Chapter 4 - Love, you need the job.

"Are you alright?" His voice was so effortlessly seductive, or maybe that's just inside my head as I bit back on my lower lip until I was able to snap out of it. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you." He says as he takes the cane and puts it in my hand in a way that he first takes my hand and wraps my fingers around it while I try not to melt underneath his touch.

"I'm ok," I say as he helps me to my feet.

"I tried caching him but he got away." He says as he looks behind him and then back at me.

"It's alright, the bag didn't have anything important anyway," I say while unable to take my eyes off of him. "I shouldn't have even fought for it."

"Well, you probably shouldn't be out alone, especially on a night like this one. It's not safe for anyone, let alone someone in your condition." My condition? What? Stupid?

"What makes you say that?" I ask him.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean anything about it... it's just, well, you know... I thought I saw you, um, struggling a bit back there. With the cane and all, You are..." he says slowly, taking cautious at his words.

"I’m blind?" I finish for him. The fucking costume.

"I'm sorry if I offended you. I have a brother that's blind and I know how dangerous the world is for him... when I saw you... I..." He stops a bit as he looks down then back at me. "Perhaps you should have someone with you, an assistant when you go out." He kept talking and I just listened to the sound of his voice. "All I'm saying is you shouldn't be alone."

"Love!" I hear Mira behind me.

"I'm not alone," I say, still looking at him. It's like I was scared if I looked anywhere else he would disappear and I wanted to make sure Mira saw him. Just to have a confirmation he was real.

"There you are, I told you to wait for me." She says as she comes and stands between the handsome man and me.

"You shouldn't just leave her alone like that. She just got mugged." He says to Mira as if he were scolding her for being a bad parent.

"What? Are you ok?" She asks as she turns to me.

"I'm fine, you know I dont carry anything important in my bag," I say.

"Tell me you didn't fight for it," Mira asks, the annoyance on her face evident.

"She did." He says and Mira looks back at him.

"Sorry, who are you?" She asks him.

"Christian." He says. "As I said you shouldn't just leave her alone like that."

"Well, she is pretty independent," Mira says. Christian chuckles softly, his gaze lingering on me for a moment before he looks at Mira. "Independence is one thing, but safety is another. You have to admit, it’s not the best idea for her to wander off alone. Like I was telling her, I have a brother who is blind and I wouldn't leave him alone. They need help."

"Blind?" Mira asks confused as she looks at me.

"Yes. As a nurse, you should be able to do a better job." Christian says and Mira looks back at him, I dont like it when her eyebrow gets arched like that.

"As a nurse, I can tell you that visually impaired people can still live pretty independent lives. They are still normal people. Perhaps what you need to do is give your brother a chance to try being in control of his life. Right Love?" She turns to me.

"Yeah..." I say confused by the conversation and his hotness.

"I'm sorry." He says. "It's just that we tried getting a nurse for him and he doesn't want anyone close. He has been closing off lately more than usual and I realize I just overshared a lot."

"Maybe you need a different approach?" Mira says as she looks at me. There is only one thing I fear more than the arched eyebrow, and it is the side smile.

"What is that?" Christian asks.

"Perhaps Love could give it a try. She is great with people and maybe he will be able to connect with her. Being blind and all." What?

I blink in surprise, my heart pounding in my chest. Mira’s suggestion hangs in the air and I can’t quite process it. Is she forgetting I'm not actually blind? That is a lie and what was worse I can tell from the look in Christian's eyes that he’s considering it, weighing the possibility in his mind.

"Wait what?" I ask, my voice betraying my confusion.

Mira just nods, a determined expression on her face. "I’m serious, Love. You’ve always had a way with people. Maybe, just maybe, you could help him. Show him that not all help is suffocating or intrusive." She says as she gives Christian a side-eye. "Someone who understands, who isn't going to talk down to him or treat him like he’s fragile. You don’t need to be a nurse or have special training, you just need to be you." But I'm not blind.

"Would you be willing to give it a try? If it works I'd be willing to pay you, whatever you asked for." Christian now asks me and I'm not even able to blink. I do need a job, but was I really willing to lie to get it? And for how long?

"Why dont you give me an address and I'll make sure she is there... let's say at ten a.m.," Mira says confidently and Christian takes out his wallet and hands her a card.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow." He says and I nod my head.

"You will see me," I say, a tight smile on my face.

"Good night then." He says as he starts to walk away and Mira waves.

"What did you do that for?" I ask her in panic.

"Love, you need the job, and this should be easy enough."

"Mira, I am not blind!" I say again.

"Which is something that will make this job easy for you. And I'll teach you all I know about blind people and how to act. It's worth a try... for our rent."

"What if he figures it out?" I ask.

"People like Christian won’t find out. He’s desperate, and he’s not going to question it. Besides, it’s not like you’re taking advantage of him. You’re helping his brother. You’re really helping him." Mira was no stranger to gray areas if it made her life easier. But I was starting to question whether was this also the case.

"I’ll do it," I whisper, more to myself than anyone else. "But I need to be really careful. I don’t want to hurt anyone."

"You are a good person Love, you dont judge and you listen... sometimes that is all people need. Besides it is not something you would do forever, it could be temporary until you find something else."

"Ok, Mira. Let's just pray I don’t regret it."