The Currency of Life

Back again with a new one! It will be a multi-part story, released in short order. There is a little sexiness in this one but it is more of a set-up chapter. Rest assured, much more to come in later chapters!

The story revolves around a homeless man who becomes involved with a very wealthy family. Not the most original of plots but hopefully the twists and turns along the way will separate it from others!

As always, enjoy! JJJ

Chapter 1

A small, sweet voice roused me from the pits of my dreary slumber. "Excuse me, mister? Why are you sleeping there?"

My eyes felt like someone had blown sawdust in them and the light was far too bright as I willed my eyelids open. I grunted as I shuffled myself upright on the park bench and peered down into the inquisitive face of a little angel. She had big, innocent green eyes, chubby cherub cheeks, and blonde hair that fell in ringlets to her shoulders. She was looking up at me curiously, waiting for my answer.

My brain was slow to respond, as if my thoughts were wading through mud. "I... fell asleep here," I said.

The little girl giggled. "I know that, silly! Why don't you sleep at home in your bed? That bench looks awfully uncomfortable."

I scanned the park for her parents, she looked about six and shouldn't be alone. "I don't have a home," I mumbled absently. "Where are your parents? This park can be dangerous for young ones."

The girl frowned and looked around, suddenly realising that her parents were nowhere to be seen. "I... I don't know!" she said worriedly. Her lip began to tremble.

"Hey, don't worry!" I said quickly. "I'll help you find them, OK? What's your name?"

"M-my name's Billie. What's yours?" She looked frightened.

I put on a silly voice and bowed. "Billie, it's an honour to meet you, I'm Jack." Some of her fear lessened. "OK, where did you last see your parents?"

"I was with my mum and grandad," Billie said. "Uh... I think over there." She pointed to a playpark filled with swings and seesaws. I spotted a group of mothers chatting to each other and another group deep in their phones while their children ran off energy. None of them appeared interested in what their children were doing.

"OK, let's go and ask those mums over there first, shall we?"

"OK, Mister Jack!" Billie said. I stood up with a groan and stretched my back. "You're awfully tall, did you know that? How old are you?" she asked curiously as we strolled across the park.

I shrugged. "I'm twenty-six... and maybe the only reason you think I'm tall is because you're awfully small."

Billie stopped and put her hands on her hips. "I am one of the tallest in my class, I'll have you know!"

I chuckled and performed an extravagant bow. "I am terribly sorry, can you forgive a silly sausage?"

Billie giggled, sounding like a chirping bird. "You are a silly sausage."

The mothers recoiled when they saw me. Not that I was particularly ugly, but a dirty, six-foot man dressed in rags would do that to a woman. "Hi," I said awkwardly. "Uh, this is Billie, she's looking for her mum. Can I leave her with you?"

"BILLIE!" I stepped back from Billie as a woman jumped in front of her and swung her handbag into my face. Luckily, it was small and only carried her phone, so it didn't hurt. But it was fairly humiliating.

The handbag glanced off my cheek and I got a good look at my attacker. My first thought was she was some sort of street-fighting lawyer. She was wearing a pencil skirt, a shirt buttoned up to her throat, and a black blazer jacket. She had blonde hair tied into a bun so painfully tight that her eyebrows were pulled up from her pine-green eyes. Her heels added a couple of inches of height, but she still had to crane her neck a fair amount to look up at me. She looked about my age. I didn't have time to observe any more.

"GET AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!" She swung her handbag back for another attack. Billie grabbed her arm and tried to pull her away.

I quickly raised my hands and took two steps back. "Hey, she was lost so I was helping her look for you, that's all."

The woman glared at me disgustedly. "I'm sure you were, you sick pervert!"

It takes a lot to get me angry, but she was doing a pretty good job of it. "Ask them or Billie," I said, pointing a thumb over my shoulder to the mothers, who were watching the drama like a flock of pigeons. "Maybe next time keep an eye on your daughter, the park's not a safe place for unattended kids."

She looked me up and down disdainfully. "I'm sure it's not, especially with dirty street filth lying about."

"You know, considering I was doing your job, you're sure acting like a right she-bitch. Good riddance."

She-bitch's face paled and she turned livid. She took her daughter's arm and steered her away. Billie shouted over her shoulder, "Bye, Mister Jack!"

I heard the woman say, "Billie! You never talk to that man again, do you understand? People like him are nasty and dangerous."

I heaved a heavy sigh and walked in the opposite direction. I didn't much fancy being gawked at like an animal in a zoo by the flock. It was early in the day, and there were a few places I liked to visit to scrounge some food. One baker in particular put the leftovers from his morning pastries on top of the bin rather than dumping them inside. I thanked him each time I went there but didn't dare walk inside. I didn't want to drive his customers away.

I was leaving the park when a big black four-by-four pulled up in front of me. The windows were tinted and it was immaculately clean. The driver's side window buzzed and as it lowered I was met with the face of a man probably in his seventies. He had a short grey moustache, iron-grey hair, and piercing green eyes. He looked like one of those old military officers who could probably still run miles and kick a younger man's ass. No-nonsense and straight to business.

In the passenger seat, I spotted she-bitch. She had her arms crossed and was glaring at me from behind the old man. I sighed. "Look, I don't want any trouble, sir. I was only helping Billie find her mother, nothing more."

The man gave me a sharp nod. His voice was deep and commanding. "I know, Billie explained. I was wondering if you would like to accompany us to breakfast to say thank you." Behind him, she-bitch huffed and looked out the window.

I looked down at my clothes. "Uh, it's a kind offer, but I'm not really dressed to go anywhere. I don't want to embarrass you. Thank you, sir."

The man gave me the once over but not in a judgemental way. It seemed like he was assessing me and doing some thinking. "It's Jack, isn't it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Jack, we aren't eating out anywhere, not that it would embarrass me anyway. There's a hot shower, a new set of clothes, and a meal in it for you. This isn't charity, by the way. This is me saying thank you for making sure my granddaughter was safe. Please accept for my sake. If you don't, I'll be feeling guilty for the rest of the day."

I was reluctant to accept, especially with the waves of hatred emanating from she-bitch. As the thought came into my head, the idea of annoying her became quite attractive. I smiled and nodded. "Thank you, sir. A hot shower would be amazing."

He grinned. "Good, my name's Charles, but just call me Chuck." He tilted his head to the back of the car. "Jump in."

"Thanks, Chuck," I replied. The doors unlocked and I slid onto the seat beside. Billie.

"Hello, Mister Jack!" she said cheerfully.

"Hello, Missus Billie!"

Billie giggled but stopped when she-bitch pressed the button to lower my window. "Mummy, what are you doing?"

"Airing the car, dear," came her clipped reply.

Any minor happiness I felt from saying hello to Billie was wiped away immediately. I shuffled myself as close to the window as I could, wondering if agreeing had been a big mistake.

*

Chuck's house turned out to be a monster estate just outside the city. It was surrounded by a low white wall topped with a black iron fence. The main gate had a guard house at the front manned by two men who waved to Chuck as he drove through. Beyond was a sweeping drive that curved through a lush garden, ran over a bridge that spanned a manmade pond, and ended at the front doors of the biggest house I had ever seen.

It was a mansion. Made from huge stone blocks, it had towering yet elegant architecture. The windows were detailed and the roofline was boarded by gargoyles. It looked old and yet new, a building that had stood the test of time under the care of people who loved it.

"This... is incredible, sir," I said to Chuck, trying and failing to take it all in. I noticed she-bitch pull Billie away from me as soon as we got out of the car.

Chuck led the way up a broad flight of steps to the grand oak front door. "Thank you, it has been in my family for generations." He opened the door and showed me into a huge entrance hall with a marble floor, a set of winding steps to the second floor, and lots of gold-framed artwork on the walls. A middle-aged maid was finishing off polishing in the far corner. I looked down at my mismatched dirty boots and was once again embarrassed.

Noticing, Chuck said, "Don't worry about the dirt. There's a bedroom and ensuite over there, everything you need should be in the bathroom. If there's anything else, just give us a shout. I'll have clothes and new shoes sent to the room. Sandra will show you to the kitchen when you've finished. Please, take your time."

She-bitch didn't so much as look at me when she left, though Billie grinned and waved over her shoulder. Chuck patted my shoulder and nodded toward a door at the side of the entrance hall.

Unable to believe what was happening, I walked to the door as lightly as I could to not dirty the polished floor. Beyond was a corridor with wood-panelled walls. The floor was stone but had a thick red carpet running down the middle

The maid, Sandra, appeared behind me and pointed to a door on the right. "That's the room Charles has designated. If there's anything you require, let me know. I'll leave clothes and shoes on the bed."

I thanked her and entered the room. Like the rest of the house, it was a contradiction in terms. The walls and furniture were antique and cared for, yet the bathroom would have looked at home in any billionaire's modern house. It had a white tub sunk into the floor with steps leading down into it, easily big enough to seat four. There were two sinks before a mirror, a toilet, and a walk-in shower with a bench in it that could seat two people beside each other.

I stripped off my clothes. In one of the draws was a white plastic bag large enough to fit them in. I jammed them inside. It had been a long time since I had a new set of clothes, so I might be able to alternate them with my old ones if they were warm enough.

The shower floor was white, which gave me a good idea of how filthy I was. The hot water felt amazing on my skin but was pretty much black when it was running off of me. There was an array of soaps, shampoos, and conditioners. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I went to town. I cleaned my entire body three times over and stayed in the shower far longer than was necessary.

When I opened the drawer to get the plastic bag, I noticed a box of disposable shaving kits. My beard was down to my chest, so I decided to go the whole way and shave it off. I had to use a pair of scissors to cut the worst of it, and then it took a good twenty minutes and three blades after that before my face was fully shaved. It was the strangest feeling after, like my face was naked.

My hair was another matter. I'd hacked off a load of it not too long ago with a set of rusty scissors I'd found, but it was still a mess... well, it was a clean mess. I found a rubber band and tied it back from my face.

For the first time in as long as I could remember, I looked at my reflection in a mirror. Dark brown eyes stared back at me from a gaunt face. The ribs in my chest stuck out horribly, like some sort of alien. I'd never been a popular person on account of my scruffy and uncared-for look as a result of living on the streets, but I didn't think I was particularly ugly. It was just that years of homelessness and neglect had transformed me into a hollow corpse of a man.

My eyes travelled to the numerous scars on my chest. I twisted and saw longer ones on my back. My face darkened and I turned away from the mirror.

There were disposable toothbrushes and nail clipper sets in the draw as well. I went through two cleaning my teeth and then cut my nails after. Rather than throw useful items away, I added them to the bag with my clothes.

I dried myself off and peered through the door to make sure Sandra wasn't in the bedroom. The coast clear, I entered and found boxers, socks, a set of comfortable black work trousers, a black t-shirt, and a zip-up hoody. They were good quality and the best clothes I'd ever owned. Putting them on was the best feeling I'd had in years. Sandra or Chuck must have guessed my sizes because they fit perfectly and the simple black trainers were also my size.

I tucked my bag of clothes beside the door and walked back out into the entrance hall. Sandra was waiting for me with a bright smile. She had a friendly face and what I would describe as a motherly figure.

"My, don't you clean up well!" she said merrily. "Right this way, Jack."

I followed her silently through a broad corridor to the rear of the property, which had been converted into one giant room that spanned the entire width of the building. The far wall had been replaced by a glass wall that provided expansive views of the garden and land beyond. One side of the room was set up as a living area, with deep sofas long enough to set ten and a huge TV suspended on the wall above an electric fireplace. The other side of the room was the kitchen/dining room. Units and flashy appliances curved around the far wall, complete with immaculately clean stone worktops. At the far end was a breakfast bar that looked out over the spectacular view. Between the kitchen and living area was a long table with enough chairs to seat sixteen.

I was rendered speechless as I took it all in. Chuck walked over to me from the kitchen area and said, "Feeling better?"

I forced myself to speak. "Y-yes, sir. Thank you so much, it feels nice to be clean again."

He smiled. "I'd bet it does. Please, come and sit, I've had food prepared."

He directed me to a stool at the main kitchen island and took another. There was more food on the table than I would eat in three months. Cereal, pastries, jams, slices of bread, meats, cheeses, and a huge selection of fruit.

"Don't wait on my account, tuck in," Chuck told me.

I tried my best to control myself and not look like an animal, but I couldn't remember the last time I had a full meal and I wasn't going to pass on the opportunity. I ate until my stomach hurt and then carried on. The food was incredible.

Chuck made polite conversation while we spoke. He was a very intelligent and thoughtful man, someone who people naturally respected. But, it wasn't a respect born from intimidation. Despite his rigid, powerful appearance, there was a contradictory kindness to him.

"So, tell me about yourself, Jack," he said, sipping his coffee.

I shuffled in the chair uncomfortably and he added, "Nothing that you don't want to reveal, mind you."

"No, it's OK. Although my story isn't a particularly happy one," I said. I trusted the old man and for some reason, I didn't mind telling him a little bit about myself.

Chuck nodded thoughtfully. "No, I don't suppose it is," he said sympathetically.

I took a deep breath. "I was born in the city. My mother was a drug addict and died when I was young. I-uh-ran away from home at sixteen and I've been fighting for survival every day since."

I stopped as Billie and she-bitch entered the kitchen. Billie ran to my side and peered up at me. "Mister Jack, is that you!?"

I grinned. "Yes, it is, Missus Billie!"

"Where did all your hair go!? You look a lot happier now."

"I chopped it off! I am a lot happier too."

"Billie, come away from him, please," she bitch said from the other side of the kitchen island. She was still wearing her too-tight smart clothes and her hair was still tied back painfully tight.

"Aida!" Chuck snapped. "That is no way to act around our guests!"

She stared at him defiantly for a few minutes before lowering her gaze. I got the feeling that not many people bested Chuck in a battle of wills. She spun on her heel and busied herself with something in the cupboard.

"I apologise for my daughter's behaviour," Chuck said. "She has a great deal to learn when it comes to respect."

"It's OK, sir. I can leave if things-"

"No, you are quite alright where you are," he said curtly. Unsure what to do, I stayed seated.

The tension in the room was lessened somewhat by Billie, who climbed onto her grandfather's lap and told him excitedly about a new drawing she'd done of a butterfly, which was her favourite bug ever, apparently. Chuck's eyes softened when he looked at her and I think I found someone Chuck would lose a battle of wills with every single time.

I poured myself a glass of water and sipped. It tasted far sweeter and cleaner than the water from the public toilets. I drained a glass and poured a second. I turned when I heard someone talking on the phone approaching from within the house.

It was a slim man in a suit with hair slicked back over his head. He looked a handful of years older than me and the moment our eyes made contact, I knew we were not going to be friends. His eyes didn't leave mine as he hung up and said, "New help, Charles?"

"It's a homeless man from the park," Aida replied. She sauntered around the table and kissed his cheek. "Father took pity-"

"I am not a pity case," I snapped angrily. "And I wouldn't be here if you had kept an eye on your daughter." I cringed when I realised how rude I was acting in Chuck's home. "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to act so disrespectful." Aida's face went white, red, and then back to white. I sighed. "I think my presence here is causing a few problems, I'll head back to the city now."

Chuck stood with me and said, "Not at all, I'll see you to the front door."

We walked together through the manor. He was about the same height as me and had a powerful gait, even at his age. When we reached the entrance hall, I remembered my bag. "Could I quickly grab my clothes before I leave? I left them in the guest room."

Chuck inclined his head. "Of course, but first would you mind joining me on a short walk? I have an offer for you. I promise, if you decline, I'll get your bags and arrange transport back into the city."

I shrugged, I didn't really have much of a choice and Chuck had been nothing but kind to me. "Sure."

I followed Chuck down the front steps and along a white gravel pathway around the side of the house. The grounds, like everything else to do with the property, were gigantic. Long, perfectly maintained lawns, vegetable plots, greenhouses. There was an outdoor pool and barbeque area as well. It really was a side to life as alien to me as living on the moon.

At the bottom of the garden was a wide straight pathway that disappeared through the woods. Five vehicles that looked like golf carts were sitting at the bottom. Chuck got into one and patted the seat next to him.

"Where are we going?" I asked as we set off along the path.

"Oh, not far," he said with a small smile.

"Is this all your land?" I asked.

"Yes, it's about fifty acres, so you can imagine how much of a pain it is to maintain." He turned the wheel and we zoomed down a smaller path.

At the bottom was a wide lake with a glassy blue surface. There was a jetty at the side with a boat moored beside it. Chuck pointed to a big wooden house set back from the water's edge. "How would you like to live in there?"