Socio

As Shannon lay in the guest bed that night after the doctor had gone to bed, she thought about how much had changed and how fast it had changed as well. She had lost so much and gained so much, all in just a matter of hours. Everything she owned was gone, including her beloved pets. But now she lived in a beautiful luxury high-rise apartment and virtually for nothing. Funny how life turned out at times. As they had continued to work out the details, the doctor insisted she keep her money for her own personal needs, like food, clothing, and anything else she may want. The room and board were for cleaning and doing the doctor's laundry and cooking. Dr. Warren assured her that letting her sleep in a bed that would just sit there anyway in a place that wouldn't cost any more or less with her present, in exchange for taking over these tasks, was plenty fair and she need not give her any money. Cooking, cleaning, and laundry seemed like nothing to her but that might be because she found these chores more relaxing than tedious. She would still have her office and online jobs but she still felt like she was getting much more than she was giving, and for that, she was very grateful. They had checked the news before turning in that night and according to the current reports, there was no concrete information as to how the fire started. Shannon was so sad yet also hopeful at the same time. She really did want to stay in New York City. She hated how expensive it was and she hated the crowds and the climate and the crime. Yet she loved every bit of the action at the same time. It was everything that made New York City what it was. Fast, gritty, dangerous, exciting, diverse, complex, and so much more. Her mind bounced back to the doctor herself. She had watched her as she had taken her hair down before bed. It was the first time she saw her long, shiny black hair down loose. It was beautiful. The doctor, in some ways, was composed of what seemed like mismatched body parts. She had beautiful hair and an okay body for her age, but her face wasn't that great at all. She had nice teeth but the rest of her face was pretty average and she could see where some may even consider her ugly, with her thick dark eyebrows and almost monkey-like facial features. The following morning, Shannon contacted the landlord. Someone else answered on his behalf and said that the circumstances surrounding the fire were suspicious. "So it was arson?" Shannon asked. After a slight hesitation, the person sighed heavily and then said, "I'm afraid it's looking that way, yes." "So that means no one will be getting any kind of compensation? No help with relocation or anything?" "I'm afraid not, ma'am." Now it was Shannon's turn to be silent for a few seconds as her mind absorbed the guy's words. "So now what?" she finally asked. "Is anything salvageable? Did anything at all survive the fire?" "No, it didn't. I'm sorry. Really, I am." "Any plans to rebuild?" "There probably will be at some point but there's no saying when. We're very sorry, as it's a very unfortunate incident that has cost many people their homes, but our hands are tied. We're just as helpless as the tenants are." "No, you're not. Unlike most people, you at least have a home to live in unless you happened to have had an apartment in the building." Shannon's statement was met with silence. She wasn't surprised that the guy didn't have an answer for that one. Some close friends from back home sent her some money, which she could add to the money she earned from working. Even the people at work gave her something, and while Shannon went out of her way to appear hesitant to accept anything at first, accept it she would. Very greedily yet with much appreciation. There was nothing wrong with saving as much money as she could in case things with the doctor didn't work out. She adapted to life in the high-rise with the lovely doctor quite quickly. True to her word, the doctor took her on a shopping spree and helped her to pick out a beautiful and stylish new wardrobe. Shannon's gratefulness was beyond anything she had ever known before and she vowed to do well at her new job to help make up for the doctor's incredible generosity. The doctor had no complaints about her cooking or cleaning and Shannon had no complaints about the wonderful view she had to enjoy a lot more than the doctor herself did, even if it may be a bit distracting at times. The view was just as beautiful at night as it was during the daytime. The only difference was that at night it all looked the same... Lights, lights, and more lights. You felt like you were floating in outer space amongst millions of stars. Shannon didn't get any new pets but she did start working out again. She'd always loved to run but her neighborhood wasn't exactly the place to do it. She’d never felt safe running in that area with all the damn hoodrats and gangbangers. Now she had the option of running in a safer section of the city as well as the beautiful indoor fitness room on days when the weather was nasty. She even had a heated swimming pool. In order to get fresh air, or at least as fresh as the city could provide, she would run outdoors and do her strength training indoors unless bad weather made that difficult. Shannon had moments in which she suspected the doctor might like her and not just as a companion and live-in cook and housekeeper either. One night in particular, as they sat on the couch watching a movie together, the doctor confirmed her suspicions. At first, the doctor was hesitant to act on her feelings because she didn't want to make her feel obligated or trapped in any way, simply because she lived with her and worked for her. "I know you are a bit younger than me," she had explained that night, "and that not everybody feels comfortable getting too close to what some may consider their landlord and employer all rolled into one, but you are truly a beautiful woman, my dear Shannon, and very smart, too." Shannon was flattered. With all the doctor had to offer her, she didn't mind that the woman barely struck a seven on her own personal one-to-ten appearance-judgment scale. She was just amazed that a rich doctor of all people would even consider her in the first place. Shannon may not be the ugliest thing on earth, but the wealthy usually went for the wealthy, just like the poor usually went for the poor, didn't they? It really did seem that people generally liked carbon copies of themselves. Yet she and the good doctor were about as opposite as two people could get. They were from two very different walks of life with two very different personalities. But one didn't have to look gorgeous if they were willing to offer her so much luxury. The only way intimacy may be a little tough for her would be if the person were abusive or hideously ugly. The doctor wasn't ugly; she just wasn't hot. Although many people perceived Shannon to be unselfish and non-judgmental, and although she would never openly admit it, Shannon was actually very selfish, materialistic, and judgmental when it came to personality and looks. She didn't mind a less-than-perfect and homely-looking friend, but the doctor would be the first bedmate that she didn't consider a hottie. Shannon soon met the doctor's daughter, Sade, and her son, Marco. They were okay. They didn't make any kind of special impression on her in any way. They simply seemed like two ordinary people with ordinary lives. In the months that followed the tragic fire, Shannon felt like a real queen living a fairytale life. She felt rich, pampered, and spoiled to the max. She had a gym she could use anytime she wanted to, which was down in the lobby behind the lounge, where she could order a variety of things to eat if she didn't feel like cooking for herself. Even bathing became a rather luxurious event with the option of a Jacuzzi that was built into the large tub, instead of always taking showers. She got to know some of the people who worked in the building. During the first few months, she would exchange greetings with the staff but never actually stopped to chat with them for long. It was all trivial stuff at first... "How are you doing?" "What do you think of the weather?" "Keeping busy today, Miss Owens?" But as the weeks turned into months, Shannon began to feel a bit lonely despite the luxury surrounding her. Dr. Warren hadn't been kidding when she said she led a busy life. Shannon didn't see nearly as much of her as she would like to. In fact, she spent more time chatting with coworkers at the clinic than she did with the doctor at home. They spent a little more time on weekends, but during the week, their time together was mostly spent during dinner. Then it seemed that the doctor had to rush off to deal with patients online before showering and unwinding with a book before bed. Sex was infrequent, and while the doctor was no goddess, Shannon was still human and still young. She didn't expect it every single night, but once a week wasn't quite enough for her if she even got it that often. And then one of the security guards was replaced by Doug Maxwell.