr. John Jones quickly realized that she was the only person who would try to strike up a conversation with him in the building. Everyone just treated him like the scum on the bottom of the Earth, but Avelina was different. She cared and remembered things like the day before when he told her that his two daughters would finally come home for college today.

  "They haven't arrived yet. On my lunch break, I plan to go pick them up at the airport.”.

  "Really? Are you excited?" She exclaimed cheerfully as he pressed on the button to get her to Miss Paola's room.

  "Very excited. I've been waiting to see my girls for a year now.”

  She walked up to him and embraced him in a hug. "I'm excited for you! That's amazing. Alexa and Dani sound like amazing people. They're fortunate to have you as a father.”

  The elevator doors dinged, alerting her that they made it to her floor.

  Avelina pulled away from the hug and patted him on his shoulder before turning around and walking away.

  "Thank you, Avelina. I didn't realize how much I needed to hear those words until now.”

  Avelina walked down the hall and towards Miss Paola. The older woman was in the living room doing yoga. The second she saw Avelina, she rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the television, which broadcasted a yoga instructor.

  "Good afternoon, Miss Paola," Avelina spoke before walking over to her refrigerator and checking to see if she had all the groceries she needed.

  Avelina made sure to stock Miss Paola’s food up two days ago and was happy she still had enough food to last a week or two.

  She then walked into her bedroom and made Miss Paola's bed. No matter how hard she tried not to, Avelina formed a connection with each person she took care of—especially Miss Paola. It would hurt too much to leave her,

  "What is wrong with you?" Miss Paola asked.

  The woman walked past Avelina with her yoga mat in her hands.

  Avelina sighed sadly and sat down on the floor before patting the space beside her for Miss Paola to sit.

  "I am not sitting on no damn floor when the bed is right there," Miss Paola stated.

  The woman walked over to the bed and sat down on top of it.

  Avelina smiled and realized that Miss Paola’s attitude was what she was going to miss most. The woman seemed to have never cared how anyone felt about her words. She always spoke her mind.

  "Today is my last day.”

  Avelina couldn't even glance up at Miss Paola because it would break her. Her sadness was beginning to fill her emotions, leaving her to frown.

  "What? I thought your contract was going to last for three months," Miss Paola spoke in disappointment.

  Avelina walked over to Miss Paola and sat down on the bed beside her. She let her head rest on the woman's shoulder.

  "I've been offered another job. I'm sorry, Miss Paola, I wish I could stay.”

  "Is it money? I can give you more money. I know that I've been rude, but it's the way I've always been. That's why I'm single and successful. Plus, I may not look like much now, but I was once hot, too," she grumbled sadly.

  Avelina pulled her in for a hug as the woman just awkwardly patted her back.

  "No, I love your attitude. It always makes me smile. As for the money, it's okay, Miss Paola. Just make sure you tell your next caregiver that you must be asleep before midnight, or you'll be cranky for the rest of the week. Also, your food must be given to you before ten, or you won't eat anything.”

  Miss Paola frowned in response.

  "I didn't even know that about myself. Therefore, I need you here. I don't want another caregiver. I want Avelina, and I'll give that goddamn agency a piece of my mind!”

  Avelina chuckled as she watched her. "It's okay. You have my number, and you can feel free to call me whenever. Even if you just want to talk for a little, I am always a call away.”

  Miss Paola sighed and let her shoulders sag in defeat. After a long pause, the woman nodded her head in understanding. "Whoever gets to have you as a caregiver, they're really lucky.”

  Avelina could not believe that she received a genuine compliment from no one other than Miss Paola herself.

  "Aw, you like me.”

  Miss Paola waved her hand dismissively before finally returning the hug the girl had given her. Avelina smiled even harder at the feeling of the woman's arms wrapping around her. She felt content.

  "I'll miss you," Miss Paola said.

  Avelina pulled away from the hug as she gave a small squeal. She could not believe that the woman who acted as though she hated everyone was being kind to her for once.

  Miss Paola was quick to cover her ears with a look of disgust on her face at the sound of the girl's squealing.

  "I'll miss you, too," Avelina told her. "I have to go, but make sure that you call me if you ever need anything."

  "How old are you, Avelina?”

  Avelina narrowed her eyes suspiciously, seeing as it was a random question. The woman had never bothered to want to know her age before. "Twenty-three. May I ask why?”

  "When I was twenty-three, I was spreading my legs wide open and—"

  "Goodbye, Miss Paola," Avelina laughed as she quickly walked down the stairs of the penthouse.

  Miss Paola was laughing while the girl headed towards the front door. Yoga was still playing on the tel
evision, and all Avelina could think about was how much she would miss seeing Miss Paola every day.

  "Bye!" Avelina shouted.

  She waited until she heard a response before opening the door and walking out. Her heart was heavy with each step that she took towards the elevator.

  -

  Avelina woke up to her alarm blaring. Thankfully, she set it two hours before the scheduled time that Johnathan said he would pick her up.

  She got up from her bed and then reached over to kiss the framed picture of her grandmother. Avelina then headed into the restroom, where she took care of morning hygiene essentials.

  With that finished, she let her hair fall down her back in its regular waves. Her body then moved her over to the closet, where she grabbed a pair of jeans and a white blouse. She then made her way into her room, where she made her bed and cleaned the small smudge she left on her grandmother's photo.

  "I'm going to take care of someone with Autism Spectrum Disorder, which I have never done before. Sadly, that meant letting go of Miss Paola. You would have loved her because she has your spunk. That's what I liked most about her,” Avelina whispered sadly, “I must go for a while, but I'll be back to tell you all about it. Love you, granny. Take care.”

  It was her routine to tell her grandmother about her caregiving adventures. To her, it was like talking to a gravestone except for the fact that she held the picture in her hand so she would never forget the beautiful smile of her granny.

  Gleefully, she started to pack her bag just as the doorbell rang. Avelina quickly walked through the kitchen and towards the front door, where she pulled it open.

  Johnathan greeted her with a smile as a stray cat seemed to march into her home. She let out a sigh as she watched it, but just let it go as it pleased.

  "Good morning, I was just packing," she told Johnathan, who looked around her neat home.

  Her house smelled just like she did—cinnamon. It was a pleasant scent that matched her perfectly.

  "You like vintage things?" He noticed.

  She nodded her head, allowing her smile to grow as she looked around her own house to eye the decorations.

  "I'm an old-school kind of gal. I kind of grew up that way," she chuckled.

  He smiled at her response. "Don't worry about packing. I have some men here who are supposed to gather all of your things and take them to the Zolotov residence.”

  Right on cue, two men walked into her home, causing her to frown.

  "I appreciate you both gathering my things for me. I'm sorry if I sound rude, but it would be nice if you could maybe introduce yourselves before just walking into my home," she told them shyly while giving them a welcoming smile.

  The two men stopped, looking over at Johnathan, who shrugged.

  "She is too nice for the Don," the first man stated in Russian. Johnathan let out a sigh as guilt took over his features.

  Avelina watched as one of the men crossed his arms and stared at her. "Sorry, we do what we are told.”

  She turned to look at him as she quickly realized that he sounded Russian. His English accent was not perfect, but it was fairly good. It dawned on her that everyone who worked for Adrik was probably Russian.

  "My name is Anton, his name is Viktor," Anton explained.

  She smiled before holding her hand out for them to shake. Anton grinned slightly before sliding his hand into hers.

  "It's nice to meet you both. My name is Avelina.”

  They gave her a curt nod before being gentler as they passed by her and into her room, where they gathered her things.

  "Come, Avelina. We still have much to discuss," Johnathan spoke.

  She nodded her head and strolled out of her house, leaving the door ajar. Johnathan walked her towards a massive BMW before opening the backseat door for her to enter.

  She slid into the car and watched him as he got in as well.

  "I have more questions about Mr. Zolotov. I'm sorry if I get annoying," she told Johnathan.

  He chuckled before shaking his head.

  "Not at all. I completely understand. Ask away.”

  She smiled at his words as she thought about all the questions she had. "Can he have emotions? He's not like a robot, is he?"

  "Yes, he can have emotions. For example, let us say that he has a favorite toy in the whole world. He loves that toy with all his heart—as you can see, he's capable of loving something. He's just incapable of expressing that love. Back to the example, with this said toy, someone comes and picks it up just before ripping it apart. He's going to feel angry, sad, heartbroken, but his face would be neutral. You wouldn't know he's angry until he gets up and releases that anger through actions," he explained.

  Avelina nodded her head as she finally grasped an understanding.

  "By actions, you mean releasing his aggression. I read that people with ASD are aggressive," she spoke with a raised brow

  "Some are, some aren't. However, Adrik is an overly aggressive type.”

  A chill ran down her spine at the thought.

  Just in time, the two men who had gathered her things had exited her home. The cat quickly ran out of the house before they locked the door behind them.

  She watched as they made their way over to the trunk and placed everything inside. When they finished, they got into the vehicle before taking off down the road.

  The car ride was completely silent the entire time. Avelina used that time to look out the window and recall as much information as possible about Autism Spectrum Disorder.

  When they finally pulled up to a gigantic house, the first thing Avelina noticed was its huge size.

  Johnathan got out of the car before walking over to her side and helping her out. Anton and Viktor strolled over to the vehicle’s back, where they popped the trunk and grabbed her bags.

  Letting out a sigh, she walked with Johnathan up the steps and over to the front door. He didn't even bother to knock or anything; he just walked right in. Avelina didn't want the owner of the house to think that they were intruding.

  The atmosphere was chilling, but the interior was beautiful. Avelina noticed how everything was gold and white. Two staircases led up to a gold railing that overlooked the beautiful chandelier in the center. The house was majestic.

  Anton and Viktor walked in and began to take her bags up the stairs and towards the room she was staying in.

  "Adrik likes his food to be made at eight in the morning, two in the afternoon, and eight in the evening. There is a list in the kitchen of the food he eats. Never enter any room of his without knocking first. He doesn’t like surprises. There are more things you need to be aware of, but they are already in your room and written down for you," Johnathan explained.

  Already, she could feel the nervousness of having so many rules. It was a delicate case, but she wasn't sure if she was ready.

  Just as she was about to nod her head, she could hear footsteps coming from upstairs.

  Anton then descended the stairs with a taller man right beside him. His hair was tied up in a bun as sunglasses perched themselves on his nose. She had hoped that he wasn't going to be her client. The man was beautiful.

  Suddenly, his head turned to face Avelina. They seemed to stay there, leaving her to wrap her arms around herself protectively.

  "Adrik is looking at you," Johnathan whispered very quietly in her ear.

  The gorgeous man was her client. She didn't know how she was going to manage to have to look at someone so tempting.

  "Is that bad?”

  Her eyes never left his because they felt compelled not to. Anton was glancing in-between Adrik and Avelina with a face full of shock.

  "Adrik never looks at anyone."

  His eyes never seemed to leave hers. He continued to walk closer towards Johnathan and Avelina, with Anton standing beside him the entire time. Avelina would have never been able to guess that he was a billionaire. He looked to be more of a model than anything.

  "Mr. Zolotov, this is the caregiver I told
you about. Her name is Avelina Santos. She's going to be with you for the next three months while you're home," Johnathan spoke.

  Avelina usually was good at introducing herself, but under his heated gaze, she couldn't move or speak. Even though she couldn't exactly see his eyes, she still caught sight of his silver orbs just gleaming through the black lens.

  "Mr. Zolotov welcomes you. I would be more than happy to show you where you'll be staying," Anton stated as he moved to step closer towards Avelina.

  He was suddenly stopped by Adrik's hand that prevented him from moving any further towards the girl.

  Adrik eventually tore his gaze away from her. She finally felt like she could breathe as she glanced over at Johnathan.

  "She is Brazilian?" Adrik had asked in Russian.

  Avelina picked up on the rich sound of his voice. It was deep and seemed to hint at all the naughty things he wanted to do with her.

  "He asked if you are Brazilian," Anton spoke.

  She glanced over at him once more to see his eyes on her again. It left her feeling nervous, but Avelina pushed her nerves away. If she were going to do the job as his caregiver, she would have to stop acting like a scared kitten.

  "Yes, I'm from Brazil," she told Anton, giving a small smile.

  "How old is she?" Adrik then asked, still speaking his native language.

  She let out a sigh before turning to look at Johnathan. "I thought he would know English.”

  "He does know English. I told you that he doesn't speak to people he doesn't know. I'm surprised he's even talking to you this much, honestly.”

  She looked over at Adrik once more, who then reached up to the black frames on his face and slid them off.

  If Avelina thought he was beautiful before, he was incredibly gorgeous now. His silver eyes stared into her own as he walked closer. Avelina was rooted in place, and there was nothing she could do or say. She thought she could handle him, but now she was genuinely second-guessing that.

  "He asked how old you are," Anton translated.

  Clearing her throat, she looked down at her shoes. Everything felt so intense with him staring into her soul.

  "Twenty-three.”