"Fine," My grin grew wider as I tried my best to keep up the pretense.
Slowly, I watched as it dawned on my best friend that I was joking and burst into a giggle fit.
"Oh, man!" Maya moaned, "are you joking? Seriously! You are the worst but most amazing best friend ever!"
"Yeah, yeah." I laughed, going through to the bach end staff room to retrieve the perfume and receipt all at once.
I rolled my eyes as I returned and handed it to her. Green eyes fixated on the perfume, I watched in obvious confusion as my best friend purred, "Oh, Michael, tonight me and you are going to make a perfume all of our own,"
Awkward...
"Um," My brow's furrowed, "you do realise, Maya, that it is just a perfume bottle?"
"Don't ruin this for me, Ava!" Maya hissed, her eyes never leaving the bottle. "It's like a sex and a proposal from him all at once!"
Having enough, I swatted her on the arm. "Get out of here, creep!"
And with the chorus of "I love you Ava, but I love him moooore" sounding, my best friend departed from the shop leaving me to sweep this glass up.
On my lunch break, my boss Kristie made a point of telling me what I already knew - that I'd have to pay for the bottle out of my wages and if I were careless like that again I'd be looking for another job.
Kristie also made a point of telling me that I had to do overtime tonight and get rid of all of the empy boxes and rubbish leftover from today.
So while the shop slowly dimissed of weeping children begging their mothers, parents insisting that if they slipped me a little more I could find a bottle of Archangel with a wink and a smile, I made a point of offering them all the other perfumes that we had on sale.
Surely something smelled similar.
And yet every time I passed the spot where I dropped the bottle, my nostrils would flare up and my eyelids would become heavier as I inhaled the sweet aroma, so rich and bursting with all of these exciting scents that had you sniffing for more.
Feet aching, my body slumped against the glass door as the last customer shuffled out and I turned the lock.
If tomorrow was anything like today, I very much doubted I'd survive the full shift - not with a boss that sat in her office all day doing anything but work, and two other assistants whom were just as much angel-struck over the perfume as anyone else in the shop.
Wearily, I walked over to the back of the shop and pressed the buttons that would release the shutters down the front of the shop to protect the windows.
Picking up today's takings, I switched off the floor lights and made my way over to the safe, punching the code in and locking the cash away, signing my name as the last person of the day to have access to it.
Out in the back entrance I was greeted by piles and piles of boxes that needed breaking down to go outside in the recycle bins.
"Just what I need," I muttered to myself as I grabbed hold of the stanley knife and made a start.
By the time I got to the last box, I noticed the time being well after midnight. Oh, that's great, Ava! Back at work in less than eight hours and you're still here! I thought to myself. Well done!
My temper spiking, I grabbed ahold of the now flat boxes and made my way out the back entrance to be greeted by high pitched winds and sleet slapping me in the face.
"Just perfect!" I shouted, wrestling the card into the recycling bin. "Ouch!"
I yanked my finger back to see a perfect slash of oozing red. Cussing, I turned to go back inside and wash it when a shadow caught my eye.
Squinting to get a better look, my heart started pounding in my chest. A scream tore up and out of my throat as something landed on me, the stink of rotten flesh slamming my nostrils.
I collided down beside the bins, an uncomfortable heaviness gripping my arms as my legs crushed under the weight.
"Female," The raspy voice hissed with pleasure, and in a terrified glance, I found myself staring at something mankind never wished to see - a demon housed in a rotten body.
I screamed a high pitched cry, as the demon fisted both of my hands into one of his meaty claw tipped hands, the claws slicing my skin into ribbons of blood.
Wailing and crying in terror, the demon's eyes darkened with fascination as its free claw sliced up my buttoned top, shredding the fabric into two.
"Pretty," The raspy voice full of lust whispered as its yellow eyes feasted on the flesh it uncovered.
"Oh lord help me!" I sobbed, trying to buck the creature off me.
And then a fire sliced up my veins where the demon had slashed at my wrists, spreading all over my body.
Sweat beaded on my brow, mixing with the sleet that dropped from the night. My body became limp and my eyes rolled back, the demon shimmering in and out of focus.
Please help me, I whispered in the back of my mind as darkness began to consume my conciousness.
And then a burst of golden light fought back the inky blackness and in one last vain attempt, my eyes flashed open for the split of a second.
And there I saw him, poised and ready to strike.
The one they all talked about.
Michael.
The archangel.
And my eyes fell shut once more as my body gave way to the blackness that enfolded me, my mind protecting me from the scene unfolding before me.
At some point, I felt a calloused finger stroke the hair from my brow. Hands folded between the creases of my legs and under my neck, and I felt myself getting lifted from the ground.
My eyes fell open one more time and I found myself staring into rich brown eyes, fanned with long lashes. But the beauty of his eyes were shunned by the coldness behind them.
Facinated, I watched as a single drop of water ran down the length of him nose, dripping on to my throat.
He was beautiful.
"Thank you," I whispered barely, consumed once again by darkness. Only this time it wasn't through pain.
It was through unabashed peace.
Halo Kiss - Chapter One
Start from the beginning
