Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Jane woke up to find Marcus wrapped around her sound asleep.

“So much for being a professional bodyguard” She mumbled to herself as she tried to free herself from Marcus’ arms. She tried pulling free but his hold was strong. She twisted a small potion of her hair into his ear, Marcus jerked up immediately grumbling loudly attracting the attention of the flight attendant and some of the passengers.

“Is everything okay?” The flight attendant asked, walking towards him.

Marcus forced a smile at the woman. “Yes ma’am everything is fine" he said.

“Alright then” the flight attendant replied with a practiced professional smile and turned to leave.

“So this is how you intend to protect me in the face of danger, yeah?” Jane asked, dusting her body as if Marcus’ touch had contaminated her.

“Sorry ma’am” Marcus' apology was sarcastic and he made no attempt to correct nor redefine it.

Jane looked at him furiously. She was about to launch into a full lecture of why and how she is the boss and why and how he should know his place or lose his job when the Flight Attendant interrupted with the landing announcement.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, please put on your seat belt. We are about to land…”

Jane felt her stomach churn. Her arrogant bossy self evaporated as fear engulfed her whole being. “Great, this is just what I needed. Right in the middle of me trying to show who is boss.” She thought.

Marcus noticed her discomfort and sighted. “Should I hold her hand to make her feel better?" He thought to himself. "What if she snaps at me and tells me to get off her? Can I afford to face the embarrassment if things do not turn out as he wants?” Once again Marcus ignored all those negative thoughts and reached for her hand.

Jane felt Marcus’ hand trying to hold hers; at first she showed a little resistance. “What kind of boss would I be if I always need my hand to be held anytime a plane is about to land?” she thought. But then her fear got the better part of her and she held his hand for everything she was worth.

Jane was on the phone talking with her father a few minutes after they left the airport premises.

“Dad, why do you worry so much? I told you I forgot to put my phone off flight mode when we landed.

She then listened to what he said and replied. "Yes Dad I will always remember to put my phone off flight mode immediately I get off a plane next time. She said, rolling her eyes.

She ended the call after another round of reassuring her father she was okay, she could handle the job and telling him how much she loves him.

“Why on earth is my ride not here yet?” Jane barked at Emilia, her assistant immediately she ended the call.

Emilia quickly picked out her phone to call the driver she had hired to come pick them up. “I am really sorry ma’am he should be here any minute.” She replied.

“I do not pay you to waste my time. If you cannot do the job, resign and go learn how to clean.”

“Emilia felt her emotions build as tears began to be released. “It will not happen again ma’am” Emilia replied softly.

Jane rolled her eyes and called Sophia to tell update her.

Marcus, who had been quietly observing what transpired between Jane and her secretary, walked to Emilia and hugged her. “Do not mind this bratty boss of ours. She is lucky to have you.” Marcus whispered into her ears.

Emilia smiled. “Thank you” She whispered back in her shaky voice.

“Hello…” Jane interrupted snapping her fingers. “Are you two going to find the driver or are you going to hug all day?”

Emilia quickly pushed Marcus away and paced around the small space between where they stood and where their luggage was kept trying the driver’s number again.

Marcus glared at Jane in disgust. He felt disgusted with the fact that a girl so good looking could be this rude, arrogant and cold hearted. He wished he never allowed her to sleep on his shoulder or hold her hands when the plane was about landing.

Jane felt the intensity and discomfort Marcus' stare brought to her being. She glanced at him once and then looked away.

“… yeah I know, it is so hard to find good help these days.” She said into her phone to Sophia.

Almost immediately the driver pulled over. He apologized for his lateness and blamed it on traffic.

The Presidential suite at Schinkelplatz Residence had already been booked by the company for the period of 2 months just in case they have to stay past the planned one month. Jane had complained about sharing the same suit with Marcus and her assistant Emilia but all her complaints fell to deaf ears. Her father thinks Marcus has to be as close to her as possible to protect her from any incoming danger. The company thinks it is important to have her assistant close to her at all times. Jane quickly agreed to that since none of the servants who work at her house were around to serve her she planned on using Emilia to satisfy all her petty needs and wants and also to keep her away from Marcus. She had been assigned a personal attendant by the suite; she figured she could not use the suit’s employee to her content, so Emilia's service was needed.

It was already late when they arrived at the suit. Jane went straight to bed after commanding Emilia, her assistant and her bodyguard Marcus to bring her things and arrange them before the morning or else they should find themselves another job elsewhere.

Emilia went straight to work and immediately Jane left the room. While Marcus lay on the couch in the living room. For all he knows, all Jane’s show of authority was child’s play. He somehow feels like she can never do all the harsh things she had threatened to do. It may be true that he still had his job or ever had the job in the first place because of her father, but deep down he knew that Jane knows that she needs him to stay out of trouble and be safe. She also needs Emilia to organize and help her put things in order. Between the partying and drinking God knows how many meetings she could have missed and how many bad decisions she could have made at work. Why else will she carry Emilia along with her to every work event she has to attend. She could have fired her if she really thinks Emilia is bad at her job and her service is easily replaceable. He had worked with real arrogant and cold hearted people he knew when a person could actually do what he or she says they will do and from all the knowledge he and gathered about Jane, he knew she only barks empty threats.

“Hey” Marcus called to Emilia. “Why don’t you go rest, you will need all the strength you can get to deal with that bratty boss of yours tomorrow.”

“No thanks” Emilia replied, dragging one of the three oversized suitcases Jane had brought. “Miss Jane seems pretty cranky tonight and nobody is here to stop her from firing me this time. I have to do my work.”

Marcus sat up right and stared at Emilia weirdly. “I am pretty sure your job does not include dragging her oversized suitcases up the stairs while she is sound asleep.” he said feeling a little sorry for the girl.

Emilia thought for a moment. She nodded, seeing truths in what Marcus said. “I guess you are right but right now I have to do all I need to do to keep my job.”

Marcus got the message that Emilia will not stop until she gets the job done. He rolled his eyes and stood up. “Fine Miss Jane, I will obey your command and fix your things,” he said. “But only because Emilia wants to do it.” He added folding his sleeves dramatically causing Emilia to explode in laughter.

Marcus met Emilia halfway up the stairs and helped her pull the suitcase.

“So tell me Emilia, why are you still working for this crazy lady?”

“You know I could ask you the same question right?” Emilia reciprocated with a mischievous smile.

“Ha! I see you want to play that game. Well, if you must know, your boss, Jane, who acts like she could crush the world with just the snap of her fingers, cannot protect herself.” “Yes, you heard me right.” He added dramatically. “She will not admit it but she needs me.”

Emilia smiled widely. “Well for me, I really need the money.”

Marcus watched as Emilia's wide smile faded and was replaced with deep sadness.

“My parents died 5 years ago. Being the eldest amongst 3 children I had to find a job. I took a 1 year 6 months course to be able to secure this job.” “I cannot avoid losing it.” She added as a single tear rolled down her cheeks.

Marcus patted her shoulder sympathetically. He waited till Emilia had regained her cool before speaking again. “Well then Emilia, let us just show heiress Jane how really good and professional we are at our job.”

Emilia nodded.

Marcus went down the stairs to pick one of the remaining two suitcases. Emilia was able to sort through and arrange Jane’s belongings in her room since Jane had decided to sleep in Emilia's room while her room was being fixed with her belongings.

“You like her don’t you?” Emilia asked when Marcus came up with the second suitcase.

Marcus glanced at Emilia avoiding eye contact. “Why would you think that?” he asked, sitting on the sofa opposite the bed where Emilia sat.

Emilia shrugged. “instinct” Emilia replied.

Marcus took in a deep breath and exhaled noisily. “I do not not like her, you know what I mean?”

Emilia stared at him quietly urging him to continue speaking.

“I mean what man in their right senses would see a beauty like Jane and not fall in love with it.” Marcus Sighed again. “But then Jane acts like the devil sometimes. I mean what kind of person makes their employees work for 24 hours with no rest?”

Emilia nodded.

Emilia folded some clothes quietly for about a minute before speaking. “Miss Jane was not always like this, you know.”

Marcus' curiosity grew. “What do you mean?” He asked as he picked some clothes to help with the folding.

“Miss Jane used to be kind and easy going. She never used to look down on anyone and she treated everyone equally no matter their status.” Emilia smiled lost in the memory of the way her boss used to be. “But then when Cletus Rodriguez broke her heart she slowly became the person she is today.” Emilia blinked back to reality. “But I still believe her old self is still in there, she just needs to feel safe enough to be herself again.”

Marcus nodded. He and Emilia did not talk much again after that.

Marcus and Emilia were able to finish the work two hours before their morning duties and as such decided to rest a little.

And even as Marcus lay to sleep his mind drifted to what he and Jane could have been if he knew what she really is. He wants to bring back the old Jane, he wants to make her feel safe again. Maybe his job has more to do with keeping her physical body safe.