Valarie was only on the second design when her brain totally blacked out. She just couldn't think so opted for something much less taxing. What better than to bask in the comfort of the empty, quiet room and indulge herself in a good book? She took her laptop out and logged into Wattpad in search of one. She propped her feet up on the love sofa and reclined in the cloud of comfort.
Like a car filled to its brim with gas, he felt renewed, ready to rev and take off into the wind. Dimitri smirked as Adrianna slipped her number into his pocket. Surely, he was looking forward to seeing her again. His eyes glowed darkly as her hips swayed dangerously as she walked away. He dreaded leaving the fun to rest for the time but work stood boldly in the middle of the two.
With his chest held high, he spun around on the balls of his feet and walked through the large glass doors. Tension oozed from his pores as he thought about the amount of work that should have been completed by now. It would surely cut the load off of the coming days and he would have more time on his hand to fully compose himself.
The door clicked open and it was as if her heart was clipped out of its place and thrusted violently upwards into the walls of her throat. Valarie reflexively pushed her laptop out of her lap and sat up. She scrambled for her sketchbook and hurriedly open it. Time unfortunately, was against her. He'd caught a glimpse of her movements before she'd settle.
His forehead creased and his eyes narrowed as he walked into the room. Valarie swallowed the lump in her throat and fidgeted. She glimpsed up at the clock above. Three hours had gone. Three hours and she still hadn't completed the designs. She mentally slapped herself for losing track of time and being so irresponsible. She cleared her throat and pretended to put her sketch to paper.
"Okay let me see the five designs now" Dimitri ordered.
Valarie paused "Umm..."
"Umm? I told you to complete five designs for when I get back and now I'm back so let me see then now."
"They aren't finished. I only did two of them."
"Excuse me?" his eyes grew deadly. "I said I wanted them done. What the hell were you doing all this time?"
Her eyes subconsciously averted to her laptop then back to him. Dimitri narrowed his eyes and approached her. "I. Said. What. The. Hell. Were. You. Doing?"
His tone was like a deadly venom paralyzing her as it coursed through her veins. For the first time she noticed how intimidating his stormy eyes were. How masculine and authoritative his features stood. Maybe it was because this time she was the one that was at fault.
Dimitri folded his arms and cocked his head slightly to the right. "What were you doing on your laptop?"
"Nothing" she lied.
"Look I am not keen on repeating myself and you are clearly starting to make this a habit of me. I will spare you only once and ask one more time. What were you doing on your laptop?"
"Umm..."
His patience was growing thin and he could stand to wait for an answer no more. With a movement swifter than she could process, his hand reached across her and picked her laptop up. Adrenaline pumped through her body in mass flow as he spun the laptop around to watch the screen.
His eyebrows knitted further as he obserevd. When he finally looked up at her through his long lashes, it was like a fire had already ignited in his eyes.
"Wattpad? Really, Wattpad?" he questioned.
"Um, yes. I was working on the designs and I got bored so I um decided to go read a story."
"I left you with work to do and you decided to go read a freaking story? Is that all you girls sit around and do all day?"
"Well technically no because I don't only read. Sometimes I write to. I was about to write but you came back so I couldn't start. I heard that reading and writing for leisure daily can really boost your mind and um, improve work performance. It's like a medicine." She cleared her throat.
He smiled sarcastically. "So you want to read? You want to write? Then write." He rested the laptop into her lap.
"What?" she looked at him in confusion.
He paused and closed his eyes then exhaled slowly. "You are making me repeat myself again Valarie. I said I don't like it."
"I don't want to write anymore."
"I wasn't asking. Now write. Start now."
"But-"
"That's an order. I am your boss and your job is to do what I say. Now write!"
"No I-"
"Write or you are fired."
Her eyes widened. "What? You can't do that."
He cocked his head backwards and raised an eyebrow. "Oh is that so? You really want to test me?"
As much as she wanted to bite back, her mind swirled in circles. She wasn't entirely sure if he meant it or not. Losing her job definitely wasn't on the agenda. She couldn't exactly take the risk. His expression, his tone. They were all too convincing to think he was just fooling around. She swallowed a lump in her throat.
"Write Valarie" he said before turning around and heading to his seat. She watched as he skillfully unbuttoned the black jacket of his suit with one hand and sat into his chair. He crossed his right leg over his left knee and propped his chin up with his right hand.
"I uh, I need inspiration when I write. I-I don't have inspiration. What is my inspiration?" her voice fumbled.
He shook his head slightly. "Me" he said as if the answer was pretty obvious.
She choked on the bit of saliva she was swallowing. "What?" her voice was an octave higher.
Dimitri's eyes darkened further. "Write Valarie, or I throw your ass out of here this instant and you will just have to find your money elsewhere."
She bit down on her bottom lip hard as a silent punishment for dragging herself into this mess. Her hands positioned on her keyboard as her eyes struggled to remain fixed on him. They started from his dark messy hair, down to his metallic eyes. How intense, captivating, drawing every part of her in. His nose undoubtedly hand crafted by the gods. The blood blotted robust cushions sat perfectly as lips on his face. The way his body imprinted on his clothes. He was mesmerizing. No wonder why women kissed the very floor he walked on.
Without really thinking, her fingers started to move and she began to write. Dimitri remained immovable in his position. He took time to observe her. Her frail body folded like a contortionist into the couch. Her eyes never seemed more innocent as they peered up at him. Her features telling of an entirely different soul her voice portrayed when she'd spoken to him the first time. He bit down on his lip and pondered on how different she looked in this new light. It was still unknown whether he liked the change or not but it was worth something at the back of his mind.
He allowed her a few moments to write.
"Oh shit. No, no, no. Holy shit! I totally lost track of time. The door creaked open and I know I was doomed. Hades had returned to the underworld and I was the damned soul that took a break from the punishment he'd me to do while he was gone. No one ever do other than they are told whether he is around or not. He loved having his way and now that I was caught doing something I was not told to do, I know he was pissed.
I tried to hide the fact. Pretend that I was doing nothing except what he asked but I should have known better than to try to fool the god of fools. He peered at me and I swore the dark lord was going to release the mighty Cerberus on me and tear me to pieces.
He walked with pride and certainty to his throne where he found his seat. His threads were only a disguise for the leathery skin he hid beneath. His eyes grey yet the red of fire glowed within them. He is looking at me and I can feel holes boring through my soul. How the hell is he doing that? No one has ever gotten me to this point before.
I tremble as I continued to do as I was told. In no doubt he fitted perfectly into this demonic world yet I couldn't help but to wonder why he didn't have a place in Olympus. No work of art like that should be casted away. It's worth being hung on a wall and be stared at all day but for some reason I just cannot find it in myself to keep my eyes fixed on him. Yet I'm completely drawn in.
He stands and what perfect height he is. Imaginary lights and cameras flash around him as he walks towards me. My lips parted in awe without my permission and I felt the need to stitch them so that they would never betray me like that again. I stare at him longer and my acidic mind had finally returned to its place within my skull.
His outer features a living lie to what exactly lied within. His features nothing but masculine yet he was not a man. Biologically he looked the part but he was not human. Well past the age of eighteen but he was still only a boy. I scolded myself. It wasn't fear I felt but disgust. Disgust towards the way he treated women, the way he spoke to his employees as if they were dogs. He makes my blood boil beneath my skin and I burn in a way that could melt both him and I to lava.
Wait, what? Why is he still walking towards me? It's becoming too close for comfort. It's affecting the way I think. It's cooling my fiery mind or making it white hot. I can feel him. He just sat next to me. I think he is made of iron. No real man can be so firm. I can smell him. It's intoxicating. I hate it. I feel the need to hold my breath. It's too much to bear. I know it will be like a drug if I drink too much in. I know it will plague my mind and cloud my judgement on him again.
I can feel his breath tickling the nape of my neck and down my spine. I freeze. I am unable to register what the hell is going on. Something soft. Something freakishly soft is brushing against my ears. My eyes widened in realization. His lips...
It can't be. Clouds belong in the sky. How could his lips be made out of it? I tried immensely to find my focus. I needed to keep my thoughts under control but as time progressed the task became more difficult. He exhaled a slow breath and hot liquid-like sensation entered my ear and sank all the way down to my toes.
"Stop." The word was heard but I could put no meaning to it. My fingers kept moving on the keys.
"Stop." The voice sounded again and I'm not sure where my control went. It was as though this force had consumed me and took the power of logic and my actions away from me. Is he a demon slowly lurking its way in, possessing me? Yes he is a hallucinating demon and he-
"Valarie stop!" The tone burned away the cloud that had consumed her and she was pulled back into reality.
Valarie blinked frantically as she shifted her eyes away from her laptop to look at him. "I told you to stop making me repeat myself dammit" he scolded. Dimitri took the laptop out of her hands and placed it on his lap. Her stomach churned as he began reading. She observed him closely for any expression that gave light to what he was thinking while he read but his face remained a blank canvas. She cursed inwardly for revealing what a horrible writer she thought she was.
Dimitri read without moving his eyes, his expression still giving nothing away. When he was finished, he slid the laptop back and rose to his feet. He placed his hand in his pocket and paced the room.
She could stand the anticipation no longer. "Now would be a good time to say something" Valarie spoke. He paused and turned to face her.
"I am Hades, God of the Underworld? I am...a hallucinating demon?"
He tried feverishly to suppress his smile. Valarie didn't know how to respond. She felt so embarrassed and face palmed herself. She needed a cover and quick.
"What makes you think that I was talking about you? You may have been inspiration but you're not at the center of everything you know. I wasn't referring to you with most of what I said."
"Hmm I see" he commented. The topic was taking a toll on her mightiness. She had shriveled down to nothing for too long. Her only escape was to pretend it didn't happen. She desperately changed the topic.
"Um I will get the rest of designs done soon. You can take these two for now if you want. I better go try to find you another date too. Can't exactly slow down on the pace here right now. I need to find you someone else to associate yourself with for the time being."
"There's no need to."
"What? I have to. Your father made it really clear that you need to-"
"I know what my father said and I told you there is no need to. I already found someone."
"Ohh" Valarie sounded surprised.
"Where, when, how?" she questioned and scrambled for her notepad.
"In the elevator when I was leaving. Her name is Adrianna. I'll be meeting her again sometime. That's all there is to know for now."
"Good" Valarie jotted down some points.
"Now don't think for one second that I'm done with you."
"What?" he caught her totally off-guard.
"The next time I tell you to do something, I want it done. Entirely completed. Do I make myself clear?"
Valarie raised an eyebrow and snorted. His eyes grew darker and she paused. He remained silent, looking intently at her. She pondered for a moment and it clicked. He didn't want to repeat himself. Valarie opted to toy with him a bit. She raised an eyebrow feigning ignorance.
"What?" she questioned.
He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes for a moment before reopening them.
"Do I make myself clear?"
"Clear? Are you a glass?"
She was really testing him. He was literally on his last strew now and his eyes released a red vapor. Valarie smiled knowing that she'd push him a hair strand away from his limit. She rose from her seat and smirked.
"I'll get the designs done. In the mean time I will take these two to get them made."
His eyes fixed on her as she exited the room.