Page 6 of One Last Wish (The Elder World)

“W hat time is the new guy starting?” I asked Malcolm after I’d served a few customers.

“He’s coming in at ten. I’ll do all his starter paperwork in my office, then he’s all yours.”

Thanks to Daisy, I knew the new guy was twenty-six and called Darce Undergrove . Ugh! The name still screamed ‘geek in a knitted sweater.’ His parents were probably English Literature scholars from Britain, and had called him Darce because of their love of Pride and Prejudice. Gross!

I hated training new employees. It was the reason I was extra grumpy today. Training meant I had to talk to someone all fucking week! It was okay, though. By day two, he’d hate me. All my trainees did. Well, except Theo, but he was an exception.

By ten, I was busy re-stocking the bookish merchandise near the entrance. I was preoccupied refilling the bookmarks, when my eyes snapped up, taking in the man standing in front of me. Not just any man, the man. The gorgeous guy I’d been obsessed with for the last week. As if in a trance, I stood there staring at him, unable to believe what I was seeing.

“Oh, hey. I’m meant to meet with Malcolm at ten.” He greeted me with his hands in his pockets. No fucking way! He was Darce Undergrove? This had to be a dream! “I’m the new guy.”

“ You’re Darce Undergrove?” I questioned him like an idiot. It appeared I was wrong. There wasn’t a knitted piece of clothing in sight.

“I was the last time I checked.” His tone was clipped as he looked around. I took him in, trying to swallow the gasp at how beautiful this guy was. In the daylight, his face was so perfectly chiselled. Every contour I studied made him look more handsome. I couldn't bring myself to look at the rest of him in case I started drooling. His fitted black jeans and grey shirt were enough to make me wonder what was underneath.

“Darce!” Malcolm made me jump as he shouted behind me. “I’m glad you made it. Come into my office and we’ll get your paperwork done.” Malcolm patted me on the shoulder. “I see you’ve met Alora. She’ll be training you this week.”

Darce’s gaze turned into a strained stare. What was that look? It could have been hate, lust or loss. I had no idea. “ Alora? What an odd name.” Well, that was rude ! I got the impression he didn’t remember me from the club as he followed Malcolm to his office. Damnit!

“Who was that ?” Alice asked, suddenly standing next to me. I hadn’t even noticed her hair was pink until now. That girl changed her hair colour like she changed her pants. What was it with people startling me today? “Please tell me that’s Darce.”

“It would appear so.” I wasn’t even looking at her. My eyes were still fixed on the space where Darce had insulted me. If he thought he could offend people better than me, he had another thing coming. I was the queen of rudeness. You could ask anyone who knew me. “Don’t you have work to do?” I glared at Alice, wondering why she was still bugging me.

“Okay, boss. Jeez. Once you’re done with Darce, I don’t mind him helping me out the back.” She wasn’t getting her hands on him. At least until I was finished with him.

Shit! Did I even sleep with work colleagues? For this guy, I’d make an exception. If he actually found me attractive and wanted to sleep with me, that is. This man had my mind in overdrive, and I’d only spent a matter of minutes with him. How was I going to cope all day?

I was back at the till serving the customers when Malcolm and Darce emerged from the office. Taking a deep breath, I watched them head towards me. I nervously tucked the loose strands of my hair behind my ear. It didn’t matter how many times I put it up at work, parts always fell out.

“He’s all yours, Alora,” Malcolm beamed. “I’ll make sure you get paid next Friday, Darce. I’ll ring your details through to the head office now.” With that, he turned and walked back to his office.

“Thanks, Malcolm,” Darce called, his eyes firmly locked on mine. Why was it suddenly so hot in here? “Where did you want me?” Excuse me? Could I give him my honest answer?

“I...Um...I...Y...Yo...You can start at the till, I guess. Have you worked in customer service before?”

“Nope, never.” I couldn’t quite work out his accent. Did I hear a hint of British in his tone? He made his way around the cashier desk, keeping his distance from me and putting his hands back in his jean pockets. “I’ve never used a till, either.”

“Oh, it’s pretty simple. Technology does all the work for us, these days. If you watch me a few times, maybe after lunch you can have a go.”

“Have you worked here long?”

“Four years.”

“You must really like books.”

“I do.” As I turned to look at him, I swept my tongue out to wet my bottom lip. “Darce is an interesting name. Were your parents fans of Jane Austen?”

“Who?” Wow! This guy might be moodier than me .

“Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice ?” Apparently not. He was still looking at me blankly. Not a fan of the classics, it would seem. “I was wondering if you’d been named after him, that’s all.”

“My name is Darce . It’s not taken or abbreviated from anything . I certainly wouldn't be named after a mere character from a book !”

“Okay,” I replied, scratching my neck uncomfortably. I was glad to finally see a customer headed our way.

We stood there in an awkward silence for a few hours. Darce watched me like a hawk with the customers, his hands hardly leaving his pockets as he took in everything I was doing.

This was why I preferred one night stands. Now that this guy had opened his mouth, he was already aggravating me. Why did his face have to be so perfect each time I gazed at him! I wanted to scream!

“You might have to take your hands out of your pockets after lunch,” I spat towards him before storming off to get some lunch. I wasn’t close enough to hear his witty response.

Grabbing a coffee and sandwich a few blocks down, I breathed in deeply. I still had five hours with this guy today, and the rest of the week to get through. As crazy as it sounded, I missed Theo. At least he’d be in once I got back. I had been busy planning the first midnight release party at Bookends and needed to run through some of the details with him. As expected, he was the only person that volunteered to work the night shift with me.

Alice was flirting with Darce when I walked back into the shop. She was sitting on the counter, giving him her best come to bed eyes.

“Malcolm must have gone home for you to be sitting there. Great first impression for our customers, Alice. Well done!” I complained, shooting daggers at her.

“Alora is a bitch. You’ll get used to her.” I gave Alice the finger as I moved behind the till. “Is Theo in yet?”

“Yeah, he’s just taking his coat off. Can I go on break now?”

“Yes. Fuck off.” Alice jumped down from the desk, winking at Darce as she left.

“You’re a ray of sunshine, aren’t you?” Darce snorted, taking his hands out of his pockets.

“Are you ready to use the till?” I was done with small chat. He’d had the chance to be nice this morning.

“I think I’m more than capable, yes.” Oh, he was so sure of himself. This would be fun. I wasn’t planning on offering him any assistance if something went wrong.

Annoyingly, Darce was a natural and served the first three customers extremely well. When the till locked, as it did most days, I had to intervene. I was taken back by how much he recoiled as our hands almost touched. “Jeez, I wasn’t going to slam your hand in the cash register.”

“No, it’s not that. I just don’t like being touched.” Tilting my head towards him, I gave him an understanding smile. “I don’t like to talk about it.”

“I don’t like to talk, period. We’re good.” That got a smirk from his beautiful face. I was about to say something when Theo finally came to the desk.

“Hey, man, I’m Theo. You must be Darce?”

“That would be me.” Darce sighed, looking like he might be sizing Theo up.

“Alice said you needed me, Alora.” Why did Theo have to say it that way?

“It’s about the midnight release party. I’m thinking of hosting it the first Saturday in December for the next Future of Dawn book.”

“You know whatever you decide, I’m in. Tell me when and I’ll be there.”

“The first Saturday in December. Alora just told you,” Darce replied, crossing his arms in obvious annoyance. “Am I getting any more training today, or do I have to listen to you two banging on about a midnight release party instead?” Theo stood there with his eyes wide before scurrying off somewhere.

“I’ll show you how to do refunds on the till,” I replied, trying to change the subject. Feeling my hair begin to loosen in its tie, I let it down for a few short seconds, running my fingers through it to help put it back up. I couldn't be sure, but I thought I heard a sharp intake of breath from Darce. Side-eying him, I noticed he was taking a step back from me.

“I didn’t get to thank you at the club on Saturday,” I commented, turning to look at him as I put my hair back up.

“I wasn’t sure if you’d remember it was me,” Darce admitted, his hands slipping back into his pockets. What was the deal with the whole touching thing?

“I was wondering the same thing.”

“You’re pretty hard to forget, Alora.” The moment his words came out, it seemed as if he regretted them. Pain...there was pure pain in his jet black eyes.

“Wow! Are you giving me a compliment ? That would be completely different from the Darce this morning.”

“I’m known to be grumpy in the morning.”

“Noted,” I snorted, going back to showing him how to do a refund.

––––––––

B Y THE TIME I GOT HOME , I was more exhausted than I’d been in months. The changes in Darce today had given me whiplash. Thankfully, Evelyn was out with her parents tonight. I quickly heated up some leftover vegetable soup for dinner. I only had around a hundred pages of Secret Assassin left and I planned on finishing it before I went to sleep.

Once I showered and dressed in my night clothes, I settled down on my bed to read my book.

Of course the book finished on another cliffhanger. Frustrated, I threw it across the floor. Why did authors do that? Don’t they think of the readers at all? Mel and Jack, the two main assassins in the series, had such a cat and mouse story until now. Just as I thought they were finally going to be together, boom, Jack gets captured. The author better write the next one quickly. I was already a bag of nerves worrying about them! If Jack died, I was going to riot!

I put some music on to try and help me sleep, but it took a while to get the book ending out of my mind. Finally, I slipped under.

––––––––

I ’M MEL THE ASSASSIN . I’m standing on top of a building, watching a magical city below. I check my daggers before pulling my hood up, and then I’m free falling. The air is so fast, my face is burning from the coldness. I brace myself for impact with my hands, landing perfectly.

With a glance at my surroundings, I realise I’m in an old-style amphitheatre. Someone in a purple cloak stands in front of me.

It might be a wizard. He draws a green power from his hands. Yep, definitely a wizard.

“Let him go!” I yell at the evil wizard.

“Why should I? You don’t deserve him.” He sneers.

“Whether I deserve him or not doesn't matter. I will set him free.”

“Free?” The wizard snorts. “Neither of you will ever be free. Can’t you see that?”

“Everyone has the choice to be free.”

“Not you. Your fate was decided long ago. You have no choice.”

“I make my own choices! Let. Him. Go!” I’d get Jack back in my dream. It would make me feel better while I waited for the next book. Plus, it was quicker than writing some fanfiction with the ending I wanted. Why was I even thinking all this in my dream? I felt weirdly awake and alert.

“You’re too late. He’s already dead.” The evil wizard cackles, revealing a dead body beneath his feet.

It’s not just any body, either . It’s Darce! He’s covered in blood, his jet-black eyes soulless. I’d literally only properly met the guy today and already he was the hero in my dream?

“No!” I scream, rushing for him, but the wizard blasts a force that I can’t break through.

“You can’t ever have him! I told you this! YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO HAVE HIM!”

“He was never mine!” I scream. “How could you?”

“You’ll never have him!” He’d already said that! The dialog in my dream was awful. I’d have to work on that.

The ground begins to rumble beneath my feet, so much that I can barely stand. Cracks appear, I lose my footing and fall to the ground.

“ALORA!” I can hear a faint cry. My mind has completely mixed up Darce and my male shadow voice now. Darce is lying dead on the floor, so it can’t be him, but it sure as hell sounds like him. Perhaps there’s a little bit more of the British accent. “ALORA!” he calls again.

Something shakes me awake softly.

––––––––

A LL I SAW WAS DARKNESS when I opened my eyes. I put my hand near my face, confused that I couldn’t see an outline of my hand. Why was it so dark in here? Usually, with the street light outside I had a dim stream of light that came through my blinds.

Moving, I fumbled to find my lamp and turn it on. Finally, I had light in here. Walking over to the window, I noticed the street light wasn’t working. That explained the darkness.

Well, at least the dream wasn’t about shadows this time. Plus, it made perfect sense considering I’d been working with Darce all day and had finished my book earlier.

Lying back on my bed, I let my mind wander back to my day with Darce. The moment he’d walked in and I had realised it was him . All those moody, irritated stares he’d given me in the morning. The breathtaking smirks and smiles I got in the afternoon.

“You’re pretty hard to forget, Alora.”

Darce had said that to me . Did that mean he liked me? Was he attracted to me? And what was his deal with not liking to be touched? How was he intimate with people if he didn’t let them touch him?

Fuck! What if he didn’t like being intimate with people? If that was the case, I was in trouble. My body was already craving him. It felt like it was calling out to him, almost as if something deep inside me had been awoken.

So much for a quiet life. I might end up regretting that I ever met Darce Undergrove .