This could not be happening, not today. Of all the days why did you have to be late on this day! In all the days you could have let yourself down, why now. You had been fired from your job at a cosmetics company in the management department. You were really only the coffee girl; the degraded female version of a 'yes' man.
And your boss gave you hell, running around doing his errands that his secretary didn't have time to do, claiming that she had more important things to do. But alas, you had been fired this morning for being late to a very important meeting with a neighboring company that dealt in hair care products. A meeting that was unfortunately had been missing its donuts and coffee that you were supposed to retrieve.
And just like that, you were replaceable. And you really had needed the money to make the payments on your new apartment. You had finally made enough to move to a nicer part of town, which had been a relief to you. Being harassed by plenty of drunks and college douche bags on your way home from the night shift at the diner you previously worked at. And you promised yourself you wouldn't go back there.
'But I might not have a choice. I might even have to work two shifts….No I won't go back there!'
You thought determinedly, you'd just have to find something else. Pacing around the living room of your one bedroom apartment on *Tortuga street. This was really getting to you, so you figured you should speak with your landlord about it and see if he'll let you make up a few payments later.
"Well whatever happens, it can't be solved now." You sighed to yourself while running a hand through your messy hair after you had tried to restrain yourself from pulling it out this morning.
"I'd better call *Yaketerena and *Elizabeta about the news" Walking into the kitchen you went to retrieve the cordless phone from its stand.
Your two best girlfriends would know what to do in the face of this tragedy. So after dialing them up and getting a three way call going, they instantly shared your sympathy and expressed their pity for you.
"Well {y/n}, we could always use an extra hand around here. The kids like seeing you." Your friend Yaketerena replied over the phone.
She worked at a day care watching over and playing with the children whose parents were busy. She loved her job and you would sometimes visit and bring her lunch or something from the bakery down the street, but of course she would share it with the children.
You liked kids too, but not for an entire day of running around and playing. And goodness knew you didn't want to come home with any new sickness from their grubby little hands.
"Maybe, I'll think about it," as you say that, you can practically hear her smile over the phone.
"It's whatever you choose to do next {y/n}, but you can come and help me organize my stock" Elizabeta said as well, but she knew you absolutely hated helping her unpack her new shipments of cookware that she ordered every month for her store.
Elizabeta had been smart and started her own business in kitchenware right after you three had graduated from your university. Even though she offered teasingly, you might have to take her up on that offer.
"Thanks, but you know I'll have to think long and hard on that one." You giggled, appreciating her efforts to cheer you up.
"Girls, I think it's time for us to have a mandatory girl's night out. Like we used to in the good old days, before work and life got in the way!" Elizabeta said ecstatically, knowing exactly what you needed to get your spirits back.
"Oh yes, that sounds like fun. We should dress up! But where would we go?" Yaketerena sounded excited about the plan, but she was right. Where would you guys go?
"I know just the place" you say after racking your brain for a moment, you were sure the girls were doing the same according to the silence over the phone.
"Remember that place we said we wanted to try going to if we had some time? The one over by that theatre on 4th street, Club C…no Club B I think it is…" you trailed off before Elizabeta corrected you.
"*Club A you mean!" she said loudly getting excited; Elizabeta had to be most club hoppingest person you had ever met and had the pleasure of being friends with.
"Oh that sounds exciting," Yaketerena said in her soft tone.
"Club ABC sounds much better to me," you muttered mostly to yourself as Elizabeta laughed when she heard you.
"So to Club A it is then girls! Dress your sexiest tonight, who knows, one of us might get lucky" she said referring to the two single members of your three girl group. She naturally was taken by a lovely Austrian man by the name of Roderick Edelstein.
"Oh hush you." You said hearing her giggling some more through the phone.
"Okay, I get off at five so I'll meet you guys there," said Yaketerena. You knew she was on her break right now, it being after two o'clock.
"Drinking and dancing the night away will definitely take my mind off things. Thanks girls." You say shaking your head, remembering the last time you guys had an emergency girl's night out. The three of you had woken up on a park bench with killer hangovers and missing a few articles of clothing.
After saying your goodbyes and see you laters, you hung up the phone and immediately went straight to your closet to find an outfit to wear. You really had to dig deep, most of your little black dresses (LBD) and miniskirts had been pushed aside for more casual clothing after your college days.
'Gosh it's already been two years since we graduated.' Pulling out a sexy little number adorned with lace, it had an open triangular curve that showed off your back. You were reminded why you bought the dress again, but couldn't figure out why you had only worn it once. A knock at the door sounded, surprising you from your inspection of the dress, checking to see if any moths had eaten away at your lace.
'I wasn't expecting anyone, and the girls are still at work.' Thinking to yourself as you went to get the door, taking the dress with you, not sure if you were going to answer it or not.
Squinting through the peep hole in the door, a head of brown hair and a pair of…are those cat ears! Opening the door to check this out, a soft meow met your ears as you faced your landlord. A sweet and laidback Grecian man by the name of Heracles Karpusi, seemingly he took in the neighborhoods stray cats and fed them. Judging by the amount of cats that were always at his door, never mind on how they got into the building, but he always had a cat or two or a few hanging around him.
And today there was a black copper eyed chartreux cat laying across his shoulder, meowing at you. "Hello there {y/n}, how are you today? I just came by to see ask if you would like to come by for dinner tonight." He said casually scratching the cat behind its ear, as it curled its tail around his neck.
Since you were new to the building he would come by to check on you, and sometimes make you dinner when you were low on cash. He was a few years older than you, but he still held every bit of his handsome youth.
"Ah, I'm sorry, not tonight Heracles, I'm going out with my friends tonight."
You smiled, showing him the dress on the hanger that you held. Nodding a bit as he took in the lacy little black fabric, he eyed you slowly before assessing you with his eyes, sweeping over your curves with his hooded olive green orbs. Something in them made a shiver run down to the base of your spine, as you figured he was picturing you in that dress.
"U-um, but there was something I wanted to talk to you about Heracles," you said as you cleared your throat, a little nervous at his attentions.
"And what is that?" He asked softly, but not in his usually sleepy manner, this time it had a hint of suggestiveness as you could have sworn his lips curled upward slightly.
"I…um, well I lost my job and I wanted to know if there was any way I could…you now, make my payments a little late. I mean, it's only until I find another job. And I promise to pay!" You said trying to convince him you wouldn't just skip out on paying.
When you finished, a charming smile spread across his smooth lips that reminded you why this man was so attractive. But as he opened his mouth to speak, the cat on his shoulder meowed rather loudly proceeding to jump from its perch and down at your bare feet to rub against you. You started to giggle because the cat's fur tickled your feet, but laughed harder at the strangeness of its actions. A deep throated chuckle sounded from the handsome Grecian man.
"I think Alexandros just answered for the both of us." He said giving you that smile that made you feel the warmth blossoming in the pit of your stomach.
'Goodness has it really been that long since a man looked at me like that?' You mentally asked yourself as you tried to recall the last few times you had spent with Heracles, he had never been so tentative to your appearance before. Or he had and you just hadn't noticed.
'Must be all of my sexual frustration,' you thought laughing it off.
The cat rubbing at your legs brought you back to attention as it began to dig its claws into your yoga pants while purring. Hissing as you started to bend down to detach him from your legs, Heracles crouched down to release Alexandros' claws from you. Pulling the cat off you he gently rubbed his fingers down your calves.
"I'm sorry, he's a bit of a ladies' man," he laughed again softly this time as he smiled up at you from the floor.
The spots that he was still rubbing sent tingles up your legs, you felt a little weak in the knees. Heat crept onto your cheeks as you looked away from those suggestive olive eyes. Picking up Alexandros, Heracles stood to his full height cradling the cat to his chest.
"Thank you for the invitation and for…extending my time between payments," Looking back at him if not a little shyly than before, you reached over to pet Alexandros.
"You are welcome. And good luck job hunting, I'll keep my eyes open for anything." He said beginning to move away from the door before he looked back, "And {y/n}, a place for you at my table is always open." Giving you that same warm smile as Alexandros meowed his shared response.