After work hours, Lilah took a taxi home. Even though she was as weak as a kitten, she gave a helping hand to her parent’s kitchen. Walking into the restaurant, she put on an apron, checking the dishes and the ones, needed. Lilah is also a skilled cook, just like Asena was. But Asena instead of working, chose to help their family restaurant.
“Mr. Tade, Where is my mum and dad?” Lilah quickly asked an elderly man with a bald head.
He had been working with ‘Wulfric Restaurant’ since she was only a baby. And customers that visit there to eat are mostly wolf-bloods.
“Your mum visited a friend in the hospital. Your dad is in the second kitchen preparing stew steaks.” Mr. Tade, a lanky-looking, mid-aged man with curly blonde, hair, and hazel eyes, vividly reported.
“But the doctor asked him to avoid that!” Lilah flinched.
Looking at Mr. Tade, he gave her a tight-lipped smile and shrugged innocently.
Without thinking twice, she tied her hair in a ponytail and rushed to the second floor where the second kitchen was.
The cooks heated the kitchen from grilling.
“Hey, Dad!” She gave him a back hug as if she did not know. “What are you doing?” excitement laced her honeyed voice.
“Some guests are waiting for this, darling.” He pointed with a faded smile.
“Let me help you with it! Aren't you tired?” She noticed the look in his eyes.
“You’re just coming from work. I should be the one asking you that.” Rafael pointed.
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. You can go to the restroom. Take a shower and rest.” She advised. “Don’t come to the kitchen today. You’ve done enough.”
“Okay then, I’ll be on the first floor supervising the servers. Buzz me whenever you need me.” He replied, taking off his cooking hand gloves.
“Okay, Dad.”
Rafael smiled at his daughter as she took over the grilling. He took off his cooking hat and walked out of the kitchen. Looking back at him, a worrisome look clouded Lilah’s face. As it is, her dad is asthmatic, and the doctor advised he should always stay in a well-ventilated environment, but he always keeps doing this. Just to make his business flow.
After grilling the meat on medium-high heat, Lilah continued with the cooking and supervised both kitchens, making sure the customers were well served. Most of the customers leave with a smile and sometimes, some of them are pleased to meet her and thank her personally.
Although it was way better when Asena was alive. Now, she had to put more effort into both works. After getting home, Lilah had a shower and walked into her room with a purple nightgown. She was drying her blue-black hair when her phone vibrated. She turned in its direction and grabbed it from beside her pillow on the bed.
Looking at the screen, she saw ‘Baby-Girl’.
Her eyes rolled before pressing the answer button. “Hello Elie, what’s up?”
“Umm... Something urgent came up and I need your help.”
“Spill, baby girl.”
“I came back home, and I didn’t meet anyone. To cut the long story short, my mum got admitted to the hospital and I’m here with her as we speak!” Worry laced in Eliana’s voice.
“Oh, my God! What happened?”
“She’s having high blood pressure, but she’ll be fine. Your mum is here with us as well. She helped my mum to the hospital earlier today. The thing is Mr. Boris, my supervisor, asked me to follow our boss for the outing tomorrow. I don’t think I’ll be able to make it.”
“What?! Why?” Lilah frowned.
“I’m unsettled, Lee! I need to be by my mother’s side. Her health condition worsens by the day. You know she’s human.”
“Okay, fine. So what do I do?”
“I’ll talk to my boss and tell him about it. Then I’ll forward you the important documents tonight. All you have to do is meet the CEO and tell him Mr. Boris asked you to help.”
“Okay then.” Her low voice gave a raspy reply.
“Don’t worry, Lee! You’ve got this.”
“Yeah, goodnight.” Lilah's voice went flat.
“Bye, have fun!” Eliana’s excited voice exclaimed before ending the call.
Lilah threw her phone back on the bed as an exasperated sigh escaped her.
“How annoying. I’ll have to face Asher tomorrow again. Ugh...” She brushed her hair in front of a wall mirror before texting Conan about it. It was a day trip to Winchester Mystery House in San Jose. She wasn’t sure what the outing was all about, but she tiredly fell back to sleep on her comfy bed.
It’s been 40 minutes since Lilah has been waiting for Asher in the parking lot. She dialed his contact severally, but he wasn’t picking up.
“Like seriously? What is he feeling like?” Lilah hissed, as he rejected her last call. She threw her phone back into her bag, not bothering to call him again. Lilah just prayed he had left already, so they wouldn’t meet. Impatiently looking at her wristwatch, it was 9:06 a.m.
“Ugh!” Lilah let out a sigh of frustration. She dragged a big black bag behind her and walked out of the parking lot. About to leave, a black Lexus LS car zoomed in. If not that he had dropped Asena off with it twice, she wouldn’t have recognized who it was.
"There he is.” She dragged her bag back to where he packed. “Good morning, sir.” Lilah greeted with a smile.
Lifting her face to his, she realized the glare that his stone face gave. Making a rumbling sensation in the depths of her stomach, Lilah couldn’t help but wonder what she had done wrong.
“Why are you here and what’s that?” He gave her a disgusted look.
“Mr. Boris asked me to accompany you to the meeting at San Jose. Um... this is pork meat. My dad asked me to buy and drop it off before leaving this morning. He said I should tell you.” Lilah explained.
“Okay, fine. Let’s go.” Asher snapped. Lilah placed the bag of meat on the passenger’s seat before sitting right next to him.
Asher kicked the car engines and drove onto the busy road. It was a silent drive. Lilah turned to him, noticing his dead-pan face. He was just driving as if he was the only one there.
‘I have to pee.’ A voice cried in her head. ‘No, no, no... I won’t tell him. Only if he’d come earlier.’ Lilah hissed mentally, holding the pee. She scrolled through her fully charged phone. Luckily, Conan was online.
“Have you left already?”
‘Oh, he left a message.’ she blushed and replied to him. “Yes. We’re just leaving Los Angeles.”
“Oh, I see. How long will it be?”
“I have no idea.” She responded and noticed Asher’s glare at her. Raising her gaze to him he turned away.
“I’ll chat you up whenever I get there.” She texted him up with a smiley-face emoji before throwing her phone onto her back.
Lilah took out a circle-lensed sunglasses she’d bought for a long and never used. The morning sun was bright, anyway. Lilah put it on, winding down his black, tinted glasses. She put her hand to turn on the radio, but Asher smacked her hand.
Lilah flinched.
“What are you doing?” He snapped,
“I was just trying to”
“Are you on a vacation or something? Are you insane?!”
Lilah gently turned to him, noticing his sullen facial expression. She just took off her dark shades and swallowed the lumps welling up in her throat.
“I’m sorry.” She breathed, bowing her head in defeat and placing the glasses back into her handbag.
“Sorry for yourself!” Asher gave her a malicious glare before focusing on the road. “Imagine chatting while on a business trip. Because I'm your driver? How stupid!” he hissed softly under his breath.
Lilah’s slim eyebrows pulled up as his last words echoed in her head. ‘Sorry for yourself...' He must feel good insulting me like this.
“Sorry to say this, Asher, but if you care about Asena, care about me.” Her trembling voice rumbled out the words and she could feel the heat of her racing heartbeats.
“You are not Asena, okay? Don’t compare yourself to my mate ever again! I wish I had never met you, honestly! You’re the reason I get so upset!”
“I could just leave, you know?”
Distraught, he rolled his eyes and halted the car in a screech. Lilah felt Asher’s fixated frown on her. She just turned away to avoid it.
“I wonder why Mr. Boris would send you out of all the competent staff in Sure West. What angers me the most is that you, out of all people! You are my mate’s sister!”
“What did I do? Why do you hate me so much?”
“I just realized how opposite you are to Asena. You’re just a stinky, ill-mannered betrayer!”
“What?” Lilah’s jaw dropped as her bleeding eyes gave him a distant, empty stare.
“Get out of my car!”
She kept on staring at him while he didn't.
“Don’t let me repeat myself, Lilah. I have a meeting to hold by noon.”
“Fine, I’ll leave!” she jumped out of his car and took out the bag of fresh pork. “Just so you know, Asena brought food for you every day when she was alive and you loved the stinky food she brought! I’ll resign anyway... I can’t keep up with you!”
Without saying a word, Asher zoomed off onto the busy road. Watching him leave, Lilah wiped off the tears that obstructed her vision and looked at the floor. She noticed the pig’s blood might have stained his car, but who cares? That served him right and about the job, she would quit.
Petrified, Lilah stopped a taxi and took the meat to her parent’s restaurant. After that, she helped with the cooking, not bothering to go back to the office. It’s of no use anyway and thank goodness, it was Friday.
Later that day, the sun like an abstract painter, generously platter dimer paints on the face of the darkening sky. Conan called if she had gotten there. She told him that Asher had got a better replacement. Although she hated the fact that she had to face him that way, Lilah wasn’t comfortable. Conan took her for an outing, as promised, at a high-class eatery. They ate, took pictures, and later retired home.
“You’re looking moody. Is everything alright?” Conan asked before she left.
“Yes. I’m fine.” A sudden smile brightened her dull face.
“Is it still about the trip?”
“No, it’s not!” Lilah snapped. “I mean... I’m grateful I didn’t go. I would have not made it here with you.” She explained. “Thanks a lot for today.”
“The pleasure is mine. Don’t forget to tell me about anything that’s bothering you, okay?” he reminded her.
“Okay. Good night.” Lilah took her handbag and gave him a goodnight kiss.
‘Pooo... ooo!’
Conan ducked back, squinching his eyes and nose. “Did you just fart?”
“Yes.” She gave a tight-lipped smile.
“It’s okay, release your demons.”
Lilah couldn’t help but chuckle at his attitude and admitted. “You made me eat those sugary things.”
“Augh!” he placed a hand over his nose this time. Unable to take more of it.
“Bye, now. Good night, darling.” She opened the door, giggling.
Conan blew a kiss at her before leaving. She stood at the front of her parents’ house, watching him leave. Right now, the only thing that brought a smile to Lilah’s heart was Conan, her mate. For some reason, they’re getting along well again.
....
Asher in his car...
Picture of Asena Wulfic
Conan Jordan (Beta)
Eliana Lucian
Lilah Wulfic
Asher Rhys (Alpha)