Metamorphosis

Chapter 1

What kind of person held a job interview at a rundown diner in the middle of the night? This had bad news written all over it, but as it stands, I was desperate for money. I couldn't just walk away from this, not when Isabel had gone out on a limb for me. She wasn't even close with her older brother, yet she'd dropped everything to contact him, so it was safe to assume that throwing this opportunity away would be a huge waste. According to her, there was quite a bit of money to be made if Eren hired me on. I had to keep that in mind.

Taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm my frayed nerves, I strode into the diner and scanned the booths. I'd never met Eren before today, but if he looked anything like Izzy, he'd be easy to spot. Plus, there weren't a lot of people here at this hour. The ones that were here were sitting at the counter, talking to the waitress on shift as they drank down their coffee. I felt exposed while I stood there clutching onto the strap of my messenger bag, like if anyone turned their attention to me, they'd be able to tell that I had no idea what I was doing.

As I considered my options, someone burst through the front entrance, startling me enough to make me whirl around on the spot. I came face to face with a tall brunette that was sporting a crooked smile that should've been illegal. He regarded me with stunning eyes, the right iris the same shade as a Paraiba Tourmaline stone, while the left iris was a deep honey color. Oh, jeez, he was hot. I prayed that this wasn't Eren, because I couldn't utter one word.

"Levi?" he questioned. His voice could only be described as smooth and sensual, making my name sound delicious.

Snapping out of it, I blurted, "U-um, how do you know my name?" This couldn't really be Izzy's older brother, right?

The man slipped his hand into his front pocket and produced his cell phone. He messed around with it for a bit before he turned the screen in my direction. He'd opened up a picture of me standing next to Izzy, our cheeks smashed together. We'd taken that over a month ago. "Isabel wanted to make sure that I found you, so she sent me this earlier today."

Okay, so there was no doubt about it now: This—this gorgeous man that kept eye contact with me like it was his mission in life—was Eren. I needed to stop acting like a complete moron and introduce myself properly. If I was incapable of that, then how could I expect him to hire me?

Nervous and embarrassed by my reaction, I thrust my hand out. "N-nice to meet you," I stammered, hoping he hadn't noticed. "I'm Levi Ackerman. Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice."

Instead of shaking my hand, he leaned forward and tapped the side of my glasses. "That's cute. You weren't wearing glasses in the picture."

Cute?!

With great effort on my part, I remained calm. I needed to stay professional, to show him that I could be professional, even under these circumstances. "Um, thank you. Would you like to take a seat, so we can begin the interview?"

"So polite," Eren said in a playful tone, flashing me a breathtaking smile. He gestured to the front counter. "Pick a seat."

I reacted without thought, jerking forward to practically lunge at the first available stool in front of me. As I settled in my seat, I kept my eyes glued to the floor, refusing to meet Eren's gaze as he sat in the empty stool next to mine. I had an exceptional view of his blue jeans and black leather boots.

"You don't have to be so nervous," he assured.

Before I could respond, the waitress came over to take our order. "Well, I haven't seen your mug around here in a while, Eren. How've you been?"