If he can make this all go away...

You shift your weight from one foot to the other over and over again, torn between trusting Sean, and knowing that he'll have something nasty in store for you even if you agree to work for him. But it does make sense, what he said about the way they'd never let you go. Now that you think about it, you were naive to have not expected that already. Fuck, you never should've gotten into debt like this!

"Ok," you lips accept his offer before your brain can stop them. Must be the fear of having this hanging over you for the rest of your life. "But I have work today. Tomorrow too."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it. But if you're in, if you really want me to help you, you have to come with me right now. There's a cab outside that'll take us to my place, and once you're there you're gonna have to stay there all week. That's the deal."

"What about uni!?" you exclaim. This is sounding more and more suspicious.

"Relax, I'll have a word with those two geeks who are hung up on you and they'll run cover for you. Just one week Hol, and this'll be nothing but a bad dream."

You shouldn't trust him, you really shouldn't, but if you can fix everything with this one decision... You try to think of how you'd ever get yourself out of the situation otherwise.

"Let's go," you whisper.

You toss a few things in a bag - he assures you you won't need much - and jump into the cab with Sean, your heart pounding. He doesn't say much all the way across town, and your throat is so dry you're glad you don't have to talk anyway. His apartment is the penthouse of a gleaming tower block in the financial district, you knew that already, but pulling up to the skyscraper now you find yourself gawping up at it in awe. How much money does he get off his dad? No wonder he's an asshole.

"Jeez, you look like a tourist Hol. Get the fuck inside already." You jump a little and follow him through the reinforced glass doors and the various security checks he has to clear to gain access to his own home. The place is positively bristling with security cameras, and two massive guards are stationed behind a gaudy gold and marble desk.

"Good morning Mister Evans."

"Morning boys!"

You don't even really understand your position here yet, but you find yourself shrinking and avoiding the guards' gazes as you hurry past. At the moment you're just a friend, visiting Sean's apartment, but what was it he'd said? He wants you to be his maid?

The elevator makes your ears pop, and it barely takes any time at all before it's letting you out on the 55th floor - a floor that is given over entirely to Sean's abode.

"Yeah," he says as he opens the door, "My dad owns the building but so what. If your dad was as rich as mine, he'd probably give you a pad like this. Heh, but if your dad was that rich you wouldn't be in this shit, would you?" You don't answer, but you really don't need to. Instead you gaze around at the vast, open expanse of Sean's lounge. Sleek, minimal furniture breaks up a low-ceilinged area the size of a tennis court, and the entire back wall is a floor-to-ceiling panoramic view of the city. A smaller lounge of sorts is marked out with some more well-used couches and a gargantuan flat-screen TV. Several doors and a couple of corridors disappear off who-knows-where.

"Wow," you murmur, finally.

"Yeah, listen. I've gotta get to uni. I do fuckin' study after all, and Doctor Beech is riding me all the time coz he thinks I'm some spoiled rich-case. So, the room at the end down there-" he indicates one of the corridors, "-that's for you this week. And all I wantcha to do while I'm gone is clean as much of the place as you can. I have a maid, but I gave her the week off." He gives you a wicked grin. "I was sure you were gonna say yes."

"Uh..." It's already weird but, it's not that weird... "Ok."

"Oh and before I go, let's get you into your new uniform." He crosses to a vast dining table and picks up a simple white box.

Uniform. Oh God, what is this going to be?