Warm Touch

Chapter Three: It's Easy To Ignore Trouble... Or Is It?

Claire's POV:

"Claire? Wake the fuck up! Your gonna be late to work!" I hear a voice say.

"Mmmphh" I moan. I just cant wake up today. I don't know what it is but for some reason, I am just really lazy right now. Then, oh yeah! I remember now why I was so freaking tired, I had come back home last night at around 1:00 a.m. I think. I had been with Danny the whole time and it was so much fun, he's super hilarious and sweet and just when the romantic side of Danny started to replay on my mind, the next thing I knew is some freaking idiot spilling water on my face for me to wake up.

"What the hell?! Who the fuck do you think you are to wake me up like this?!" I yell out in complete madness.

"The person who's gonna save your job and your life, trust me!" Just after I hear that, I quickly analyze it's Kate.

"Kate, what the? How'd I get here, and when?"

"Today. Danny brought you home at around 1:30 a.m. He brought you all the way up here to your bedroom and kissed your forehead and cheek before leaving. Let me just say something though... Aww!!"

"Holy shit! At 1:30?!" I cry out in confusion. Who the hell does he think he is to bring me back at such timing? This is unforgivable!

"Claire, this guy reaaaaaallyyy likes you! I say you should give him a chance. I mean seriously, come on Claire, he could've done anything to you... You were drunk!! Fucking waisted even! He could've done anything he wanted at all but instead he brought you here with me safely. Danny is a great guy if you ask me."

"I was not fucking waisted! You know I don't smoke or drink Kate, you know me." I mumble.

"Alright fine, I believe you. It was still romantic though."

"I think, I think I remember now. It was nothing Kate, it was just late and I had fallen asleep extremely tired from staying till late to work these last few days."

"You sure?" Kate asked as she hands me my work shoes, really not the most pleasant shoes in the world by the way. Now I'm ready.

"Sure man, I'm sure. I've got to go now. Thanks and sorry!" I cry out as I run downstairs.

"Thanks and sorry?" She asked loudly.

I make my way back to the staircase and I can see her clearly now.

"Thank you for walking me up, sorry for being a bitch about it. Bye love ya!"

"Since when the hell does Claire Anderson swear??" I hear her whisper slowly and I just laugh.

By the time I get to my car, I notice I'm 10 minutes late. Damn it! As soon as I get there I step into my office before Andy or my father noticed I'm late. To my luck, they had been waiting for me already in my office.

~sigh~

"Good morning Clarion. My father says.

"Dad, I can explain." Not once in my entire life have I ever called him "dad" before.

"Can you? Really? You fucking slut!" My cousin Andy yells. I turn around and everyone else is listening to us. Great.

I hear a loud noise as I shut the door closed and let out a huge sigh I didn't  I had been holding.

"Andy what are you talking about?" I ask still as confused.

"Don't go back to "Innocent Clara" with me, I'm not gonna buy that shit!" Andy says.

"... The fuck???" I say softly. "Please don't you ever call me that again, Andy. It's Claire." I correct him.

"Don't you fucking swear in my damn presence Clarion! I am your boss, and just in case you've already forgotten, I can bring you down from chief officer of the department at any minute! Andy should be there since he's the one who truly works and does shit! Unlike you! And yes, I am your father, but your just another worker as soon as you place your ass in this building, and if I wanted to, I could simply just fire you any minute now! You could be hired somewhere else, but you wouldn't have Andy to protect you since you can't even do that yourself! Get that? Clarion Anderson!"

Ouch.

"I understand sir, but what is Andy talking about? I'm so confused, and you know I don't date."

"Wow what a bitch." I hear Andy whisper softly.

"Just show her Andy." My dad says.

What the actual fuck were they talking about though. I'm not joking concededly, but it'd be stupid to call me a slut. I haven't even had my first "affair" yet! No joke. Suddenly, Andy pulls out his phone and what I see next is something I can't believe my family would know about. I mean on one side, there's my best friend Kate thinking Danny's cute, nice , sweet, and romantic, then on the other, my only two family members I have think the total opposite from this point on without even knowing him! The pictures were all about Danny and I last night

"What is this Claire?! And don't you dare to fucking say it's not you cause it clearly is! Now explain yourself."

"No, it is me." I admit.

"Well, well, well." Andy interrupts.

"His name is Danny, and he's a friend of mine."

"Well, to be just friends, you guys were close enough for anyone to think your a couple!" My dad exclaims.

"How old is he?" Andy immediately asks.

"Andy, please..." I say hopelessly.

"What's his last name? Where does he work? When, how, and where did you meet him?" Dad asks. Soon enough, I am bombarded with all these questions from both of them. It seems as if the whole freaking building is asking about us... Us? Danny and I, together? Even the thought weirds me out.

"I think he's my age, I don't know his last name, and we uh... We met... At a party." I had no idea what to say for that, so I just thought of the first thing anyone would've said. I was thinking of Kate when I said this. she always meets her "friends" at parties.

"Claire, you hate parties." Dad tells me.

Oh shit.

"I had a good feeling about this one, so I thought I'd give it a try, just once. And I did. And I met Danny." I say, but my voice couldn't be any shakier, reinforcing the fact that this is all a made up lie.

"I wanna meet him." Andy says, interrupting my thoughts.

"So do I." Dad agrees soon after.

I have no other option but to agree, just so that my dad and Andy shouldn't hate Danny for absolutely no reason at all, and without even knowing him. I agree to invite him for supper at my place, all three of them. I also have to call Danny sometime and come up with a day and time. The thought of this just makes me nervous, Danny and I together when I introduce him to my dad and cousin already sounds like a disaster.