The Sage Haze- Chapter Thirty
In this episode: Sheera's become annoyed with her boss and Damien is delighting in his new relationship with Jared. The post would be longer, but LJ sucks!!! So the next post and this one is super short! Grrr
The Sage Haze
Chapter Thirty
Jared was still awake when Damien’s alarm clock went off the next morning. He quickly extended his arm over to the bedside table, careful not to disturb the body draped over him, and turned the alarm off. His mind had been a whirl wind all bloody night and he wouldn’t have been able to sleep even if he’d wanted to. Damien had gone back under, but his sleep had been restless. No more nightmares, thank God, but it wasn’t a peaceful sleep either.
Lifting a hand, Jared let his fingers trail over the shoulder pressed against his jaw. Damien had a lithe body. So slim many people probably underestimated his strength. But Jared knew how strong he was physically and mentally. He was strong in so many ways. But mentally he was cracked. He would always be cracked. Just as Shrod had said, no amount of therapy would fix that. Jared believed Damien had probably been born this way. That woman… she hadn’t been the best expecting mother, hadn’t kept healthy nor had she cared about the fetus growing within her. She was known to have indulged in illegal substances before and during the pregnancy, even when Shrod threatened her and begged her not to.
Not to say Damien wasn’t intelligent. He was. Very. And he knew business just as much as Jared did. What made Damien special was the fact he accepted his mental afflictions; enjoyed them and used them to his advantage. To someone like Jared, that was enticing. Damien just needed someone to keep him in line sometimes. To make sure he didn’t go too far… in public. His friends- their friends- had done a brilliant job of it so far. And now Damien had opened to him and would let Jared take care of him in a way the others couldn’t.
Jared’s lips replaced his caressing fingers, tasting the pale skin readily available as he remembered his first meeting with Damien in Shrod’s office. Jared had of course seen pictures of the Shrod heir before he’d been hired. He’d done a thorough examination of Shrod Industries before accepting the unbelievable job he’d been offered. But no pictures had done the spoiled heir justice. Jared wasn’t too much into relationships. Usually too busy, a little too cold hearted, and just not motivated enough for it. He was a cold blooded killer, for fuck’s sake. He had no business looking for something more than a one night stand. But then Damien had strode into the office with a wide grin, calling out a cheerful greeting to his father and Jared had been struck with a painful amount of lust and want.
Jared smiled against Damien’s heated skin and allowed his lips to trail over to the ear that wasn’t pressed against his chest as he was immersed in that meeting. Damien had seen him standing in front of his father’s desk and that cheerful smile had dropped and the heir’s eyes had frosted over completely and that was the start of their less than friendly association. Damien had been seething by the time he’d stormed from his father’s office, having been told he and Jared would be working closely together for the unforeseeable future.
Damien’s fury had been a turn on as well and Jared had made it his mission to rile Damien up whenever he could and over the two years, he learned that he couldn’t do without pulling reactions from the natural blond. Some of them were lovely dangerous reactions. Jared even enjoyed the spoiled tantrums. And he could deal with Damien’s flamboyancy. Jared rather thought it was cute and finally he found he was defiantly motivated to keep Damien Shrod the Third.
Damien stirred when Jared’s tongue curled around his earlobe. “Mmm.”
“Awake yet?”
“Not yet,” Damien slurred sleepily. “Keep doing what you’re doing and I’ll wake up soon.”
Mentally, Damien may still be asleep but Jared could feel his lover’s hard cock pressing against his stomach so he continued tasting Damien’s skin and skimming his hands all across Damien’s back and fine ass until the blond was groaning and rutting against him. Damien finally lifted his face off Jared’s chest to face him and instantly dipped down for a kiss. It was an opened mouth kiss with a lot of tongue and saliva. It was sloppy and loaded with heat and utterly breathtaking.
When Damien pulled away he scrunched up his nose. “Gross. Morning breath.”
Jared grinned. “Your breath isn’t so great either.”
“Liar. I’m perfect all the time.”
Jared dropped his hands to grip Damien’s hips to shift his lover until their cocks were pressing and rubbing against each other. Jared hissed out a breath and let his head fall back to the pillow. Despite his claims of morning breath, it was Damien who instigated the next kiss, this one just as explosive as the first and they started to move in sync, panting and sweating against each other and they didn’t stop until they’d both fallen over the edge and created a mess between them.
After, Damien rolled over as if he planned to go right back to sleep, but Jared dragged him out of the bed and into the shower.
“But I want more sleep!” Damien protested as he was shoved under the hot spraying water.
“You’ve got work. Remember? The Sage? Renovations,” he reminded patiently.
Damien tsked. “Oh yeah.”
He remained silent as Jared poured shampoo into his hand and began to massage it into his hair. He couldn’t help but lift his hands and grip those fucking fantastic shoulders to keep from collapsing under the emotions flooding him. This was still new. The whole waking up with someone and feeling content. The shower thing was definitely new too. And Jared was staring into his eyes as he washed Damien’s hair and there was nothing but fondness and heat and…
Damien shook his head and cleared his throat. “Gonna color my hair again.”
“Canary yellow?” Jared asked with a grin.
Damien laughed. “No, idiot. I was thinking I Love You Pink.”
The hands in his hair stilled and Damien only realized what he said. “I mean… that’s the color… that the name of the color! I didn’t mean--” he was panicking now, hyperventilating, “I wasn’t implying…I mean, you--”
Jared shoved him back under the water. “Breathe, princess.”
Damien spit water out of his mouth. “How can I breathe? You’re drowning me!”
“You look good wet,” Jared went on, now rinsing the soapy suds out of Damien’s hair. “And pink may be a little too much for me to handle.”
“Dark, dark purple then. Violet?”
“Sure,” Jared replied, smirking. “Your father would love that.”
“I won’t be in the office much until after New Years,” Damien reminded, grinning. “Midterms. The last of school. Yay!”
“That’s right. Then you’ll graduate and be underfoot all the time at the office.”
“You’re just afraid I’ll try to seduce you out of your nice suits. And I will,” he added with a smug grin.
“Our receptionists will probably start another betting pool… did you know your father put in on that?” Damien gaped at him. “It’s true.”
“Stupid daddy,” he muttered as they switched places and Jared started washing his own hair while Damien grabbed for his body wash. “Why was everyone always on your side? It’s the fake accent, isn’t it?”
“My accent is not fake.”
“The British one, yes it is. Do you think I’m an idiot, Jared?”
Jared only replied by grinning.
After the shower and when they were dressed, the two moved out into the main room. Damien immediately went to the kitchen for coffee. Jared trailed after him, leaning up against the table to watch him. Damien didn’t look like he was going to start it. And truthfully, Jared didn’t want to bring it up, but he knew it had to be done.
“You’re not the same,” he began. Damien’s back was to him and the blond stilled in his actions. “You’re not fourteen anymore.”
“I know that,” came the soft reply.
“You’re not defenseless anymore either. You’ve had--”
“I don’t want to talk about this,” Damien cut in, still with the same soft voice. He hadn’t moved an inch.
Jared pushed off against the table and pressed against his lover’s back, wrapping arms around the trembling blond. “You’ve had years of self defense training,” he went on, pressing his lips against Damien’s neck. “And you’re smarter now than you were then. You’re less closed off, less sheltered. You’re a bit more insane, which in my opinion, works to your advantage against any adversary.”
Damien whipped his head to the side to stare Jared in the eye. Then he snorted in amusement and nodded.
“You should know I’ll protect you from anything. I’ll protect you no matter what you do or what happens after.”
Damien sucked in a breath. That had sounded… “What’s that mean?” he whispered.
“I think you know what I’m trying to say, Damien.”
Damien let his chin fall to his chest, willing his breathing to go back to normal. “I don’t think the world is ready for a team like us,” he murmured, truly believing what he was saying. He felt his lover nodding against the side of his head.
“You’re also bloody amazing with a knife,” Jared pointed out as an afterthought. “Next time you have that dream, imagine sticking that knife in whoever’s throat.”
Damien was silent for a moment and then said very seriously, “I want to use an ice pick.”
Jared flashed a white toothed grin. “That’ll work.”
The blond turned in his arms until they were chest to chest. “Did it… did it turn you on when I cut that man’s throat?”
Jared cleared his throat and lifted a hand to scratch the back of his head. “N-no, of course not. I didn’t even see you do that.”
“What about Hudson? You saw me poke him three times.”
Jared’s eyes skidded away from Damien’s. “What kind of sick bastard do you think I am?” Damien grinned widely. “Fine. Maybe a little bit. You were so excited to do it… you were-fuck yes! Alright! Yes, I was turned on… a little.”
Sheera walked in via the back door of Strathom’s at eight in the morning and gritted her teeth. Why in the hell had she agreed to open up today when she’d been the one to close shop last night? Jake called her last night asking her to do it, and even though she’d told him to fuck off, both of them knew she would do it. Why couldn’t Jake open the goddamned store himself? What was keeping him away? He hadn’t come in yesterday either… But really, Sheera wasn’t going to complain, not when she knew he was giving her winter break off without bitching about it and he had every right to. Year after year he had the right because she skipped off at a very busy time in the year. And because of the time of year, she was pretty damn sure Jake wouldn’t be able to accept Damien’s goddamned offer to join them on their annual ski trip.
At a quarter till nine, Sheera unlocked the front door, letting Dan, Lex, and Stella into the store. Stella locked the door back up behind her as they came in. Sheera quickly returned to the back room, having noticed both girls studying her face again. No matter how much makeup she put on, it was not enough to cover up the bruise gained from Damien- poor sweetie- and she didn’t want to stick around to be ogled at. For a flamer, Damien hit just as hard as any strait man could.
Sheera didn’t leave the back until ten. The girls had already opened the door and the store had a good amount of business that morning. The crowd grew throughout the day and Sheera was counting down the minutes until she could escape on a lunch break. She sighed tiredly as she went into the dressing room to help Lex pull the discarded clothing out and return it to the appropriate racks out on the floor. She was just entered the third stall when it became free, glowering at the many items of clothing left behind, when a voice spoke from behind.
“Lunch time about now, isn’t it?”
Sheera was both annoyed and pleased to hear his voice. Though she didn’t let on that she was pleased. She didn’t want to be pleased. And Sheera simply hated that she adored his southern twang. “Why do you always bug me?”
“Seems to be obvious to everyone but you.”
“Was that permission to go to lunch?” Sheera asked as she turned to face him, depositing the load of clothes she had against Jake’s chest and dropping, making him have to hurry and catch his merchandise before it hit the floor. He stared at the clothes with a frown. Sheera grinned at his annoyance when his eyes lifted. Seconds passed and then his frown deepened as his eyes took in her face. The bruise. Sheera felt compelled to step back. She knew the moment he saw it. His light blue eyes darkened and narrowed. “Lunch?” she asked again.
“…yes.”
Sheera took off without another word or backward glance. Grabbing her bag, Sheera headed out of the store and down the bustling walk to her favorite lunch time fetish. The sushi bar. Once she’d ordered, Sheera took up her usual place by the window and pulled out her cell, calling Damien.
“She! Hey baby!”
Sheera smiled. He was in a spectacular mood apparently. “Sweetie,” she greeted. “Up for a visit tonight?”
“Course! Caleb’s coming over. We’re watching a game. Not sure what the domesticates are doing-hold on, She-WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING? ARE YOU TRYING TO BRING THE ENTIRE PLACE DOWN? I DON’T BELIEVE THAT’S WHAT I’M PAYING YOU FOR!”
Sheera laughed quietly as she held the phone away from her ear, noticing the glances received from the man sitting at the table next to her who could surely hear Damien’s screeching. “He’s menstruating,” she told the nosy ass, waving her phone slightly. The guy looked affronted and turned slightly in his chair so that he was facing away from her. Sheera flashed a smile at his back.
“Who’s menstruating? Sheera? Hey, ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?!”
“Yes, Damien. I’m listening.”
“Anyway, so yes! Come over.”
“Alright… You-- Did you… Damien,” she sighed.
“I’m good, She. Jared… He’s fucked up, Sheera! He’s totally perfect for me-NOT THERE YOU FUCKING MORON-but I’ll tell you about that when I see you.”
“Damien, where are you and why are you screaming?”
“I’m at the Sage. Overseeing the renovations. WHICH DOESN’T SEEM TO BE GOING ALL THAT WELL!”
“Jesus, I’d hate to work for you,” she muttered. “Alright then! I’ll see you later.”
“Love you, fag hag!”
“Love you too, queer
Sheera had just dropped her cell back into her bag when the seat opposite her was suddenly occupied. She rolled her eyes and told herself she should have expected this. It’s not like this was the first time they’d eaten together. “Didn’t you just get to work?”
“What happened to your face?” he asked flatly.
“What’s it look like? Obviously someone took a fist to it.”
Jake look surprised that she admitted it without much fight. “Was it that punk ex boyfriend of yours?”
Sheera snorted. “Marc? Yeah, right… I’d like to see him or any straight man get one over on me like that.”
Jake sat back and continued to study her face, a smile curving his lips. “So it was a woman.”
Sheera rolled her eyes. “Why is it all guys like the idea of two chicks beating the hell out of each other? Why is that okay when it’s not okay for a guy to have hit me?”
“Because if it were a woman, you probably started it.”
“Fuck you, Jake. For your information, it was Damien.”
“I refuse to believe it,” Jake said flatly. Sheera smiled. Even Jake knew Damien would never willingly hurt her.
“He was having a nightmare and clocked me. No big deal.”
Jake didn’t answer right away. Just sat back, throwing his arm over the back of his chair and watched her eat. Which was kind of nerve wracking since she was the only one eating. “Sleep with him often?” he asked, his voice perfectly casual.
“Since junior high. Don’t expect to do it much longer though since Damien and Jared are now a serious item.”
“So, what? You sleep with each other for kicks? Stress relief?”
“Comfort,” Sheera said with a shrug and finally looked at him. The look on his face had her blinking in surprise and then amusement. “There’s no sex, dick. You actually think Damien would have sex with a girl?”
Jake shrugged, looking away to get over feeling embarrassed at having thought that exact thing. Sheera snickered under her breath. “You’re a bitch, Sheera.”
“Thanks, boss. I try just for you,” she said, flashing him a smile. One in which he returned.
Once she’d finished eating, they went back to the store. Jake took up in the back while Sheera busied herself in the front. Work was… work. Nothing extraordinary happened, for which she was grateful. And then Jake let her off early since she closed the night before and opened this morning.
“Try and not come back with a face full of bruises next time,” Jake said as he followed her out of the back door.
“I’ll give you a face full of bruises,” she responded, immediately pulling out a cigarette and leaned against the wall beside the door. This seemed to be a regular occurrence for them as well. If Jake was around when she got off, they’d talk while she smoked a cigarette before she went home. It had never really bothered her before. It seemed natural. They may be assholes to each other, but there was no denying that they weren’t friends because they were.
“Got any plans tonight, Jake?”
“Why, you want to join?” he responded, smiling and leaning back to cross his arms over his chest.
Sheera ignored his flirty smile. “No thanks. Only curious,” she muttered and tossed the cigarette into the ashtray. As she fished out her keys from her purse she said, “must go before Damien calls and shrieks out my eardrums.”
Jake pushed off the wall. “Are you on his payroll as well?”
Sheera laughed. “Might as well be. But no, I just…” she turned to meet his gaze and was suddenly looking serious. Then she laughed again. “He needs constant supervision. Bye, Jake.”
“I’ll see you,” he replied lowly.
Sheera didn’t dare look back at him as she made for her car.
The Sage Haze
Chapter Thirty
Jared was still awake when Damien’s alarm clock went off the next morning. He quickly extended his arm over to the bedside table, careful not to disturb the body draped over him, and turned the alarm off. His mind had been a whirl wind all bloody night and he wouldn’t have been able to sleep even if he’d wanted to. Damien had gone back under, but his sleep had been restless. No more nightmares, thank God, but it wasn’t a peaceful sleep either.
Lifting a hand, Jared let his fingers trail over the shoulder pressed against his jaw. Damien had a lithe body. So slim many people probably underestimated his strength. But Jared knew how strong he was physically and mentally. He was strong in so many ways. But mentally he was cracked. He would always be cracked. Just as Shrod had said, no amount of therapy would fix that. Jared believed Damien had probably been born this way. That woman… she hadn’t been the best expecting mother, hadn’t kept healthy nor had she cared about the fetus growing within her. She was known to have indulged in illegal substances before and during the pregnancy, even when Shrod threatened her and begged her not to.
Not to say Damien wasn’t intelligent. He was. Very. And he knew business just as much as Jared did. What made Damien special was the fact he accepted his mental afflictions; enjoyed them and used them to his advantage. To someone like Jared, that was enticing. Damien just needed someone to keep him in line sometimes. To make sure he didn’t go too far… in public. His friends- their friends- had done a brilliant job of it so far. And now Damien had opened to him and would let Jared take care of him in a way the others couldn’t.
Jared’s lips replaced his caressing fingers, tasting the pale skin readily available as he remembered his first meeting with Damien in Shrod’s office. Jared had of course seen pictures of the Shrod heir before he’d been hired. He’d done a thorough examination of Shrod Industries before accepting the unbelievable job he’d been offered. But no pictures had done the spoiled heir justice. Jared wasn’t too much into relationships. Usually too busy, a little too cold hearted, and just not motivated enough for it. He was a cold blooded killer, for fuck’s sake. He had no business looking for something more than a one night stand. But then Damien had strode into the office with a wide grin, calling out a cheerful greeting to his father and Jared had been struck with a painful amount of lust and want.
Jared smiled against Damien’s heated skin and allowed his lips to trail over to the ear that wasn’t pressed against his chest as he was immersed in that meeting. Damien had seen him standing in front of his father’s desk and that cheerful smile had dropped and the heir’s eyes had frosted over completely and that was the start of their less than friendly association. Damien had been seething by the time he’d stormed from his father’s office, having been told he and Jared would be working closely together for the unforeseeable future.
Damien’s fury had been a turn on as well and Jared had made it his mission to rile Damien up whenever he could and over the two years, he learned that he couldn’t do without pulling reactions from the natural blond. Some of them were lovely dangerous reactions. Jared even enjoyed the spoiled tantrums. And he could deal with Damien’s flamboyancy. Jared rather thought it was cute and finally he found he was defiantly motivated to keep Damien Shrod the Third.
Damien stirred when Jared’s tongue curled around his earlobe. “Mmm.”
“Awake yet?”
“Not yet,” Damien slurred sleepily. “Keep doing what you’re doing and I’ll wake up soon.”
Mentally, Damien may still be asleep but Jared could feel his lover’s hard cock pressing against his stomach so he continued tasting Damien’s skin and skimming his hands all across Damien’s back and fine ass until the blond was groaning and rutting against him. Damien finally lifted his face off Jared’s chest to face him and instantly dipped down for a kiss. It was an opened mouth kiss with a lot of tongue and saliva. It was sloppy and loaded with heat and utterly breathtaking.
When Damien pulled away he scrunched up his nose. “Gross. Morning breath.”
Jared grinned. “Your breath isn’t so great either.”
“Liar. I’m perfect all the time.”
Jared dropped his hands to grip Damien’s hips to shift his lover until their cocks were pressing and rubbing against each other. Jared hissed out a breath and let his head fall back to the pillow. Despite his claims of morning breath, it was Damien who instigated the next kiss, this one just as explosive as the first and they started to move in sync, panting and sweating against each other and they didn’t stop until they’d both fallen over the edge and created a mess between them.
After, Damien rolled over as if he planned to go right back to sleep, but Jared dragged him out of the bed and into the shower.
“But I want more sleep!” Damien protested as he was shoved under the hot spraying water.
“You’ve got work. Remember? The Sage? Renovations,” he reminded patiently.
Damien tsked. “Oh yeah.”
He remained silent as Jared poured shampoo into his hand and began to massage it into his hair. He couldn’t help but lift his hands and grip those fucking fantastic shoulders to keep from collapsing under the emotions flooding him. This was still new. The whole waking up with someone and feeling content. The shower thing was definitely new too. And Jared was staring into his eyes as he washed Damien’s hair and there was nothing but fondness and heat and…
Damien shook his head and cleared his throat. “Gonna color my hair again.”
“Canary yellow?” Jared asked with a grin.
Damien laughed. “No, idiot. I was thinking I Love You Pink.”
The hands in his hair stilled and Damien only realized what he said. “I mean… that’s the color… that the name of the color! I didn’t mean--” he was panicking now, hyperventilating, “I wasn’t implying…I mean, you--”
Jared shoved him back under the water. “Breathe, princess.”
Damien spit water out of his mouth. “How can I breathe? You’re drowning me!”
“You look good wet,” Jared went on, now rinsing the soapy suds out of Damien’s hair. “And pink may be a little too much for me to handle.”
“Dark, dark purple then. Violet?”
“Sure,” Jared replied, smirking. “Your father would love that.”
“I won’t be in the office much until after New Years,” Damien reminded, grinning. “Midterms. The last of school. Yay!”
“That’s right. Then you’ll graduate and be underfoot all the time at the office.”
“You’re just afraid I’ll try to seduce you out of your nice suits. And I will,” he added with a smug grin.
“Our receptionists will probably start another betting pool… did you know your father put in on that?” Damien gaped at him. “It’s true.”
“Stupid daddy,” he muttered as they switched places and Jared started washing his own hair while Damien grabbed for his body wash. “Why was everyone always on your side? It’s the fake accent, isn’t it?”
“My accent is not fake.”
“The British one, yes it is. Do you think I’m an idiot, Jared?”
Jared only replied by grinning.
After the shower and when they were dressed, the two moved out into the main room. Damien immediately went to the kitchen for coffee. Jared trailed after him, leaning up against the table to watch him. Damien didn’t look like he was going to start it. And truthfully, Jared didn’t want to bring it up, but he knew it had to be done.
“You’re not the same,” he began. Damien’s back was to him and the blond stilled in his actions. “You’re not fourteen anymore.”
“I know that,” came the soft reply.
“You’re not defenseless anymore either. You’ve had--”
“I don’t want to talk about this,” Damien cut in, still with the same soft voice. He hadn’t moved an inch.
Jared pushed off against the table and pressed against his lover’s back, wrapping arms around the trembling blond. “You’ve had years of self defense training,” he went on, pressing his lips against Damien’s neck. “And you’re smarter now than you were then. You’re less closed off, less sheltered. You’re a bit more insane, which in my opinion, works to your advantage against any adversary.”
Damien whipped his head to the side to stare Jared in the eye. Then he snorted in amusement and nodded.
“You should know I’ll protect you from anything. I’ll protect you no matter what you do or what happens after.”
Damien sucked in a breath. That had sounded… “What’s that mean?” he whispered.
“I think you know what I’m trying to say, Damien.”
Damien let his chin fall to his chest, willing his breathing to go back to normal. “I don’t think the world is ready for a team like us,” he murmured, truly believing what he was saying. He felt his lover nodding against the side of his head.
“You’re also bloody amazing with a knife,” Jared pointed out as an afterthought. “Next time you have that dream, imagine sticking that knife in whoever’s throat.”
Damien was silent for a moment and then said very seriously, “I want to use an ice pick.”
Jared flashed a white toothed grin. “That’ll work.”
The blond turned in his arms until they were chest to chest. “Did it… did it turn you on when I cut that man’s throat?”
Jared cleared his throat and lifted a hand to scratch the back of his head. “N-no, of course not. I didn’t even see you do that.”
“What about Hudson? You saw me poke him three times.”
Jared’s eyes skidded away from Damien’s. “What kind of sick bastard do you think I am?” Damien grinned widely. “Fine. Maybe a little bit. You were so excited to do it… you were-fuck yes! Alright! Yes, I was turned on… a little.”
Sheera walked in via the back door of Strathom’s at eight in the morning and gritted her teeth. Why in the hell had she agreed to open up today when she’d been the one to close shop last night? Jake called her last night asking her to do it, and even though she’d told him to fuck off, both of them knew she would do it. Why couldn’t Jake open the goddamned store himself? What was keeping him away? He hadn’t come in yesterday either… But really, Sheera wasn’t going to complain, not when she knew he was giving her winter break off without bitching about it and he had every right to. Year after year he had the right because she skipped off at a very busy time in the year. And because of the time of year, she was pretty damn sure Jake wouldn’t be able to accept Damien’s goddamned offer to join them on their annual ski trip.
At a quarter till nine, Sheera unlocked the front door, letting Dan, Lex, and Stella into the store. Stella locked the door back up behind her as they came in. Sheera quickly returned to the back room, having noticed both girls studying her face again. No matter how much makeup she put on, it was not enough to cover up the bruise gained from Damien- poor sweetie- and she didn’t want to stick around to be ogled at. For a flamer, Damien hit just as hard as any strait man could.
Sheera didn’t leave the back until ten. The girls had already opened the door and the store had a good amount of business that morning. The crowd grew throughout the day and Sheera was counting down the minutes until she could escape on a lunch break. She sighed tiredly as she went into the dressing room to help Lex pull the discarded clothing out and return it to the appropriate racks out on the floor. She was just entered the third stall when it became free, glowering at the many items of clothing left behind, when a voice spoke from behind.
“Lunch time about now, isn’t it?”
Sheera was both annoyed and pleased to hear his voice. Though she didn’t let on that she was pleased. She didn’t want to be pleased. And Sheera simply hated that she adored his southern twang. “Why do you always bug me?”
“Seems to be obvious to everyone but you.”
“Was that permission to go to lunch?” Sheera asked as she turned to face him, depositing the load of clothes she had against Jake’s chest and dropping, making him have to hurry and catch his merchandise before it hit the floor. He stared at the clothes with a frown. Sheera grinned at his annoyance when his eyes lifted. Seconds passed and then his frown deepened as his eyes took in her face. The bruise. Sheera felt compelled to step back. She knew the moment he saw it. His light blue eyes darkened and narrowed. “Lunch?” she asked again.
“…yes.”
Sheera took off without another word or backward glance. Grabbing her bag, Sheera headed out of the store and down the bustling walk to her favorite lunch time fetish. The sushi bar. Once she’d ordered, Sheera took up her usual place by the window and pulled out her cell, calling Damien.
“She! Hey baby!”
Sheera smiled. He was in a spectacular mood apparently. “Sweetie,” she greeted. “Up for a visit tonight?”
“Course! Caleb’s coming over. We’re watching a game. Not sure what the domesticates are doing-hold on, She-WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING? ARE YOU TRYING TO BRING THE ENTIRE PLACE DOWN? I DON’T BELIEVE THAT’S WHAT I’M PAYING YOU FOR!”
Sheera laughed quietly as she held the phone away from her ear, noticing the glances received from the man sitting at the table next to her who could surely hear Damien’s screeching. “He’s menstruating,” she told the nosy ass, waving her phone slightly. The guy looked affronted and turned slightly in his chair so that he was facing away from her. Sheera flashed a smile at his back.
“Who’s menstruating? Sheera? Hey, ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?!”
“Yes, Damien. I’m listening.”
“Anyway, so yes! Come over.”
“Alright… You-- Did you… Damien,” she sighed.
“I’m good, She. Jared… He’s fucked up, Sheera! He’s totally perfect for me-NOT THERE YOU FUCKING MORON-but I’ll tell you about that when I see you.”
“Damien, where are you and why are you screaming?”
“I’m at the Sage. Overseeing the renovations. WHICH DOESN’T SEEM TO BE GOING ALL THAT WELL!”
“Jesus, I’d hate to work for you,” she muttered. “Alright then! I’ll see you later.”
“Love you, fag hag!”
“Love you too, queer
Sheera had just dropped her cell back into her bag when the seat opposite her was suddenly occupied. She rolled her eyes and told herself she should have expected this. It’s not like this was the first time they’d eaten together. “Didn’t you just get to work?”
“What happened to your face?” he asked flatly.
“What’s it look like? Obviously someone took a fist to it.”
Jake look surprised that she admitted it without much fight. “Was it that punk ex boyfriend of yours?”
Sheera snorted. “Marc? Yeah, right… I’d like to see him or any straight man get one over on me like that.”
Jake sat back and continued to study her face, a smile curving his lips. “So it was a woman.”
Sheera rolled her eyes. “Why is it all guys like the idea of two chicks beating the hell out of each other? Why is that okay when it’s not okay for a guy to have hit me?”
“Because if it were a woman, you probably started it.”
“Fuck you, Jake. For your information, it was Damien.”
“I refuse to believe it,” Jake said flatly. Sheera smiled. Even Jake knew Damien would never willingly hurt her.
“He was having a nightmare and clocked me. No big deal.”
Jake didn’t answer right away. Just sat back, throwing his arm over the back of his chair and watched her eat. Which was kind of nerve wracking since she was the only one eating. “Sleep with him often?” he asked, his voice perfectly casual.
“Since junior high. Don’t expect to do it much longer though since Damien and Jared are now a serious item.”
“So, what? You sleep with each other for kicks? Stress relief?”
“Comfort,” Sheera said with a shrug and finally looked at him. The look on his face had her blinking in surprise and then amusement. “There’s no sex, dick. You actually think Damien would have sex with a girl?”
Jake shrugged, looking away to get over feeling embarrassed at having thought that exact thing. Sheera snickered under her breath. “You’re a bitch, Sheera.”
“Thanks, boss. I try just for you,” she said, flashing him a smile. One in which he returned.
Once she’d finished eating, they went back to the store. Jake took up in the back while Sheera busied herself in the front. Work was… work. Nothing extraordinary happened, for which she was grateful. And then Jake let her off early since she closed the night before and opened this morning.
“Try and not come back with a face full of bruises next time,” Jake said as he followed her out of the back door.
“I’ll give you a face full of bruises,” she responded, immediately pulling out a cigarette and leaned against the wall beside the door. This seemed to be a regular occurrence for them as well. If Jake was around when she got off, they’d talk while she smoked a cigarette before she went home. It had never really bothered her before. It seemed natural. They may be assholes to each other, but there was no denying that they weren’t friends because they were.
“Got any plans tonight, Jake?”
“Why, you want to join?” he responded, smiling and leaning back to cross his arms over his chest.
Sheera ignored his flirty smile. “No thanks. Only curious,” she muttered and tossed the cigarette into the ashtray. As she fished out her keys from her purse she said, “must go before Damien calls and shrieks out my eardrums.”
Jake pushed off the wall. “Are you on his payroll as well?”
Sheera laughed. “Might as well be. But no, I just…” she turned to meet his gaze and was suddenly looking serious. Then she laughed again. “He needs constant supervision. Bye, Jake.”
“I’ll see you,” he replied lowly.
Sheera didn’t dare look back at him as she made for her car.