Page 4 of January Blues
My smart watch beeped with an incoming text:
Damon: Where are you? You’ll be late for that meeting! Got your coffee order here. Buzz me up.
A smile stretched across my face. Damon was the greatest thing to happen to me over the past week. Still only in my underwear, I walked over to the intercom and buzzed him up. I unlocked the door, leaving it slightly ajar for him, even though I knew he had a key or could pick the lock with ease.
Damon and I had met under… unusual circumstances on Boxing Day morning. He’d been sitting on my bed as I woke up, a sense of unease calling me from sleep. A dangerous shadow loomed over me.
“Give me a reason why someone would want you dead because I just can’t see it? What did you do for someone to hate you so much?” he’d rasped.
I remember looking between him and the door, wondering why my wards had failed. My parents’ guilt money had paid a lot for them.
He leaned forward, and under the wan light of the waxing moon, I caught my first glimpse of his pretty face. Damon was blessed with one of those faces that was nice to look at, but was altogether unremarkable. Or at least he’d worked to keep it like that. In his line of work, he needed not to draw attention.
“What? Who are you?” I’d finally stammered out.
“I’m the man that was sent to kill you, sweetness. So, what did you do?”
At his words, I’d scrambled up the mattress away from him, as if that would have helped, considering he’d held a gun in his gloved hands.
“Nothing! I swear!” I finally got out.
“Strange thing is, I believe you.” And that had been that. From that moment, we’d been inseparable.
“Hey sweetness,” Damon called as he entered my studio apartment. He found me raking my closet, looking for my missing outfit. “I mean, I love you like this, but you need clothes, sweetness, for that meeting with the board. You’ve got five minutes before we need to leave.”
“I can’t find it!”
“Find what?”
“I had everything set out last night. I checked my alarm clock a dozen times! It’s never failed me. It’s spelled not to! Then there’s no heat or hot water!” I felt my lip tremble, my words becoming hysterical.
“Hey, slow down,” Damon urged. He turned me to face him, his warm hands on my shoulders making me realize how cold I was. “Shit! We need to get you warm. You’re like ice!” Damon yanked me into a tight hug, using his body heat to banish the chill that surrounded me. He shucked off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. “Here, wrap up. I’ll find you the perfect outfit, then we really have to go.” Damon studied the closet before pulling out items. “Get these on.”
I didn’t question him, just did as I was told. Each item of clothing made me feel warmer, calmer. Everything was okay now that Damon was here. Together, we had this.
“Here,” he chucked deodorant at me, “you smell fine, but stress makes everyone sweat.”
After liberally applying it, I dropped it on my unmade bed. Cologne was next.
“Shoes, phone, keys. I’ve got your cufflinks. Brush your teeth and let’s go!”
I scrambled to gather up my things, quickly doing as ordered, and rushed for the door. I caught my reflection in the mirror. “My hair!”
“Got you covered. Come on!”
Damon rushed out the door, me following quickly behind. I headed towards my usual spot, but was stopped with a hand on my arm. “No point. All the tires are flat.”
He laughed when I gaped at him. “Cute look, sweetness, but we really need to go. I’ll make some calls about your car and your apartment when you’re in your meeting.”
I wanted to protest. Really, I could call someone to take care of the car, the heat, and my clock myself, but it was just so… nice to have someone to take care of me for a change.
My parents had been out of my life since I was eighteen, ten years now. Sure, they’d left me with an apartment and a sizable trust fund, but it didn’t replace a family. They’d taken my magical siblings with them and not contacted me since. It was like, to them, I didn’t exist.
“Thanks, Damon. I’m lucky to have you in my life,” I said gratefully as he steered me to his car just down the street.
“Anything for you, cutie. You know that.” Damon waggled his eyebrows before letting me go to get into his car. Like everything about him, it was bland and inoffensive. He worked hard to avoid notice. Hitmen couldn’t draw the wrong attention. It was easier for him to do his job if he didn’t look threatening. It was only his eyes that gave him away.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Damon was a huge flirt. I found him attractive, of course I did. It was more than his looks. It was the deep care that he showed for me in everything that I did. He knew that today was a big deal for me, so he’d shown up and taken charge when everything went wrong. Without him, I’d be lost. I’d been lost.
