I scowled at myself as I tried the fancy ballgown in the dressing room. It just barely fit by my hips and the zipper looked ready to pop from the view the back mirror was giving me.
The dress itself was gorgeous. It was a light turquoise color with silver sequins embedded by my neckline and waistline. The skirt part of the gown reminded me of how flowers danced in the gentle wind. It was not too fluffy, but not slinky either. Like Princess Ariel's ball gown when she met Prince Eric.
"The only difference is that I wouldn't trade my voice for love," I thought arrogantly, shimmying out of the expensive dress and hanging it back on the rack by the dressing rooms. The woman who was supposed to be watching the other customers hardly glanced at me. Her mouth squeaked and squealed with the gum she kept chewing past the minty phase. Sort of like the way a tire sounds as it pops.
In my pocket, my phone buzzed with texts from Kath. She was sending me pictures of different dresses to go shop for. We were almost the same size--Kath was a bit larger than I was--and since she was stuck at her apartment with the cold, I offered to buy some things for her.
"God, Kath, what do you want?" I groaned, pulling the sleek white model out of my purse and scrolling through the crystal white texts. Lazareth wasn't kidding when he said this was a new model. There was nothing in any electronic store that I visited that had anything similar to the phone I was holding in my hand
On my palm, the neon green symbol of Lazareth's company sizzled into my skin. It didn't really make sense to me why a man who owned a Mythology-themed company would have a Devil logo, but I wasn't about to question it. Lazareth was an odd man as it was--I didn't want to be introduced to his coven next. The billionaire world was enough.
"How many dresses can this girl buy?" Scrolling through the pictures Kath sent me, all of the dresses she had either purchased online or wanted me to purchase were solely the expensive gowns from designers and fashion moguls. Where the hell would she or I get enough money to buy a simple keychain from them?
Texting her my inquiry, Kath's response came quicker than Olympus Deal's 1-hour free shipping.
KATH: You have a filthy rich boyfriend, don't you? Ask him for some money!
ME: We aren't dating, Kathryn. He's just my friend...I guess.
KATH: A so-called "friend" who would give you anything, wouldn't he?
ME: We don't know each other that well for that.
KATH: But he shuns work just for you? That's got to mean something, Adrienne.
That made me pause, my thumb hovering over one of the letters. In a way, she was right. Lazareth did say he would have all the time in the world for me. But that was only an exaggeration, right? I mean--he's a goddamn billionaire for fuck's sake! How would he have enough time for me and for his company? It's not like he's some God!
I typed my inner monologue back to Kath, my thumbs flying over the keyboard quicker than Hermes's magical shoes.
She didn't reply for a while, but when she finally did, she conceded to my request with no extra long text providing evidence for her response. I drifted around the street mall to the grocery store, wandering from stall to stall for the staples she and I both needed. In a way, Kath sending me benefited not only her but myself as well, since now, I didn't have to worry about going food shopping during the week. Mike would be pretty pissed if I missed work--he made that very clear when Jackie took a day off for her sister's birthday.
As I was paying for my final load of shopping, my phone vibrated in my pocket, creating ripples in my jeans. Ducking my head at the irritated glower of the cashier, I picked the caller up without looking at the ID, grimacing.
"Kath, I told you--this is my last stop in the market. I'm tired and I want to go home and eat and binge-watch Teen Devil."
"That's a very nice show," Lazareth's calm, smooth voice flooded my ear, the smirk I was sure he was wearing practically visible from his voice. "Although, I did not agree with them killing Jack's brother. I assure you, that wouldn't happen in the real devil world."
"L-Lazareth..." I stammered, juggling my groceries while the cashier frowned at me, confused. "W-what are you...I'm sorry, I thought you were Kathryn."
"I'm sorry to disappoint," Lazareth chuckled. "But I am a male, and much older than your friend. Am I disturbing you and your Teen Devil, Adrienne?"
"Not at all," I snickered. "What's up?"
"The sky."
"Seriously?"
"Oh, absolutely."
"Wow. The polite billionaire cracks jokes," I scoffed. "What do you want, Lazareth?"
"I--Myra! For fuck's sake, how illiterate can you be?" Lazareth broke off into his other side, shouting at one of his workers from the other end of the receiver. I winced. He spoke as though there was venom sitting in a layer on his tongue and forming poisonous weapons with every word he spat.
"B-But...sir...?"
"I told you to get it done right the first time!" Lazareth continued angrily. Something covered the speaker, probably his hand, and whatever else he said to poor Myra, I couldn't hear. I could only pray that Lazareth's good side would come back quickly.
"Apologies," he murmured after a few moments of silence, the word practically caressing my cheek. "What were you asking me?"
"What...you wanted?" I repeated hesitantly, still reeling from his outburst. Yet again, the devil side of Lazareth warned me to stay away from him, but my brain pushed ahead. It kept making me forget about his fury and how I'm sure his employees feared him.
"Oh, right!" He cleared his throat. "I was wondering if you could head to the parking lot of the street mall you're in and stand by the palm tree?"
"Yeah...sure...wait, how did you know I was at the street mall?!"
But Lazareth didn't reply. With a click, the call cut, leaving me confused and anxious with a large number of parcels in the middle of the parking lot--where the palm tree was conveniently located.
"Miss. Walker?" A burly, young man with dark skin and curly black hair approached me, taking the bags from my hands gracefully. He had calm, blank eyes and wore a pressed black suit with a neon green devil's logo on his breast pocket.
"Yes?" I frowned at him, blowing a strand of hair out of my eye. "Um...who are you?"
The handsome man smiled. "My name is Clyde. I'm Mr. Noir's personal bodyguard."
"Oh." My guards dropped and I smiled at Clyde. "It's nice to meet you, Clyde. I'm Adrienne." I looked from the bags he took from me to the perimeter of the parking lot. "Is Lazareth here?"
"No, Miss. Walker," Clyde replied softly. He jerked his head towards a dark black Sedan parked close to the cart drop-off. "He sent me here to pick you up."
"Pick me up?" My heart thrummed in my chest, ringing in my ears loudly. I didn't know why, but suddenly, my palms began to feel sweaty. Something about the situation felt too...cloudy...foggy. It didn't feel right.
As Clyde helped me into the Sedan and slipped into the driver's seat, I felt bile and vomit begin to rise in my throat. The blackness of the car consumed me. There was no light to grasp on to. Heat strangled my throat and my lungs wheezed like they were too tired from trying to keep giving me air. I gripped the leather seats underneath me to try and gain some control--something I could hold and squeeze, but my fingers slipped like butter on a pan. Helpless.
Oh, God, why am I like this? I cursed myself, my throat vibrating with poorly hidden whimpers. Why can't I be strong like Kath? Why am I so afraid? Nothing's happening! Maybe he just wants to talk...yeah...talk...
I kept falsely consoling myself throughout the entire car ride, my mind swarming like an angry beehive. My vision phased between clear and foggy and my hands were clenched together so tightly I could feel the warm blood trickling down my palms.
Blood...
Ripping at my tender bottom lip, I dropped my head against the headrest behind me, sucking at the iron flavor that melted on my tongue and spread around my mouth. A sigh and a gasp left my mouth at the same time just as the car rolled to a stop in front of Olympian Deals Corporate Building, a large, black building that looked taller than the Burj Khalifa.
Clyde silently led me through the lavish grey lobby and into the elevator, hardly giving me a moment to get a good look at Lazareth's building--or, one of many buildings. It's not every day that you get to be inside a famous billionaire's office building, after all.
The floor Clyde brought me to opened up to a pair of shiny black doors. Inside, wide windows replaced the grey walls of the lobby and apart from a grey carpet and a couple of bookshelves, the only things in the room were Lazareth's large desk and chair, laptop, and stacks and folders of papers.
"Mr. Noir," Clyde coughed. From where he stood brooding by the window, Lazareth turned dramatically, his tight lips pulling into a tentative smile.
He strode towards me with large steps, taking my wet hands in his. I blushed, hoping he wouldn't mention the dark red color of my lips or the dampness of my fingers. The door shut behind me. Clyde had left, leaving me and Lazareth together.
Alone.
A shiver ran up my spine as Lazareth's firm hands slid up my arm to grip my elbow. I brought my eyes up to meet his, immediately being held captive by his dark, sharp orbs.
"I'm relieved you arrived unharmed," he murmured breathily by my ear, his lips dangerously close to the shell of my ear. I felt my earring tap against the side of my head, and I swallowed the butterflies in my body before replying.
"I don't know what you mean," I whispered. The atmosphere around us felt tight and suffocating like a larger body was holding us together for fear something would rip us apart.
"You will soon," Lazareth said. His face inched closer to me, his head angled in such a way that our lips if they touched, would meet diagonally. I felt his warm breath on my mouth--chocolate and something like burning logs. His hands dragged down my hips towards my jean pockets, and although a part of me wanted to stop this, another part begged me to drag him down and pull him into a desperate kiss.
"Here." Lazareth's slender fingers pulled my phone out of my pocket. He took a few steps away from me, his eyes significantly darker and puffing.
I licked my lips, failing to control to wail fo my heart. My chest trembled and with twitching fingers, I slowly reached to the place that Lazareth had taken my phone from...just inches from my ass.
"It's just my phone," I murmured, trying not to show him how disappointed I was.
Lazareth took a shaky breath, clicking the device on. I didn't bother to stop him. My mind felt like a hurricane and tornado blended together now. Granted, kissing Lazareth wouldn't be the first man that I would kiss, but he would certainly be the first man I willingly kissed.
"Lazareth...? I don't understand...What do you want with me--my phone?" I asked, taking a sturdy step towards him.
His brows curved towards his eyes and a frown graced his plush, soft-looking lips.
God, I almost got to know how those felt, I thought.
"This is why," Lazareth growled, his dark eyes hard as he turned the screen to show me his blinking devil logo, only this time, it was dark black, just like his eyes.
"What is it?"
"It's part of some outer company," Lazareth snarled. He reached behind his shoulder, handing me the same white box he had wrapped and given me on my graduation.
"That's not...I'm not..." I shook my hands and my head, but my Lazareth pressed the box closer to me, his jaw clenched.
"You are taking it," he stated. "I'm not taking no for an answer, Adrienne. You know I don't take no's very well."
"But why are you giving me another phone?" I asked, inspecting the box that I begrudgingly took. "I already have a working one? Do you just want another favor?"
A ghostly smile graced Lazareth's dark lips and he chuckled a low, silky chuckle. "No, Adrienne. I do not want another favor from you. I'm giving you a new phone because..." he faltered.
"Because?"
"Because that outer company...they're tracking you through this phone."
