To Rescue a Villain

Chapter 12

Here he was again, coming in by himself for the second time. As I watched him take a seat in the darkest available corner, making himself comfortable and training his eyes on the entrance, I couldn't help but admire how good he looked in his black top and pants. The dark fabric showed off his lean build and the v neck left just enough room to see his pronounced collar bones. I hadn't considered him very good looking in the comics but now that I'd been around him for so long his looks were beginning to very gradually grow on me.

Realizing that I was awkwardly staring at him, I forced myself to look back at the drink I was making. His presence shouldn't distract me.

I had just handed the fresh drink to one of Odette's metal assistants when the woman herself sauntered up to me, this time wearing a short, red dress with black tights underneath. Grinning like a child, she leaned her head daintily on my shoulder.

"I told him you're a regular here," she whispered in my ear, making the back of my neck tense up. "He's waiting here to keep an eye on you when you arrive."

A light bulb went off in my head. So that's why he was staring at the front door so intently. Knowing why he was here made my chest warm a little but then it turned icy with guilt when I realized that he was wasting his time.

"I should tell him who I am," I told the woman, shrugging her off and straightening the front of my uniform. "He could be studying or hanging out with friends right now."

There I went again, trying to act like a responsible mother to ignore how much I liked seeing him here. And knowing he came here for me and me alone made me incredibly happy.

...Dang it! I wasn't here to fall in love with Dark. I was here to take care of him. That was it!

"But if you tell him now, it'll spoil the fun," Odette moaned immaturely before smirking and adjusting her skirt. "Why don't you serve him while I take care of those gentlemen over there?" She pointed to her destination before flirtatiously walking away and leaving me to ponder my life decisions.

After giving it some painful thought, I stepped out from behind the counter and a bit too forcefully slammed a drink on his table, making him jump a little and shoot me a look of annoyance.

"It's on the house," I told him, trying to flash a flirtatious smile but failing, too nervous to convince my lips to turn upwards. It didn't matter anyway, though, since he just smirked and nodded his thanks before taking a sip. Receiving free drinks must have been the norm for him.

Sighing inwardly, I decided to mimic Odette and sat down next to him, doing my best to raise one eyebrow so I'd seem more like my boss and less like myself. My main objective was to get a reaction out of Dark but nothing I'd done so far was weirding him out.

I guess it was time to turn things up a notch.

Inwardly giggling at how much freedom I had in this disguise, I rested both hands under my chin and leaned toward him, flashing a toothy smile. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

Derek glanced at me with an expression of amusement I hadn't seen before. "...Sort of. Why do you ask?"

My entire body tensed up and I felt my heart stop beating for a second, which kind of hurt. "What's her name?" This was the first I'd heard of it. Was she the woman he'd marry?

Oh. There was another expression I'd yet to see. This one consisted of his eyes shining a little and the corner of his mouth rising slightly. He looked...really attractive when he smiled like this.

Ugh. What was I now? Some kind of crazy fangirl? Why did I keep thinking about his appearance? So superficial!

"It doesn't matter now." He rubbed the back of his neck and looked out the window at the large moon hanging out among the stars. "I'll be moving into the Hikarius Company in a couple of weeks so we won't be seeing each other again."