Work Text:
Cold rain beats against the windows of the café. A young woman with a short black bob sits in a lonely seat, sipping a small cup of hot chocolate. Her gaze is fixed on her phone. Her eyes are nearly empty, as if she no longer sees anything worthwhile in this life. A person like this stands closer to the edge of death than anyone else.
Suddenly, a young man sits down at her table. He wears a tailcoat, almost antique in nature. His hair is slicked back, and his clothes are meticulously pressed. The stranger's gray eyes rise to the girl's face as he extends his hand to her.
"Hello, lady. I see you're a little lonely? Would you like to discuss my proposal? You needn't worry. There's nothing illegal or dangerous to you in it. Are you ready to hear me out?"
For a moment, her eyes widen in fright and mild surprise, then she waves her hand and shakes her head. "No, no. I don't know who you are, but I'm not interested in that sort of thing..."
The man obediently nods, but continues speaking without moving from his place before her. "Allow me. My proposal is such that, having heard it in full, you might change your mind. By giving me a couple of minutes, you'll lose nothing but time... And so, I'll continue..." He places his elbows on the table before her and crosses his arms, leaning closer. "My name is Aurelius. I am a fairly wealthy man. I can prove it, if you wish. In my bag right now, there are about ten thousand dollars. Not a small sum, is it? Well... I'm not sure you'll believe me, but I swear my proposal carries no danger... I'm offering you to live with me in one house for a month. After that time, I will give you any sum in the range of a billion that you want. I promise all my money is legal and real."
The girl's face shifts from surprise to skepticism, and she scoots away from the table. "I told you I'm not interested in that sort of thing! I don't know what you're trying to do, but you should look for someone more naive!"
The man places a paper before himself. On it is a full contract with many clauses. Her eyes slowly pass over the line at the very top: "Employment Contract."
"I already said I don't need your job! I don't know who you are, but..."
His hand slowly stopped at the spot where a dollar sign and an empty field were drawn. His gray eyes meaningfully settled on the girl, who glanced dimly at her cheap phone, then sighed with slight disdain.
"Well, so what? You mentioned something about cohabitation? You know, usually rich people — I mean truly rich ones — don't engage in charity. And they certainly don't invite girls to their residence for cohabitation without reason... I can see this contract has protections for my rights, but... Do you think I'd trust a piece of paper? Where are my guarantees?"
Aurelius's smile grew slightly wider as he took out his phone and handed it to her. His voice calmly recited: "At any moment, you can make a call. This is my phone, and it sends a distress signal when its owner's life is threatened. You can test it; I don't mind."
Out of curiosity, she takes the phone and touches it to the candle nearby, quickly pulling her hand back. A police station dialing icon immediately appeared on the phone's screen. She dismissed the call with surprise and raised her gaze. "Fine. Suppose I believe you. Why do you need a person to live with you? You're not planning to use me for pleasure, are you?"
Aurelius shakes his head and rests his eyes on her. "The contract directly states that if I do so, it will be a breach. Also, you may send a copy of this contract to your family. If something happens to you, they will receive compensation in the amount of the payment promised to you, tripled. This doesn't grant you trust, but it's insurance, should you be worried..."
The girl sighs. "Alright, fine. You haven't answered why you need me. Let's get to the point. I've already gathered that you're rich, though it's still hard to believe..." She takes the contract and pulls it closer to herself.
"It's simple. I need a conversationalist. Someone who will help me in my lonely apartment... Doesn't sound so frightening, does it?"