Dominic isn’t a drinker.
Not that he hadn’t drunk any alcohol, he was in university once.
But he’s never enjoyed it, not the drinking or the way it made him feel after.
Yet here he was enjoying his second glass of wine.
They laughed together, the conversation drifting from one ridiculous topic to another through time.
“You know…” Dominic said.
The alcohol was slowly getting to him as Adrian added more wine to his glass before filling his empty.
“I used to think you were a pain in the ass,” he said.
“And…?”
“You are.”
They laughed loudly.
“But, but,” Dominic waved his hand incoherently.
“You are very nice… An asshole but nice… A nice asshole.”
“I feel like I should be concerned about being described as nice,” Adrian said.
“Why?
You saved my life three times, got me a job at B.O.G.S., and gave me a place to live.”
“Are you trying to flatter me?” Adrian said, swirling the wine in the glass.
“That’s the last thing I want to do,” Dominic replied.
“I just think you’re a somewhat good person despite your reputation.”
“Don’t be naïve… I could kill you, you know?” Adrian said, dryly.
“I bet you could, very easily,” Dominic nodded.
“Compared to you, I’m practically dust.”
“Don’t beat yourself down, you have potential,” Adrian replied.
“That trick you did with the blight, lighting them on fire when you touched them, was interesting, just like your choice of weapon.”
“Did Roxanne tell you?” Dominic asked.
“No,” Adrian said calmly.
“I told you I’d be watching, didn’t I?”
He didn’t know if it was the wine, but he saw it again— those eyes, all staring at him.
“You don’t need physical eyes,” Adrian said, refilling his cup, “to see.”
Dominic didn’t say anything.
Can he secretly see?
“Anyway, maybe we shouldn’t drink too much… we have work tomorrow,” Adrian said, downing his glass in one go.
He stood and stretched, about to leave.
“Wait…” Dominic said.
“Hmm?”
“Are you working in the office tomorrow?”
“Yeah, I plan on investigating the blight attack and what Roxanne faced,” Adrian said.
“I believe you did the favour I asked of you?”
Dominic nodded.
“Alright… Good night.”
Work…
Dominic waited at the bus stop.
His head rested against the cold metal pole. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
This was easily one of the worst hangovers he’d ever had.
But still… The rising sun was hurting his eyes, and his head was killing him.
Plus, his body was far too warm.
Maybe it’s a fever building up.
The worst part of all this is that Adrian looked completely normal, as if he hadn’t finished nearly two bottles by himself.
Adrian had offered to teleport him to the office, but Dominic doubted he’d be able to stop himself from throwing up.
How long will it take for the bus to get here?
His patience was running thin, and he sighed, taking out his phone to scroll through social media.
Oh, right, maybe I can use this time to look for Roxanne’s social media profile.
He typed out Roxanne’s name on the search engine and was mildly surprised.
She’s from a small island country in the Mediterranean, twenty-seven years…
I wonder if she and Adrian are the same age.
She is a popular singer and entertainer with a huge following.
He scrolled through her social media page.
Her account was filled with friends, gardens, quiet dinners, and candid photos of herself smiling in the sun.
She had also posted the day before.
Even though he’d only seen her dressed in dark alt clothing, the photo showed her in a sundress, an open-knit sweater, and kitten heels.
It suited her character.
He followed her account and was almost immediately followed back.
Oh… that was fast.
Is she awake?
His phone vibrated—a message from her.
What the hell?
So quick.
It was a simple ‘hi’ with a waving emoji.
‘
Hey’, he typed.
“Should I also add an emoji?”
A heat crept up his side, slowly suffocating him.
He straightened immediately and looked around.
Nothing special, other than the petite, middle-aged redhead woman next to him.
When did she get here?
She looked pale, like she was sick, about to fall over from her weight.
“It’s rude to stare at strangers,” she said calmly.
There was a slight accent to his tone.
He caught himself.
“Sorry,” he quickly apologised.
He no longer stared at his phone; instead, he watched the passing vehicles, looking out for the bus.
Oddly, there’s no one else here.
“You are far more stable than I imagined.”
“Who?
Me?” he pointed to himself.
She looked at him.
“Well, there’s no one else here, and I’m not insane, of course, I’m talking to you.”
He looked at her with a blank expression.
This is giving me serious deja vú.
“Who are you?” He blurted out.
She looked at him, her amber eyes meeting his own.
Her eyes looked familiar, yet they were on a stranger’s body.
“Cassandra Hellbourne,” she introduced herself.
“I don’t expect you to know me, after all, my twin sister kept you from the family for so long.”
His jaw dropped, he looked around, before looking at her again.
This is even weirder than when I met Adrian for the first time.
“Close your mouth, you are acting rather undignified.”
Dominic closed his mouth.
I don’t think I’m ready to meet anyone from that side of the family…
He looked at her more closely; her hair was tied into a low-styled bun, and she carried herself with elegance and grace.
I’m not mentally prepared for this encounter.
He adjusted himself, subconsciously straightening up more.
“I’m Dominic—”
“Jayden Wykes,” she interrupted him.
“I’ve heard of you.”
Full government name?!
I’m not even surprised she knows it.
“I guess you have,” he muttered.
“May I help you?”
“No, I simply wanted to be sure of something,” she said.
“I apologise for the sudden arrival… You don’t need to be frightened of me.”
Dominic pursed his lips.
“I’m not scared,” he said quietly.
She nodded, then turned to face the road.
“The city’s bus drivers are on strike and aren’t working for an indefinite period…”
His eyes widened in shock.
“Huh?”
“I’m surprised you didn’t know, you’ve been standing here for nearly an hour and you didn’t think to guess the bus was not arriving?” She questioned him.
“I—” Words died in Dominic’s mouth.
I’ve been here for an hour and didn’t notice?!
What was I doing?
“It’s because of that damn phone,” she scolded him.
“This generation and their phone addiction.”
A car stopped in front of them, and she stepped forward.
“Get in… I’ll get you to work.”