Surprisingly, he had not fired her. Even more surprising was that he wanted to move back to Deleze Inc. Do not get her wrong, she was relieved, almost happy even that she had not been fired but moving back to Deleze would bring her back to the place she had been desperately trying to leave behind. She was going to go back to always looking over her shoulder and listening in on conversation like some weirdo.
To add to the mix, she was going to have to be everywhere with him. It was basically just the universe fucking up her life and her plans with several heavy jars of cruel irony. People were going to talk and make up stories obviously. She did not care about that. What she really cared about was her peace of mind. The peace of mind she was inevitably going to lose.
Her first thought was home but she just continued driving. This was a once in a work-life opportunity. What with how busy her boss' schedule was. So her destination now was...still no clue. She had just had lunch, a pretty good one. So that was scratched out. Maybe the movies? No, the screenings today were just filled with action buddies and none of the kind she liked.
Shopping? Already did that on Sunday. She did not want to clog the house with things she would never use or wear. Incase if the worst did happen. She just really wanted to just relax where she would not grab attention to herself. What about the spa? Yes, the spa. She could have a facial and get her nails done but she was worn out and her feet were killing her. She wanted out of these clothes. These were the worst pair of pants in history. They had to be. The chaffing was next level. She was never wearing the brand again.
T.V was boring around this time and she did not feel like watching anything on BaitFlix. She did not want to waste today by sleeping it off either. But what could she do besides sleep? A glance to the side of the road presented her with another solution. Should she? She did not want to get back into her old habit. And she always lost herself when she was reading anyway and she just did not have that kind of luxury anymore. She had to stand her ground.
Before Rita knew it, she was in the store with a stack of books in her cart. So much for standing her ground. Dang it. It took a lot out of her to make a transformation and she was just flushing it down the toilet bowl. There were twelve books in her cart already and she was still thinking of adding more. This was going too fast. She just needed to take one or two...or three–No! Two max. Nothing more! Okay, she could pick just two, right?
“Hi, can I help you?” someone asked. Rita lurched and turned to face the person. The first thing her eyes met were glasses. Red rimmed glasses. Before she looked further up. She had warm brown eyes, long curly brown hair and freckles. She looked to be in her early twenties. She was a good two heads taller than her, had a lighter skin tone and lean. “Didn't mean to scare you, Miss. My name is Charlotte.” she said pointing to the name tag on her blue shirt. “Are you ok?” Concern clear in her voice.
She worked here, ok. Rita took in a calm breath on tried to get her jumpy heart under control. Keyword, tried. “I'm okay. Just didn't hear you coming is all.”
Charlotte looked in her cart. “I see you've got quite the wide taste in genres. Which ones your favorite?”
Rita thought for a moment. She had had favorites when she was younger but she was not sure about now. Her tastes would have changed by now. “I haven't read books in long while. Today is my dayoff and I'm pretty worn out so I want to try books again.”
“Well, you're off the a great start.” Charlotte beamed. Obviously, liking her stash. Reason being her choice in selection or the fact that there were twelve books.
“Yeeeah no, I want to start small ya know. My job keeps me very busy.”
“I think I have a solution. Come with me.”
And that was how she met Charlotte islesor, bought a Daemazon reader 3.8 and binge read an entire series in one day. She did not know when time passed by. When she finally put down the last book it was seven p.m. She felt tired, her eyes felt ready to roll out of her head but happy. Best Dayoff. Ever. Too bad she had to go to work tomorrow.
She walked into the kitchen and fixed herself up some dinner aka warming up the casserole she had left in the fridge for...how long? It did not matter it was still ok. After plating some she went to the living room intent on switching on the T.V. when she saw the bouquet of lilies on the table. Right where she had left them earlier this afternoon.
Now she remembered. Around three in the afternoon a delivery boy came up to her house with them. She had been really skeptical and suspicious about...everything the kid said. At first she thought that the poor kid had the wrong house address but her name was on the card and even the house address. When she finally put on her big pants and opened the door, the delivery boy, horns, tail, black fluffy ears and all was ready to throw in the towel. Rita gave him a twenty for his trouble and he was gone.
Rita sat down on the chair closest to the living room table, set her plate down and took up the bouquet. The fragrance hit her like a gentle breeze and she inhaled deep. It was waning but still effective. Rita sighed, she had not gotten flowers in a long while let alone a bouquet of this size. There must have been at least twenty calla lilies in the bouquet. With at least five colours. The more prominent ones were white, orange, yellow, pink and red. They were beautiful. Although their messasing was all mixed up.
She wanted to keep them but she was still very suspicious and anxious about its sender and their reasons behind them. And with suspicion came fear. What if it was that imposter chauffeur again?
But it had been close to two months ago since that happened. If anyone was planning anything, they would have done it already by now, right? She was just worried for nothing. She was just nervous. Lately a lot of unexplained things had happened to her. Questions with no answers that just made her feel lost. That must be why she was so jumpy.
How was she supposed to make a decision when the choices were so vague?! She might as well be jumping into lava or quicksand. The results for either route were clear. She glanced at her plate of casserole. She should eat it while it was still warm else it would not be any good.
Gently she dropped the bouquet back on the table, not wanting to ruin the flowers and took up her plate and reached for the remote. Plate in hand, she turned the T.V. on. Flowers still in mind.
******
Red painted his fists as the flowed in rivulets up his arms, only to fall and meet the crimson puddles he stood in before he decided he had had enough. Samuel let the mess that had once been a man slump down to lie in his own blood, spit and piss. This one had not been much of a challenge even without his strength as an alpha. He walked out of the ring, the crowd that had gathered to watch parted for him as he made his way to the showers.
The showers became as quiet as a graveyard when he opened the door and walked in, his right hand leaving a bloody palmprint on the door handle. He grabbed a towel and transparent plastic bag of clothes his size from the shelf just beside the door before he approached an empty shower stall. Samuel stripped off his ruined clothes, shoes included and tossed them into the mini disintegrator close to stall he had chosen. Purgatory, aside from being an underground brawl house well reputed for its brutality, was known for its thorough approach to disposal. The lid of the machine snapped shut and half a minute later. The lid slowly rose up to reveal a pile of hot ash.
Samuel walked into the stall, eyeing the towel around his waist. His mind going to who might have used it before him. He cleared his mind off the matter, he just needed to get the blood and spit off of him now. Once he was back in his apartment he could have a proper bath.
He turned on the shower, the feel of cold water against his hot skin was invigorating. The water turned red before vanishing down the drain. A mix of his and those of his opponents. His wounds burned but the pain dulled out as his body healed itself. The cold water, however, did nothing for the raging hard on he still had.
Samuel groaned deep, this was not the place or time for this. Damnit! He growled low in frustration, the sound rumbling past the doors of his stall. He quickly turned off the water, towelled off and put on the clothes he selected.