BLEACHED

22: The day keeps getting better

The rest of the day was rather tiring for Domen who had spent it behind his desk staring at an endless stream of the company's charts.

So far he isn't impressed with how the company had been doing. Hopefully, as much as he has high hopes for the model Lavender has created, he hopes it sparks to life.

"W-Wait for me!" The voice he hadn't heard all day fills his ears, getting his eyes to peels away from the elevator buttons and into the corridor.

Lavender is running towards him while stuffing her phone into her purse as she tries to get to him before the elevator closes.

She's still a bit far from the elevator as it begins to close, her eyes widen in fear when she knows too well that he's bound to watch it close on her.

It's just who Domen is.

Surprisingly, he holds his hand out and stops it from closing, actually waiting for her as he watches her get closer.

She finally steps in and he lets it close shut before clicking the button and standing back, right beside her.

Holding onto the straps of her purse, she is almost shocked beyond human thinking when he stopped the elevator for her.

She glances up at him as he is on his phone, taking in how she is able to stare into his green eyes from her rather short height, even though he wasn't staring at her.

"Stop looking at me." He says as he shifts his eyes to her, getting her to look away in an instant and to the door. "What do you want?"

"I'm surprised you stopped the elevator for me." She chuckles as she glances back at him. "Thanks."

"Hm." He sighs and glances up at the elevator number, watching it count down. "So, still going to dinner with Walter?"

"Yeah, he reminded me a hundred times today." She chuckles as she drops her eyes to the ground. "He's really nice, when you get to know him."

"I see." Domen nods his head slightly before glancing back down at her. "Then meet me after your dinner."

".... What?" Lavender raises her brows as she glances up at him. "For what reason? It will be too dark outside."

"I know. But it's business purposes. I need a report on the model." He says as he shoves his phone into the pocket of his jacket just as the elevator opens. "I would have asked you earlier but I was busy."

An obvious lie.

"But this is after hours... I'm supposed to be resting." She whines as he leads the way to the front exit. "Why not tomorrow?"

"Are you forgetting I'm your boss? I even promoted you and you aren't thankful." Domen rolls his eyes as they step out and head towards his car.

"I know but...." She pouts her lips as she glances to the gravel floor and thinks of how to say it in a way he won't get angry.

"Besides, why do I keep giving you rides?" He asks as he suddenly turns to face her, nearly causing her to crush into him. "Ask Walter for that.

"He lives on the other side of the map. You're my neighbor, come on, don't be stingy with the gas." She hisses as she circles him and walks to the front passenger seat. She grabs the door handle and tries to open it, forgetting it's locked. "The door please."

"Go take a bus." Domen furrows his brows at her as he walks to his car. "You're your own person, go buy a car."

Lavender presses her lips together as she glances up at him, unsure if he's being serious or not.

She lets go of the handle and shrugs her shoulders as she takes a step away from the car.

"Fine. Since you're being stingy today." She huffs and turns on her heel and walks away from him, not fighting for a ride like she dig that day.

He rolls his eyes as he sighs and walks to the driver's door and gets in.

He tosses his phone over to the other seat as he loosens up the necktie and a few buttons before starting the car.

How can someone confuse me being nice to her and falling for her?

Domen chuckles to himself as he remembers how Walter spoke to him earlier that day.

Falling? For who? Of all women?

He clenches his jaw in near irritation as he drives the car out of the parking space and towards the gate where he passes Lavender who has just gotten there.

Lavender watches him drive out of the gate and disappear in a blink of an eye, causing her to give out a breathy laugh in disbelief.

What's wrong with him today?

She rolls her eyes and clenches her bag before continuing down the road.

She pulls out her phone and checks the venue Walter had picked out for them and not to her surprise, it's the food truck.

Laughing slightly, she assures him she'll be there before nine as it's already eight and very late.

The streets are nearly dark and empty with a few stray cats loitering about as only one person can be seen walking towards her on the same lane.

Feeling the hairs on her skin rise as she hears the footsteps in front of her with her phone glued to her eyes, she turned the screen of the phone off and shoved her phone into her pocket, masking the bag over the pocket not to reveal where exactly she was placing it.

The footsteps get louder and faster, getting her to clench her jaw as she keeps her eyes to the ground, praying whomever it is in front of her isn't planning to rob her.

The footsteps walk on by, getting her to sigh out in relief as she looks up and realizes she's made it to the bus stop.

She takes a seat on the bench as she knows she just has to wait it out for the next bus in ten minutes.

Though she's been going on the bus for a while now and really didn't need any lift from anyone, but knowing Domen willingly left her alone bothered her.

"Purse." Someone whispers into her ear, getting her to glance to her side only to see a pale skinned man with his skull pressing tightly against his own skin.

The large black hood covers his body and just a part of his head, hiding the black long threads of hair.

His other hand is tucked in the pocket of the black hood while the other is stretched out to her back.

Lavender glances down at his arm and traces it to her waist, only to widen her eyes as she can see his hands circled around the handle of a silver gun with the rest of it buried into her hair.

"Purse, come on." He says as he finally fishes out his other hand and gestures her to give it to him.

"H-How will I get home then?" She asks as she stares at him with pleading eyes. "I carried enough and my card's not with me today-."

"I don't give a shit. Give me the purse, lady." He hisses and gets up this time, bringing the nose of the gun to her forehead. "You're delaying me."

Lavender instantly hands it out to him and holds her hands up to reveal she has nothing left.

The man snatches the bag and runs off in an instant as though he's seen the police walking around.

Lavender watches as he runs off with her only transport money back.

Well,.... Waiting here is a waste.

She clenches her jaw as she gets up from the bench and reaches into her pocket for her phone that she luckily didn't put in her bag.

"Walter, I'm stuck, come get me."