The Butterfly Dance

1

"I don't know how much Hex pays you, but it's a little" Elena smiled at the plump old man and closed the door behind him. Indeed, Jason Hex paid her little. She sighed and looked around, biting her lip. These parties always squeezed everything out of her, her boss spared no effort to please his investors, but in the end she was the one cleaning up after them.

She shook her head and walked into the kitchen, opened one of the cupboards and pulled out a roll of garbage bags. "I always take it, don't I?" she pouted and placed the roll on the counter, reached over and picked up a half-empty bottle of champagne and raised it, gulping hungrily. "So much studying, and to please some ass-jerk" snapped Elena and finished drinking the rest of the champagne. "Real pigs!" she gasped in surprise and blushed, turning to see her boss standing in the doorway between the kitchen and dining room.

Elena bit her lip, she was too tired to deal with him. "I'll clean up as fast as I can sir" he turned to look at her, his dark eyes scanning the bottle of champagne in her hand. His eyebrows shot up and his body filled the frame now facing her. "Don't stop for me, actually, I want too" he walked past the kitchen island littered with empty and dirty plates and glasses and stood in front of her, reached in, opened the small wine fridge and pulled out a new bottle.

"Give me two glasses" Elena stiffly turned her back to her boss and reached for the cup stand, taking down two. "How long have you been working for me, Vale?" he asked darkly and Elena held the two glasses while he opened the champagne. The cork popped and Elena jumped, unable to stop giggling. "Two years, sir" she answered, swallowing as she watched him pour the sparkling wine into the glasses.

His gaze snapped from the glasses in her hands to her eyes and he snorted. "So much?" Elena nodded, his dark eyes were misty, a clear signal that he had drunk more than necessary, and that meant he would be more hateful and sarcastic than usual. One more bottle would not be enough for her. "Do you know one of these shopaholics makes his assistant wash his underwear?" Jason took one glass and raised it, Elena watched as his throat moved as he swallowed.

She raised her own glass. "Even an ass-jerk like me wouldn't ask for such a thing" he wiped his mouth with his sleeve and poured himself another. Elena licked her lips. Black suited him, made him look like an action hero from a secret agent movie. The comment that he heard her mumbling to herself should have worried her, but she had several hours of cleaning ahead of him before he would go up to the second floor of the penthouse and go to bed, so she just ignored him.

"Cheers" Jason knocked her glass and raised his again, Elena rolled her eyes and sipped the champagne. "At least spare me that effort, sir!" she answered bitingly and took the bottle from his hand, pouring herself. "I promise, I have another girl for that" Elena raised an eyebrow over the rim of her glass. "I don't doubt it,sir" he took a step back and measured her from top to bottom. "Did you wear this all evening?" Elena looked down, examining her red dress.

Elena nodded and he grunted. "I like it, it suits you" he took the bottle back from her and this time held it straight up. "It's a present for my birthday, from you sir, so thank you, you have good taste" Elena saw his tongue nudge his inner cheek and an arrogant expression replaced the annoyance on his face. "I guess so" he looked away, picking up and shaking the now empty bottle. "Damn, that's not strong enough" Jason grunted and Elena put her glass down behind her, leaning back against him and pulling a bottle of whiskey from the bottom cabinet.

"So in addition to being an asshole and a jerk, I'm also lazy?" Jason tilted his head slightly and narrowed his eyes. To hide her embarrassment, Elena shrugged and turned her back on him, her gaze began to wander aimlessly and slightly blurred, looking for something that would get her out of this awkward situation. "That's not an answer, Vale" he stood closely behind her, leaving the bottle of whiskey on the counter and pinning her with his hands on the edge of the marble.