Page 27

twenty-five

*NOEL*

I just can’t believe it. I can’t fucking believe it.

I went through the details of my contract with Sebastian.

To my relief, DeeDee actually joined us–I have an inkling that she and Sebastian might be more than just friends, but hey, I am not one to pry.

I am just glad she is there to keep an eye on me for setting up my work contract.

Sebastian signs it and hands it to me. “Take it home with you,” he says. “I am sure you want to give it a second glance.”

“Thank you, yes, I want to look through it properly,” I answer honestly.

“If you are content with it, bring it along on Monday. If not, give me a call at the weekend so we can discuss it in more detail. I know this is all on a tight schedule.”

“That’s fine,” I reassure him. “I will write you a message on Saturday either way.”

“That’s even better.” Sebastian laughs. “Then I hope to see you on Monday.”

With that, I leave the place, almost skipping along.

I decide to get all the necessary things done first, namely, quitting my other two jobs.

The downside of working at such sleazy jobs is that basically, my rights as an employee are not exactly covered.

It means I can get kicked out anytime. The plus side is that I can also quit anytime.

The club owner doesn’t even give a shit about me quitting, but the owner of the bar isn’t too happy, much to my surprise.

Once done, I make my way to Aden’s place, finally giving him a call. “Aden!” I almost yell into the phone with joy when he picks up. “I have a job! I got the job in that bar.”

“The one DeeDee recommended?” he asks.

“Yes!”

“Congratulations, Noel! That’s a really good place! I go there sometimes too.” I can almost hear the smirk in his voice. “I will make sure to frequent it more often from now on, to see my hot boyfriend at work.”

“To your service,” I chuckle. “Can I still drop by your place now?”

“I told you, you can come whenever you want. That’s what I gave you the key for. No need to ask beforehand.”

His faith in me makes it hard to breathe for a moment. When did someone ever…

“Then I’ll come.”

“Do you need me to pick you up somewhere?”

“No, I should be fine.”

“If you change your mind, call me,” he says.

“Thanks.” I pause. “Say, would you look through my contract with me? DeeDee was there when the owner set it up, but I want someone with experience to look at it.”

“Of course. We can look at it together later.”

“Isn’t it too late?”

“We are both free tomorrow,” he says in his usual calm manner. “I can take a look at your contract, send it to Lynn and then fuck you senseless.”

I should be used to the way he can be crude at times, but fuck, he gets me every time. “I can’t believe you still manage to surprise me with what you say!”

“You are surprised I’d help you with your contract?”

“No”—I glance around to check if anyone is following me. The last thing I need is to have someone listen in now—“I meant the other part.”

“Oh, you meant that I want to look at the contract before I fuck you? We can reverse the order of events, if you prefer that.”

I frown. “You are totally making fun of me now, aren’t you?”

He chuckles. “Do you want to know how I’d like to do you tonight?”

The smart thing would be to tell him to surprise me at home, but I was never known to be smart, so fuck it. “How?”

“I want you naked the moment you step through the front door. I want to bend you over the dining table with your eyes right on the painting of you. I don’t have a mirror big enough, yet, but I want to fuck you while you look at yourself.”

“A mirror…” I mutter.

“Just imagine you could see how I enter you from behind,” he continues. “The face you’d make, your pretty mouth open and gasping for air.”

I wonder what kind of expression he would make then.

“I hate you!” I huff.

“Why, are you getting hard for me already?”

“Yes, you asshole!”

“Ah, that potty mouth of yours. I expect you to put it to good use later,” Aden chuckles. “Then hurry home, and don’t let your boyfriend wait any longer.”

I glare at my phone, not sure if I want to run to Aden’s place to strangle him or run there to jump his bones. For a moment, I imagine how he would bend me over the table and fuck me. Well, jump his bones, it is. It will probably prove to be more fun than sulking.

Still, I need to find a way to pay him back. He definitely made sure to rile me up and give me that boner on purpose.

Fortunately, Ster pulls me out of my predicament by calling to ask me about the new job.

It’s way past midnight already, but it’s Ster, and I am used to him calling during ungodly hours.

The guy tends to get lost in his art at times.

I don’t think he always notices how late it actually is, once he is done with his work and ready to interact with friends and family. The only exception is Roxana.

There was a time when I used to be annoyed by how much of an airhead he could be.

But we all have our shortcomings. Ster is always truly interested in what the people close to him are doing and how they feel, and that’s more important than being upset at being called at 1 a.m.

Besides, it’s exactly the distraction I need to forget about what Aden just promised me.

“Mateo told me everything,” Ster says instead of a hello. “I am happy for you, Noel.”

“Eh, Mateo doesn’t know I got the job. I was on my first shift to see how I’d cope,” I tell him. “Then I quit at my other two places and called Aden.”

“I knew you would get the job,” Ster says simply. “No need to verify it.”

“You are such a weirdo,” I exclaim. “Why would you think that?”

“Because you are better than you give yourself credit for,” he says.

“Of course, they would want you. I bet the other bar you introduced yourself to today will want to hire you, too. You are extremely quick on the uptake, like to work at late hours, are a diligent worker, extroverted, and good at risk assessment and management,” he says.

“Plus, you are a handsome guy. You are a bar owner’s wet dream. ”

“Way to make that sound weird.”

“But it’s true.”

“Really?” I ask. “I never saw it like that.”

“Yeah, I know, Mateo knows too,” Ster says. “I am glad you are finally starting to see your own worth. And reclaiming your life, getting rid of that debt and all that.”

“Took me a while,” I mutter.

“I get why,” Ster says quietly. “I get it, Noel. It’s hard enough to let go of toxic friends, but family is a whole different issue. You don’t need to be embarrassed or ashamed,” he adds. “And you don’t need to feel guilty.”

I swallow thickly. Sterling is not one for big words, and he usually doesn’t talk much at all, but when he says something, I always know he means it.

“I am terrified,” I admit.

“I know,” he says. “But you are still doing it and taking charge of your life. You are doing all of it despite your anxiety. That’s the only way you will be able to do things: accept your anxiety as what it is, and take the challenges of life despite that.

Like you did when you entered a relationship with Aden.

You are much stronger than you believe you are. ”

“Aden said the same.”

“Aden is an incredibly smart man,” Ster says. “But that’s not all there is to him. He sees the world in a unique way, through a lens only he owns.”

“Like you do,” I say with a smile. “At heart, he is and will always be an artist.”

Ster chuckles. “Yeah, we are a special species.”

“I am just scared the other shoe will drop eventually,” I say.

“Things can’t remain perfect,” Ster says.

“The other shoe will always drop eventually. You just need to figure out what you will do once it happens and how to deal with it. That’s how life is.

It’s an up and down, and there are things you can’t influence, so the more important it is to take charge of the things you can influence. ”

“Now you almost sounded like a fortune cookie,” I mutter.

“Whatever. You know I am right.”

“I guess you are.”

“Now, go and meet your boyfriend,” Ster says. “You were on the way to meet him anyway.”

Not just meet him. I grin to myself when I hang up the phone. Who am I even kidding? I just love Aden’s attention and his desire for me. It’s obviously not my style to play hard to get. The moment I am home I want to ride his dick, or better yet, have him fulfil his promise.

The subway brings me close to Aden’s place, but usually I’d need to take the bus for the last couple of stops.

Obviously, it was impossible to catch the last one.

It’s way too late already. I could bother Aden with picking me up, but tonight I actually enjoy the walk.

Maybe, once everything is settled with my debt, I will buy myself a small, used car, or maybe a bike.

I don’t know yet.

Behind me, I hear some rustling, almost like footsteps. Turning around, I just look into the darkness of the night. Is someone following me? Not too far in the distance, I spot a group of young students, chatting and laughing with each other. Well, I am not alone.

And this is not the type of area where creepy people hang around.

I decide to pick up my pace, though. Better safe than sorry. The small fence around Aden’s townhouse is already in sight. I can see the lights in the living room on, my heart taking a leap of joy to imagine that I have so much good news to share.

There is rustling behind me again, and footsteps, making me freeze. I don’t believe it’s a coincidence anymore–I am definitely being followed.

I turn around, studying the empty street. “Is someone there?”

Something moves in the shadow of some trees, before I can finally see a person step forward.

“No way,” I mutter. “It can’t be! How?”

My mother takes a few steps forward, her eyes narrowed, her expression grim. “I finally found you.”