8.
710 Words
"Call me when you are done with your shift, okay?" Hades Black ordered me. He wasn't asking me. Neither was he telling me. But he was ordering me around, something that made me raise my eyebrows at him.
"You don't have to, Mr. Black. Besides, I am working overtime today. I won't be free until the morning." I said, and this time it was his turn to raise his eyebrows. Why was it so shocking for people that I did overtime at times? Even though it was barely overtime, since I was just covering up for Sammy, it still counted as one, just without the money.
"You are doing overtime? But why?"
"Because my friend needs to take her girlfriend to a doctor. But that's not important. You don't have to pick me up. It is important. I'll see you tomorrow?" With hopefully no blood staining your shirt. I, of course, didn't add that.
"Okay, breakfast is almost ready. Why don't you sit down, I'll serve the food in a few minutes now." He said. Even though I was running late, I sat down to eat the breakfast he cooked. Because he made it for me. And no matter what his profession is, I can't disrespect him. Or his efforts for me.
"I'll set the table." I said, and he chuckled, shaking his head.
"It's fine, Lazarus. But if you really insist, you can squeeze the juice out of these oranges." He said, pushing the fresh oranges towards me and I nodded my head, taking the juicer out. I didn't even buy those oranges.
"Can I ask you something, Mr. Black?"
"Only if you call me by my name, Lazarus." He said instead, his lips curled up in an impish smile and I licked my lips to keep my red, burning skin away from his gaze. To gather myself. To stand strong when I was crumbling from within.
"If I call you by your name, you will answer my question?" I asked him, looking into his gray eyes. They say to see through someone's soul, one must know how to read their eyes. So, I tried to read him. Read his eyes. His posture. His heart. His soul.
"I shouldn't, Lazarus. The more my life remains private, it's safe for you. But if revealing a piece of mine is going to make you stop calling me so formally, I can share a few bits with you." He said.
I don't know what made my eyes widen. The fact that he wanted to share a piece of his life with me. Or the fact that he was doing everything just to get me to stop calling him by his last name. And as weird as it sounds, it made the butterflies erupt in my belly. And it was scary. Because I had never felt anything like this ever before. Not with anyone. Nobody has managed to make me feel lightheaded and weird in my stomach. And his ways of making me feel all of those terrified me at times.
"Don't stare at me now and ask me what you wanted to ask me, Lazarus? Else, you'll be late for your work. And my brother doesn't take tardiness well." He said with a smile and I rolled my eyes, nodding my head.
Who knows this better than me? Especially when I get scolded by his brother, literally every second day for my tardiness. But I didn't tell him that. He didn't have to know it. He has enough things to embarrass me. I don't want to add one more thing.
"When you came to my apartment, you told me that you didn't have any place to live and your previous landlord called the police on you. But my boss is your brother. And he is not poor. If anything, he earns fairly well. Then why don't you live with him? I am sure you'll be able to save a lot more by doing that." I said, and the goofiness left his face faster than anything.
But unlike all the other times, he answered me this time. With no threats and warnings, for a change.
"My brother doesn't know what I do for my living, Lazarus."
- Writer
