Her Street Fighter

17.

Chapter Seventeen
Marebela

"Here you go."

Gunn put bag on the table. I was in the middle of making a scrapbook.

"What is it?" I asked.

He had already bought me so much stuff.

He didn't say anything and I took the silence as an indication to open it.

What was inside? A light pink ribbon. Exactly what I wanted.

I couldn't believe he remembered.

I smiled widely. "You didn't have to do this. Why did you get me this?"

I was so thankful, but I felt awkward I didn't know what to say. I hated getting gifts because of that. Also the fact that I didn't get many presents growing up. My step sisters were always the ones who got the stuff they wanted.

I wanted to put it in my hair right now. I tried to but I failed miserably. I couldn't even toe a shoe how would I tie this in a bow.

"Can you help me put it on? Please," I asked.

My hair was already half up and tied up with an elastic. I wanted to add the ribbon to it to make it look better.

Gunn took the ribbon from my hands and I turned my back towards him.

He ran is fingers through my hair and his hands skimmed the skin behind my neck causing me to shiver.

His touch was magical.

Once all my hair was to the back of my head, he took the ribbon and attempted to put it in but he placed it on a random strand of my hair.

"Can you put it on where my hair is already tied up?"

He didn't say anything but gracefully snatched the ribbon from hair and put it on the spot I asked him to put it.

"Thank you so much!"

I ran over towards the washroom so I could see the ribbon better.

He didn't respond but I stared in awe at myself in the mirror.

"I don't know how I can repay you, all you do is buy me stuff and I don't do anything in return," I sighed.

He didn't respond and I got out of the bathroom to look at him. He was already staring at me. His eyes held no emotion and he didn't seem to show any recognition to anything I said.

"Do you think you can train me to work at your restaurant?" I asked. His eyes snapped to mine.

His answer was simple. "No."

"Why not? I have to do something somehow to make up for everything you've done," I told him. "Every tip and pay check I get goes straight to you."

"Don't worry about it," he said.

"But you had no reason to be this nice to me. I know I can be a little bit of a nuisance," I admitted. It was true, I tend to talk a lot and ramble on about random, unnecessary things.

"I said don't worry," he repeated sternly.

I wanted to fight him on it again because the guilt was eating me up alive. I have never had someone spend this much on me since I was with my father.

"Are you sure?" I asked for confirmation. I needed to know he was true to his word.

"Don't make me fucking pinky promise you," he groaned in annoyance.

How did he know I was about to do that?

Because you do it all the time, Mare.

It was getting old and I can understand his hatred towards them. It was a childish thing to do. Yet, they mean a lot to me.

"I need to know that you're not going to use this against me," I mumbled. I looked down at his feet. He was wearing black shoes, the ones he always wears when he goes to work.

I was sure he didn't hear it until I saw him stick his pinky out harshly.

I smiled immediately and locked mine with his.

"I understand you don't want me to work for you, but I can make my resume and bring it to you and then you won't have a choice," I told him.

"I would have a choice. I'm the one in charge of all the resumes and everyone I hire," he said. The look on his face told me to drop it.

I wanted to work. My whole life I have been hidden from the world.

I wanted to experience more.

I spent all night, perfecting my resume and now was the time to give it to Gunn.

He made it clear that he didn't want me to do this, but if anything it was a favour.

It was the day time and the restaurant was busy and full of people. Perfect time for me to give it to him. There was no way he could reject it in-front of so many people.

"No," Gunn said. He took a glance at the paper in my hand and shifted his focus back on the food he was cooking.

"Please," I pleaded. "Just take a look at it, it took me a long time to make it perfect."

Plan A: guilt him into letting me work.

"Come here." Gunn motioned me over to give him the paper. I handed it to him over the bar.

Plan A: in progress.

All of a sudden, he threw it in the garbage. I gasped.

Plan A: FAILED.

"I spent all night doing that. I barely got any sleep," I told him.

I went around the counter and saw it in the garbage that was full of food.

I did not take it out of the trash, but I wanted too. I had to fight the urge

"You didn't even look at it!" I exclaimed.

"That was a dick move," Slater said from the kitchen.

Gunn ignored him.

I nodded my head. Gunn glanced over to me before heading to the kitchen with Slater. He whispered something to Gunn but it was incoherent.

Well, there goes that plan.

This was going to take longer than I thought.

"Nate and I decided to take over the restaurant when his Pops died," Slater told me.

"So, you guys both own it?"

"No, he owns it, I work here, I'm like a manager."

I nodded my head in acknowledgement. After a short moment, I asked. "Do you think he would ever let me work here?"

"Your luck is as tough as gold."

Wonderful.