25 Skin Alive

Catherine was staring at Grace's face for the longest time. They were lying in the bed inside her cousin's room. She just comes from her work in the restaurant.

"Grace, I am really curious, what is your job? I haven't seen you wear any uniform to go to work or something...," she asked curiously.

Grace looked at Catherine's face amused. "You want to know what is my line of work? What kind of company am working with? The answer is something that you might not want or like to know."

Catherine is not satisfied with her cousin's reply.

"Then tell me what is your line of work? I'm ready to listen. Can I apply in the company you're working at?" she said interested.

"No. I'm a free agent. I'm a freelancer. I have a Boss though. Yet, I don't have to go to the office every day. But my Boss doesn't watch my back all the time. I don't have to wake up early in the morning to go to work. But the kind of job I have is not suitable for everyone. So, stop asking questions," said Grace.

Catherine was getting excited. "I love to have that kind of job same as yours! Please let me apply to your boss," she begged.

Grace laughed at her cousin's eagerness. "You have no idea what you're asking for, Catherine!"

"Please. Come on! Count me in. I will do anything just to have the same job as yours."

Grace shook her head firmly, disregarding her cousin's request.

"Have you finished writing on your resume? Give it to me tomorrow morning. I will meet my friend who works at the Marigold Hotel. She was in charge of the HR department of that hotel, she hires and fires workers in that hotel. So you better watch your steps in there. I don't want to know that you are fired the next day after getting hired, you understand? The salary there is much higher compared to your current salary in the restaurant, and guest gives good tips if you're lucky. So behave in there, okay?"

Catherine nodded. "Okay." She looked at her resume and fill up everything. Later she will have it computerized in one of the internet cafes in the neighborhood.

Grace checked the resume. "Write my name in the reference."

Catherine obeyed and write down Grace's name as a reference. "Do you think they will accept me? Am only a high school graduate," she asked worriedly.

"No worries. You will start at the bottom first. Then if your performance is good, you can advance into higher positions later. You got a pleasing personality and a hard worker that is a plus point already."

Catherine smiled with determination in her eyes. "I'm willing to start at the bottom. And I will work hard to reach the top."

"That's a positive attitude dear cousin, keep it up!" said Grace.

Catherine pouted. "You still haven't told me the nature of your work! Please...!" she persisted.

Grace sighed. "Why you're so stubborn?"

She smiled. "Come on. Spill the beans!"

Grace took a deep breath. "I hired beautiful women to sell their bodies for pleasure to our male clients," she said it too quick like it's the most ordinary thing in the world.

It's just one simple sentence uttered by Grace, yet Catherine didn't get it right away.

"Huh? What did you just said to me---?" she asked bewildered.

Grace laughed at her cousin's confused look. "That's right. I recruit pretty women who like to earn quick money. Our male client came from a rich and influential background. We have politicians, doctors, lawyers, businessman, and many others. But we keep their identities a secret. We also keep our ladies identity a secret. We keep a tab on clients that were abusive. If they are a sadist and would hurt our girls we drop them no matter how rich they are. Our male clients got fat wallets, gentle lovers in bed and decent guys, they treat our ladies well. Some are just bored husbands who want more challenge in their bed with other women without breaking their marriage vows. Men used our ladies services for so many varied reasons. Some just want a company to talk to, to cuddle with, to enjoy sex with. Everything goes once the bedroom is closed. We recommend to our male clients to wear a mask while interacting with our ladies in bed. This is to protect them from block mail just in case one of our ladies will play a dirty trick on them."

Catherine's mouth was wide open. "Is that p-prostitution?"

Grace nodded. "Yeah more like it. But our ladies earn much more compare to ordinary prostitutes. I have seven recruits under my name. I got a 10% cut from their earnings. Every time my recruits services were being requested by our male clients, I also earned money each session," she explained further.

Catherine massaged her temple and shook her head.

"What----? You look down on my job? You think it's dirty and immoral?" Grace ask her cousin.

Catherine stared at her. "No of course not! As long as you don't, hurt, rob, steal or kill anyone, then I guess your job is fine. Actually, it's hard to find jobs nowadays and earning a good living is almost a survival for the fittest. Believe me, I don't look down and blamed you for choosing that job, cousin."

Then Grace smiled. "You still want my job---?"

Catherine shook her head. "No thanks. I'm not good at recruiting girls."

"You know what kind of ladies are my recruits? Who are they?"

"Who are they?"

"They varied, some ladies want to earn quick money to pay their tuition, to pay their debts or bills. To earn some emergency money and pretty much other reason. You know that out of my seven recruits, four of them are poor college students, one is a poor man's wife, one is a single mom and the last is a woman who is a breadwinner of five siblings, whose parents got killed in a bomb blasted by terrorist two years ago. Women of these kinds were just born unlucky.So yeah...that is their stories."

Catherine sighed. "It's really unlucky to be born in this world as a woman. In my next life if am reincarnated I will choose to be a man," she laughed.

She gave her resume to Grace. "Cousin, please check my resume if it's already, okay?"

Grace examined the resume from top to bottom. "Yeah, it's all okay," she said and gave her back the piece of paper.

"Thanks. I will go to an internet cafe to have it computerize first. See yeah later, cousin!" Catherine bid farewell to her cousin and went out of the room.

She went inside to the nearest internet cafe and ask the computer attendant to have her resume type. She will just pay for the printing and the typing services. She has to wait a little bit longer because she was number five on the waiting list, as there are already others ahead of her. She sat down on the bench and watched the gamers and other users inside the internet cafe. She's been wanting to learn how to use a computer. She doesn't just have the time. Tomorrow after her job in the restaurant she will spend at least one hour here in the internet cafe learning how to use a computer. If computers and her iPhone were of the same function then she won't have a hard time learning how to use a computer as well. It will surely add to her knowledge and skill.

All of a sudden, her iPhone beep. She checked who sent her a message. It's John!

"Have you eaten your dinner?"

She texted a very short reply. "Yup."

"What are you doing?"

She typed..."Am in an internet cafe, have my resume computerize."

"Huh? Why? Why would you prepare a resume?"

"Am applying for a new job..." she said.

"Why? Why you didn't tell me? You will resign from your current job in the restaurant?"

Catherine's rolled her eyes. Why John has so many questions? She doesn't like it when he interrogates her like this as if he was her boyfriend or something.

"None of your business, John!"

She heard swearing on the other line. He must be starting to get piss right now.

"Dammit Catherine, answer me!"

"Yup," she finally said. Glad that she was able to torture him a bit.

"Where are you going to apply for work?"

She typed and then laughed. "To Dubai..."

"???"

She didn't answer.

"Seriously Catherine???"

She continues laughing.

"Damnit, answer me, Catherine! Do you plan to hide away from me again?"

Catherine rolled her eyes, she typed... "Yes and Nope."

"Tell me where are you applying for work?"

She stays silent for a while, debating if she will tell him where she is planning to apply for a new job.

Catherine decided to provoke him a little. "Secret..."

"Come on, Catherine! Don't play games with me!"

"Am not gonna tell you over my dead beautiful body," she replied, smirking at her iPhone.

She smiled amused by his flare-up reaction, she heard him swear profanities again, he must be really pissed right now.

Then her jazz instrumental ringtone burst in the air, signaling her of an incoming call. She got a call from John! She sighed.

"Catherine..."

"Jeez...John, you don't have to call me!"

"I don't have to call if you only answer my question properly," he said, holding his temper down. "So please tell me, are you going to migrate to another city again to get away from me?"

"No..." she answered honestly at least.

"So, tell me, where are you going to apply?" his voice was much cooler this time.

"I'm applying for a job in one of the hotels nearby," she finally said.

"W-what specific hotel Catherine?" asked John, his interest got piqued.

"Hmmm...Marigold Hotel," she replied.

John's line went silent.

Catherine eyed her iPhone. Did he hang up on her? But he's still connected with her.

"What specific job you want in that hotel?" he had finally spoken again after a short pause.

"Elevator operator," she laughed, giggling.

John chuckled as well. "Now, let's be serious...what specific job you want to apply for?"

"Hmmm, nothing specific. I am a hard worker though, I can do anything. I'm not choosy when it comes to working," she said.

He paused for a minute. "Okay, as you say so...but..."

"John bye for now! My resume is done," she perused the resume that was being handed to her by the attendant and checked if everything was typed accordingly and it's error-free, satisfied, she smiled.

"Wait...!"

Huh? John was still with her?

"Bye!" Catherine pressed end call hastily. She paid the computer attendant some money and inserted her computerized resume inside her envelope. She makes an exit of the internet cafe and headed back to her cousin's place.

She gave her resume to Grace and go home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

ON THE OTHER SIDE, in John's bedroom, he was debating to call Catherine again or not. He decided to just call her tomorrow, she might get irritated with his constant calling.

He grinned...

So, she was going to apply in his hotel, lol.

This is getting interesting.

He called Reba, his human resource head in Marigold hotel.

"Sir, good evening!"

"Reba, a certain Catherine Ramirez will apply in the hotel in the next few days. I want you to accept her application right away, give her the job, any job that is available right now."

"Yes Sir!" replied Reba.

"Wait...what is the job that is available in there right now?" John asked.

"We are currently lacking at least three housekeeping staff, Sir. We need to hire new housekeeping staff because we have lots of guests coming and going inside the hotel 24/7, Sir."

"Okay. Put her in an 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM shift," he said.

"Yes, Sir."

"...And one more thing. No bullying on the new arrival. If anyone will bully my woman I will skin them alive! Got it?" he said in a cold hard voice.

"Copy Sir! Loud and clear!"

"Reba, this is important. Do not ever tell this woman about me that I'm the owner of the hotel. Do not in any way mention my name to her. Everything we talk right now keep it to yourself."

"Yes, Sir!"

John paused for a moment.

"Anything else, Sir?" asked Reba who was waiting for further instruction.

"That's all for now. I will call you again if I have further orders."

"Okay...bye Sir!"

John smiled in glee. His dear Catherine is getting into his spider web. This might be handy for his plan later.

He strolled towards the room where the swimming pool is located. He stripped all his clothes and dived naked into the swimming pool. He closed his eyes and remembers Catherine swimming in the pool next to him.

He missed her so much already.

<<<~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>>>

AUTHORS NOTE:

P.S. Catherine was confused with her feelings for John. Unlike John, he know what he wants, he is mature already and he know exactly what is his feelings towards Catherine. On the other hand, Catherine was really confused with everything. What happened to her can really be viewed as r-ape to other people's point of view, she is young and have not much experience with relationship with opposite sex. When you're young and confused and just emerged from a dark experince you will be in a jumbled mess. She was trying to run away from John, at least we know she is trying to right some wrong or take in-charge with her life. John make things complicated for Catherine though, because of his obsession towards her.

In short, am not trying to blamed John for chasing Catherine, when you're in love, we make stupid things and decisions, right?

As for Catherine, I don't blame her either. She was confused as hell.

These couple will surely give me a mind f*ck for a long time.