I’d never felt as nervous as I was at the moment. I gulped, still looking at the bag as if it were a carnivorous animal. Fuck! How could I have been so careless? I even forgot to disconnect before stuffing the phone back in my handbag!
“Bella!”
This time, it was a growl. A very animalistic sound. The hairs on the back of my neck stood. I knew I wasn’t supposed to have such a reaction to a phone call, but…
These brothers are damned frightening!
I opened my handbag and took the phone out.
“Oh, hi there!” I tried not to sound nervous, so he wouldn’t pick up on my emotions. I wanted to make it seem so normal. When it wasn’t.
“Don’t fucking use that tone on me! Who were you speaking to now?”
Oh boy.
“Oh! I was conversing with a new worker. We have a mission together!” I smiled, hoping he would take my flimsy excuse because I knew anyone could tell we were going on a date, not a mission. I mean, what sort of mission will require going to the cinema? To get an interview with a celebrity? Undoubtedly.
“A mission?” He sounded doubtful. “Was that your reason for refusing to see us tonight? Do you wish to play house with another man? Fuck him?!”
I jumped at the tone. Fred had always used harsh words, but never with a tone that made it seem like he was contemplating murder. It sounded so much like Blue’s.
“What the hell are you saying? I’m not… Fucking anyone!” I whispered-yelled the last word, looking around the place to be certain none of the workers heard me. Luckily, they didn’t.
There was a long-prolonged silence before I heard a warning that sent shivers down my spine. “If you go out with him, we will fuck you to death.”
The threat didn’t come from Fred. It came from Blue, a man who hardly spoke.
“Blue, that’s not -”
He disconnected without waiting for me to explain. I tried dialling their number, but I only got the voicemail.
“Fuck!” I threw my phone back into the bag and covered my face with my palms. How the hell was I supposed to react to the threat? Would they do as promised? Will –
Wait, a damned freaking moment. Why was I getting beaten because of them? The brothers said they had never left their house, right? There was no fucking way in hell they would know I went out with him!
Yes! Why didn’t I even think of that? Thank fuck! Now, I need not bother about them or what they think about all this. They wouldn’t even know where I went, not to talk of getting pissed about it.
….
I got dressed for the date. Fred didn’t call me, which was for the best. At least, I wouldn’t have to lie about anything. I ran my hand through my hair, sighing as I gazed at my reflection.
The maroon mermaid curved gown I wore brought out the colour of my eyes and made my shape so much more prominent. It hugged my body in the right places.
Just for a moment, I wished one of those brothers would see me. I had never dressed up when meeting them because I either go from work or wear comfortable clothing, knowing I would get out of it the minute I arrived.
I had my hair up in a bun. The oil I applied to it made my blonde hair shiny. It was so beautiful. I wore my golden pumps and took my purse from the table. With one last look at my reflection, I left my room and headed towards my front door.
At the same time, the doorbell rang. “Right on time!” I opened the door with a broad grin on my face.
Ken looked nice. He was putting on casual clothes, unlike me, who was dressed to kill. Or you could say, overdressed. His blue denim shorts and black polo made him look like one taking a casual walk in the park.
He gelled his hair back, giving him a more boyish face. “You look pretty,” he said with a smile, winking when I blushed.
“Thanks. You don’t look half as bad as you do,” I replied, smiling.
Though I tried not to do that, I couldn’t help but compare him to those freaking devils. I imagined what they would have worn had they been in his shoes. Would they dress like I did? Or would they dress casually? There was no way to know the answer to that because I was going on a date with another man, not them.
I locked the door behind me, and Ken took my hand in his. He led me over to his car, A red Jaguar XF. He opened the door for me and I slid in before he closed it and went over to his side. I slipped on my seatbelt and turned to him with a smile.
He revved the engine and drove out into the traffic. It was 7 on a workday, so the highway was parked.
“So, I was thinking we could have dinner after the movie?” He asked, breaking the silence between us as he kept his focus on the road.
“Dinner? That’s superb!”
I assumed he wouldn’t ask.
He smiled. “What do you say? Should we have it over at my house? I make some mean pasta, I tell you.”
I froze at that. Swallowing, I toyed with my fingers. His apartment? I thought we could dine at a restaurant. Why take me back to his apartment? Is he planning…? I gasped.
“You don’t have to look so scared. I don’t bite.” He winked at me before he turned his focus to the road. “So, what do you say? Are you having dinner with me?”
I wanted to say ‘no’. I so badly wanted to do that, but I ended up nodding. “Yes, that would be great.”