His Slave

19. Experiment

James

I take the drive to the office slowly, dreading the hysteria I know I'm going to be walking into. If this story gets out, the whole world is going to be in an uproar. Persona isn't responsible for what happened, but we're going to be the ones dealing with the fallout of this mess. My parents better be home from their holiday if and when that happens.

I drive past the coffee shop I first met Erin at, thinking back to that day. She was so angry with me for skipping the line, it was adorable. And so disrespectful.

I've never had someone purposefully antagonize me before. I've never had anyone speak to me the way she did that day. So ill-mannered, so disobedient. Everyone knows better than to disrespect me. Everyone except for Erin Ricoletti.

It's not taking me long to fix that problem. Not nearly as long as I originally thought.

Either she's more attuned to this lifestyle than she realizes, or she's just trying to earn my trust so she can try to run away. Either way, she's living in denial. She can keep lying to herself all she wants but she's coming around awfully quickly for someone who claims to hate me.

I think it's cute how Erin thinks she's got a chance at winning our little game. She doesn't.

When I arrive at the office, everyone is in hysterics.

"James! Mr. Underly wants to speak with you! He's been waiting for a while," Riley shouts as he comes over to me, handing me a cup of coffee.

Fuck. "Well, he can wait longer," I reply coldly. I stare at the coffee distastefully because I know it's going to be shit compared to the one Erin made me this morning. Still, I take a tentative sip, spitting it back into the cup.

"You call that coffee?!" I hiss at him, rubbing my tongue across the roof of my mouth to try and get rid of the awful taste. "What did you put in that?!"

Riley drops his shoulders. "Um... cinnamon and nutmeg," he replies quietly. "And oregano."

"You put oregano in my coffee?!" I ask incredulously. Stupid, incompetent intern! Damn my mother and her bleeding heart!

"Who the fuck puts oregano in coffee?!" I spit, throwing my hands out, half of the coffee sloshing out of the cup onto the floor. If you can even call it that.

"I thought you-"

"It's just cinnamon and nutmeg!" I hiss in response. "And vanilla and a tablespoon of milk!" God, why does everyone get my coffee wrong?

Riley is visibly shaking. "I'm sorry. I thought for sure that I'd gotten it right this time," he murmurs, taking the cup from me. "Would you like me to make you another coffee?" He asks.

"No!" I snap back.

Riley gives a bit of a nod before sulking down the hall.

"You don't have to be so hard on him, you know?"

I turn to find Emily standing behind me, her arms folded over her chest, her red lips upturned in a smirk.

"He's made my coffee wrong every morning for three months," I remark.

"Still, you have to give him credit for trying," she replies. "He's dedicated."

"He's an idiot," I spit back in irritation. "And besides, it isn't that fucking hard to make my coffee!"

Emily narrows her gaze, smiling at me. "And you're little pet? Does she make your coffee correctly?" She asks playfully.

I scowl at her. "She's not my pet."