Aaron | ON HOLD

5 ||

"Chloe." He said my first name whereas everyone else here addressed people with their second. Was that weird for Paul or did he just call me by my first name?

"Paul." I addressed him with the same greeting anyway. "Everything okay?" I asked. Paul and I had only talked a few times during the job but never during this time of the work shift.

"Yeah everything's fine." He was bald and was surprisingly young looking for his age. He filled out his uniform naturally well and he always smelt of lynx. I wondered whether he tried to act much younger than he actually was.

Paul pulled me aside to the wall beside the staff room and the door shut softly behind me. Inmates were bustling around the corridor as their lunch had ended but nobody paid us attention.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I was just wondering if maybe one day you'd like to go out for a drink with me?" He asked. I looked to him, my face not hiding the confusion and the mortification on my face. My mother always said I could be read like an open book.

"Paul, I don't think this is very professional-"

"Just think about it." He looked to me all hopeful. Why did God have to listen to my words so literal. There was no way I was going to start dating Paul. Did I really want to be the young step mother? Absolutely not.

No way.

"I don't think it's a very good idea, Paul, I mean-"

"I can take you to the fanciest restaurant." He interjected. I had barely spoken a word to this man before and here he was. Maybe his children didn't visit him often, now I knew he must have been divorced. Or so I hoped he was.

"We work together and-"

"The nicest wine, even champagne if that's what you wanted." Oh God. This wasn't what I meant when I said I wanted to start living! I'd rather buy my own champagne at this rate.

As we continued, I felt a body before me, the familiar warmth of somebody I knew. It suffocated the air and made it seem heavier than it was. This wasn't Paul effecting me, this was Aaron.

His presence made my body bubble and buzz. I knew it was him before I even had the chance to look up at him.

Aaron didn't say a word as he stood there, so close to me and his body aimed at Paul.

What the hell was he doing here? He couldn't do stuff like this, not in front of one of the prison guards. Aaron could get in to a lot of trouble here. Was he going to say something?

"King." Paul said his name as if it were shit beneath his shoe. I looked to Aaron but his face stayed the same usual seriousness it always was. I admired the fact his face never gave anything away.

"Portland." He said Paul's second name back with the same amount of boredom as usual. "A fight's just broken out in the cafeteria." He stated. Paul sighed before checking his watch.

"It's only fifteen minutes past twelve." He muttered. He looked back up at Aaron and with narrowed eyes he left us both to it as he continued to grumble as he walked back to the cafeteria.

Once he was out of sight, Aaron let out a breath and the tension I hadn't realised was there left him in an instant.

"What an annoying bastard." He mumbled. I looked up to him and shook my head.

"You can't go around doing stuff like that." I whispered. "You're going to get me in to a lot of trouble and yourself." I stated.

"You worry too much." He shook his head and looked at me. As soon as his eyes met mine, my body buzzed some more. God, I really did need to get a grip when it came to Aaron. I didn't know what my body wanted more, to jump him or to run away.