"Are you crazy!" I screamed as I got up from the floor. Michael laughed and wiped the blood from his lip.

"I'll see you at work tomorrow Aliyana. Remember, 4:30 A.M." Michael picked the contract up and threw it on the coffee table by me. "Let me know something." He spoke as he walked to the door and left without saying anything else.

He drove with me!

He took my car keys!!

"Aliyana, upstairs now!" Tommy yelled as I frowned up at him.

"You're a sick lunatic, Tommy." I walked up to his face and pointed. "Don't you ever hit me again!"

I grabbed the contract from the coffee table and looked passed Tommy's head. I walked up the stairs, and slammed my bedroom door.

"Can't believe he put his hands on me again." I sighed to myself as I sat on the bed bench. 

I wiped a tear that slipped from my eye and walked to my vanity mirror.

I examined my face and noticed a dark red bruise that was turning darker and darker by the minute.

I sighed and let my head hang low, as I shook it from left to right, a knock came upon the door not even 10 minutes since I had been in here.

I looked at myself starring back at me in the mirror and turned my head to the door.

Another knock hit the door, only this time more aggressive.

"What?" I spoke standing straight and placing the envelope on the vanity.

"Open the door." I frowned because of one reason. That voice doesn't go with the right body.

"Tommy?"

"Open the door."

I walked to the door and opened it. My eyes bucked.

**

The first thing I saw when she opened the door was a blue and black bruise on her left cheek.

I walked in and closed and locked the door behind her.

"Sit on the bed, I'll be right back." I left and went into the bathroom. In the cabinet beneath the sink, there was a white wash cloth. I ran some cold water on it and rung it out.

"Put this on your cheek." I told her. She looked at me and took the cloth.

"You don't have to do this."

"I am, now let's talk about Tommy, should we?"

"Mr. Jackson, if you don't mind, I don't want to talk about him."

"Alright, I won't push you into it, but we will discuss this."

"We won't, and if you don't mind,  I'd like to be alone."

"We won't? And why is that?"

"Because I don't want to take your offer. I don't want anything from you. I won't let this thing ruin my life in anyway. I can't."

Silence filled the air and I watched as she stared back at me.

She's a difficult one.

"Thanks for the offer, but no thanks." She spoke filling my ears with disgust.

"Pathetic. You are plain pathetic." I scoffed and looked at the ceiling

"Excuse me?"

"He's coming back later isn't he?"

"Mr. Jackson that's none of your business."

"It is if he's hitting you. You know what, forget the contract, and most of all forget me. You are just one tied up woman that must love getting abused." And with that I walked out of the door.

"No! wait, don't go." turning on my heels to look her way, I saw her drop her head, but stand up slowly.

"Mr. Jackson--"

"Call me Michael, Mr. Jackson is my father."

"I don't think I'm comfortable with calling you by your first name."

"What do you want Aliyana?"

**

While Aliyana and Michael were upstairs in her bedroom, Tommy, who left as soon as he saw Michael pull back up in Aliyana's car, was in the living room looking inside of Aliyana's purse and hiding chest, where she kept her private belongings. He found what he was looking for and dashed out of the house as quickly as he had done before.

He texted on his phone:

Hey, I have the stuff, where do you want me to meet you?

Tommy sent this text to someone as he rounded the corner away from Aliyana's home.

**

Finally having the courage to stare into Michael's eyes, Aliyana spoke softly.

"I am not the typical girl that most guys see when they look at me. I mean, I'm shaded light brown, have hazel and grey eyes, stand about 5'5 1/2 inches tall, weight a good 135 pounds (61 kilos), and gets abused every other day. Who would want to work with a girl like me, Mr. Jackson?"

"It's not about the way you look or weigh, it's about how smart you are and how well you present yourself for an interview or anything in that sort, or just in life in general. There is nothing wrong with the way you look, or how much you weigh. All I want from you is your---"

"If you want to get technical, if I were to take this job, then it pretty much does matter on how I look and weigh. Put yourself in my shoes, Mr. Jackson, if you were in my position and I were asking you to sign a contract that stated me to do things to you, I'm more than sure that you would feel the same way I feel right now minus my boyfriend abusing me."

"You don't have to worry about that,"

"Why is that?"

"Because Tommy isn't your boyfriend anymore."

"What does that mean?"

Michael stared at Aliyana. He didn't know whether he should kiss her or have sex with her.

"Does having a boyfriend make you feel worthy or needed?" he suddenly asks and she frowns as his question sunk into her brain.

"I...I..." she stuttered trying to find the answer.

"Does having a boyfriend that tells you he loves you, you're beautiful, that spoons you late at night and kisses you softly until you fall asleep, holds your hand and shows the world that he has the most beautiful, caring and generous girl that anyone would die for, make you feel needed, wanted and worthy?"

She took a pause, and a deep sigh "I--" Michael interrupted her.

"Because if it does, sign the contract, I can give you that plus more." She stared at him for a brief second before sitting back down on the bed.

"I don't know, Mr.Jack--" Michael cleared his throat and stared at her. Catching the hint, she cleared her throat softly, putting her hair behind her left ear, saying "Michael."

"It seems to me that you aren't getting me. I guess I'm gonna have to show you." I walked slowly to her as she fiddled her thumbs together nervously.

"What are you gonna do to me?" she asked just as I stopped in front of her.

"Will you cooperate with me tonight?" I asked first before doing anything else.

"It depends."

"I just need you to cooperate with me, just for tonight, if that."

"Okay." getting the go-ahead, I stand her up and direct her to her bathroom that is connected to her room.

"What are we doing in here?"

"Showering, I need you to take your clothes off." She looked at me as terror filled her eyes, I smiled and walked over to the glass door and slid it open, turning the shower on and making sure it's the right temperature for us.

"Do you need me to help you, Aliyana ?" standing quietly and nervous, she looks from the running shower, to me, than her body.