Ava watched as Alex withdrew, a hint of confusion in his eyes and his lips seemingly ready to speak. Not wanting to leave him hanging, I spoke up first. "I'm sorry, it's not that I don't like you, but I barely know you. I only know your name and where you work," I mumbled, feeling slightly guilty for rejecting his advance. Observing him as he returned to his seat and ran a hand through his wavy brown hair, I couldn't help but notice that we both shared the same hair color. However, I quickly dismissed any significance that might hold.
Understanding flickered across Alex's face as he smiled gently. "I understand, Ava. I was getting ahead of myself. This is our first date; I shouldn't have been thinking that way," he responded. "Go ahead. Ask me anything you want to know."
His willingness to open up surprised me, leaving me wondering why he wanted me to know him better. Was he hoping to forge a deeper connection? Curiosity piqued, and I decided to delve into something that caught my attention earlier. "Are you sure?" I asked, intrigued. "There's something I've been meaning to ask. Who is Lara? I noticed you called me that name, which means she must be someone significant to you. And do I resemble her?" I inquired, leaning back in my chair, eager to unravel the mystery behind this Lara.
Alex nodded, a tinge of sadness in his eyes as he began to narrate the story. "Lara was beautiful, the most beautiful woman in our village at the time. Men would flock around her, vying for her hand in marriage, showering her with gifts and attention," he explained. "We were supposed to get married, but someone murdered her."
"Oh my, I'm so sorry," I murmured, reaching out to hold his hand, offering comfort. "Did you ever find out who the killer was?"
Alex sighed, his gaze turning distant. "No, Ava. I don't even know his name," he confessed. "That's all in the past now. Although I can't deny the uncanny resemblance between you and her, your characters are not the same."
Understanding the heavy atmosphere that had settled upon him, I decided to change the topic. "Tell me about your family. Your mom, dad, and siblings," I suggested, hoping to uplift the atmosphere and steer the conversation
"Oh, well, I'm an orphan," he chuckled, his voice tinged with a hint of sadness. "I was an only child. My parents died when I was a baby, killed by Lycans."
"Lycans?" I asked, almost immediately, my curiosity piqued.
"Yes," he nodded. "It was a long time ago, and I don't remember the details." I was at a loss for words. Lycans, werewolves? Those were creatures of myth and folklore. Surely, he must have misunderstood something.
Shifting the conversation to a lighter note, he asked about my father, whom he didn't see when I arrived at his house.
"He's in heaven now," I replied, taking a bite of my food. "He passed away in a car accident when I was young. I don't remember him well, but my mother still feels heartbroken whenever we talk about him."
Alex mumbled softly, and I knew he was referring to Lara, his supposed wife-to-be. Sensing the somber atmosphere, he suggested we move on from the topic. "Okay, this room has turned into a small, sad heaven. Let's head out... I have something else to show you."
"What? You mean now?" I asked, surprised by his spontaneity.
"Yes, now," he said, taking my hand as we exited the restaurant and made our way to a waiting limousine. "I want to take you somewhere else, a place you'll love."
"And where is this place you want to take me?"
"An ice cream shop," he revealed.
"Oh my gosh, how did you know I love ice cream!" I practically exclaimed with excitement when we arrived. The ice cream shop was enormous, and as we entered and took our seats, I eagerly anticipated what was to come.
"Well, all girls love it, so I figured you would too," he replied with a warm smile, sharing in my joy.
"Oh, I love it!" I exclaimed as the waiter arrived with our ice cream. I wasted no time and dug in immediately. "I just hope I don't get fat from it one day," I added with a chuckle. As soon as I finished speaking, Alex burst into laughter, holding his stomach.
"What's so funny?" I asked, joining in on the laughter.
"The ice cream..." he managed to say through his laughter. "It looks like a mustache on your upper lip." I moved my hand to wipe away any ice cream remnants, and we both laughed even harder. Silly me.
---
"How was your first date with me?" Alex mumbled as he walked towards the door. "I hope you liked it."
"I loved it," I replied with a smile, moving into his arms and hugging him. "Thanks, it was so much fun." I kissed his cheek before waving him goodbye, and then I made my way into the house, shutting the door behind me. The lights were off, indicating that everyone was asleep.
Entering my room, I checked the time and realized it was already three in the morning. I knew that if I slept now, I would be late for work, so I decided to stay awake. I changed into my work clothes and when it was time, I walked towards the mansion.
My eyes must be red from the lack of sleep.
After the morning assembly, I tended to the pets, feeding them and watering the flowers. "You seem quiet," Rose, one of the other staff members, observed. I nodded in response.
"Did the master hurt you badly yesterday? Your eyes look red," she asked, concern evident in her voice.
"Oh no, he didn't do anything to me," I reassured her with a smile. "I just couldn't get much rest last night because I went out on a date."
"A date?" Rose asked, her eyes widening in surprise.
"Yes," I replied, smiling as I continued watering the plants. "And trust me, it was awesome, amazing, and dreamy." I shared some of the interesting parts of the date with her, and we chuckled together. Before I knew it, it was time for me to head upstairs with cleaning supplies to tend to the master's bedroom.
Today is the last day of the week, which means I won't be cleaning the master's bedroom next week. But today, I have to ask him for some money, just like I promised my mother.
Opening his door, I stepped in and shut it. "You have no manners of knocking, am I right, Ava?" I heard his voice and turned my gaze towards him. He was wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, and black trousers, and had a cigarette in his hand.
"Forgive me, Master. I thought you would be in your barracks today," I said, my face flushing as I remembered what happened between us yesterday. He had spanked me, and it did hurt. So why was I blushing?
"Your eyes are red. Why?" he furrowed his brows. "Did you cry?"
"Oh no, Master," I replied, dropping the cleaning equipment to look at him. "I couldn't sleep last night."
"And why was that?" He stood up and walked towards me. He was so tall, and I had to lift my gaze to look at his face. He said he hated lies, but what should I tell him? The truth? But what if he misunderstood? After all, we're not dating. "I asked you a question, Ava."
"I went on a date," I blurted out, stepping back and covering my rear end with my hands, moving further away from him.
"What are you doing?" He tilted his head to the side, studying me.
"I... I don't want another spanking."
"Why did you think I would spank you just because you went on a date, Ava?" He raised his right eyebrow. "So you do know that you did something wrong by going on a date with someone else?" As he stepped closer, I could feel my back against the wall, but he only took two steps before stopping. "Come," he commanded.
My eyes widened in shock as I moved quickly to his side, stopping just an inch away from him. "If you knew that going on a date would make me spank you, why did you go?" he asked, his voice growing rough. "Do you love him?"
"What? No, I don't," I replied, shaking my head and swallowing hard. "It's just that he has been pestering me about it, so I thought one date wouldn't hurt." I watched as Alexander's hand moved to my neck, tracing a particular spot before moving to my cheek and gently rubbing it.
"Did you two kiss?"
Why couldn't I lie to him? I didn't understand why I felt this way. I knew that if Alex were to touch me like this, I would slap him or push him away. But with Damon, it felt like I was meant to be close to him, to stay with him. It felt like I was committed to him, even if I didn't want to be.
"No," I finally answered. He didn't smile, and his gaze remained locked on me as he leaned in close, whispering in my ear, "Good girl, Ava. You've been a good girl." Pulling back, he murmured, "But going on this date still annoys me. What part of you belong to me don't you understand?"
"I'm sorry," the words slipped out before I realized it. Why was I apologizing? Oh yes, I needed to calm him down before I asked for the money.
"Apology accepted," he shrugged before stepping back. "Do your job, Ava. We're done for today." I watched him walk towards his desk, sit down, turn on his laptop, and put on his earphones.
He lacked romance.
He was annoying.
He was too proud.
But he needed scolding.
I despise him.
With all these thoughts swirling in my head, I couldn't help but mutter, "I hate you," loud and clear. Nobody needed to tell me what would happen next. The real question was, was I ready for round two?
"What did you say?" He furrowed his brows and turned his full attention to me. Right now, he looked dangerous, but that didn't bother me today.
"I hate you. I don't like your attitude, your arrogance, your need for control and submission. I don't like you, and this relationship you've built in your head is never going to work," I yelled, but he didn't budge from his seat, just continued to stare at me. "And you know what? If I didn't need this job, I would slap you across the face and quit."
"Are you done?" He yawned, putting his cigarette back in his mouth, but his gaze didn't waver from mine.
"No, I'm not done." I moved closer to him, snatched the cigarette from his lips, dropped it on the floor, and stomped on it. "I need you to give me my salary early. I need it, and I'm not just taking it. I'm borrowing it... I'll pay you back later."
A smile formed on the corner of his lips. "Are you done?"
Confused by his reaction, I frowned. "Yes, I'm done." And with that, he turned around, back to his laptop. It was then that I realized he was on a conference call.
The board members all stared at me, their mouths agape. "Did she just yell at the boss?"
"The boss did nothing but smile at her."
"The boss has a woman?"
They kept muttering their disbelief, but all my focus remained on Damon. He didn't raise his hand or shout at me. He simply smiled and got back to work. "Ava, go back to work. We'll talk later," he said in his usual tone, leaving me uncertain if he was happy or sad.
This man confuses me. A lot.