FIRST DIRTY JOB

As soon as I got downstairs, I was hit with a bunch of requests from all four corners.

"Akira, tall black!" Maki. Very demanding.

"Akira, hot chocolate! And make that swan on it too. I like it." Sakuragi. Very whiny.

"Akira, a short black." Fukuda. I didn't know much about him.

"Akira, long black please." Fujima. Very polite.

I was about to deliver their orders when Kaede husky voice travelled to my ears, alerting me to full active mode.

I turned toward him by instinct and almost drooled again. What was up with this mafia boss? Was he trying to show off his full spring collection in his wardrobe? This dude was really playing with a maiden's heart here. And didn't he just have a shower this morning when I accidentally dumped my scalding coffee on him?

"What the fuck are all of you doing?" Kaede yelled at his underlings. "Get your bloody asses on the street and start collecting money."

"Yes, boss." They all scurried off their chairs, flipping over backward trying to reach the door.

I stood there staring at the chaos. What just happened?

Kaede glared at me when I didn't move. "Aki, you go, too."

"What?" I blurted.

Did I hear that right? Kaede wanted me to go with those guys to do mafia jobs. Hell no. Was he kidding me? This was only my first day as his maid. Surely threatening and hurting people were jobs only reserved for the male species. But, a nice guy delicate creature like me couldn't even hurt a fly, let alone a human being.

So, I put forth my good reasoning. "But I'm still teenage."

"You're nineteen already, now get moving and make me some money," he barked, shutting me up.

"What am I supposed to be doing?"

"Follow them and you'll find out," he hissed in my face.

Was he still mad at me from this afternoon? Heck! Did he find out I'd used his bathroom? I had to be careful next time.

"Aki!"

"What?"

"Get going. Or do you want me to whack your butt?"

Whacking? Would I be punished if I defied his orders? Gee, this guy was a sadistic brute. There was no way I was staying around to find out. My glueteus maximus was very sensitive tissue. So I raced outside like the devil--aka Kaede Rukawa--was chasing my tail.

As soon as I caught up to the guys outside, they were already sliding into the black van. I hauled myself into the van before it took off, only to come face to face with a crying man.

"Why are you crying? You know boss doesn't like us showing our feminine side," Fujima said, consoling the crying Sakuragi who was sobbing like a child

"I can't help it. Why...why do I have to be called doaho? It's so...so hurt," Sakuragi explained between hiccups.

I didn't know what the commotion was about, but I cleared my throat anyway, alerting them to my presence. They all glared at me. I wasn't the least bit intimated. If I were to stay in Cory Mansion as maid, then at least I should get on their good side. Who knew? My time here might be more enjoyable if I were to become their friend. Always look on the positive side of everything, I say.

"Sakuragi. It's Sakuragi, isn't it?" I asked, using my soothing voice. But I still couldn't believe I was about to console the very man who'd tried to throw me off the bridge just this morning, though. "It's okay, Sakuragi. I think doaho is a cute name. What do you think, guys?"

"Nooo," Sakuragi wailed, shaking his head like a little baby.

"Okay, how about Doaho Baby, then," I suggested again.

I think I touched a sensitive spot. Sakuragi wailed even louder.

"I don't want to be called Doaho Baby," he sobbed.

I hushed him up. "The big boss might reprimand us again if you don't stop crying, you know?"

And what do you know? Just when I mentioned him, the Kitsune arrived.

"What the fuck are you sorry asses crying about?" he yelled through the car window. "Didn't I say to get your asses on the street and collect the money?"

"Sorry, boss. We'll be on our way now," they all said in unison, seat belts sliding into place.

"Crazy bastard," I muttered under my breath, putting my seat belt on properly as well.

"Aki!"

Did he hear me?

"Yes, boss." I immediately twirled around in my seat to face him.

"You stay behind. I just remembered you didn't make me my flat white."

"You can drink the guys coffees. They didn't get to drink theirs yet. On the kitchen island."

"I already did. But I still want my flat white."

"Ah, sorry boss, but I have to help Sakuragi and the guys collect the money first." I made my excuse.

I didn't want to stay in this huge mansion all by myself with Kaede. The episode of the naked Kitsune flinging his thingaling in the bathroom was still fresh in my mind. Not to mention he might smack my butt as he threatened just minutes ago. Whacking and smacking, that just wasn't my thing.

"Will be back to cook you dinner by six, so I won't be too long."

"Aki, wait. You have--"

I didn't wait for him to finish. I slammed the door shut in his face, and Fujima slammed his foot on the accelerator, driving me away from the Kitsune.

My first dirty job and I was stuck between two macho men in a black van. I couldn't believe my life had degraded to this level. Not that I was rich before, but this was just beyond my imagination. If I told my friends I was actually living with a mafia clan, would they believe me? I shook the thought out of my head and concentrated on the task at hand.

We were now parked in one of the secluded, highly prized neighborhoods, sitting in the van, observing the building, we--Sakuragi, Fukuda, Fujima, Maki and myself--were supposed to collect the money from. Fukuda, who'd hardly spit a word out since this morning, finally said his first word to me. "That's some courage you showed when you said that to big boss right there."

I cracked my neck, staring at him. Fukuda was taller almost same with Kaede.

"You really think I'm all that courageous." I eyed him with questionable doubt.

"No, Aki. I think you're just some stupid boy who's about to get his butt kicked for real if you behave with that attitude again. Boss doesn't take it too kindly when someone shuts the door in his face when he's talking to you. That's disrespectful."

"Well, I say he's being disrespectful for always shouting and swearing at us like some mad person. Lunatic. That's what he is. Always using that fuck word. Fuck this. Fuck that. Don't you guys hate it when he swears at you all the time?"

"That's just the boss way of saying he cares for us," Sakuragi explained.

"That's some weird way to show his love," I muttered. Although I didn't want to say this out loud, I thought this whole mafia clan belonged in a mental institution, the boss and his underlings. Even his hot body and face wouldn't help save his life. "I say if he ever swears at me again, I'll... I'll..."

"You'll what?" Fukuda asked, challenging me.

"I'll... I'll... Hey, look, there's a hot woman over there."

Fukuda and Sakuragi were like any normal men. With the mention of a hot woman, their eyes swirled around like a camera lens.

"Where? I don't see a hot woman." Sakuragi pouted when none appeared.

I lied. At least I didn't have to answer Fukuda question after distracting them like that.

Back to subject of Kaede, I asked them some more. "Hey, at least I'm bound to him because of my Dad debt. If I leave, he'll..." I made a zipping sound and a cutting gesture across my neck. "You know what I mean. But you guys. What are you in it for?"

"He saved my life. I'm bound to serve him forever. It's my promise to him," Sakuragi said, expressing his sparkling sincerity in his eyes.

Is Sakuragi gay? Does he have a crush on that mafia boss? Ooh, I ship gay couples. They do look hot together.

"Is boss have any girlfriend?" I asked them.

They looked at me in disbelief. Then they laughed in unision. "What?" What's funny? I don't get it. "I will fuck my dog ass if boss having a girlfriend" Maki answered between his laughter.

"Boss hated women. Don't you noticed no women at his mansion? It's Fujima.

Yeah right. I just noticed. No women at his mansion. All of us is men.

"l think this is the reason why your old man sent you to our boss instead your sister." Fukuda looked at me with smirking. "You know I have an sister?" I'm asking him back. How can they know about my family. "We're mafia. Every details about your family we know." Fukuda answered.

"Boss not interest with women." Sakuragi explained. What a waste with a pretty face like that. But why I feel a bit relieved? After knowing some information that Kitsune doesn't interest with women. I know I have a taste for men too. But not just any men.

Damn, Kitsune. Now I understand why he mentioned my bulge earlier.

"All right, enough of this sappy talk. Let's get to work." Fukuda shut us all up, including my fantasizing thoughts.

Fukuda and Sakuragi broke in the door like cops on the raid and burst into the room. A man near the corner who was sitting playing cards rushed out the back way, but Fukuda was really fast. He grabbed the guy by the collar and stopped him.

The man struggled, but Fukuda was stronger. He pinned the guy to the wall.

Fukuda didn't say anything. It was Sakuragi who spoke. "Where's the money?"

"What money? I ain't got any."

Fukuda strangled the guy tighter, and Sakuragi punched the wall. I thought he must have bad aim, but no, that must have been his way of intimidating the guy. Although, I bet the only one in pain would be him and his knuckles.

But I was wrong. The guy did cower in fear. "I say I ain't got any money. Just look around ya. I ain't got no money."

I looked around the apartment. This guy was obviously lying. He was living in such a high-maintenance building. Someone had to pay for it.

"You said you don't have any money," Sakuragi voiced my thoughts. "Then what's with the iPad and flat screen?"

"They're rented." The man shook like he was about to pee in his pants.

"Rented?" Sakuragi harsh words made the man's legs crumble even farther.

"Aye. Rented. I just want to show off to my friends that I live in the fast lane."

"Well, now it's time to live in the slow lane. Give us the money." Sakuragi threatened by punching his fist into the wall again.

"But I ain't none."

"You give us the money, Grandpa, or I'll cut you into this slices of bacon and fry you up. Add a poached egg, and you're all ready for breakfast. Have you ever heard of it, eggs benedict?"

"No. I'm vegan."

"It's an English breakfast. Now, do you want to be that eggs benedict?"

"No."

"Then give us the money."

Gee, was this the same guy that just cried on my shoulder a moment ago. He was threatening to turn this guy into breakfast.

Although, that did do the trick. The guy was shaking in his boots. He crumbled and instantly went to retrieve the cash from under his mattress.

It was a quick exchange. Once the guys collected the money, they all retreated to the black van. My feet wouldn't move as I stood rooted to the floor. I stared at the collapsed form of the vegan man.

"I'm sorry. Try to make the repayment next time instead of spending money impressing your friends." I tried to console him before Sakuragi called me back to the car. And then off went again, collecting more badass money.

I was starting to think this mafia clan was actually a debt collection company. But then again, what did I know of mafias and their activities? It had only been my first day as maid for the mafia boss.

Suddenly, my nose twitched. This usually indicated something interesting would happen in the near future. Although, I had absolutely no idea what that could be. But I didn't have to wait long to find out. It came faster than I could say the word whack.