Just as I had the last pair of DK denims folded and put in a perfect row, a bundled-up homely old woman came in. She was holding her single fold zipper purse in front of her but her fingers were moving across it as if to check it was still there. The woman was clearly nervous, looking around at the place in awe. When she spotted me she came right over with soft steps from her padded loafers.
She fumbled with her purse zipper and reached into it to pull out a half-sized manila envelope. My interest was piqued as she offered it to me, her hands shaking as she extended it. I took it, opening the top to see a stack of bills. I've never seen this much physical cash before, let alone have so much in my hands.
"What is this for, ma'am?" Shock and fear slithered through me. Nothing good ever came from stacks of money.
"The bakery." The old woman said. "Should I have put my name on the envelope?" She fished in her bag and after I rechecked that yes I was indeed holding a wad of cash - there must be at least a grand here - she pulled out a pen. I gladly handed her the money back, she wrote, 'Mrs. Caroline- Rise and Shine Bakery'. Then tried to hand it back.
"Do you owe someone money?" I asked her and the woman's face scrunched up. Her wrinkles doubled.
"Aren't you Merlin King?" She asked, her shoulders stiffening as if to act brave. Merlin had shown up today about an hour ago. I had been worried about her and naturally inquired as her own brother had a hard time finding her, judging by his break-in two days ago. She told me Meliodas had gotten ahold of her. That he had only been 'mildly irritated' that she'd abandoned his sublease and she said it was all due to me. I panicked internally until she told me, "you stuck up for me", and she didn't seem to know that I dry humped him until we both came. She had hugged me as if she hadn't been avoiding me for weeks and went to the back to, "sort out Vivian's good intentions". I hadn't seen her since and I was no longer sure if she would say goodbye before she slipped out.
"I can lead you back to Merlin's workshop. Would you please follow me?" She nodded, quick and sure. I made small talk, telling her I liked to cook too. That I usually didn't have anything to play with but given enough equipment I could bust out some sweets. Mrs. Caroline gave a smile, a tense one but a true one.
We made it to the 'employee' entrance when I stopped. Merlin's design room was back there, although it had gone unused for the last couple of months. Mrs. Caroline handed me her business card. It was light yellow with a drawn cup of coffee and cinnamon roll on it, the bakery's address and phone number printed on the back. The corner was bent from being loose in her bag. It was opposite the one I'd received last. Pristine heavy-duty card stock with 'Meliodas King, The Boar Hat' engraved into the paper. It had been all black with silver lettering with his phone number and the address of the nightclub.
I had to pay him my rent in a week and I was not looking forward to it. Maybe Merlin would take it? She was accepting money for this old woman's bakery. I stood there, wondering why she needed to pay her while looking at the business card as the lady prattled on. Maybe they knew each other and Merlin had given her a loan?
"If you need a job, I'm always hiring. Quick turn over in the customer service business." Mrs. Caroline chatted, she opened up and I was ensnared by propriety to remain. I listened as she told me her only granddaughter just went off to college, that she hired locally and discretely. I laughed at that, stuck in my spot to politely listen.
As if summoned, Merlin opened the door a few moments later, staring at us in mock surprise. She must have been listening as her eyes didn't reflect what her face was showing. "Thank you, Elizabeth. Mrs. Caroline! What a wonderful surprise. Come on back." She ushered the old lady away and the old woman handed her the envelope before the door was even closed. My mind was stuck though on the use of my full name, sounding so formal it cut deep, as we used to be so close.
Maybe I should call Meliodas, just to tell him his sister was obviously involved in something. She could be in trouble. I shook the thought away. It was not my business and I didn't want to get involved anymore with the clear distance between my old friend and me. Besides what would I say, "Hey, this is Elizabeth that girl you humped a few days back. Your sister is accepting money from harmless old ladies." Yeah, that wasn't going to happen.
Then I gave the exchange an explanation that made sense. Maybe Merlin was designing her business uniforms or something? It wasn't too long later, as I was cashing out a customer that Mrs. Caroline left. She waved at me from the exit and I waved back. She seemed way more relaxed and I was glad.
I was a few minutes past the end of my shift when I went to the back to write my time out. Merlin caught me there, looking distressed. I watched her as she took a deep breath and with the weirdest expression of determined resentment she started talking.
"I need your help." Merlin sighed, looking everywhere except directly at me. My warning flags went up but I ignored them, wanting to bridge the gap between us. "I'm making a portfolio of my new designs and I need a model. We usually have a budget for this but it's short notice and I can't book anyone. You're the right size as I'm going for curvy stunner and I instantly thought of you."
That was absolutely not what I was expecting to come out of her mouth.
"I'm the least pretty of all your employees." I told her but her snort is derisive as her head shakes in the 'no' motion ever so slightly. "Besides, you can use that wad of cash Mrs. Caroline just handed you to pay someone professionally." I grinned as her perfectly lipsticked mouth popped open. She chose purple today. My dear friend always had a color theme, her lips were traced with a purple pencil which had a cool effect when you applied lip gloss all day to fade inward. Combined with her subtle smokey to light purple hue eye makeup, it made for a sophisticated punkish look, still young and confident.
Merlin said the bright colors distracted from the imperfections and blemishes but I never spotted any. Which admittedly might prove her point but I was one of the few people who has seen Merlin with no makeup on, and I think she's beautiful.
"That's for an order." She complained, finally looking me in the eyes but wasn't able to hold it long. I was kidding, and she had spotted my humor in my grin as she huffed and slapped at my arm mock-angry.
"I figured," I replied. "I have class tonight but I'm free before my shift in the morning unless you have to be at the Holloway Drive location?" That store was twice the size of this one, I had to cover a shift there once. Vivian was mild compared to the people at the other store.
"Nah, that's good. I'll take you someplace scenic. I'll come by after your run and doll you up before we head out." She gave me a half hug, told me she owed me big and that Vivian would not be charging me for the new, 'must be in DK clothes' policy. "If it's a uniform, we supply it."
I felt so much better about my friendship with Merlin by the time I made it back to my apartment. I pulled the front door of my building entrance but it stuck as if it were... locked? There was a piece of paper taped on the inside of the cutaway glass stating the buzzer had been fixed and to please page the landlord until you receive the access code. I would not be buzzing Twigo. I pushed Barzard's button and he answered after a minute.
" 'ello?" It sounded like him but tinny.
"Hey Barzard, It's Elizabeth. Mind letting me in?" I requested, hiking my bag up higher on my shoulder.
"Sure thing, the whole building is getting fixed up! I think Twigo's been hit with something legal. Must be that guy having a baby downstairs. Incoming infants do something to a man. Makes 'em protective." The door buzzed and I called out 'thanks' before I went in not surprised Barzard already had gossip.
I had my doubts about my neighbor's theory though. Meliodas had been all about locking my door, said he would be confronting Twigo for getting double rent payments, and had mentioned that broken buzzer. With a furrowed brow I walked on as the heavy door slammed behind me.
Twigo was in the hall on a ladder with the light cover off the fixture above, actually changing the lightbulb. I kept my head down but politely stopped at the foot of the steps when he called out after me. "Elizabeth! Just the girl I wanted to see. There was a mix-up with the sublease of your apartment." He was stepping down the ladder as I slowly, reluctantly, let go of the banister and faced him.
I internally chanted, 'please don't ask me to sign anything, I can't do a background check. It's too much of a risk.'
"A mistake was made, is all." He explained as I looked up. He had a black eye and a busted upper lip, it was still puffy and purple. Like a fat veiny worm had moved in on his face and lived under his nose. Someone fucked him up. A sliver of fear snaked up my spine. "So I'll be refunding ya for the last three months and after that- work it out with the subletter. As long as he pays, there is no issue. I hope nothing ever said between us has been repeated or... uh, misunderstood. I've only ever been professional with you."
Twigo was worried I'd tell someone about how he'd propositioned me? My suspicion is basically confirmed.
He does a weird bow he paired with a head bob and backed away toward the ladder. My fear eased. Maybe he got in a bar fight... or had Meliodas fought Twigo? He did steal from him, or me, depending on whose rent counted. I guess he stole from us both? But why would he care this much? Although, a legal battle would cost more than Twigo stole and I guess violence worked, in this case, judging by his extreme change in demeanor.
As I made my way up the stairs, I gave Twigo a side glance and my spine straightened as I met his intense gaze. When I got inside my own apartment, a piece of paper had been slipped under the crack in the door. It had the code to get in the building, and a reminder that the code would be changed monthly, a new code would be given a week in advance.
That's unexpected but welcome.
I grabbed my backpack, ate, and cleaned up a bit before heading out. On my way, I checked the mail, opening up my slot with my assigned key on the main floor now that Twigo wasn't around. I pulled out some envelopes, a coupon book that came monthly, and a mysterious box about the size of my thickest textbook. I carried it all to my car, the bills and junk mail could wait but the box... I hadn't ordered anything and the return address wasn't one I recognized. No name, which made me think of him. I carefully sliced the tape and pulled it out. A little card tumbled free, landing at my feet by the pedals. I was reaching for it as I looked over the box.
A taser gun? I read the specs. It went 35 feet. I thought you couldn't buy those unless you were law enforcement. Was it illegal to have? Probably. I gripped and flipped the black card over that came with it, already knowing who it was from with the feel of the thick material on my fingers. With pursed lips, I read, 'Because a candle holder would only slow a true thief down'. Although I did appreciate his concern for my safety, I wouldn't accept this. I slid the box back into the shipping paper. I pulled a roll of tape from my backpack and in black sharpie wrote 'return to sender' across the front of my address.
Yeah, I opened it, yeah technically the post office shouldn't be responsible for returning it but I wasn't going to see Meliodas again. I'd make sure of it. He was a one night, rip the band-aid off, test. The results were exceptional but I couldn't get involved. I wouldn't let myself make the same mistakes twice of being fooled by a pretty face or endanger anyone again.
With not much time to spare with my stop remailing that taser, I made it to campus, parked in my designated lot, and caught a bus. I hoped Meliodas got the hint.
It was just starting to drizzle out when I reached my building. Nadja was already sitting in her usual seat in our classroom, I took the one beside her and got my notebook out. Typing was faster but I picked up so much extra filler that it was harder to focus on what to study when I had pages and pages of typed notes. Longhand made me more selective and it hasn't failed me in getting the most important information.
"You look... different." She took me in, my jeans and t-shirt were typical. In my first semester here, we had every class together - an unscheduled coincidence. This semester, we planned it, but it wasn't too hard as we were going for the same major. She had plans for next semester and I didn't correct her when she talked about it. It was nice to pretend I could stay more than a year, to go for my masters too like she was planning. "You're relaxed?" Nadja leaned in, grinning. "You got lucky!"
I don't think I could be more surprised. I knew I was tense most of the time, constantly checking the exits and scanning the crowds... but for her to pull that out of her ass and be so, almost, spot-on?
"Oh, don't look so surprised. You're 'v' wrinkle is gone, the one always between your brows." She didn't stop, grinning like the cat that caught the canary. "I'm right, aren't I? It must have been good to get your tight ass to unwind."
"No, I didn't." I corrected, pouting internally at being so obvious to her. "We didn't even take our clothes off, it was just..." How in the hell should I describe it? It sounded embarrassing to explain but experiencing it had been natural.
"You rubbed one out theater-style, didn't you." She shook her head, tapping her pencil on my notebook to get me to face her again. When I did she had a kind smile on. "I'm glad, you needed the tension release only a good orgasm can give. I hope many repeats to you."
I snorted, looking her over too. She did seem extra excited today. That's when I spotted it. The rock on her left hand.
"Holy shit! Gowther proposed!?" Her responding grin and her holding up her hand were adorable. She gushed over all the planning she started already. That I must come to her bachelorette party, she gave me the date and how I must be ready to get "majorly fucked up" as no one is allowed to remember anything from the night. "My brother gets to be my Man of Honor by default, but will you be one of my maids?"
I agreed, hoping I was still around for it, but when she told me her selected wedding date was six months away, I doubted it. I would be sure to disappear before she arranged my dress... and leave her a wedding gift as my goodbye.
After this semester I was done, I couldn't transfer my credits together until I could claim my name again but it would be here, waiting for me. Just like the rest of my life, the old me, an Elizabeth I didn't even think existed anymore.
Our professor walked in. He had suspenders on, a bow tie and it seemed like he never combed his hair but he was amazing. Always kept me interested and usually, I was the only one that got his punny jokes. He liked me, as he would always look my way when he expected me to catch the subtle fun he snuck into his lectures. Usually, I did, but I liked when he raised his brow at me when I didn't notice something.
Time flew. Nadja and I parted ways when we reached her dorm building and I continued on to my car. The crowd on campus always had me scanning the faces for one in particular. If I ever found it, I wasn't even sure what I would do. I liked to take my time in the evenings but too many people and buildings meant too many hiding places; I found myself hurrying. I imagined feeling eyes on me and worried about being followed. I was going home to an empty apartment, there wasn't anything there but safety - but it was enough. Once I was there I found myself lonely, but the feeling of being watched lowered it to a manageable simmer.
He wasn't here. I'd be dead twice over if he was.
Perhaps the day had been more draining than I thought. It seemed like I was asleep right as my head hit the pillow. It wasn't restful as I tossed, thinking of his face and there he was even haunting my dreams.
-I was in a doctor's office, hunched in the chair as she held up my toxicology report and my medical history laid out before her. 'I don't know what's happening to your body... but I know you have less than three months to live if your body continues to decline this rapidly.'
He speaks up in his English accent, soft and choked up, his hand on my knee. 'There's nothing else? Just watch her die?' He turns from the doctor to me. 'We'll find another doctor, we can find a way to save you.' He stands, helping me to my feet as I thank the good doctor. She was the second opinion, through the same hospital, but what could a third do at this point?
'I highly recommend her staying here for observation. The-'
'I can take care of my wife, you've done enough!' He's angry, so quick to shut the doctor down. I wanted to stay, he holed me up in my room and I only saw him when he brought me my meals, but he was dealing with a lot right now. Plus, he wasn't in the mood to hear it. His handsome face whispers next to mine.
'There is a Dr. Munroe upstairs, he is an oncologist but maybe it's cancer and they missed it the first time around.' He helps me into the wheelchair. 'Unless you want to die in peace, I will respect your choices, little wife.' -
I flinch, tossing under my covers as the memory changes...
-He groans, I know that sound, the sound he makes when he comes. The low husky moan I haven't heard in weeks. I halt in my labored approach to him. My legs were wobbling under me but I held onto the rail as I listened. Masturbating is understandable, I'm in no shape to satisfy that need.
"I'm getting tired of waiting." A woman complained, her voice half-whispered but sing-song high. Like a little bird had been granted speech. He was cheating on me when I was on the brink of death?
"She'll be dead soon." My husband replied, but he didn't have his English accent this time and his tone was disinterested with the revelation. He sounded like a New Yorker. Was I losing my mind? Had the sickness influenced my brain? I took the steps slow, quiet as a mouse as I edged closer, wanting to look around the wall. I had to make sure this was real. Did he want to leave me, but was staying because I was dying?
"Can't we stage her like we did her mother?" The woman spoke again, "I'll do the shooting this time." They... killed my mother? I froze, my adrenaline kicking in as I reached the edge.
"So impatient. This must be perfect if we want our big payday." He whispered something else and she laughed. "I'll take you to the Bahamas for Christmas." I looked, they were on the couch, my husband naked with a beautiful woman with dyed green hair sprawled across his lap. She was thin, top-heavy, and alabaster white. They were planning to vacation... they killed my mother and were... killing me? "We just have to wait a few more weeks, the vomiting stage is next and it never takes long once that starts."
I had thrown up this morning. To spare his worry I hadn't told him.
"Let's smother her now, she's so weak." Her musical voice was vicious but laced with anticipation. Like she was excited about the kill. I had to get out of here. With slow, steady steps I backed away, hearing my husband's voice again from the living room.
"Don't even entertain it, we can't afford any slip-ups. No investigation, just the cremation, and all the paperwork in order." His voice faded as I got farther away.
The woman's purse was in the kitchen. I filched her 573 dollars and I took her ID. Deldry Azure. They killed my mother and they wouldn't get away with it. Not while I was alive and when I was away from them, I would get better. I would live.-
The scene changed to his blood-covered laughing face sneering down at me, his raging voice screamed -'As payback for Deldry- I'll kill everyone you love, so you suffer before I get you.' -
I jolted up, my heart pounding hard.
I was wide awake, his voice echoing in my mind. Why had I returned the taser? I searched the rooms feeling as if he were not just in my imagination, but here. I got a glass of water before giving up on sleep and hitting the books. A late-night study session usually got me tired again. Today it didn't work. I shouldn't have thought about him today. When my phone alarm went off I was already ready so I went for my run early. I made sure not to take the same path I took yesterday. The morning air was cool and the movement ate away at my fears.
He wasn't here. He can't find me. I left everything so he couldn't track me. I told myself these things over and over as I lost myself in the motion of running.
Merlin was waiting on the stoop as I got back, looking at her phone with a huge duffle bag under her arm. She looked miserable, and when I approached she spotted me, giving a half-hearted smile. Perhaps she had really been desperate for a model? She didn't seem thrilled to be doing this with me.
"The buzzers fixed?" Merlin asked as I climbed the steps to put in the code.
"Someone beat the shit out of Twigo and he started fixing the place up. Funnily enough, it was right after your brother found out we were both paying him rent." I gave her a, 'what's that about' look but she just shrugged. She didn't ask any more questions about it, but if I had been in her place I would have wanted to know more. We make our way to my apartment door, talking about the new display at DK, of all things.
She was acting strange, low-key bored when her usual self was wittier. I told her to help herself to whatever, as most of what was here was hers anyway. She plopped down and started a show, I heard it going in the background as I showered. Soon after I was under her professional fingertips, getting tugged, plucked, and waxed. I didn't even know I had a mustache! When she was done I barely recognized myself. I wore a button-up shirt and my yoga pants as both were easy to take off and I'd be changing a lot.
Merlin's ride was a sports coupe, classy, but bright red. It made her stand out all the more than the bombshell bitch already did. She drove fast, rode people's bumpers, and honked her way through traffic. I always avoided getting in a car when she drove but I hadn't thought up an excuse to drive separately quickly enough.
We pulled into an alley, a head shop on one side and on the other an all dark building with a bunch of windows that rose higher than the surrounding ones. The lights were off inside so I couldn't see into it but Merlin got out, so I followed. She had the duffle bag strap across her chest and walked like she knew where she was going.
Inside the large building, it was open, with a few tables with chairs around the edges of the open room. Above were platformed rooms with more tables and chairs. Some parts were cordoned off, raised on staggered levels and there was a bar on either side of the big open space in the center. The room didn't have a ceiling, reaching up to the open roof. It showed the clear blue sky through the glass there. All around the top were offices, tinted glass reflecting the sky above like a dome.
It was beautiful.
This must be a dance hall or maybe a place you can rent for weddings? I'd have to tell Nadja about it. Merlin led me up the stairs through a backdoor. It was painted a black that matched the walls and if I hadn't seen Merlin pull the edge loose I wouldn't have thought a door was even there. At the top, up two flights of stairs, we went down a long hall. The dark-tinted glass looked down at the open room.
Then I realized what this was... an empty bar. People danced down there and possibly up here, with the double-paned glass the sound would be muffled and distant. Then it hit me. This is Meliodas' club. Shit. I hoped he wasn't here. I didn't dare ask in case Merlin read too much into it. The last thing I wanted was for her to think I was interested or to get smart about what happened between her brother and me. She may be feeling off today but her usual a-thousand-scientific-questions self could rebound in a wink.
In the last room on the left, the corner office, she opened the door. It was big with a black leather couch against the wall to the left, a small water feature to my right, and an L desk of glass covered in neat stacks of papers with monitors in the center. A chair sat behind the desk and a few sitting chairs were scattered. One by the ficus tree, one on the 'guest' side of the desk, and one by the fountain. What took my breath away was the window, both walls that elbowed into the far corner were full-length walls of glass.
The view wasn't great in the alley but facing the street you could see down the strip both ways. At night I bet you could see the city twinkling away.
"The bathroom is over there. I have five outfits I absolutely need you to be in but the last two are just optional." Merlin is beside the couch, standing in the doorway of where she indicated. She threw the duffel bag in there. "You'll need help with the straps on the black one but the rest are straightforward. I'll set up here. I want the fountain, the couch and the desk primarily. This place is empty so in the red one, I want to go down to the bar and get you laying on it, or cozied up like you're ordering a drink. Good?"
"Fair enough." I pulled myself away from the ceiling, the cross beams having caught my eye to make my way to the bathroom. I looked around. Who needed a shower in their office bathroom? It even had the extra jets and glass enclosure. The two sinks were bowls and had waterfall fixtures. That pretty asshole had expensive tastes.
Unless this wasn't his office? Maybe someone else used this room?
I opened the duffle bag and pulled out the first grocery bag with a tag labeled 'one'. I got it open and inside was a dark blue bra and panty set attached with a string. Uh... what the hell is this? It's not a bathing suit, the material is silk.
"Merlin?" I called out, alarmed.
"I know, Elizabeth. I'm so sorry." Her voice was shaky. No wonder she'd been acting peculiar, this was an underwear shoot! Lingerie. "Only a few people... the investors will see it. I swear you will not be in a catalog or magazine. This is just a favor for me. I'm calling on everything you owe me, the under-the-table job and the apartment. Please, Elizabeth."
Fuck. Fuck. She may have been pulling away but I did still technically work for her, I had a nice place to live, social security number, and true-name-free, I was safer than ever before all because of her. I silently scowled at the floor, defiantly. I didn't want to do this but I've been through worse to survive. I undressed and slipped on the blue underwear, untwisting the string to lay flat over my belly and clasping the bra behind my back.
With me being overdone like this, it was hard to accept it was me in the mirror. I came out, arms across my stomach to face my friend.
"I trust you, Merlin," I told her, blushing as she looked down, probably checking out her design on me but hiding her face. I bend over the desk, I change, I lounge on the couch, I change, Merlin tells me to stop blushing or to put my hands down. "The whole point is to see the goods in the design, no acting shy."
It wasn't an act.
The worst of it was at the bar. I was terrified someone, Meliodas, would come in and see me sitting in his sister's underwear and get the wrong idea that I was here for him. Just thinking about him made me flush and Merlin's camera clicks worked overtime. She had a lighting umbrella setup and I helped her carry one upstairs when we were finished down there.
The black strap one was the hardest one but after some wiggling and Merlin thumping me on the boob with her pencil to 'be still', I got in it. This one was the most embarrassing one, I sat in Meliodas' office chair, bare cheeks on his leather. Please, don't let him ever, ever, find out about this. I was beyond glad when it was over.
"Here." Merlin pressed, handing me an envelope when I came out of the door. I took it and knew from the feel it was cash.
"No, it was a favor," I told her, trying to hand it back. She wouldn't accept it.
"Please, I already feel like shit about this, at least let me do this so I don't feel so... disgusting." I frowned at her explanation. It wasn't that bad. She took me home and it was awkward- like the distance between us grew and I'd just been trying to bridge it. Maybe she did know about her brother? I frowned when we pulled up to my apartment and she handed me the duffle bag from the back, reaching around my seat.
"Keep them. As prototypes, it's normal for the models to keep what they wear." She gave me a wavering smile, her eyes tight.
"Is everything okay, Merlin?" I asked her, taking her hand to squeeze it on the shift knob.
"My brother is a douchebag." She whispered, shrugging her little shoulder as she pulled her hand from mine to hit the 'unlock' button on her car door. "I won't be at the store for a while. Text if Vivian does anything behind my back and I'll make time." It was a clear dismissal and I let it be, stepping out onto the street with my duffle bag full of risque lingerie.
Merlin pulled away, her tires squealing. The shoot didn't last as long as I expected and since I had the time, I walked to work after changing.
Vivian did force me to wear DK, she gave me a $200 gift card to the store and would not let me write my time in to clock in until I was finished picking out my clothes. It wasn't worth the text to Merlin. It felt too much like tattling. A few minutes was not worth the hassle and Vivian's big head would deflate soon. Her manager's title was new and that girl held on to her successes with a death grip. I knew the store through and through, so I picked my favorites in my sizes. I changed, which felt like the hundredth time after that shoot, putting my original outfit in my bag.
When I shoved my purchases into my backpack after my shift, forcing it all in, Vivian saw. She looked utterly appalled. That girl cared way too much about clothes. The wrinkles came out if you threw them in the dryer and folded them right away. Geeze.
I was exhausted when the bell chimed above the door for my exit this time and I headed down the street. My day had been full of unwanted chattering and I was grateful for the sounds of the city. I breathed in just outside the shop, glad to be done. My peace lasted about three steps as right outside DK's doors, leaning against a black FBI-esque SUV was the gold-haired asshole that rocked my world that one time.
He was in a suit again, one knee bent up as his shoe rested on the car. His hair was untamed, floating in the breeze and I hated that he looked so good. This man didn't even have to try and it took Merlin a long while to make me look half as good as he did naturally.
"I'm going to take you out." He commanded, as soon as I met his green glinting eyes. It wasn't a question so I ignored it, walking right past him. My cheeks flared and I let out a shaky breath to calm them. There was nothing to be embarrassed about, he came in his pants too!
It didn't take Meliodas long to recover, jogging a few steps to walk beside me. We walked together, quiet. After three blocks he looked around, turning to me.
"I only have three hours to play with here." He started. "I'll take you to Salem's off the high rise." I'd heard the place had a month-long waitlist. How rich was this guy to just go when the whim takes him?
"No, I'm not hungry," I told him, determinedly staring straight ahead.
"You realize I'm asking you out, right?" He puzzled, a trace of humor to him. I rolled my eyes but refused to look over, although I did want to see if his smirk flashed or if his eyebrow rose. "You know who I am, and you're turning me down?" He sounded amazed at that.
Are you kidding me? He must think he's hot shit doing the 'I'm rich and my face is perfect so I must be important' song and dance. I mocked him in my head 'do you know who I am?'
"I know exactly who you are." I quipped. I knew from experience that having money didn't make you a douche-bag but this guy seemed to have a chip on his pretty shoulder. "Someone who breaks into apartments and throws commands and expects everyone to obey." I huffed. "You're an asshole."
I looked over at him, but instead of the anger or the hurt I was expecting, he was grinning at me. Like I just told him the most thrilling joke instead of insulting him. What was wrong with this guy? A few more blocks were walked in silence before he spoke up again.
"How far away did you park?" He questioned, curious.
"I didn't."
"You didn't what?"
"Park."
"You walked to DK from your apartment?" He sounded alarmed. "This city is full of creeps and criminals!"
"I had zero creeps in my life until recently," I grinned. It was a lie, but I liked picking on him. He snorted and it twisted into a strange harsh noise. It was such a human sound that I paused. He wasn't perfect. That one ugly chuckle-thing warmed him to me. A little, tiny bit.
"You are one tough lady to win over." He mused.
"I think it's too late for us." I surprised myself with how somber I sounded. He was a tool I used to test out fixing a broken piece of me. My guilt after had been minimal, barely any, and besides that, Meliodas was Merlin's brother. I couldn't go down that road.
"For future reference, will you tell me where I went wrong?" There's a hint of sarcasm but not nearly as much as I hoped. If he got angry, he would stop trying. I wanted him to give up on me.
"You didn't let your tea seep. You dunked it once!" I waved my hands wildly.
"How I... take my tea?" He stopped and in some built-in instinct, I stopped too, as if waiting for him. A laugh sounded, loud and I flinched at the unexpectedness of it. Meliodas cut it off, mid-chortle, eyes wide as he looked me over in wonder. "That early on, huh?" The intensity of his expression scared me and I turned, walking away before he could worm his way into my head. I had enough to deal with.
Meliodas and I walked in companionable silence as the nerves toiled in my tummy. He already knew where I lived but as we neared the front stoop I worried about our parting. Getting walked home from work didn't mean anything. I hadn't asked him to and if he kissed me... If it was even a fraction of the passion we had with our last kiss I feared I would fuck him right here on the street, audience be damned.
"I see the buzzer's been fixed." He noted, as I hit the code and the metal clicked harshly open. I cringed when he pulled the door, leading me in with a quick touch of my arm. He pulled back fast, looking at his fingers curiously as I stepped in. Even going up the steps, he's right there.
"There is no need to walk me to my door." The implication that he wasn't going to be invited in drifted between us.
"I think we should start over." Meliodas proclaimed, pulling out his keys and unlocking my door for me. I frowned. I didn't like that. I may be subleasing from him, which I just found out was what I was doing, but he should not have a key.
"First impressions are forever," I muttered, but my tummy warmed at my core and I pinched my eyes closed. Was this me? I wasn't the type to have sex with strangers and if he came in that would be what happened.
"I'll let my tea sit this time." He joked but I bit my lip, shaking my head no ever so softly. It wasn't safe. Not for him.
"Thank you for walking me home. I'll be sure to get my rent to your office next week now that I know where it is." I said by way of dismissal, edging more into the doorway.
"You know where my office is?" He questioned, his eyes lighting up. "You've been thinking about me then." He paused, dipping forward and I sucked in a breath, closing my eyes while internally chanting 'please don't kiss me'. I was like a feather, balancing on the edge of sanity and a whisper would tumble me off. "That's good enough." He whispered, the feather holding true but rocking as I think, 'what's the harm of just fucking him on the couch?' No. No. If he's coming back after a kiss, sex would give the wrong idea.
His rough hands came up and cupped both of my cheeks. When nothing more happens, I slowly open my eyes, begging him to go with just my gaze. Meliodas watched his fingers, they slowly roved over the contours of my face and it reminded me of a blind man 'seeing' someone for the first time. The long digits explored the shell of my ear, my hairline, and the curve of my nose. It's so gentle it reminded me of silk slipping over me. Just as I was leaning into it, nuzzling his calloused palm he stepped back.
"Goodnight, Elizabeth." He spun on his silent black leather shoes and strolled down the hall. I watched him go and when he turned down the stairway, his hand gripped the top of the railing, our eyes meet. He smiled at me, smirk flashing, before slowly hopping his way down a step at a time and out of view.
I could still feel him, even hours after he'd gone.
