The Devil's Lover

Jayce did not have a problem with Valentine's Day. It's more surprising to hear when his job was taken into consideration; that and his so-called relationships in the past. By all means, he should be at least slightly bitter and grumpy today. But he wasn't. The tacky red and pink decorations, the cheesy romantic commercials and advertisements, even the overdone proclamations of love couples added to their social media posts—Jayce didn't mind any of it. His only problem was Teressa, and her need to make grand gestures. "Tes." It was work not to scowl, but Jayce's face must've betrayed him anyway given by the look of absolute glee on his best friend's face. Teressa basically lived to see him annoyed. "Teressa, no." "Happy Valentine's Day, Jayce!" "What is that monstrosity?" The bouquet wasn't abnormally large, it wasn't exactly small either. Jayce stood about two feet away, the familiar scent of red roses entering his nose. The roses themselves were really pretty, but what he had been referring to was the giant, heart-shaped cutout embellished solely with glitter. It was glued onto a stick and stuck out like a sore thumb among the flowers, wavering dangerously every time Teressa moved. Teressa tried to hand over the bouquet, but Jayce took a step back into his apartment and debated whether he should just shut the door again for fear of getting the damned sparkly particles on his face or on any of the furniture inside. "Tes, Tessa, there is glitter all over your hair." "I've been giving out cards with glitter all day." Her smile didn't falter when Jayce rejected the bouquet once more. "Come on, take it!" "You've been pissing people off all day by giving them glitter?" "Cards with glitter designs. And anyway, you're the only one I gave a bouquet to besides my mom. You should feel honored." Teressa tried one more time to give him the bouquet, and when Jayce hesitated, she looked at him like he physically hurt her. Jayce relented, determined to keep the monstrous heart of glitter a solid few inches away from him. "Thank you, the flowers are lovely. Now stop making that face." "Love you too, Jayce." He opened the door wider for her, still keeping the bouquet at arms-length. His best friend dropped her purse and jacket before flopping onto the couch like she owned the place while he opened a kitchen cabinets to pull out a large jar to use as a make-shift vase. As he filled it with tap water, Teressa said, "You're acting like my work of art is going to come to life and spit at you." "As long as it doesn't spit anymore glitter." "Aren't you used to having glitter on your body?" Jayce gave her an exasperated look. "Which is why I know how difficult it is to get it out. Glitter gets everywhere, Tes. Everywhere." Teressa, ever the ball of movement, got up from her spot and leapt onto the counter much like a cat. Her polished, pink nail poked at Jayce's shoulder. "So, how many admirers was it this year?" Fran was coming out of her bedroom just in time to hear Teressa's question. The wheels of Fran's suitcase sounded against the wooden floors. Jayce saw that his aunt was wearing a green sweater and a teasing smile. "I've already tried asking him. He's not going to tell you," Aunt Fran informed Teressa. "Is it more or less than what I guessed?" Teressa pushed for details. Jayce ignored her in favor of gently fixing the bouquet into the vase while still trying hard not to get glitter on himself. Fran was stood in front of the full-length mirror next to their entertainment center, applying lip balm. She caught Teressa's eyes and gestured to Jayce's room. "He hid the gifts inside." Teressa was in and out of his bedroom before Jayce could even muster the energy to tell her not to mess with his things. Privacy was not a concept Teressa took seriously, not when it came to Jayce. She reappeared holding the packages he had received with a s**t-eating grin on her face. She clutched in one hand a bottle of Château Pontet-Canet and two bars of milk chocolate, the other had pink dahlia's arranged into a sleek, white box shaped in—surprise, surprise—a heart. "I'm positive one of them's from that William Cameron. Or maybe he's the one that gave you all of these? Poor guy's been chasing after you since the night you two met." Jayce opened his mouth to protest, but his aunt spoke before he could, her words coated with disbelief. "William Cameron? As in Edward Cameron's son, the Camerons who came here from London to run Cameron Industries? That William?" "How do you even know that?" Jayce asked, not sure whether to be astonished or creeped out by his aunt. "Of course I know that!" His aunt stalked over and gave a loving pinch to his side. Jayce yelped, rubbing at the spot. Fran only continued to stare at him, lips pursing, before she decidedly tilted her head. "I guess it's not so surprising to have a Cameron pining after you." "That's what I said!" Teressa told Fran after placing the gifts on top of the coffee table. "You did get these from William, right? Did he send you a message?" "Is my baby J going to have a rich boyfriend?" His aunt liked to use his nickname whenever she teased him, especially if the topic was about boyfriends and the like. "You're both insufferable." Jayce couldn't help but roll his eyes, his aunt going back to the mirror to continue getting herself ready. Franchesca Pravo had features many Italian women would feel jealous over: an oval face with high cheek-bones and a defined nose, long, dark, wavy hair and even darker eyes, plus a full-figure that only added to the elegant way she held herself. She was beautiful, and she reminded Jayce of his mother. The sisters had looked strikingly alike. "Zia Fran, do you need me to take you to the airport?" "No need, I've got an Uber arriving in a minute or two." She wheeled her suitcase behind her and pressed a kiss to Jayce's temple, ruffling his hair and pinching his cheek like she used to do since he was a child. "You take care, caro mio. I won't be gone for longer than two weeks this time. Contact me if anything happens, I mean it. Let Teressa and Miles look after you, okay?" "Listen to your aunt, Jayce." Teressa grinned. Jayce resisted the urge to flip her the bird. His aunt left with one more warning that Jayce should take care of himself, and to hurt back whoever tries to hurt him spoken in Italian. His aunt had already shut the door when Jayce's phone vibrated in his pocket. ----- From: Miles Can you head over here now? Need to ask u something Sent: 8:05 p.m. ----- Jayce moved to his room to fix his things for tonight, which meant Teressa was now hogging his bed. "You think Miles is heartbroken?" The petite girl asked, clutching onto Jayce's comforter. "It's possible. He says he wants to ask me something, and you know he's never one to ask for advice until it involves relationships." Jayce pulled out his duffel bag made of genuine leather which had costed him quite a hefty amount, but it's been with him through thick and thin so he'd say the purchase was definitely worth it. Inside, he placed all necessities for a night at work; from wet wipes and a change of casual clothes to his own make-up. Teressa snorted, like she always did, once Jayce placed his work outfits inside. "Did you bring condoms?" "Jesus Christ, Tes." "Hey, I'm just looking out for you!" Ten minutes later and Jayce was locking the apartment door behind him. Once he and Tes got to the garage, Teressa hugged him goodbye, making Jayce promise that he'll buy her something pretty after all the tips he was going to make. It was Jayce's turn to snort at that. He waited until Teressa's car had driven away before pulling back the cover of his motorcycle, grinning once his CCW Ace Deluxe came into full view; its gas tank and oil tank done with a deep burgundy finish. "Sorry it's been so long, Pumpkin." It's only been a week since he last rode Pumpkin, yet Jayce had already missed it. The thrilling sensation of speeding through the streets and the images of buildings, houses, and trees all blurring by, his thoughts clouded by the sound of the engine—he could live off this feeling. Seattle traffic, especially Valentine's Day traffic, wasn't a problem for Jayce. His bike easily maneuvered between vehicles. The pissed-off looks he got from drivers waiting in their unmoving cars were nothing new, and he happily got to Glorious G located at the heart of Capitol Hill in just under fifteen minutes. He wasn't surprised to see Miles at the back of Glorious G where a large area was reserved for employees to park. For Miles, the back was his favorite spot to hide from his parents and smoke his cigarettes. Jayce turned off Pumpkin's engine once he had properly parked her. He took off his helmet, smirking at Miles. "Good evening, boss." "I'm not your boss," Miles replied to the teasing, a reflex at this point. He was sat on the steps leading to the back door, taking a deep inhale from his cigarette before blowing the smoke away from where Jayce was walking towards him. "Your parents own this place. You're sort of like my boss." Miles threw the cigarette to the ground, crushing it with his foot. "Speaking of my amazing parents." "I'm sure they've been a delight today?" "Oh totally, yeah." Miles Gallant scoffed. "It was real sweet how they asked me to hand over my phone the moment I got here, minutes after I sent you that text." Jayce leaned against the wall next to the back entrance, hands stuffing into his leather jacket's pockets after tossing Miles his helmet, his not-boss catching it effortlessly. "And why would they take your phone?" "Diane ratted me out. They found out about my plans to dropout and take a year off college. Dad said they wouldn't return my phone until I calmly explained to them why I would, in their words, waste my time and their money just so I can jeopardize my future." Miles situated Jayce's black helmet onto his lap, his arms and head leaning heavily on top of it before he continued. "I regret telling that little snitch anything. I swear, you and Tes are the only people I can trust." Miles and Diane have been in the same circle for a few years now, and Miles always had a bit of a crush on the Samoan girl. Jayce and Teressa had thought something serious was happening between the two since they were spending so much time together. Given the apparent situation, that might not be the case after all. Miles ran a hand through his hair, shaved down close to his head. it. The mustard-colored sweater he'd worn tonight complimented his dark skin beautifully, and even with a clearly pissed-off expression on his face, he managed to look somewhat regal. Looking bad just wasn't part of Miles's personality. Jayce gently nudged Miles's shoulder using his knee. "I'm sorry you got your phone taken. On Valentine's Day." "It's whatever." Miles waved a hand. "I'm more annoyed that they found out about me taking a gap year from someone else. I was supposed to find the right time to tell them." "And when was that supposed to be?" Miles' eyebrows knitted together, worrying his bottom lip. The lack of response had Jayce sighing through his mouth. "Look, maybe your parents knowing is a good thing. You'll just have to explain to them what it is you want to do." "That's the problem. I don't know what I want to do. I took up business management because I knew it was what my parents expected—for me to become exactly like them." He looked up at Jayce as he said his next words, his voice giving away the desperation gnawing inside him. "That's not me, Jayce. I'm not like them." It was practically unheard of for Miles to ask for advice about his future career and the like, but Jayce and Tes have known all about the pressure their friend felt when it came to the business-savvy parents who expected their only child to step into their roles. "I know you're not like them, Miles. Mr. and Mrs. Gallant don't exactly come over to my apartment in the middle of the night to rant about the ton of paperwork their course requires them to do while looking through the fridge for beer or ice cream or both." The attempt at humor worked. Miles found himself grinning at Jayce. "Do I do that too often?" "Zia Fran buys strawberry ice cream now 'cause she knows it's your favorite." Jayce suddenly recalled the sealed, scented envelope tucked away in one of his duffel bag's pockets. He handed it over to Miles. "By the way, here's a Valentine's gift from Tes. Don't open it, you'll get glitter on you." Miles chuckled, taking the envelope and turning it carefully in his hands. Jayce saw him shake his head in fondness. "Damn. Remind me to thank Fran and Tessa." Miles looked much more relaxed now. Jayce waited until the man was looking back at him to speak again. "You'll figure it out. What it is you want to do, I mean. You always do." He knew that Miles wouldn't directly answer that, Miles wasn't one for sappy moments. It's been that way since he and Jayce had first become friends "You should go get ready. I'll take care of this." Miles gestured to Jayce's helmet with a tiny smile on his face. That smile was the equivalent of a verbal thank you. Yana Gallant was in her and her husband's office when Jayce found her. "Good evening, Mrs. Gallant," Jayce greeted and closed the door behind him. Inside the office were nothing more than the bare minimum; two desks connected with each other and wooden chairs for receiving guests. Next to the filing cabinets were framed certificates of their achievements through the business, dictating just how successful Glorious G was. Yana looked up from the stack of papers she was holding. "Jayce, good to see you. We already have a line of people waiting outside and it's not even opening hours yet." "Valentine's Day, most romantic day of the year." Yana was as professional as they came, with her people skills, power suits, and her ability to achieve success because she would not settle for anything less. That's how Jayce had always seen her: not only as his boss, but also a woman nobody could mess with. Currently, she made a sound between a laugh and a snort before rolling her eyes. "Uh-huh. Most romantic day indeed. I'm sure customers getting too handsy with my dancers and catching strangers hooking up in the bathrooms for quickies just screams romance." That brought out an awkward cough from Jayce. He lowered his head slightly, not entirely sure how to talk to his boss about things like quickies in restrooms. Yana didn't seem to notice her employee's embarrassment, and fortunately changed the subject. "You'll work in our VIP area tonight, so look the part. Glitter, glam, the whole works. Prospective investors are coming to see what the club offers." It wasn't the first time Mrs. Gallant had assigned this to Jayce. In fact, being in Glorious G for as long as he had, he'd worked to get a weekly slot in the VIP area. He knew he should take some pride in that, and before he said his thanks, Mrs. Gallant was speaking again, "We have one customer in particular that I need you to look out for. His name is Choi Seuljin. He's flown all the way here from Seoul." She leaned forward like she was sharing a secret with Jayce. "Seuljin is new to the investing scene, but he has quickly made a reputation for himself here and back in South Korea. Do whatever you can to make him feel welcome." Okay. Jayce could do that. Definitely. "How do I know when Mr. Choi has arrived?" Yana stood, a huff of laughter escaping her. "Trust me, you'll know."