On the Rocks

XII (HAZEL / ATLAS)

As I walk into Haven, my skin instantly feels hot, like someone is watching me. I glance around the big open space but don't see anyone immediately staring at me so I try to shrug off the feeling. 

I throw my back into the staff locker room and grab a crate of drinks from the stock room. As I push the door open to behind the bar, Denise comes rushing into me and causes the whole crate to spill on me. Luckily, there is no broken glass so I don't gain any cuts.

I really don't need that today. 

I instantly regret putting on a cute outfit today. My black midi dress that clings to my body is now  covered in alcohol and I smell like a literal brewery. I'm going to add Denise to my kill list. She's ruined my favourite dress!

"Oops," she flicks her hair at me as she walks away, skipping. 

That fucking bitch!

I pick up the, now empty, crate and bring it through to the bar. I look down at my dress and sigh in defeat. 

"Hazel, come with me."

I jump as I hear Theo's voice. What is he doing down here? 

"I'm a little pre-occupied here, Theo," I gesture to my soaked dress. His eyes linger on my body and I feel myself blush. 

Yep. Walked straight into that.

"Just follow me," he instructs me before giving me a glare that turns my blood cold. He was literally just checking me out and now he looks like he wants to murder me. Is this guy mentally okay?

I follow him up to Atlas's office and feel my eyes go wide when I realise he is taking me to see the others. I really can't deal with their mood swings right now.

Theo walks in first and I stand in the doorway, not wanting to commit to actually entering. 

"What happened to your outfit, Hazel," Dawson asks, his eyes also lingering on my body. My cheeks start to flush as I look to them all and realise they are doing the exact same. 

"Nothing really. I was carrying a crate of drinks and Denise knocked into me. It was probably accidental-" I start, but then realise, why am I actually covering for her ass? "Anyway, I need to go home quickly to get changed or something because I smell like an alcoholic right now." 

"We open in half an hour," Atlas addresses me, not looking up from his computer screen and sounding bored, "Andros go find her a spare set of uniform." He immediately follows Atlas's orders and walks out of the office. I feel fury spread across me. Why won't he even look at me?

"Fine," I spit out through gritted teeth and storm out of the office. Asshole. 

I'm officially done with these men and their mood swings. Wasn't he ever told it's rude not to look at someone when speaking to them?

I grab myself a cup of water and walk back into the staff locker room where I see a spare uniform Andros has left for me. I quickly put it on and leave my dress out to dry. 

I walk out to the bar, still feeling angry, and busy myself with stacking glasses on a shelf. Soon enough, people start flooding in and I become too busy to be in my feelings. 

I watch as she walks into the bar. Fuck, that dress makes me want to bend her over this desk and fuck her-

No. We agreed to step away from her and I need to show some self-control. How do I expect the others to follow my orders if I can't myself?

She must feel me watching her on the CCTV because she looks around the room for someone, and I secretly hope she is looking for me or the other guys. When she doesn't see anything, she walks into the locker room and emerges a few minutes later but comes out looking furious and soaked in something. 

"Fuck it," I hear Theo say from behind me as he storms downstairs. I see him talk to her for a few seconds before bringing her upstairs. 

I quickly switch to my emails and let out a groan when I see an email about the Russians. 

When I saw her out front with a random man yesterday, I felt murderous. I can't stand the thought of another man's hands being on her body, making marks where I should be marking her and making her moan the way I should be making her moan. 

The only way I was going to manage distancing myself from her is to cut her off completely. I can't fire her because she needs this job and I want to be the one helping her, but I'm going to remove any communication possible. 

I see Theo walk in out of my peripheral vision and smell the scent of her flowery perfume but refuse to look at her. 

"What happened to your outfit, Hazel," I hear Dawson ask her. 

"Nothing really. I was carrying a crate of drinks and Denise knocked into me. It was probably accidental-"She pauses for a second and I almost look up at her. "Anyway, I need to go home quickly to get changed or something because I smell like an alcoholic right now." 

I decide to break my silence. I need to treat her like every other employee and that means no special treatment. "We open in half an hour," I say without looking up from my emails, "Andros go find her a spare set of uniform." I feel Dawson and Theo's gaze on me as Andros follows my orders and leaves the office. 

"Fine," she spits at me and I see her storm out of the room out of my peripheral vision. I finally look up from my computer, once she has left, and meet the stares of the guys.

"What?" I shrug at them with a bored expression on my face. 

"I know we said we would step back from her but don't you think that was a little cold, boss?" Dawson shrugs at me. 

"She's just another employee," I mutter as I look down at my email about the Russians, "Has any of the prisoners talked yet?" I look to Theo as I change the subject.

He chuckles and cracks his knuckles as well as his neck. "Not yet but they're about to." He leaves with a sinister grin on his face and I turn my attention to Dawson.

"Talk to your rats and see what you can find out about the Russian presence." I instruct him and dismiss him quickly from my office. 

Once alone, I check the CCTV for the last time and see Hazel bent down and stacking glasses in her new outfit. I run a hand over my face. God, I need a drink. 

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Hope you like slow burns

Words: 1158