(Titanic movie spoilers later on, so I'm hoping you've seen the movie. Yes, Titanic. Don't judge me.)
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The clock ticked again slowly.
Time: 8:03.
Mr. Smith hadn't come by yet, and neither had Mira. Though, I could've cared less where she was. With the weekend behind me, I was glad knowing she wasn't at the office, bombarding me with the events that took place in my personal life. And knowing Mira, she would be able to force me to divulge my escapades with Levi.
Mondays were always a slow day at the firm, given that everyone just came back from the weekend, save for a few of the lawyers and the tech team working Saturdays and Sundays. On top of that, I had to carry extra baggage with me to work, one for my personal items and another for my work items. The burdening load was a bit heavier than normal, since I had to bring Levi's hoodie back, along with my change of sweatpants and a t-shirt.
“Hey boobear, I brought you some tea,” Phil announced, walking into my office with two cups from the coffee place down the street.
Phil was kinda like an intern to me; he had just gotten out of college and wanted to get some experience at a firm before going to law school. Sometimes I couldn’t picture him being a lawyer though. He was so hipster and silly, with these thick, black glasses and adorable suspenders. I think I would have been dead on the inside if it wasn’t for him brightening my days with a smile.
He handed me my tea and leaned against my desk. He was as chipper as always, his chestnut eyes sparkling and a smile on his perfect little face.
“Thanks pookie," I said, placing the tea down on the desk. "You didn’t have to though. I know you’re busy with all that work Mr. Smith tries to push on you.”
I pinched his side gently, my usual way of showing him affection. He let out a giggle as a pink hue dusted across his cheeks.
“Don’t let Mr. Smith see you do that," he remarked. "He’ll think we’ve got somethin’ going on.”
Phil laughed at his own joke and poked my cheek, making me giggle. “So what are you doing after work today?” he added, sticking his hands in his pant's pockets.
“I have plans to hang out with someone. Why do you ask?”
“Aw man.” He kicked the ground and pouted like a little kid. “I was thinkin’ we could catch a movie.”
“Sorry pookie, I’ll make it up to you another day, okay?” I proposed, smiling up at him.
“You mean it?” He bounced around, giddy with excitement. “You really mean it boobear?”
The door clicked and Mr. Smith stolled in, a frown plastered on his face at the sight of Phil in my office. “Mr. Draxton?" he queried, perturbed. "Why are you bothering Ms. Westbrook? I told you to send out those invites an hour ago, what happened to that?”
“I’m sorry, sir, I’ll get right to that!” Phil exclaimed and proceeded to rush out, his face flushed with embarrassment.
Mr. Smith shook his head and exhaled sharply. "Good morning, Mr. Smith," I addressed, watching him come over to me and set down a pile of bills and expenses.
“Miss Westbrook, I’ve told you, if the other staff members are annoying you, come tell me."
"It's not like that, sir," I reassured, hoping it would ease his sour mood. "Phil came to bring me tea and we were talking. He wasn't pestering me at the slightest."
"I'm just putting that out there. Well if you need me I'll-"
"Be in your office," I finished for him, reaching over and picking up the paperwork with a scowl. "Sorry to interrupt sir, but I knew you would say that."
"Perfectly alright. I'm not mad at you at all." He walked towards the door, opening it and turning back to face me. "Anyways, who could get mad at such an amazing woman?"
He left, the door making the familiar thud. I didn't even have time to reply back to him. However, I was speechless; Mr. Smith had never said anything like that to me.
I snapped out of my trance, telling myself there was work to get done. Playing with a curl of my auburn hair, I flipped through the paperwork to find the main documents I required.
To be honest, I think everything would be much better if I could share my office with Phil. It was big enough for the both of us! But Mr. Smith said no, even after the many times I tried pleading with him. He would always grumble something under his breath, though I never knew what it was about.
I started typing in numbers on the calculator. Expenses from this month total . . . Add that to last months . . . Figure out what's exactly costing us the most . . . Who is making these purchases . . . I groaned softly. "People can't just spend money willy-nilly. Does it look like we have tons of it to blow? No, sir. Not when Mr. Smith is planning all these parties. Why am I complaining out loud, it's not like anyone is listening to me rant."
I scribbled down every new total, spending the next few hours with my last friend. Math. Sounds sad, but who else would be able to save me from workplace stress? No Mira, no Phil. Levi would have been nice, but he was probably off somewhere else.
My phone vibrated on my desk, reading, "New Message." I unlocked it to find a text from Mira. Joy to me.
"Hey girl! Yo, I'm so sorry I didn't come in today, I got sick! Connie came over earlier to make me feel better. He even brought me food! I thought he'd be a one night stand but no, look, he's here with me!"
She sent a photo of her kissing his cheek. I smiled faintly, relieved to know she was being taken care of. She would be back the next day, new updates on how the rest of their time went.
The more I stared at the picture, the more adorable I found them. He looked so overjoyed to be with her, and Mira deserved a guy to treat her like his queen. Judging from past experiences, she should greatly consider keeping him for a long time.
I pushed through the last hours of my workday, keeping a smile on my face the whole time. Mira was a bothersome woman, but it was the little things about her that motivated me.
Shuffling the papers together, I made a small pile of completed work and the small amount that I had to do the next morning. I packed up, grabbed my things, turned the lights off and made my way up to the third floor.
Levi had said his office was the second one on the right. There weren't as many rooms as I had imagined, in fact, the third floor looked smaller than any other in the building. Maybe it was just the lawyers who occupied the third floor, while everyone else was stuck on the first and second floors.
I was amazed by it all, until I noticed the intern from the time before heading out as well. Her name was Miss Ral or something like that. She glared at me when I approached Levi's office.
"He's busy right now. It can wait," she told me with a petulant tone.
"Mr. Ackerman told me to come by at this time," I replied, poised. "He must need my help. I am the accountant after all."
She said nothing and slung her purse over her shoulder. I watched her strut out, her boots scuffing against the tile with every step she took.
I never understood what her problem was. I talked to Levi once and it was like she hated me for it. Whatever, I shouldn't get so worked up about it, it's probably nothing anyway. I have bigger things to worry about.
I took a deep breath and tapped on Levi's door. Roxanne, you can do this. Levi will come out, you’ll leave and everything will be cool. The door opened slightly and Levi peered out. “Miss Westbrook?”
I bowed to him and asked, “Mr. Ackerman, are you perhaps done with work?”
“I was just about to head out," he said. "Wait here a moment.”
He shut the door, most likely to grab his belongings. The door clicked again and Levi sighed heavily as he locked the door. I rubbed his arm, giving him a reassuring smile. He raised a brow in a questioning manner and I pulled back.
“I didn’t say stop,” he stated, locking eyes with me the whole time.
“We’re still at work," I reminded him. "How far away do you live by the way?”
“A few blocks,” he answered blankly. “So let’s hurry up. I want to change and order some damn food.”
“Fine with me. Lead the way!”
~*~
Everything was clean. So, so clean. Whoever took care of Levi's apartment building was a master. I really needed to give them props. Levi said his room is on one of the top floors so we’d have to take the elevator.
On the way over, I asked Levi how his day went and we chatted about who we could and couldn’t stand at the office. He, of course, said Miss Ral, saying, and I quote, “She is an ignorant fool, blindly following her heart, not her mind.”
I gasped at his answer, but decided not to go further into things. He obviously despised her to some degree, and getting in between the two of them sounded like a death sentence.
He cleared his throat and had asked me what I chose to follow, to which I replied with, "My intincts."
Though, my intincts have gotten me into some wild situations. Like on my twenty-first birthday, Reiner came over with this huge bottle of vodka and we tried to see which one of us could drink more.
He had experience when it came to getting hammered, not me. Only because he had the unfair advantage of being born earlier in the year than me. However, I didn't let that stop me from accepting his challenge.
It got hazy around certain parts, yet I clearly remembered making out with him at one point. It tasted sweet, or was it bitter? That wasn't the point, the point is I did some crazy shit and that's when I decided never to drink hard liquor again.
Reiner vowed too, but he said he didn't even remember what happened. And I would like it to stay that way.
Levi didn’t even bother to ask me what my instincts were and prodded me into the elevator. It was awkward and quiet, until I started freaking out about the size of his place.
He shushed me to calm down. "Roxanne, please, you act like you've never been in an apartment before. Now go change."
I complied and skipped down the hall to his bathroom, taking out a pair of sweatpants and a plain t-shirt, as well as his hoodie. Setting those aside, I got out of my work clothes and dropped everything, working my way into my sweatpants. Halfway through them, there was a soft knock at the door.
“I’m ordering now. Is there anything you want in particular?” Levi inquired, his voice muffled from where I was standing.
“No, it’s okay," I answered, getting my other leg through the pants. "Just get whatever, I’m down for anything.”
There was no response and his footsteps faded straight after. I took my time with the rest, relishing in the feel of having comfortable clothes on. Folding my work attire, I stuck them back into my bag and grabbed Levi’s hoodie on the way out.
My socks rubbed against the hallway carpet as I looked around for Levi. Poking my head in the kitchen, I found his elbows on the counter as he took a drag from a cigarette.
“You smoke?” I asked, putting his hoodie down next to him. He glanced at me and nodded, but faced the other direction when he exhaled the smoke.
“It helps relieve my stress, but it’s not good for my body.” He coughed and tapped the cigarette on the ashtray. “Surely you must have some way of coping with the frustration of work?”
I shook my head as he took one last drag before putting it out. His gaze trailed back towards mine as he stated, "If you'll excuse me, I'll be right back. Make yourself at home. "
He left without another word, the bedroom door closing with a soft thud down the hall. "Make myself at home, eh?" I repeated, scanning the room. "A tour it is then."
Levi's place was simplistic as well as luxurious, with suede furniture and large modern windows. He had a flat screen, kinda like the one I had back at my place, but his looked a bit bigger.
The kitchen was modern as well, with granite counters and wooden cupboards. The only room left to see was his bedroom, but he was currently in there changing and walking in on him would be inappropriate and rude.
I paced back and forth, growing bored after a while of looking at the same items in the house and the scenery outside the window.
Spacing out, I continued staring out the window, specifically down at the other surrounding buildings. They were so tiny from my view, but the people were even smaller! Heights weren't my thing though, and soon enough my legs started shaking. A pair of arms slipped around my waist, rocking me from side to side.
“You’ll make yourself sick looking at things from this height,” Levi whispered to me. “I know it’s breathtaking and all, but go sit down.”
He still smelled faintly like the cigarettes, but I didn’t mind. He pushed me towards the couch while I groaned and pleaded that I didn’t need to. I sat anyway, just to give him the satisfaction he wanted.
When he found everything in order, he nodded to himself and stretched, causing his shirt to lift up and reveal his stomach. It was pale like the rest of him, but the soft glow of his skin was tempting to say the least.
I reached over and attempted to tickle his exposed skin, a smile forming on my face as I did so. He jumped back and yelped when I poked him, almost falling on top of the glass-top table behind him.
I couldn’t help but giggle. Now that was adorable. He, however, was peeved at the fact I was laughing at his little mishap, and all I could do was smile sweetly at him.
He sat down at the other end on the couch, completely ignoring me as I asked, "Levi, you're not mad right?"
He grunted, not even glancing in my direction.
"You gonna be okay?" I shifted closer to him, yet he didn't budge.
"Levi," I said, resting my head on his shoulder to annoy him. "Levi, I know you can hear me."
"Yes, what do you need?" he finally answered.
"So now you want to talk to me?" I poked his cheek and pushed the corner of his mouth up to make a smile. He twitched and patted my hand away.
"Don't repeat this to anyone after I tell you but . . ." He had this embarrassed expression on his face and he turned his head away from me. "I-I'm ticklish is certain areas, so watch where you handle me."
My own smile transitioned into a smirk. "That's pretty sexy."
"Dammit, don't say that! It feels weird when people touch my bare skin!" His stomach grumbled and I realized why he was so fussy.
"Someone needs to eat, don't they?" I inquired, drawing circles on his stomach with my fingertips.
"I'm starving, okay?" he whined, throwing his arms up in exasperation. "I want to eat."
"You will you big baby, stop fretting. Hey I have an idea, lets watch that movie while we wait!"
His eyes widened at my proposal, the blue hues seeming a bit more livid than usual. "Tch, fine. What do you want to watch?"
I thought hard for a moment, deciding on something we would both like. "How about Titanic?"
"A romance? Never thought you'd be into those, but I digress. You're lucky I own it."
"You own it? How many times have you watched it?" He went over to a small glass cabinet and searched through it, browsing to find the right one.
"Number one, yes. Number two, I've lost count." He pulled the DVD out, the familiar cover art with Leonardo DiCaprio greeting me and I internally squealed. He is one attractive guy, and a pretty good actor. That's not the reason I wanted to watch it though! I liked the story line and everything about the movie!
Levi popped the disk in, grabbed the remote and settled back in his spot next to me. When I thought he looked great in jeans, I was mistaken after seeing him in sweatpants. A man who can rock any type of pants is certainly gorgeous in my eyes.
"Stop staring at me," Levi interjected, a bit of color in his cheeks. "Watch the movie, it's going to start soon."
He grabbed a blanket off the arm of the sofa and draped it over us. I pulled it up to my face, snuggling up against Levi. Hestitating, he put his arm around me and rested his head against mine.
Rose tells the story about how she was on the Titanic, flashbacks start, she meets Jack, et cetera, et cetera. I've seen this movie so many times, but it never gets old. Okay, her fiancé is jealous, her family doesn't want her to see Jack, things get rocky.
Although I was entertained, I had the urge to close my eyes. The movie was still going; it was the scene where she goes and dances with Jack and his friends. That would be cool to do, go out dancing. Mira would have been up for it.
The volume was lowered and I felt Levi squirm out of place and lay me down on the couch. Tucking me in, he shuffled out, and, from what it sounded like, started pacing around in the kitchen.
"Yes, hello?"
"Oh, yes, she's with me right now, but she fell asleep."
"Yes, she mentioned you briefly on our way over."
"Tell her what? Speak up."
"You're disgusting, I can't."
"No I don't, stop making accusations when you have little to no proof."
"Who's the lawyer here?"
"Alright. I see... I see."
"I shouldn't keep her waiting, what if she wakes up?"
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow."
I rubbed my eyes and looked at the screen. The food was there as well, sitting on the table untouched. I lazily reached for it, but let my arm drop in defeat. Giving up on my quest for food, I positioned my body back up on the couch.
"Awake already?" Levi asked, placing his hands on my shoulders. "How was your nap?"
"I wasn't fully asleep, I kept fading in and out," I replied, folding the blanket and setting it down beside me.
"I had to take a phone call, I must have startled you when I left."
"No, I was too busy being lazy," I said, laughing a little. "We can still finish the movie and eat, no worries."
I patted the sofa for him to sit back down. He rolled his eyes and plopped down beside me once again. He rustled around in the bags and handed me one of the containers. I thanked him, the food keeping my hands warm as he figured out what was in every box.
I went back to watching the movie while I waited for him to finish up. The boat was sinking, plot twist of the century. The fiancé locked Jack in the room, Rose finds him and they have to escape before they drown. Levi nudged me to eat, but I wanted to keep watching the movie.
I opened the container and squeaked out of joy when I saw what was inside. It must have been fate, because only Marco and Reiner know that I can't resist the taste of a certain lemon glaze.
"What, what?" Levi questioned,confused. "Why are you so excited?"
"How'd you know this was my favorite?!" I exclaimed, turning into a squealing mess.
"I didn't, I just handed you whatever I grabbed," he remarked, sneering. "And stop screeching, there are people below and above us."
I slouched on the sofa and poked my food around, taking bites here and there as the movie progressed. Levi and I shared the rest of the food as well, and I was able to persuade him to let me feed him at one point.
Levi sure was an awkward and stiff man, but he was pretty adorable as well. And him owning Titanic said a lot about his personality under that gruff exterior.
Oh yeah, Titanic. We were supposed to be watching it. Oops.
Jack puts Rose on the plank as the rest of the Titanic sinks. I started to tear up as Levi put his hand on mine, brushing his thumb softly over my knuckles. It was comforting, but wasn't enough to keep everything in.
"Never let go," I choked up, speaking in sync with Jack and Levi.
Levi peered over at me and asked, "Did you just--?"
"Sh-shut it!" I placed the empty carton of food between my legs and wiped my tears. "You did too! I heard!"
"Come on, don't cry, it's only a movie, they're not real."
"He didn't deserve to die! He had so much to live for!" I began to bawl over the fictional death and Levi sighed, moving my container to the table and pulling me into a tight embrace.
"Stop it, it's a movie, calm down."
"Promise you'll never let go?" I muttered into his chest, hoping he would complete the reference.
"Do I have to fucking say it?"
"Yes."
"Will you stop crying if I do?"
"Yes."
"I promise," he mumbled under his breath. "And never make me do this again. All this crying and hugging makes me feel, well, weird."
"Weird how?"
"I can't explain it," he answered, tightening his hold on me. "I don't think it's a bad weird though, so, uh, don't worry about it."
I exhaled softly. "You're funny, Levi."