Substitute for Lawson

7

And in the end it was not clear what Demian actually wanted. For all thirty years of his life, he did not meet with anyone, so that everything was serious. No, it was once, but it was in high school, and afterwards the desire to start a serious relationship, as it seemed to him then, was completely discouraged. And which one does he need? He had no idea what to do.

- Heck! - Shouted a man to the whole park. Angry with himself, he stopped in the middle of the road and, having pulled out the headphones from his ears, almost banged his phone on the asphalt. - How infuriating!

The girls who passed by and who were enjoying his view before, looked sideways in fright. He glared at them angrily and, in order not to attract attention to himself, left the path onto the grass. The damp weather did not prevent him from settling on the lawn, the man spread his arms and legs and fixed his empty gaze at the sky. It is strange to see a man who, in a rainy time, lay on the grass, and after that, as it began to rain, he did not even move. He needed to cool down, to cool down to such an extent that the clothes, shoes and hair of a young man could be squeezed out in the washing machine. He did not manage to doze off on the grass and, after a half-hour cold, natural shower, he headed towards his house.

***

Morning failed. Damian could not get out of bed even when the alarm went off. What an i***t you have to be to naively believe that this whole rainwashing venture will pass without a trace. The whole body ached terribly, a sore throat, a sneeze every five minutes.

“What the f**k…” Lowsen moaned as the alarm went off on the phone for the tenth time, but no, it wasn't an alarm. The name "Mom" flashed on the screen of the iPhone. For a little less than a minute, he looked closely and winced at the seemingly deafening ringtone, but as soon as he realized what was happening, he answered the call. - Yes mom? - He croaked and grimaced even more.

- Son? Damian? What's wrong with your voice? - The worried woman chattered briskly, as if she had called just to ask this.

“It's okay, Mom,” the man tried to express himself as clearly and clearly as possible, but his voice broke, making Damian hoarse. - What are you calling so early?

- What early ?! You are already getting up at this time, and we have evening, that's why I'm calling.

- Well, what again? - He groaned. Mom recently just did not call him, he felt a trick with his ass.

- Son, do you want to come?

- What for?

- I want to arrange a couple of dates for you. And don't say anything against me! You know how pretty they are, I don't even know what kind of daughter-in-law I would like, but one of them for sure! Therefore…

- No mothers, - as always, he stubbornly refuses. Now, of course, there was no strength to argue, but he also does not intend to agree. - I have a lot of work.

- Work ... Work! - Almost shouts into the phone Mrs. Lowsen. - Also marry your job!

- Necessarily ... - he wheezes exhaustedly and with the last bit of strength he gets out of bed. There is a first aid kit in the bathroom, so you need to change the temperature.

In the meantime, he listens to the grumble of an overly caring and worried mother that is so afraid of being left without grandchildren. Why complain, though, hadn't his older brother made them happy twice already?

- Well, what the ... - he accidentally blurted out when his mother told something about her friends, or whom ... he did not understand. The electronic thermometer showed a temperature of almost 39. That is why it was hard for him now.

- What? You bored? - She asked with a click of her tongue. - And why is your voice like that?

- Mom ... - Better to say. - I seem to be ill. - Complete failure. He doesn't even remember the last time it happened to him.

- You?! - Screamed the mother on the other side of the tube. - My God, my baby is sick! Let me fly to you? Order a ticket? Or come on ...

- Mum! Damian interrupts her quickly. The man climbs back under the covers, because he has no strength to stand or even sit. For the first time ever, he will miss work. - I'm not dying. It's just a cold. What medicine to take? I have a high temperature ... and my throat hurts ... - He is completely confused. And in general, men in such a period turned into children, and if it were not for his stubbornness, he would have whimpered long ago and called his mother so that she, as in childhood, cured him.

- How big? Is there an antipyretic in your medicine cabinet? And they also need painkillers, you surely feel bad now, aren't you? God, my baby ...

“Don't groan…” He croaked pleadingly, reaching for the first-aid kit. - Anything else you need?

- Call yourself a doctor.

- Not. - Damian flatly refuses, swallowing capsules. - All mom, thanks for your help. Until! - He rattled and heard in response only an indignant "hey!" declined a call from Seoul.

Throwing the phone away from him, he wrapped himself in the blanket, as if in a cocoon. How could he allow this to happen? The eyes close by themselves, begins to doze, but winces in pain. The state of not standing. As soon as he thought about what had to be done today, his eyes widen in fear.

- Yes, so ... - moans long and reaches for the phone lying on the bedside table. “Hello… Brittany,” wheezes into the receiver, clearing his throat.

- Mr. Lowsen? - Anxiously answers that. - yougot sick?

- It just so happened ... - he sighs. “So… Brittany, it's a meeting today, do you remember?

“Yes,” she says quickly.

“You’ll have to take the rap for me. I prepared everything a long time ago, so tell Mr. Kim, but no ... I'll call him now. Understood me?

- Yes understood! Mr. Lowsen, is there anything you need? Delivery of medicines? Food? Or…

- Nothing is needed ... - interrupts the girl nervously. What the f**k is this today? - If you have any questions, call me, do you understand?

“I understand, Mr. Lowsen.

- Everything, until communication.

And it seems like nothing is needed, but getting sick alone is somehow not easy. There is no one even to bring water. The thought arises again in my head that a constant girl in the house is not so bad. You have to get to your feet and crawl to the kitchen to the kettle. He takes a bottle out of the refrigerator and, as soon as he gathers to bring the neck to his mouth, he realizes that cold water cannot be drunk now. You have to warm up the water in the kettle, and while he is leaning against the kitchen cabinet and drilling with his eyes it is not clear what. The electric kettle clicks, signaling that it is boiling, making the man flinch as he dilutes his water, his cell phone rings in his shorts pocket, distracting him from the activity.

- Yes, friend?

- Are you really sick?

Here you go. Another. How many more will there be? Maybe turn off the phone ...

- Little…

- Yes, I can hear right in your voice that a little. Your mother called me and asked me to look after me. Do you need something?

- So that you leave me alone for today ... - Damian found it difficult to speak, every second he tried to clear his throat, and he already wanted to lie down. - Tomorrow I'll be in perfect order.

- But how. OK, have some rest. - A friend sighs on the other side.

***

Lucas knows how Damian is usually sick. He either pretends with all his might that everything is in order, but then when you drive him away from treatment, he just sits at home, but stubbornly continues not to be treated, hoping that the cold will resolve itself. This business usually does not end with anything good, therefore, against the will of his best friend, who insisted on being left alone, decides to act. Sitting at his desk, he dialed another number:

- Sweetness, come to me please.

Alice herself had a lot of things to do today, she was also supposed to attend the meeting and even speak, as she replaced the head of the legal department. After her husband asked her to take care of the delivery of food and medicine for Damian, things got even bigger.

"Mrs. Kim, do you need anything else?" “Emily did her job properly, and after the last assignment she was ready to do something else.

- Yes, - the boss seemed to her a little thoughtful, but she patiently waited for further words. Putting her index finger up, she asked the girl to wait a second and dialed someone's number. - Hello? Mrs. Aaron? Are you busy? Ah, watch the nanny, hahah ...

The girl was talking in a special tone, gentle ... Well, it seemed to Emily, she had no idea who it was, but apparently someone important.

- Will you have a minute? Here's the thing, Damian got sick ... Do you know how stubborn he can ... Yes, your brand broth is exactly what you need, and something else ... Okay, can you send it with Mike? Thank you, I love you!

After that, the girl put the phone down on the table and again took a thoughtful image. She turned her gaze to Emily, who was still standing at the door, and glanced over her, smiled.

- Will you fulfill one request? More precisely a job. It will be quite difficult, can you handle it?

- Sure! - She immediately agreed, not even suspecting what she would be asked.

What was her fear when she found out what she had to do.

- Nooo ... - The girl swallowed nervously, shaking her head. - Let someone do it for me. After all, I'm not the only trainee, there are girls to whom he treats well ... and let it be them ...

- Unfortunately, they are already involved in the archive. - Alice smiled a little slyly. - Amy, please! You said yourself that you want to prove to the annoying Damian that you are a person, so ...

"But feeding him soup ... that's ... Let Brittany do it!" She is his secretary.

- Her boss is absent, so she can't even leave for half a minute. Kim sighs happily. - Come on, Amy, you can handle it!

“But this is a strange assignment for a trainee! I'd rather sort the papers, give me something difficult! - She moaned pleadingly.

“Trust me… Feeding Damian Lowsen is the most difficult assignment you can find in the legal department. Come on, prove to him, and especially to yourself, what you are worth.

***

An hour later, the food was delivered. A fairly large carrying bag in which there were a couple of containers and a thermos. As it turned out, it was not just a courier in relation to food for a sick person, but also monitoring his well-being until the end of the working day. The girl had the head of the Kim family at her disposal and he looked very impressive.

Finally, Alice explained to Emily how to get to Mr. Lawsen's apartment and if this stubborn man does not open the door, then you just need to dial the code from his lock. In the end, Fox overcame her fear and stopped shaking, persuading and setting herself up to toh that this is her last chance.

“Miss,” a voice announced from the driver's seat. - We arrived.

While the girl imagined herself as a queen driving around in the back seat of an expensive car, she did not notice at all how she arrived.

- Thank you ... - A little confused looking at the skyscraper, the apartments in which cost more than her whole life. She climbed unsteadily out of the car. My legs involuntarily began to shake, and my throat was dry, nausea rolled in and, in general, it was a bad idea. Recovering herself, she reached for the bag, which had been in the front seat all this time, but Mike got ahead of her and got out of the car himself.

- Will you come with me? - The girl babbled hopefully.

- Yes, I'll walk you to your apartment. - rapped out that one. They both moved to the parking lot toward the driveway they had entered as soon as Mike swiped his map over them.

There were guards in the lobby, and now Emily understood why Mike had gone with her. If the first one did not arouse any suspicion among the two guards, then they saw the girl for the first time, and if she was alone, they would not let her in.

“We’ll see Mr. Lowsen, at room 5003.

They nodded understandingly and did not interfere any more when Mike and Amy moved to the elevators. The amazed girl ran after the guard, almost unable to keep up with him.

- Will you come with me?

- Not. - Cut off the man. All his words were like something commanding, unquestionable.

- Sorry…

Mike left as soon as he left the girl at the door with number 5003. For a couple of minutes she stood and could not collect her thoughts. In her hands, she clutched the carrying bag and did not dare to press the bell.

- He's ... not a beast, right? - She is interested in herself and presses the doorbell.

Damian seems to have only gotten worse. The man tossed and turned in bed, could not sleep and did not understand whether he was hot or still cold. Some kind of near-death condition, and after all, he didn't even have time to start a family. With a long groan, he gets out of bed and, pulling off his wet T-shirt from sweat, picks up a glass of water. Before he has time to take a sip, the characteristic sound of a doorbell is heard throughout the apartment. Who else has this brought? Ignoring his obscene appearance in every sense, he crawls out into the corridor. If it were not for the high temperature inhibiting brain activity, he would have looked through the video eye, but no, he thoughtlessly opened the door and hung for a minute in a state of shock. Before him naturally stood a girl who had infuriated him at work for the last month. She clutched a bag to her and froze with fright with her mouth open and huge blue eyes, she could not pronounce what she had been rehearsing in her head before. She was embarrassed by such a quick appearance, and even more by the appearance. It seems she managed to blush like a tomato when she saw her naked torso and homemade black shorts. Unusually tousled hair seemed so funny and gave a cute yet sexy look to its owner.

Damian was stuck in almost the same position, but his mouth was closed, but his eyes were no less. Least of all, yes, no, he could not possibly have imagined the appearance of this catastrophe, which, in his opinion, would appear. Looking at her for a little more than two minutes comes to her senses and abruptly closes the door right in front of her nose.

- Mr. Lowsen? - A plaintive squeak is heard outside the door.

The man wearily rubs the bridge of his nose and cannot believe his eyes.

- No ... It's nonsense. Probably a hallucination against the background of temperature ... - He grins nervously and clicks on the video peephole. The same woman appears on the screen, with the same frightened eyes.

- Mr. Lowsen, - repeats his action with a call, and he only watches her with suspicion through the monitor.

- Did she feel that she was immortal? - He wheezes and again reaches for the castle. - How did you get here? Who ... Who missed you at all? - It is difficult to speak, and even more so with the proper intonation does not come out at all.

- I ... I came to treat you! - Emily declares with all decisiveness and was about to go through the open space, spit on etiquette, but he quickly blocks her way by slamming the door again.

- Get out from here. Still not enough that I would get sick because of you!

Damian no longer wants to talk to her, so he returns to his bedroom. Finally, he drinks his long-awaited water and is about to go to bed, but hears the front door slam in the hallway. Hoping that he was imagining looking out of the door, but what he saw shocked him. In the direction of the kitchen, as if nothing had happened, this same girl walks and, spreading her bag on the kitchen cabinet, pulls out incomprehensible containers from there.

- Hey! How did you come in? Damian cries out hoarsely. - Didn't I close the door ?!

Yes, now you just can't rest, you have to find the strength and check the door.

“No, Mr. Lowsen. - The girl was shocked by herself. After all, she had never behaved so brazenly with anyone.

- What the devil? - Angrily he creeps heading in her direction. - Have you completely lost your fear? What are you doing at all? - Comes up to her, and peeking over her shoulder, suspiciously examines the contents of the carrier.

- I came to feed yous, where are your plates? - She tries her best not to show her fear that came on her throat when this sick and yet terrible monster in the form of a boss approached. - "This is my job, this is my task ..." - she repeated in her head and reached into the upper cabinet. She was lucky because she stumbled on the plates right away. He takes out a couple of pieces and puts them on the curbstone, asks about the cutlery, which he also finds afterwards.

Dumbfounded Damian watches her all this time and gasps with indignation. This is the first time he sees her so fearless. When the girl pours hot broth into a plate, turns around, he collides with her almost end-to-end and reaches for this very cup.

- If you hope to feed me this very drink, then I want to disappoint you. I won't eat it! - Grabs the opposite edge of the plate with two fingers and pulls it towards himself.

- No, you will eat it! - She insists and just as stubbornly pulls the plate in her direction. A kind of tug-of-war, and instead of a thick rope, hot broth.

- What more! I'm not going to be poisoned by this bullshit you cooked up here! - Again she pulls on herself, but she stubbornly does not give in.

- I didn’t cook it, if it’s so important to you!

Damian's fingers, devoid of their former strength, slide off the edge of the plate, and the girl, who had previously pulled the plate towards herself, spills the broth on herself because of her awkwardness.

- Ay! - She screams when the chicken broth that has not yet cooled down meets her skin, and from the suddenness the plate from the girl's hands flies to the stone floor. - Shhh ... - she hisses, wincing, pulling away from her ruined blouse.

- You ... you fool! - Lowsen wheezes and thoughtlessly reaches for the buttons of her blouse, but the girl immediately stops him.

- Where are you going ?!

- Take it off, until it's scalded! - He barks, and seemingly forgetting about his temperature and all about the disease, is undermined from the place in the direction of his bedroom. Although, he acts completely rashly, it is spinning in his head that a burn from almost boiling water may remain on a woman's body. Favorite collection of T-shirts in the wardrobe: Vetements, Thrasher, Stussy, Bape ... it was necessary to choose something from these, but without really thinking, he grabs the first branded T-shirt he sees and walks back out. In the living room, Emily stands in the same position, grimacing, pulling on her blouse, blowing on the burnt skin.

- Why haven't you taken it off yet ?!

- I myself ... - Seeing that shameless hands again reach for her buttons, the girl covers herself with her hands. But she will not do all this here, not with him.

- Go to the bath, - throws a T-shirt over her head and falls exhausted on the sofa. - Yours to the left, that brought you to my head ... - He wheezes drawlingly, for the first time in front of her he expressed himself obscenely. He collapses on the sofa, covering his eyes with one hand, breathing raggedly through his mouth and frowning in pain.

Emily is ashamed now. How many times she finds herself in such situations next to him. Going into the bath, just in case, he locks the door and only then hesitantly undresses. The reddened skin just below the chest sores unpleasantly. She also has to take off her skirt, which got some of the broth scalding her thin thighs. Examining herself in a large, almost all-wall mirror, Emily barely touches the damaged areas. She has to put on a T-shirt, which, if desired, can still fit the same person as she is. A white T-shirt with a black Stussy lettering almost reached her knees, but she was embarrassed to walk around in one, albeit a long T-shirt.

Damian is still on the couch in the same position, from time to time emitting lingering moans and coughing. Sweat formed on his forehead and bare chest. Excited by all this, Emily did not think that she would find her boss in such a state.

“Mr. Lowsen,” leaning over him, she poked him uncertainly in the shoulder.

- Mmm ... - he groaned, wincing harder.

- What medicines did you drink? Maybe broth after all?

“I don’t have the strength to argue with you. Fox, please go home. - The boss croaked and tried to roll over to face the leather wall of the sofa. - Leave me alone.

- Well, I do not! - If not for his critical condition, then she probably would have left with joy. - What medications did you take ?!

- In what language should I repeat to you so that you fall behind? Looking over his shoulder, he tried to make his expression as stern as possible, but it didn’t work.

- You are all on fire! So where is your first aid kit ?!

While a young lady in a T-shirt was running around the apartment in search of medicines, Damian fell into unconsciousness.

Going dangerously into the last room, where she had not yet looked for medications, she found herself in the bedroom of her boss.

“Oh, that's where she is.” There was a white chest on the bedside table. Having rummaged around, the girl did not find anything normal. Basically, ointments for all possible sprains bruises, bandages, pain relievers, a feeling that this person often injured the body, but did not have a cold. There was a thermometer on the curbstone; she just needed it.

- Why do you have so little medicine? - Going out into the living room, the girl wanted to be indignant, but no one heard her anymore... - Hey! Mr Lowsen? - The girl shook the deputy by the shoulders, but that became too bad. Guessing to measure the temperature, she gasped. - 39 and 8 ...

Not embarrassed, Emily called Alice to find out the number of a good doctor who can be called at home, because the situation is nowhere more serious.

The doctor arrived fairly quickly and also accompanied by Mike, who then paid him.

- I injected him with a good antibiotic. He needs bed rest for a couple of days and regularly these medicines, - the gray-haired man handed the girl a prescription with drugs and closed his suitcase. “Please watch him. Bye.

Mike followed the man, nodding goodbye to the girl.

- Yeah ... Follow ... - Amy sighed resignedly, looking at the list of medications. After ordering home delivery online, the girl exhaled. Standing in the middle of the living room, she only realized what a mess it was. It is not clear what it came from, but for some reason she began to get out. Since there was no one else to look after the patient, then apparently she would have to?

In the kitchen, she found fragments of a broken plate and broth spilled on the stone floor, because of which she now has to walk in someone else's T-shirt, which she gave so pleasantly with a man's perfume, which, even after numerous washings, did not fade away and interrupted the fabric softener. Open food in containers had cooled down for a long time, so they had to put it in the refrigerator. The day was getting closer to evening, so when Emily finished cleaning, it was getting dark. Because of her love for cleanliness, she even washed the floor in the whole house, along the way getting to know each room. For some reason, she was always afraid to find something forbidden, confirming the f*********n and perversity of the deputy, because during a month of work she had heard a lot about his one-time novels. But no, a luxuriously furnished apartment without any flaws and secret rooms with all sorts of scary things.

After checking the patient's temperature and well-being again, the girl made sure that the temperature was dropping and the boss no longer groaned in delirium, therefore, having calmed down, she settled down on a nearby smaller sofa, quietly turning on the plasma. She can do that, can't she? After all, she needs to do something.

Damian opened his eyes when it was already completely dark outside the windows of the apartment, and the wall clock showed half past eleven at night. Taking a sitting position, he stretched out and exhaled. Putting his hand to his forehead, he realized that he was no longer so bad, even if his throat hurts, the body does not ache, and does not burn. So, and then there was this ... Emily. The man turns around and sees on the right side of him on the sofa, a sleeping girl, who, hugging herself in her arms, curled up in a ball.

“She’s still here,” he croaked hoarsely and stood up. He was terribly thirsty, in the kitchen he found the same thermos that the girl had brought in the morning and when he opened it he sniffed the contents with suspicion. Raspberry herbal tea? After tasting the hot drink, the man narrowed his eyes contentedly and poured the contents into his glass.

Returning with tea to the sofas, he was about to sit down, but his eyes fell on the sleeping girl. Setting the glass down on the table, the man removed a small blanket from the chair and covered Emily, whose T-shirt lifted up to reveal her thighs.

- To me, too, seductress ... - With one lips he whispered and straightening the blanket, suddenly heard the sound of vibration of the phone. On the table lay her phone, apparently on silent mode. The name "Alice" flashed on the phone screen. - Well? - Taking the phone in hand, he answered himself, do not wake the girl. - Yes, here she is, asleep, and therefore does not answer. Yes, good night, Alice. - The patient wheezed irritably and quickly declined the challenge, throwing the phone back on the table.

The body felt better, did not want to sleep, so all that remained was to watch TV and drink, strangely, delicious tea. Oh, one more thing, you will have to do this in the company of a girl who is sleeping on the next couch, and no matter how annoying she is, apparently today she saved his life.