Catherine
"To be completely honest, I don't know where to start." I started. He shrugged before leaning on the wall.
"Maybe start with introductions?" I suggested. I sat by the counter near the knife I set down while we were figuring things out. Just in case.
"Damon." he pointed to himself. "I would very much like to live here. I don't have a lot of things and I can share living expenses with you. I won't clog the toilet, but I'll fix it if I do. As long as we're both not too nosy and you don't go in my room, I'm your guy."
I blinked a couple of times
"You're the man from last night." It wasn't a question. It was more of a statement. Even in broad daylight, he still looked like he had this dark aura around him. It wasn't sinister, just intimidating. That and again, he looked dead tired.
My friend Rose, loaned me some of her sparkling vampire books before since I got curious about the buzz saying it sucked. Although this man did not sparkle, and in no way graceful, he still looked like trouble.
He pointed at the cabinet, as if asking for permission. He was making himself at home. He searched through the cabinets and got two cups. I forgot I even had those. I envied him for not having to get on his toes to reach things.
"Does it make a difference if I said yes?" He asked. He poured himself a cup of coffee. With all the fuss a while ago, I didn't even notice he made some. "Would it make you feel better? I would have introduced myself last night but you were already having a tough time. I thought that if you had a couple of hours of sleep, this," He pointed his finger to me, then him. "Would be easier to take in." He walked towards the fridge like I wasn't even there. How could he act as if he owned the place when he just got here? He closed the fridge holding two eggs and reached for a pan on the cabinet just above me.
Everything went in slow motion as he stretched his arm to get the pan, his side brushing my thigh. My eyes followed where his hand was before I forced myself to focus on his nostrils. It felt like the only way not to get any closer. He smelled awfully a lot like apples.
"Earth to, Cat."
I blinked before I realized that he was talking to me. There were two plates with scrambled eggs, and two cups of coffee.
"How much did you drink? Hand me a knife, will you?"
When I didn't move and just stared at him, he sighed and spoke matter-of-factly. "I could've snuck in and stole the things you have lying around. Your television looks new. I bet you I could get that outta here in seconds. But hey, I didn't. You said it yourself, I'm a gift from the big Guy." He said this as if he was convincing his child to go to bed or Santa wasn't going to deliver their presents.
"May I please have one of your apples? I barely enjoyed the other one." He really was a huge man for this kind of kitchen. He looked out of place. He should be in a museum, made from marble with tourists zooming in on his face. I just quietly stood there as he worked around the room, making breakfast.
"Eat, bonbon," he said after he was done. He pointed at the stool across from him as he poured coffee in the other cup.
"I thought I was Bambi?" I felt my face heating up as soon as I said it. Now it looked like I wanted to be called names.
He took a sip of his coffee. Mimicking him, I closed my eyes and almost groaned. It was just how I liked it. Just from this, I knew we would somehow get along.
"You said Bambi's a boy. Which you are not. Your eyes are the same color as the bonbons I used to eat." He started eating his scrambled eggs with gusto. When I woke up, I wasn't expecting to be having breakfast made by a guy who almost killed me the night before.
"Is something bothering you?" I looked up to see him as he picked up the apple he peeled, offering one to me. I moved my head to say no. He shrugged and took a bite.
"Okay, so I'm acknowledging the fact that you'll be staying here but the other things you've told me... I'm going to forget that you told me those, and let's just be adults about this. My name's Catherine. You're Damon. You already have your own key." He smiled at me, nodding.
"I have my key. Well Catherine, I suggest you believe it now. I really am sent here to you." He suddenly looked so serious. Maybe God sent me my personal tormentor.
"Let's say what you said is true. Hypothetically speaking, you were sent here to as you say, 'distract' me. Then that makes you what? An angel? Did heaven realize that men are assholes here on Earth, and decided to send angels for some kind of Divine Escort Service instead?" I took a forkful of scrambled eggs, never leaving his face out of my sight.
"Bonbon, what made you think I'm an angel?" He tilted his head slightly to the side as his tongue slowly made its way to his bottom lip. As if his mere presence wasn't distracting enough.
Focus, Catherine.
"If...if you're not an angel, then what are you?" My eyes widened when another possibility occurred to me. "You're a devil! You're here to tempt me, and drag me to the depths of hell, aren't you?" This was my punishment for asking for something so foolish. The big Guy decided to teach me a lesson with the help of this demon! come to think of it, even his name rhymes with demon.
That was when he decided to laugh. "That's a bit much, bonbon. Is that what reading books for a living do to you? Don't worry. I may not be an angel, but I sure as hell am no devil either. I'm just as human as you are. Ask me questions if it'll make you come to terms with this easier." I put my fork down and decided to play along. He said he was human, so that made my brain calm down.
"How old are you?" I asked.
"I am twenty nine this year."
"What do you do?" For all I know, he might be some drug lord or a delinquent hiding from the authorities. I've seen these plotlines before. I don't want to go home from work and see things in the apartment wrecked.
"I fix and make stuff better."
"You're a carpenter?"
He shook his head.
"A mechanic then?"
He smiled, raising his eyebrows.
"Where do you work?"
"A place called The Garage. It's near here." I frowned. He worked in a garage? A car mechanic.
He stood up and picked up our plates. I didn't even notice that I finished up mine while we went through our formal introductions as roommates.
"That would do for now. I have to go to work in half an hour. If you have any errands to do, go. Don't mind me. ." He smiled at me as he started washing the dishes.
"Let me help." Walking towards him, he raised an eyebrow when I took the plate from his hands.
"I thought you didn't trust me just yet? Let me finish this. You go and –" He looked down at my legs. "dress up."
Holy shiznick.
Luckily, the shirt I wore was big enough to cover what needed covering. Unless I raise my arms, I would say I'm safe from wandering eyes. I've had this shirt since I was in high school. Old clothes provide the much needed comfort after a long day at work. Sometimes, that comfort took the form of your gym uniform with a couple of holes in it. With as much dignity as I could muster, I quickly ran towards my bedroom, slamming the door shut behind me. He was laughing so hard that I didn't want to ever come out of my room.
I stripped off my clothes and stepped in the shower. I kept banging my head on the wall until it hurt. I mean who forgets they're half-naked?
And I was in that state while trying to act rational in front of him.
By the time I managed to calm myself down, I had scrubbed my body thrice. Drying myself, I got a pair of black slacks and a floral blouse from my closet.
My mom always teased me about them and called them my 'momma clothes'. I simply didn't have the patience to comb through clothing racks at a mall for hours. I make do with what I have.
After blow drying my hair, I put it on a tight ponytail and put on my glasses. I walked out of my bedroom to find Damon tying his shoe on the couch. His other shoe on the coffee table.
"Get your shoe off the table, please." I really was having none of it. He did what he was told while saluting at me. Making sure I had my keys in my bag, I faced him.
"Well Mr. Grace, as awkward as our first meeting was, I hope that we get along. I have to finish some things at work. Have a nice day." I turned and opened the door. As if one headache wasn't enough.
"Glen." I muttered.
He looked up and hesitantly smiled.
"I need to tell you some-" I frowned when he suddenly stopped talking. I noticed him looking at something behind me, and I turned only to bump into someone's chest.
Damon looked down at me, and I swear I saw a glimmer of mischief as he smiled.
"I have to go to work, bonbon. Do you want me to take you to work first? Or just pick you up later?" He put his hand gently on my waist. All I could do was stare at him. I was still in a daze when I heard Glen fake a cough.
"Ah, a visitor. Do you need anything, bud?" Damon was asking him like he really wasn't aware that I was with someone. He was a bit taller than Glen. And bigger too. I felt his fingers slightly dig at the flesh at my waist. Glen saw that.
"I...never mind. I just... I got to go." Glen stuttered and left. But not before giving me what looked like a death stare. Great. Now he thinks I'm a cheater just like him. Damon removed his hand from my waist and stood in front of me.
"So, do I give you a ride to work? Or just pick you up later?" He wasn't kidding.
I imagined myself going to work riding a motorbike. A big no-no.
"After work." Not really aware that I said it out loud, he smiled and fixed my glasses.
"See you then, bonbon."
Then he was whistling his way down the stairs.
I stood at the door, trying to process everything that had happened since I walked inside the kitchen.
Catherine Marks Wright, what in the name of the heavens have you gotten yourself into?