What's Said in Silence

Vessel- III

Those eyes. They said so much that her mouth wouldn't. I hadn't asked her any of the questions I might have asked in any other interview, but I didn't need to. Her eyes told me everything. 

You need me just as much as I need you.

Most people would have fidgeted or even tried to awkwardly smile their way through the silence. Instead, she had looked at me like she dared me to ask her something, anything. Such fire in those icy blue eyes. Such ferocity in something so quiet. Something tells me that her bite might make up for the lack of bark- and that same something sends wicked thoughts spiraling through my mind. 

She had gotten to work as soon as I told her she was hired. My kitchen already looked much better and she was slowly finding the floor of the living room. I plucked at my guitar pretending as if I haven't been staring at her the entire time. One benefit of the mask is I can watch undetected. 

She had clipped her hair back, but a strawberry-blonde lock slipped free as she bent down to pick up a takeout box. It disturbed me just how badly I wanted to tuck away that strand of hair. At this point I'm sure I'd take any excuse to touch her again just so I can feel the way our energies collided creating a symphony of electromagnetic charges. Part of me wondered if she felt it, too.

She set to clearing the rest of the containers off of the coffee table, tossing each one in the trash bag she carried around with her. I plucked a string harder than I intended and her eyes shot up towards me. She kept moving but her gaze stayed locked on me. She probably didn't think I noticed her staring. 

Those eyes like fire. 

I picked up my notepad and pen and started scribbling down some lyrics. They came easily, especially after a glance at her. She was just as much a muse as she was a distraction. I worked on the song for hours before the doorbell rang. Jessie must've been back with all of Sera's belongings. 

I got up and made my way to the front door expecting there to be a load of suitcases that she would need help taking to her room. As I round the corner I couldn't have been more wrong. She gives Jessie a small hug and picks up the suitcase. Suitcase. How does someone move to a completely different country with one suitcase? 

Jessie gives me a curt nod and promptly walks out, shutting the door behind him. Sera turns towards me still holding tight to the suitcase. She doesn't move, not that she'd make it far because I was standing in the corridor completely blocking her from the rest of the house. 

"That's all?" I finally ask, pointing at it. She shifts on her feet and readjusts her grip on the handle, but her eyes don't falter from me as she gives a small nod. Something tells me my new housekeeper has secrets of her own and I've touched one of them unintentionally.

I take a slow step towards her and then another until I'm mere centimeters from her. I slowly bent down until I was eye level with her. I hardly felt her breath fan across my chin but it was enough to cause my shoulders to tense. I reach for the suitcase and wrap my fingers around the handle. The hum of electricity made itself known as our fingers grazed each other.  All too slowly, she let go of the handle. 

I straightened and headed towards her room. Not only did she only have one suitcase, but it was light as hell. There's no way she had all the things she needed in there. I quickly set the suitcase just inside her door and made my way to my room. I grabbed my wallet and slid the black card out of it. I returned to her room to find her already going through her suitcase and putting away everything. There wasn't much, a couple of outfits and a few toiletries at best, just like I'd suspected. 

"Here," I held the card out to her, "You're responsible for the shopping, that includes whatever you may need as well." She looked at the card then at me with her brows knitted and almost a distrusting look in her eyes. "Whatever you buy I'm not going to deduct it from your pay, just make sure that the house is always maintained. I don't expect you to go shopping tonight, but groceries are your priority tomorrow." I elaborated and then looked down at the shoes she wore, taking note of the fact that they were her only pair. "As well as new shoes, those look entirely too uncomfortable to wear all day." 

She finally took the card out of my hand and gave me a stiff nod in understanding. She placed the card on the nightstand and went back to putting the few clothes she had into the dresser. I internally kicked myself for not putting more effort into supplying the guest room. In my own defense, I had really thought it would never be used and if it did it would be by II. 

I allowed myself to watch her for just a few more seconds before I forced myself to walk out of her room. So quickly, she had become a fixation for me. She's a puzzle I might never solve, but here I find myself okay with trying for years to come. 

Just the distraction I didn't need.