The Housekeeper (Ruby Rose/Terra Juana fanfic)

ONE

Aren was the first one I met because he just showed up at my work. After finishing my studies of Art and History in Spain, I got a grant to work in The Getty Villa in Malibu: the happiest 8 moths of my life surrounded by wonderful works of art. Unfortunately, when finished my internship I was unable to find a job linked to the world of art but never lost hope, I kept looking while working in one of the thousands supermarkets selling organic, healthy, natural stuff in Los Angeles. Vegan, raw, refined sugar free... you get the idea. It wasn't that bad, my boss was kind sometimes and I got on well with my workmates. The disadvantage was that I had to work for long hours in order to survive in this city and arrived home exhausted every day, got dinner and went to sleep. I had virtually no social life; I only saw Mia, my roommate, enough to say hello and goodbye: she was a nurse and worked the night shift in a retirement home she usually arrived when I left the apartment and left when I came back from work.

It was Monday morning and I'd spent several hours placing fruit in orderly rows inside wooden boxes and giving information to our customers about gluten free types of bread when I saw him. Honestly, Aren is impossible to ignore. A six foot two guy: all muscle, with broad shoulders and shoulder-length, dark blond hair, well-kept beard, with stunning blue eyes, moving with the effortless grace of a feline despite he's very tall and strong. His Viking ancestors present in each one of his facial features... I saw him and also all my workmates did, they threw themselves at him like birds of prey trying to help him. The poor guy was so overwhelmed trying to get rid of them that I couldn't help chuckling discreetly. I guess that's what caught his attention: I was the only one who didn't rush to flirt with him. It's not that the boy doesn't deserve a bit of time to take a closer look, above all showing off a body that a Greek god would die to have, but the point is that I bat the other team.

Suddenly, in a heartbeat, all my workmates found something to do on the other side of the shop, leaving him alone with me. That was weird, but I didn't think it was important back then, now I know he was controlling their minds in order to shoo them away and my brain to calm me down. Aren was holding one of our baskets with his big hand and a shopping list in the other one and he looked so lost that I felt like laughing again. On the contrary, I decided to be professional and do my job.

"Hello, I'm Iselen. Can I help you?" His delighted smile almost blinded me: vampires can brag about perfect teeth, of course.

"I have to buy these things but I have no idea where to start. I'm not good at this," he handed me the piece if paper while I smiled like a dumb listening to his deep tenor voice even if I'm very, very gay. The truth is that when they go too far with mental manipulation, you look like a hypnotized idiot.

"Is this the first time you visit our shop?" I started to fill his basket, taking things from here and there, his shopping list was very long indeed and the guy followed me meekly through different aisles while we talked.

"This is my first time in general. I'm not usually in charge of the grocery shopping or treating with... assistants," he added with obvious discomfort although grimacing just one second later, like he was worried about offending me somehow.

An introvert. That explained why he felt so awkward while my workmates focused their attention on him, even if he must've been used to women staring at him in awe after all. I understood him, being myself an antisocial meant that my circle of friends was small in the city. I'm one of those people who prefer a book and a cup of tea instead of a night dancing in clubs and I wasn't very popular for that reason. It was hard for me to talk to strangers, I got really anxious, and it happened that sometimes I'd rather walk in circles for half an hour instead of feeling embarrassed asking any passerby for the address I was looking for.

"Don't worry, you can ask for help to any assistant every time you come and we'll be delighted to advise you. You're buying a wide variety of products today..." I said a bit shocked, I was filling the second basket...