Chapter Four

With her own hand acting in place of the hand of her ideal partner, she found her sweet spot and manipulated it in perfect rhythm, causing her to gasp. Her body erupted in the much-needed relief, leaving her temporarily satisfied and enabling her to unwind sufficiently to fall asleep.

The mysterious figure emerged there, creeping closer to her in the pitch black, all sex and seaweed. She gave him a seductive look and stood poised for his touch, but as he got closer, he started to shift. Her perspective was reduced to a faceless, terrifying entity as his smile vanished and his features grew smoother.

He lunged for her and wrapped his hands around her neck as she screamed. He was altering.

He had changed once more; he was no longer the omnipotent being who had before tempted her. He was now Carter, grinning as he started to choke her to death. Her attempts to shout were unsuccessful.

Jo awakened struggling for breath. When she turned back and realized she was home, or what she thought of as home at the time, she regained her bearings. In an effort to calm herself, she stood up and walked to the tiny sink to grab a drink of water. She finally went back to sleep and prayed the dream wouldn't come back.

"How did you sleep?"

"In the morning when you left the houseboat for a quick stroll around the marina," Hank shouted out to her.

Jo turned to face him a little ways up the slope from the boat in the backyard where he was taking care of a tiny garden.

"I did. Once again, many thanks for everything."

"Are you interested in coming up for breakfast? Pancakes and sausages are being made by Patty. enough for one additional."

"Thank you, but no. In fact, I have an interview for a job later today."

"Yeah? That's fantastic. Do you require transportation to a location?"

"No, they're sending a car, believe it or not,"

"A job interview where a car is sent? That is unique."

"I concur. I guess we'll see," she said with a chuckle as she started to go around the route that connected the smaller marina down the way from the pier where her father's yacht was tied.

Her mind was racing with ideas for what she would do with her newfound freedom. She was eager to begin a new life here, but she was also overcome with the dread that comes from facing the uncharted.

After her morning stroll, she went back to her modest abode and concentrated on cleaning some of the areas she hadn't quite gotten to yet in an effort to keep active and avoid getting anxious. Despite her lack of experience and confidence in her ability to secure the part they had open, she desperately wanted this job.

As the time drew nearer, she started planning her outfit, deciding on a straight skirt and a delicate white top. She finished it off with basic black heels, striving for understated elegance on a budget. On her budget, that had been the best she could manage. She could only be grateful that she had this costume to wear at all after having the foresight to purchase one during her quick shopping stop on the way here.

She glanced admiringly in the crammed bathroom's cracked mirror as she pulled her hair back into a sleek ponytail at the nape of her neck. In such a small area, it was difficult to fully appreciate the full effect of her attire, but she would have to pray that she seemed as she thought she did.

After an hour, she approached the black vehicle as it was now pulling into the area designated for the surrounding boathouses' parking.

Jo kept to herself during the journey, gazing out the window as they navigated through strange streets. Living so far out in the country without a car was going to be difficult, but she would have to make due until she could improve. There had been a lot of pressure to withdraw money from their joint bank account. She deserved it and there was plenty in there to get her through for a while.

But doing so would only fuel his rage, and he would not permit it. It had been awful enough taking his car.

He had never seen her contributions to the household as anything more than what he called pocket money, so if she took money, he'd be out for blood.

Additionally, if she was going to do it, she ought to have finished it before leaving. She should have avoided revealing her position by using an ATM to get cash because doing so would have brought him straight to her. She would simply have to get by. She would look for another employment to make ends meet if this one didn't work out. She was formerly here.

She knew what it was like to live salary to paycheck, or in her case, tip jar to tip jar, having grown up on her own. A terrible tip night used to be the worst thing that could happen, and they always seemed to occur when you least expected them. Although waiting tables would not be at the top of her list of desired employment, she would put up with it if that was her only option.

The driver halted the vehicle at a curb and announced, "We're here."

"Is this a residence?"

"I guess it's a home office."

"Who knows?"

"Well, despite having an industrial appearance, the interior is set up like a relaxed office, with, I think, some private space on the upper level."

"Weird. Are you certain we are in the proper location?"

"I am certain, ma'am."

Jo exited the vehicle and started walking to her destination.

With a sense of amazement, she turned to face the home. It didn't appear to be a house at all from the outside. It appeared more industrial. It was obvious that it was more of a warehouse or workshop due to the small windows and massive steel roll up door. It had black trim and was brick. It was unlike anything she had ever seen.

The service had dispatched her here. She had no desire to reside here. It was very dissimilar to the generic suburban house she had lived in with Carter. It was somewhat harsh and sensual. She enjoyed it in a way that she had never before felt while viewing a home. It seemed to be speaking to her or calling out to her in some way.

She was frozen as she stood there. The chilly of September had replaced the warmth of summer, taking control of the night and adding its chill to the gloomy dusk that had started to engulf her. On the largely deserted street, rain fell all around her.

Outside of her own and the faint light emanating from her destination's windows, there were no signs of life.

Despite the little houses that lined the street, they seemed abandoned or at least dark and deserted. There was no sign of any people or cars lined the streets. She received a car from the service she had called this morning. The driver claimed that although it had once been a small village, most residents had left due to issues that didn't seem quite plausible. He said nothing further.

Even as the car drove away along the pitch-black street behind her, she stood outside thinking about this spot. She forced herself to move on and walked down the front walk's cobblestones before ringing the bell.

When she replied, a woman invited her inside while appearing unconcerned with who she might be or why she was there.

She crooned, increasing the gap between the door and its frame, "Come in out of the rain."

"Jo Claybourne here. Mr. Harrison and I will meet soon."

"I know. You are welcome to have a seat in the first room on your right and put your coat on the coat hook in the corridor."

The woman didn't hold out for an answer. She closed the door behind Jo and left the room in front of them. Jo perused the area. This didn't appear to be much of a casting office. It was a typical house that had been furnished for whatever purpose it served.

She began to question whether this was a mistake.

Just as she sat down, a voice yelled, "Ms. Claybourne?"

While still falling, Jo tried to stand back up and nearly fell to the side. Before the interview, she grabbed herself on the sofa arm and stumbled forward, willfully trying to keep her body upright. She stumbled a little before regaining her balance and grinning at the man in the doorway.