Page 7 of Agony

“Put him on the phone! I wanna talk to him!”

I glanced at Arsen who was watching the movie with his head leaned back on the couch and his arms crossed over his chest.

“Hey.”

He kept watching the movie without responding.

“Arsen?” I said, giving him a gentle shove.

“Sorry, I didn’t know you were talking to me,” he replied with a sheepish grin.

“My cousin wants to talk to you,” I said, holding out the phone.

Please don’t embarrass me,I prayed silently as he took the phone.

“Hello?” he said with an overly deep voice.

I reached over and gave him a shove and he laughed.

I did my best to tune out their conversation. I knew Addie wouldn’t be able to keep it to herself long anyway, so eventually I would hear about it.

I curled up into a ball and rested my head on the arm of the couch. Five minutes later I heard Arsen say his good-byes and heard him set the phone down on the couch.

“Can I ask you something?” he asked, clearing his throat.

“Sure,” I replied with a yawn. “I hope she wasn’t too embarrassing, by the way.”

He let out an uneasy laugh and I shifted myself so that I could look at him.

“Why did you take the job at Devil’s Den?” he asked, glancing over at me.

“Addie. She tricked me. She told me she found a job that would be perfect for me considering my Master’s. She said she had already spoken to the HR department there and they said they would love to have me on board. She gave them my phone number, I did a phone interview, and here I am,” I replied.

“But if you’re not happy there, then why stay?”

I sighed heavily.

“Because it’s the only job offer I’ve got. Not to mention that they took a chance on me; I’m not going to just jump ship. I’ll stick around as long as they need me or as long as I can stomach this pornography mess. Whichever comes first.”

Arsen scoffed and shook his head before he sighed and leaned back on the couch again.

“Why? What did Addie say to you?” I asked suspiciously.

“Nothing,” he replied.

“She must’ve saidsomethingif you’re asking me about Devil’s Den,” I replied.

“Where do I sleep?” he asked changing the subject.

I rolled my eyes. Apparently thiswasa sleepover. I adjusted myself on the couch again so that I could watch the movie.

“There’s a door to the right of the kitchen. That’s the bedroom; it’s all yours for tonight. I prefer the couch,” I said.

“I think I’m going to turn in. Good night,” he said getting to his feet.

I reached out and grabbed his leg as he walked past me. He glanced down at me questioningly.

“She’s going to tell me eventually. I love Addie, she’s my best friend, but the girl can’t keep a secret to save her life.”

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