Saved by a CEO

5

“Where were you.” Lana asks and I start crying.  She immediately stands from her bed and wraps her arms tightly around me. I cry on her warm shoulder almost feeling the love I would feel with mom.  Warm and fuzzy.  

“What happened?”  She asks with concern laced in her voice.  I wish I could have so much love and care like she does.  Not just worry about myself.

“He took me to my mom.”  Lana stayed quiet, squeezing me tighter against her chest.

She doesn’t know about my mom.  No one does, except for Jason. I painfully bite my lips, wishing he wasn’t in the picture. Everyone here has someone who they’re trying to protect and Jason is our only hope.  I know Ashley has a brother who needs special care and just working as a waitress like she did wouldn’t cover the expenses  I don’t know about Sarah and Lana or the girls in the cottage next to ours.  None of us really talk about it as we all probably feel ashamed and useless.

“It’s okay.” Lana eventually says, soothing my soft emotions.

When she leaves me Sarah appears.

“What’s wrong?” She asks with big eyes.

“Nothing.” I say, sniffing and wiping my teary eyes with the back of my hands.  Turning my face into a smile both Lana and Sarah look at me with kept in emotions.

We all jerk in fright when Jason’s loud voice interrupts us.

“Come on, girls, what are you waiting for?” He claps his hands impatiently and we all walk with a fast pace behind him.  It’s workout time.  We greet the girls from the other cottage, them all over friendly. We take our yoga matts all bunched up in the conner of the workout hall and line up in comfortable spacing positions.

“Hello ladies.” Paul announces with enthusiasm in his waltz.  He flares his long thin arms and gives each of us a separate nod and smile for a greeting.

“You all rested well?” He asks and we mumble and nod in reply.  Sometimes he was too energetic for me. A person with too much personality and even though I know it’s one of the best people out there it just felt too much for me.

“Okay let’s stretch some.” We started with our usual stretches from top to bottom.  I loved the stretches as it makes me feel so relaxed and relieved.

When we started with the squads, lunges and various other exercises, I hated it.  I prefer a run or some cardio exercises.  I’m not the only one hating all the exercises, hearing all the moaning and groaning from the other girls.

“Almost there.” Paul reassures us as I feel fire burning in the back of my thighs.

“Can we just get this over with.” Lana grunts and I laugh.  Her red and sweaty face makes everything worse.

“Why are you laughing?” She asks but with a smirk on her face.  I just lift my shoulders and continue with the workout.

“Okay, breathe in, breathe out.”  He starts. He reassures that it’s almost done.

“It’s so unfair.” Lana starts.

“What?”

“He trains us but he doesn’t do any of the training.  He just stands there and instructs us.”

I laugh once more at Lana’s point of view.  She always has a way to see things otherwise and point it out.

“Okay jump on your one leg.” He times a minute but after thirty seconds, my calves are on fire.

“Oh, god.” Lana comments, feeling the same pain.

“Switch.”  And we switch and we go so forth, switching from one leg to the other and then doing lunges and squads with a jump in.  We do planks, push ups and other exercises I don’t even know what to call.

“Okay we’re done.” He finally says and we all sigh in relief.  Everytime I think it’ll become better and easier, it only becomes worse and harder.

“Wow, that was a workout and a half.” Lana comments and I agree with a curt nod.

Like always we enter the kitchen.  Not in Jason’s house but in a small place built on the side.  The kitchen had a small dining room with a big dining table where all us girls sat.  One thing I can say is that we get good food. Made by a special personalized cook.

We all sit in silence. Sometimes I feel it’s strange that we all never talk or have a full conversation like girls in movies.  They giggle, smile, speak their mind and have fun.  We only choose one person we’re close to and keep them as the person to talk to and sometimes it’s just too awkward to talk to them in front of all the other’s.  Sometimes when we do talk, Jason would appear out of nowhere, making everything worse.

I sigh and lay my head on my hand.  The steamy smell of food invades my nose and I can see all the other girls looking at each other impatiently.  It’s almost like eating food is the best thing in our life.  The only thing that we enjoy in our lives.

When Paula, our shef appears she blows out a big puff of air and throws a napkin over her shoulder.

“Hey girls.”  I love Paula.  If it doesn’t seem weird, I can almost confirm that she is the mother figure in the house.  I even see Jason sometimes spending his time here longer than just having food.  Paula usually picks one of us to dish up and when her eyes land on me I immediately know it’s me.

“Tameryn.” I stand and take the stacked white plates on the side of the table and follow her towards the kitchen. 

“It’s so hot today and I’ve been getting hot flashes so badly lately.” She makes some small talk.

“Oh no.” I say, putting the plates on the counter and  taking one off from above.

“Anyway,” She rolls her eyes, as if to say she talks too much about herself, “How are you doing?”

She places two boiled eggs on the plate, still steaming from the heat.  

“I’m doing good, thank you. What about you?”

“Oh,I’m going on.”  She licks her lips as she places baked potatoes mixed with bacon pieces and a very colorful salad. I look at it and swallow.  I'm actually so hungry.

She dishes all the other plates and I feel awkward in her concentrated silence.  I look at her fat flushed cheeks, wondering why  our girls are even here and being served so much food three times a day plus snacks in between.  I know Jason always spins the best lies but I wonder if she doesn’t think deeper.  Or even Paul.  When I think she’s done dishing up, she looks at me holding a big spoon in her hand.

Confused I take another full plate and held it out towards her for her to place delicious looking, crispy chicken strips on it top of the salad.

“Wow, this looks good.” I say and  Paula laughs.

When she’s done perfecting the chicken strips on the plate I need to stand another queue with the plates.

“Wow, this is a lot of food.” I comment.  Usually we would only it a chicken salad with yummy sauce or eggs on brown toast.  We never had such a full plate and I don’t think any of us will be able to finish it all.

“I know, it’s strange. I have a lot of work to do, but given that you’re guys TV show is about to start, Jason probably doesn't want you starving or looking anorexic.” There’s the lie.  We’re going to be on a TV show.  I clench my teeth as she dishes mixed vegetables on top of all the other food, because there isn’t any other space left.

“There we go, all done.” She gives me a sweet smile as she takes swo of the heavy plates and walks out.  I take two as well and place it in front of Lana and Ashley.  They’re eyes widen, seeing all the food so I just raise my shoulders at them, walking back for my own plate and Sarah’s.

“There you go, girls. Enjoy.” Her short plungy legs walk back.  She quickly sticks her head out of the kitchen door frame, “If you need me I’ll be in here.”

“Wow, I don’t think I’ll be able to aeat this all.” Lana says, taking a big bite out of a potato.

“Me neither.”

“Me too.”

“We’ve never got this much food.”

I think this is the most we’ve ever spoken around the table.  I just smile with my mouth full.  We’ll have to try and eat as much as we can, cause if Paula was instructed to make this much food, I know Jason will get mad if we don’t eat it.

“Jason instructed her to make us so much food.”

I can see fright appear on some of their faces.  As if my words made them lose their appetite but still plunge their mouths with vegetables and salad.

I break my eggs in half with my fork and put in my mouth, the heat burning my tongue.

I mix my food together, taking bites with everything mixed, hoping it’ll help me get everything down.

Lilly, a fair coloured girl with light hair , from the other cottage throws her fork on her plate and lays her head on both her hands, “I can’t anymore.”

She eyes the food with an intense look and then at all of us, hopeful that some of us can have an answer.

“Me neither.” Lana wails, holding her stomach.  I take a few more bites and I feel the same.

“I’ll ask Paula.” I say and quickly walk towards the kitchen.

“Paula.”

“Yes my dear? She’s busy mixing a brown batter in a big tub.  What does she have to do?

“What if we can’t finish all that food?”

She stops mixing and looks at me with an O shaped mouth.

“I suppose,” She frowns looking defeated.

“It’s delicious,” I quickly say, “It’s just that we’re not used to eating so much food.”

“Oh yes, Her mouth turns into a smile again, now knowing that I asked the question not because the food isn’t good, “I don’t think Jason will be happy about it.”

“It feels like our stomach’s are going to burst.” I say hoping that she can give us some faith and not make us eat all the food.

“I suppose it is a lot of food.”

“We can always leave it for tomorrow and then you don’t have to work.” Her eyes light up.

“That can work.  I really need a break.” I nod agreeing.

“We won’t tell Jason, if you won’t.” I say the words, hoping that Jason isn’t near.

“Okay.” She says and I quickly call the other girls who bring their plates.  Paula instructs us where exactly to put each food.

When we’re done I can see nervousness spasm in all of us, hoping Jason wouldn’t find out.  

“That was never wrecking.” Lana comments and we all agree.

“I just don’t get it.” Lilly says with a frown on her face.

“What?”  I don’t get it either why Jason instructs Paula to make so much food for us.  Maybe she got it all wrong.

“Why all of us are so scared of this one man.”

All our small talk stops and we swallow in heavy emotion.  We’re all getting sick of Jason. We’re all not feeling it anymore.

You guys know what?” Lana asks. “Come with me.”

We all follow her towards our room. I look at her weirdly feeling exposeand she just taps on our air beds for us to sit down.

“I saw Jason’s car is gone, so I think we have time.”  For what.

“What are we going to do?” Ashley questions, raising her eyebrows.

“I want us to talk.”

“Talk?”

“Yes. Get to know each other.”

Lana sniffs and takes a deep breath.

“Okay, so why I’m here is because my mom and dad,” She swallows a few times before she starts talking again, “They are in jail and my two sisters and brother needs support, I guess.”

“But, foster homes. There’s places out there who’ll support little kids.  Like who are looking after them now?” Lilly says in a challenging manner.

Lana clears her throat, “Well, they aren’t little kids.”

“What do you mean?”

“My two sisters are doing the same as us.  In two different countries.”

“Then why do you have to support them?”  Lilly keeps popping, deep personal questions and it feels like I must stop her, seeing Lana’s lips quivering.

“Well, more my brother and my parents.”  She looks up, trying to block tears from falling.

“But I thought you said you’re parents are in jail?” This time it’s Ashley who asks the question, in a doofy way  I smile slightly at her chilled vibe, even though Lana is busy with this heavy conversation.

“They're like these high mafia people, still working through jail.  They have so much power that people still work for them, even though they’re locked up.

“Wow.” Lana says in amazement.

“Well, then if they have so much power, why do you have to do this for them?”  Lilly gestures with her long and thin fingers around the room.

“Well, you see,” She scratches her head and does all these small movements and I know it’s anxiety taking over her body, “my brother is Jason.”

Gasps.  Comes from each of our mouths.

What the hell.  Jason is her brother.

Now I’m totally and utterly confused and it feels like in a minutes time, Lana is a whole different person to me.

Why has she kept this from me for so long? Is Lana dangerous and may be plotting something?  The questions invade my mind like a sudden car crash and I feel speechless.

Who are you Lana?