The other job

Max let out a loud woof and went inside, trotting away. Jake's heartbeat turned frantic as he helped Zara get up, trying his best to not entangle his fingers in her hair.

He tried cracking a joke, "Wow, you weigh a lot."

Zara pouted that made her look a hell lot of cuter and Jake wished he hadn't said anything. She got up and surveyed the flowers that were now a little crushed. She extended him a hand without meeting his eyes and after a second, Jake took it and got up.

They entered the small house where Mr Turner was resting on an armchair, reading a book. Jake went in and hugged him, "How are you feeling now?"

Mr Turner replied, "Now, that you are here, I feel okay."

Max barked loudly as if disagreeing with his owner. Mr Turner threw a biscuit in the air and Max leapt out in the air, catching on the treat. "Yeah, you have been an excellent company, Max. There is no doubt about it."

His gaze then flitted to Zara and he gave her a huge smile, "Oh, Zara, my dear. What brings you to an old man's place today?"

Zara smiled and handed him the bouquet, "I have been missing your sandwiches." She then neared him and whisper-yelled, "Jake manages to cook but I don't think he can beat you in preparing the best cheese sandwich ever."

Jake shot her an amused look while Mr. Turner gave a wholehearted laugh. "Don't flatter me young lady. I need no buttering." He then pointed to his stomach, "I have been growing fat as it is."

He then looked at the flowers, "They are beautiful, thank you Zara." Zara went ahead and placed them in a flower vase adjacent to his armchair. Jake put a shawl on his grandpa's body and tucked him.

"Do you need anything, Grandpa?"

"How about you make your not so excellent sandwiches for all of us. I feel bored making them on my own."

He kissed Mr. Turner's forehead, "I will"

Jake turned to the kitchen and Zara settled on a chair opposite him. "so, Jake was telling me that you think that the sky indicates heaven's mood for the day?"

Mr Turner put down his reading glasses and folded it beside the vase. "Yes, it does. My mother used to tell me stories of the ancient tribes that would read the sky, the star patterns to perform their important rituals."

Zara perched on her chair, "Oh, I think there are certain tribes who still do that."

Mr Turner nodded his head, "There are. But now people, especially the younger generation, love to keep their heads bent like a donkey, glued to their phones instead of gazing up at the marvellous sky."

Zara responded, "Not Jake, he does have his head bent down, but he is usually gazing at the pots and pans."

Mr. Turner guffawed and Zara joined him. Jake saw them bond together and Max had taken to lying between both of them, though he was inching closer to Zara, begging her to pet him.

Jake saw a silhouette of a person lurking outside the far end of the house and his muscles twitched. He quickly pulled up the curtains and made sure that Zara and his grandfather hadn't seen anything. Jake kept one eye trained on the windows while hurrying to make the coffee.

He hurriedly handed both of them the coffee cups along with sandwiches and exited through the back door while Zara and Mr Turner had been engrossed in their talk.

Jake closed the door carefully behind him and went outside in the direction of a boy waiting for him. He was tall and muscular, with long hair and a lip ring. A tattoo of a snake covered his left arm.

Jake held him by the elbow and wheeled him towards a garage in order to put some distance between them and the house he had just walked out from. It was no use in trying to pretend that the people inside the house were dear to him.

Jake freed his hand and asked the boy pointedly, "What are you doing here?"

The boy pulled out a cigarette and lighted it. He blew the smoke in Jake's face and Jake 's brows furrowed. The boy answered, "I am making sure that you are doing your job. You know, the other job?"