Author’s Note: The story lines that diverged at the end of Chapter 3 will now converge as the story wraps up. Chapter 7 will be the last chapter to “Serina’s Story.” The chapter will start from Serina’s perspective, and switch periodically to Pierre’s perspective until they meet again. The times now align, and events of this chapter happen in the order that they are shown. Enjoy!
Josh and Serina leave the alleyways and start walking towards the Metropolis. Serina didn’t realize yesterday, but the truck depot was quite far away from the central Metropolis area.
The first person they come across is a portly, balding man. When they approach him, without any intention of asking for employment for Josh, they get yelled at. “NOW WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU NASTY KIDS ARE DOING? GO PUT SOME CLOTHES ON! YOU BRING SHAME TO EVERY BUILDING YOU CROSS WALKING IN PUBLIC LIKE THAT!” Serina quickly apologizes, and ushers Josh away.
This repeats itself a few times, with some people loudly expressing their disgust, and others trying to politely decline while staring at the ground, or busying themselves with their expensive wristwatches.
Serina sees a lady dressed in a red overcoat step out of a sedan, which is parked in front of a smaller apartment building. Most notably, she steps out of the driver’s side.
“There’s another we can ask for your job. She’s rich enough to live in the city and wear nice clothes. But look, she was driving. She’s not a part of the upper echelon, who’ll already have their maids and butlers by the dozen.” Serina pushes Josh forwards toward the lady.
“Ma’am?” Josh raises his voice to get the lady’s attention. She looks towards the two.
“What can I do for you two?” She flips her black, curly hair around her shoulder and closes the door, before walking towards Josh and Serina. She reveals that she is quite tall, walking without high heels, she stands a little taller than Josh, and more than 5 centimeters taller than Serina.
Serina nudges Josh forward with her shoulder. “My friend Josh is looking for a job, and we want to see if you would be willing to employ him in your house.
The red lady thinks. “Well, I am living along, and some assistance would be nice. What can you do?”
“I can cook, clean, run errands, or fold laundry. I noticed you step out of the driver’s seat. If you’d be willing to teach me, I could drive you anywhere you’d like. If you have anything else you would like me to do, all you would have to do is teach me once and I will faithfully do it.”
“I see. You have a very wide skill set. I do need a sort of assistant. If you will do all of that for me, I will pay you twice the minimum wage. Your help will allow me to work overtime, and I could easily afford it. You’re hired on one condition.”
Josh is prepared to accept any condition. He would go from ‘the guy that does odd jobs’ to having one of the highest wages in the neighborhood. “Just ask.” He smiles expectantly.
“I quite like your attire at the moment. Anytime you are working for me, you will be dressed exactly as you are now. I may ask you to do anything from driving to bathing me. I need someone I can count on to do anything I ask.”
Josh eagerly accepts. “I’ll do it. You have my word.”
The woman smiles. “Thank you Josh. Why don’t we do a trial run right now. It’ll only take an hour or two. Who’s your friend?”
“This is Serina.” Josh realizes that it would look strange if he was walking around with the richest girl in the Metropolis, so he leaves further details about her out. “She’s just helping me find a job.”
“Serina can join us for the time being then.” She looks at Serina. “Feel free to observe Josh’s audition. I’m Carmen.” She extends her hand. Serina shakes it.
“Thank you, Carmen.” Carmen then shakes Joshes hand, and then opens the door for them. Serina and Josh get strange looks from the concierge at the desk.
“This place is for respectable induviduals. Miss Carmen, would you like a valet for your car?”
“No, Marques. I’ll move it myself. These two are with me. Serina will wait here while Josh and I go park.” She places her hand on Serina’s shoulder. “If I hear that you made any smart remarks, complaints will be made to the proper authorities. Show Serina up to my suite.” Carmen gets her room key from her purse, and hands it to Serina. She then walks outside, followed by Josh.
“Ever driven before?” She asks, as she opens the passenger door.
“Couple times. Never on the open road though, only in parking lots and moving trucks around the truck depot.” As he walks to the car and gets ready to sit in the passenger seat, Carmen places a hand on his bare chest. “I sit here from now on. I’ll teach you how to drive. But you’ve moved trucks before. You’ll find this simple to handle. There is no gear shifting, and no wide turns. The car will go where you place it. Why don’t we go on a loop around the block first, before going to park?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He pushes the accelerator in lightly, and the car moves forward. He then centers himself in the lane.
“Carmen will do fine. Take left turns at every major intersection you come to. We’ll end up back here.” Carmen points out all the street signs on their route. When it came to the turn, Carmen showed Josh the indicators, low beams, high beams, wipers, wiper fluid, cruise control, and every other control behind the steering wheel. Josh mastered controlling the speed and direction of the car quickly.
Just before they arrived at the apartments again, Carmen pointed to a small opening between buildings. “See that small alley? It takes quite the skill to get in there. The parking garage entrance is behind there.” Josh slows down, indicates, and carefully places the car in the alley, before slowly accelerating, keeping a close eye on his mirror. The alleyway widens, making space for the car to turn into a garage, blocked off by a gate.
“Hold this card under the red laser until it turns green.” Carmen hands Josh a silver card with a picture of the apartment building on it. The laser turns green and the gate swings up. Carmen shows Josh the direction to her spot, and he again, expertly parks the car into the center of the parking spot.
Carmen is very clearly impressed. She opens her door, and looks at the parking line. “I don’t think I could have done it better myself. Impressive indeed. Where did you learn?”
“I would sometimes fill in for my dad when he was ill at the truck depot. I wouldn’t be allowed to drive on the roads, but I would take trucks and park them, load them, and give them back to drivers. It wasn’t much pay, only about half of what my father makes. But we still needed it.” Josh locks the car, and hands the keys back to Carmen.
“And why did you two show up naked to my house?” She pats Josh’s bum jokingly.
“My family doesn’t wear clothes. We can’t afford buying them, outgrowing them, damaging them, they’re just too much hassle. The only clothes my dad wears are his work clothes, and they’re forbidden from taking those home. We never needed to wear clothes, we just hang around the neighborhood, where almost everyone else is naked or nearly naked. My sister works naked as a cleaner for some people.”
Carmen pushes the button for the 7th floor. “Look, my room is on the seventh floor. And what about Serina?”
“You should ask her. She has her own interesting reasons.” The elevator arrives, and they step in.
“I’ll be sure to ask.”
Josh knocks on the door to the room. Room 704. “Serina? We’re back.” Serina opens the door to let them in.
“You’ll be happy to know that Josh performed splendidly on his driving audition.” Carmen says to Serina, then looks at Josh. “We’ll get you a proper driving license soon enough. But now, we have to continue. I’d like a bath. Undress me.”
Josh removes her red coat, then pulls down her leggings, untucking her shirt. She raises her legs, one by one, as Josh removes her shoes, socks, and leggings completely. Josh unbuttons her shirt, and leaves it open. “Would you like me to remove your underwear as well?” He is careful not to make Carmen uncomfortable. Uncomfortable enough to deny him the job.
“Well, yes. No one showers with their underwear on, do they? You’re not feeling embarrassed, are you?”
“No, no, nothing of the sort. I’ve seen plenty of people naked. I just did not wish to make you uncomfortable.” He removes her shirt, and leans in to unclasp her bra. He catches her bra as it falls down, and removes her underpants down as well.
“Keep this in mind. Before undressing me, get the bath ready. Do not worry, it’s your first time.” Josh blushes.
“Yes, my mistake.” He runs off, trying to find the bathroom, leaving Carmen standing in the hall naked with Serina.
“I wanted to ask you why you don’t wear clothes. Josh said you had a unique reason.”
Serina tells her the story she told Rob: how she lived, how she ran away, and then added her experiences at the slums.
“Very interesting. You’re very down-to-Earth, compared to your father and other business people. Here you are, roaming the streets, naked, with an equally naked boy from the exact opposite social class. That’s a compliment.”
“Thank you.” Serina says. Josh comes back, and Carmen stands up. She offers her hand. Josh takes it and guides her to the bathroom. The tub is filled with warm water. He helps Carmen into the tub.
“Now, you massage me all over for five minutes, then let me sit for five minutes. When I say all over, I mean you will touch my breasts, butt, stomach, legs, even between my legs without shame or hesitation. I am permitting you to do it. And as your employer, I’m commanding you to do it.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re comfortable through it all.” Josh rubs her body for five minutes, and then leaves her.
“After five minutes, come here and grab my hand. Come with a towel to dry me off.”
After five minutes, Josh comes back with a towel. He follows her instructions and places his hand on top of Carmens, which is folded across her stomach. Carmen grips it, and sits straight. Josh starts to drain the tub while helping her out. Before she can stand there dripping for too long, he starts to dry her off, working from the top down.
To make sure that Josh is completely comfortable, Carmen asks him to apply her moisturizer. Josh does it without any hesitation. The perfect gentleman indeeed! “I will usually not ask you to apply my moisturizer again. I just needed to make sure that you are completely comfortable touching me in places other would not.”
“As I’ve said, nudity is not uncommon for me. You have nothing to worry about.”
“I’m sure of that now. One last test, cooking. Surprise me!”
“You don’t want to get dressed?”
“Where would my manners be? Both of you are naked, I should at least make an effort as well. Here’s a secret, this is my first time being naked in front of strangers.”
Josh is shocked. “I wouldn’t have known! You carry yourself effortlessly. You made yourself uncomfortable to make sure that I wasn’t. And you are very beautiful.”
“Thank you, but I don’t think I would have the confidence to roam the streets naked as you do.”
“That’s a lifestyle thing. If you want to, you’ll get used to it.”
“But don’t people look at you?”
“Let’s go, I’ll make you lunch. I’m looking at you now, and you’re looking at me. People look at each other all the time.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I do. You mean people will look at you in disgust because you’re naked. But that shouldn’t matter. Unlike me, you’re a nurse. You save lives. If people want to look at you in disgust, what does that say about them?”
“How do you do it?”
“I’m already the lowest rung on the social ladder. It’s not like I can get any lower. You just have to remove the obstacles in your way. If the obstacle is disrespect, then tell yourself that your job is a hundred times more important than whatever they do. One day, they could be the one being wheeled into your hospital, and you’ll be the only one that can help them.”
Josh then grabs her hand before they enter the living room, where Serina is. “I’m sorry, but I need to return Serina to her family today. That’s where she belongs. I can feel that this life isn’t for her.”
Carmen looks around the corner for Serina, and then pulls her head back. “I’ll come with. You can drive her home. It’ll be a better look, and her family won’t immediately have us arrested, as opposed to walking there.” Josh agrees, and they walk into the hall.
“Josh will be making lunch for us. Then, you can go back home, Serina. I’m sure they miss you.”
Serina thinks of Molly and Pierre. They’re definitely worried sick. “Yes, I’ve enjoyed my time with you and Josh’s family, but I do think it’s time to go back. As much as I want to, I don’t belong here.”
“Don’t say that Serina, I’ve gotten to know you well over the past two days. Visit sometime.”
“Yes, of course! You know where I am. I’ll invite you sometime, but swing by whenever you’re free!” Carmen chimes in.
Serina smiles. “Okay. I will. Thank you guys, for everything.”
Josh returns her smile, and goes to the kitchen.
Pierre has been at the police station overnight. It’s nearly noon the next day. He places a call to Molly. “Molly? Oh, it’s great to hear your voice. It’s so dry here. I would like some sleep. No progress on the search.”
“I’ll be there. Mr. Francis is at work. We have until 5 PM to get Serina back, or he will get suspicious.”
They switch places, and Molly waits with Anna. Anna comes out of a changing room dressed in police street gear.
“You’re an actual officer?”
“Yes, of course I am. Crime’s a bit slow, so a lot of us have been relegated to more admin duties. Threat matrices, et cetera. I might not look it, but I could beat you up.”
Molly laughs. “Former ADAMS officer. Arlington Defense Agency Marine Service. I ran circles around the top special forces units from the US, Britain, India, and Israel in training exercises. SEALS, SAS, MARCOS, and IDF. Won against all of them in one-on-one melee.” Anna’s eyes widen. Of course she’s heard of them. They’re the most feared special forces on Earth. She backs away.
“Well, uh, I… I changed because there’s a small issue with a landlord and tenant I need to sort out. Stay here.” And then she bolts out the door, leaving the rotary door spinning for an extra turn without her.
“Josh, where did you learn to cook like this? This is so good!” Carmen exclaims while devouring the rice bowl.
“I usually do the cooking back at home.” Josh smells his work proudly. Serina, who hasn’t eaten properly since lunch the day before, hungrily wolfs down the meal.
As they finish up, Josh takes the dishes to the kitchen. When he comes back from washing them, he tells Carmen, “I think it’s time. I’ll ask Serina.”
“I’ve got it.” Carmen says. “Bring the car in front of the building. The keys are hanging from the door.”
As Josh leaves, Carmen calls after him. “One other thing. As you noticed, I came home from work this morning. I’m a nurse. I sometimes work night shifts, day shifts, evening shifts, overtime shifts, disaster shifts, and any other shift you could think of. You need to be available at any time. I thought you could live with me, but you mentioned you had a sister and dad. So, I’ll need some way of contacting you. Do you have a cellular device?”
“No, I don’t. Even if I did, I wouldn’t have a place to charge it.” Josh steps back inside and slightly closes the door.
“How about a radio? I have a set of radio-wave communicators that can communicate up to 10 kilometers if unobstructed. The distance from Arlington Hospital to my house is only 3 kilometers.”
“I remember passing Arlington Hospital on my way here from my home. I think that will do. I can’t thank you enough for this opportunity.”
Carmen smiles. “You’ll do good work. Go. I’ll grab the radio.” Josh then leaves and Carmen looks for Serina, who is sitting on the couch.
“I think it’s time we return you to your family. Josh went to go get the car.”
Serina agrees, and they take the elevator to the ground floor. Josh is waiting outside, with the rear door open. Carmen hands Josh one of the radios, and ducks into the back seats. Serina follows her.
As Josh sets the car’s navigation to the Frase Industries tower, Serina settles into reflecting about the past two days. How quickly her life changed! Before she knows it, Josh has pulled up in front of her home, and honks his horn as Serina opens her door. I’m back.