I couldn't breathe. I tried to escape from his embrace but kept failing. He's too strong so I gave up. What time is it? Why did I feel like he was always home? Isn't he busy? I looked up and stared at his calm and collected sleeping face. His thick and soft black hair really suits him well. His lashes are so long. I think it's longer than mine.
My body started aching since we fell asleep on the sofa, uncovered in the first place. It would be bad if both of us caught a cold. The sun is already lighting the whole house. The weather seems nice, based on how our house is now.
Doing some laundry would be great today. I should cook some breakfast. It's been so long since I made breakfast. Ayden always cooks from time to time. And I keep oversleeping.
I tried to push him a little more, but he tightened his arms around me even more. I couldn't breathe.
"I can't breathe," I said, slapping his chest hard, and he jumped and opened his eyes wide open.
"Hm?" he looked down at me with confusion.
"Too tight." I sighed. And he quickly loosens his grips. I quickly sat up and stretched my body. He sat up too, yawning. His hair was dishevelled and his eyes were swollen.
His face is puffy. But...how come he still loves dazzling?
"Morning…" he looked at me and closed his eyes. And he opened his eyes again, frowning. "Damn, princess, your eyes are puffy…" he said, and all I can do is smile.
"Yours too!" I laughed. But he was still staring at me with a dazed look. Did I drool? I wiped my mouth as a reflection.
"Feeling better?" he asked. I just smile at him, genuinely feel better. I feel so light as if I could fly.
"Never better," I replied. His lips curled up, as his dimples showed up.
"What do you want to do today?" he asked.
"Obviously, work?"
"Ah...I almost forgot that you worked with me." My eyes bulged, almost out, when he said that. What a tease.
"What about my pay? Did you forgot that too?" I asked. I didn't mean to act like a gold digger, but I love money so much, I worked so hard (even though I slacked a lot these days) I deserve my pay!
"Ah…" he looked at me with a frown, shake his head lightly. No!!! He can't do this to me. I quickly jumped out of the sofa and grabbed my bag, took out my phone to check my account. He can't do this! I mean, I need my pay!
And I was relieved, he paid me. Even though I'm slacking a lot these days, he paid me as usual. And I realised that he was teasing me again.
"You love money too much, Maddie," he said, scrunching his nose for no reason. I was dumbfounded at how good looking he is when he does that. "It's hurt my feeling."
I rolled my eyes as he being too dramatic.
"I do. Money is everything for me." my eyes went back to the screen. I think I can shop for him more soon. I glanced at his ears, I already noticed this so long. He does have piercing holes.
I squinted my eyes, trying to count. But why count when you can ask.
"How many pierce you have on your ears?"
"Five, why?" that was quick replied.
I just stared at him, judging. So he was that type of man who pierced a lot. Has mullet cut hair, and is very good looking. What is he? Emo?
"Hm? Noth…" shit, I forgot that 'nothing' is taboo. He narrowed his eyes on me. "I will probably buy you some earrings. That's all."
My eyes were back on the screen. Surveying. I jumped a little when he brushed his finger, tucking my hair behind my ear. He rested his chin on my shoulder, hugging me from behind, I'm sure, he peeking on my screen too.
"You're going to buy me something again?" he asked. And I nodded. "I forgot to ask you this, but have you seen it yet?"
I looked up and give him a 'seen- what' face. "Your favourite photograph."
Ah, Rainbow After Tomorrow. The rainbow thingy.
"Where did you put it?" I looked around on the wall and I've seen no single thing. Not even a frame. This house has no single fun decoration except the clock on the wall. The wall was white, absolutely white and nothing more. It does have decoration on the floor, like a vase, and everything but nothing hangs on the wall. Not even a photo. Not even his parent's photo.
"In your sulking room." He said, tilting his head to the staircase. Sulking room? What's that? "The room you run off when we have an argument."
Oh. I somehow annoyed by that."
"Really? I don't think I ever noticed it. Why there?" I quickly stood up, slipped into my slippers and walked upstairs. I know he followed me from the back.
"So whenever you sulk, run away to your sulking room, you will find peace and calmness by staring deep into the photo, and come down and forgive me for all my mistakes because I know, it must be my fault. I have one too, in my room. For the same reason, I put it there so when I am upset with you, I stare into it and miss you and come out from the room and beg for your forgiveness."
I smile, slowly ran and opened the door. And yes, it was there! My first (free) photograph!
"Thank you!" I said, overexcited for a photograph. But I really like this one. The meaning behind the photograph. I just love it.
"My pleasure, darling." Oh, I kinda like it when his tongue rolled and called darling. Sounds so...mature and gentlemanly. "It's not as much as how you spend your money on your famous handsome rich boyfriend though," he added, wrapping my waist from behind. He rested his chin on my shoulder, kissed my scar, and rested his chin on my shoulder again.
"I like it when I buy you something, it's my pleasure. And I love it more if you wear them." I said. I do get pleasure and satisfaction by buying him clothes and all.
"At this rate, we probably need a bigger closet for my clothes." I rubbed his forearm and played with his bangle.
"Then you can give me more photographs in exchange?"
"Give me details, Miss Iyves." he turned me to face him, hands still on my waist. "What kind of photographs would suit your taste?"
I like it when he calls me by my surname too. I'll put that in my dictionary.
"I don't have a certain taste. Anything would be fine. Make sure you have the best meaning or story behind the photos."
"As a surprise?"
"As a surprise." Ayden stared at me with a huge grin, so boyish early in the day. What did I do to deserve this man?
Oh, I think I do deserve him though.
"Should we eat breakfast?"
"Yes, princess. I'll be delighted."
I grabbed his hands off me, pulling one of his hands to follow me, down to the kitchen. And we both were about to walk to our kitchen. And the ding dong sound interrupted us.
"I'll get the door," he said, and I walked straight to my station. What should I cook? Something simple, easy and yummy. I took out some broccoli, thinking about broccoli quiche. It probably takes about 50 minutes-ish.
I glanced at the presence next to me, frowning, chewing his bottom lips as if he was bothered with something. What is? He makes me anxious. "Who was it?" I asked, facing him with a furrowed brows. He shook his head and gave me a faint smile.
"Susan," he said coldly, and I glanced to my back when I heard a sighed. She sits on the barstool, waving a hi at me and I waved at her back, confused.
"Hey, newlywed couple! I'm sorry, Maddie, can I call you Maddie?" she asked, looking tired, taking out his Macbook on the counter.
"Sure, what's wrong?" I asked, continuing my preparation for breakfast. She just groaned, clearly not in the mood. Why?
"Leah is such a bitch!" that was the first time I heard her cursing, and sounds so pissed. "She makes an 'I can't believe this happened' video, on Youtube, saying that Ayden fired her without a solid reason. And her fans were raged, our website was under fire, all of our social media, especially your personal one, Ayden! And guess what!"
I just listen silently, sounds like Leah is one of a famous person? Fans? Wow. What are they? Celebrities? Aren't I'm in danger since she has so many fans.
"What? Water? Did you need one?" I heard Ayden talking. He sounds a bit cold when he talked with Susan. Sounds a bit rough and rude.
"Three of our sponsored cancel their sponsorship…"
"I think we afford to do things without a sponsor, I don't really mind losing the sponsorship." he cut her off, indifferent.
"Can you listen?" Susan sounds super upset now. "We lost half of our clients, we have to do refund, what's more, they wrote a bad review on our website and pages. And have you watched the video?"
"When did she uploaded it?"
"Two days ago! I can't get in touch with you and was busy settling down everything, explaining things and so on."
"Ah, a bit busy that day, I was occupied. Let me see it." And they both went silent, I could hear a sound, soft and cute music, Youtube Intro.
"Hi, guys, it's me, Leah. And yes, as you can see from the title, I just going through such a hardship this week. I want to stay silent, but I just felt so depreciate, worthless. I felt horrible, humiliated, I felt like I was nothing. And you won't believe what just happened." I could hear Leah's voice, I smirked. I find it funny to hear such a nice and gentle voice when she was nothing like that. She was quiet for few seconds and I heard she talked again. "I was fired!" Oh wow...
"As you know, I was working with well known Ayden Winter. You know who is he, and I was working with Winters. co for five years now, and he has just fired me just like that. No letter, no warning, just like that. I was dragged with my two feet, out from his gallery, on a very important day, where I help him the most, his previous exhibitions, called 'Memory'. It happened on the 12 of August, I was like usual, helping him out, greeting people, handling all of my duties. And do you know why I was fired? Because of his maid." So I was in her story too. Okay, interesting.
"He invited his maid to the exhibition, I was okay. I don't mind it at all. He could invite everyone. But, the maid was rude, beyond the word. She was in the office, I went there because I have some files to give him. And I saw her, leisurely inside the office. I told her, she should be here since it's an off-limit area. Only staff can enter the office area. I talked to her, trying to make her understand that if anything happened in the office, for example, thievery, it would be bad for her. And guess what? This is what I get!"
I waited until she said what she got. I was intrigued.
"I was being insulted as she called me slut!" True, I returning her words nicely so that's true. "And I was dumbfounded, of course, I get upset, so I asked her what! In a very loud voice and when Ayden come, he just saw that I was scolding her maid. And I was fired. Over that! He asked Kevin to drag me out from the gallery. It was exhibition day, imagine how many people saw me like that. It was all sudden. I was speechless. Is that how you treat a person who worked for you for five years? Over a maid? Don't get me wrong, I didn't say that being a maid is such a disgrace. It's a good job! But when you being rude, and insulting people like that, and I just…" I suddenly heard some sniffles. She's crying.
"Man...I felt so humiliated." She stops talking again, and I put my quiche in the oven, set them for 50 minutes, slowly walked to the countertop so I can watch it too. Susan looked super pissed, and Ayden just smirking, glancing at me, and he spread his hand, allowing me to come closer. I stared at the screen, and she was crying. In front of the camera.
"The reason why I make this video is that I want to tell to all people, that it's fine if you didn't respect people but don't insult them. It's okay to fire someone but follow the procedure. Letter, or at least don't humiliate that person and make them feel so worthless." She sniffles some more, wiping her eyes with the edge of tissues, don't want that eye makeup to ruin, are we?
"That's all...I don't think I can say anything more, it's hurt so much. Bye." and end of the video. I heard Ayden snickered but Susan was not having it. She was furious.
"She fucking bitch! She was the one who started it first! All of us know it."
"But not her fans. Let her be, it will be quiet soon!" Ayden said, lazily.
"No! You have to do a video too! She ruining our business! Your carrier. What if you broke!" See, she's not having it. And then I realised. If this affects his carrier, isn't that going to affect mine too?
I looked at him and he looked at me with a smirk. "Should I do something, princess? I hate this kind of attention but if you let me, I will do it."
What? Why did he say that to me? I mean, it is his carrier, not mine. it's about him, not me. I have nothing to do with this kind of thing! Maybe, a little. Since Leah has a grudge against me.
"Okay, Susan, I'll do something. I have a perfect idea about it," he said, winking his eyes on me. I swear I don't know what's his thinking.