Impress Me Not: Neon Underground

Chapter 81

Why did so much have to happen all at once. As soon as Mateo thought they were going to have some days to finally relax and be calm, something else happened. He had known that Melvin would eventually get mad about wanting a cigarette, so he was half expecting what happened before, but he wasn't expecting this.

"Are you sure you want to take this one, Mel?" he asked. Those deep-sea eyes were already lost in the world of words as his slender fingers tried to type them out. Mateo didn't like him trying to work right now. He already looked tired, and he knew that Melvin typed faster than that.

How he knew that was a different memory. One in which he spent in Melvin's office...One that Mateo would rather not have flash in his mind right then. It was really distracting.

"It's a big one," Mel answered. "They're willing to pay a lot for it."

"How much?"

"A hundred," he told him. "And completing this means that they are more likely to come to my club and bring their friends."

"Mel," Mateo sighed. "You can do without a hundred dollars." Hell, he'd give him the money himself if it meant that much to him.

"It's not just about that," Melvin answered. "They already signed up for it on our website. I'm not going to cancel on them last minute just because of unforeseen circumstances."

"You almost dying should count," he frowned.

"I didn't almost die," Melvin focused on the screen again. "I just thought I was going to die. There's a difference."

"Not really!"

"Mateo," Melvin reached out to grab his hand. Once he did, he pulled him closer to him. "It's just typing on a computer. It's not going to take too much out of me. It's not like I plan on going anywhere."

"But you're tired," he continued to argue, putting an arm around his waist. "And you need sleep to get over this faster."

"I can last a few hours typing out a contract," Melvin smiled at him.

"Hours?" He didn't like the sound of that either. "It's really going to take you that long?"

"Well not exactly," he answered, closing his eyes for a moment. "I still have to wait for Anton to come back and tell me what they really want the contract to have."

"Were you able to get ahold of Cameron?"

"No," Melvin groaned, leaning his head back. "That's another dilemma. He always manages to disappear right around a pay day, and I can't ever find him when he goes either."

"I still don't get that," Mateo shook his head. "Who the hell doesn't want to get paid?"

"You'll probably get to meet them in another year or so," Melvin chuckled. "They only come around every once in a while."

"I wish he would have stayed around a little longer," Worry set in his stomach again as he looked at the tired man. "Why don't you get some sleep for now. I'll wake you up when Anton comes back."

Melvin must have been exhausted, because he actually agreed with Mateo on that. He closed the laptop for the meantime and moved it aside. Mateo moved it off the bed so that it didn't accidentally get swiped off and drop on the ground. He held Melvin until he could feel the slow rise and fall of that pail chest, and the calm breathing that been slowly been getting better with time. Mateo was pretty sure that the medicine also made him sleepy, but he didn't want to bring that up to Melvin. He really just wanted to make sure that he was getting all the rest he needed.

Mateo was planning on trying to get some sleep himself, but he couldn't. His mind started churning, keeping him up with thoughts of this new problem they faced. It wasn't that bad, Mateo just didn't like the idea of him working. It might not turn out the best either, which would only cause more issues since they had a deadline they needed to meet. It all reminded Mateo of his old job. Although he was sure the lingo was much different.