8. Can a boss be a friend...

"Try this one out first, it's a family recipe." Mama Mae brought yet another plate of food. Right when you would think there was no space for another plate on the table, they'd bring yet another one, and find a way to make it fit on the table.

"You do know Pan-seared scallops right?" Before he could even reply, the woman pushed one into his open mouth. "The sauce is a special recipe, what do you think? Wonderful ain't it!!"

"mmphtts__" Reuel tries to talk with a mouth full, which clearly was impossible, so he decides to chew as fast as he could so he could reply.

"OH son, you have to try this out... I'm sure you've had it before, but trust me, you ain't never had anything like this one." Papa Jay comes in with another plate of food, and Reuel's eyes open wide with terror. Indigestion was inevitable at this rate.

He glanced at the woman who brought him here, and all she could do was press her lips tightly together to hold back her laugh. "sorry," she mouthed as she could see him sweating from exhaustion.

" He's not the only customer, we have more incoming customers... Two cheeseburgers and blueberry shakes for table two," little Johnny says.

"It's almost six anyway, tell them we're closed for the day." Papa Jay said, causing Reuel's eyes to open with horror, Erina could see him begging her with his eyes, telling her to please save his stomach.

"Mama, Papa, you guys really should attend to the last customer, you can't just chase out customers." Erina finally stepped in.

"Of course we can, it's our restaurant... That's what being the owner means... We can chase out anybody." Mama Mae dismisses her with a wave of her hand. Erina looks at the desperation on Reuel's face, it almost seemed like he could cry if he went on any longer.

In fact, rather than the fierce, strong, demonic, masculine vibes she'd been getting from him all day long, right now, right now she was seeing a cute dark-haired puppy with big beautiful eyes, begging her to pick him up.

"I know, I know, but those guys look hungry... And you always say--"

"never let a customer go back hungry, we know, we know." They both complete the words for her, "Fine, they are the last customers for today, come on Honey, let's go." Papa Jay says, practically pulling his wife up from the seat and dragging her into the kitchen.

"Well, what are you waiting for sir? You still want to eat more?" She asks as he still sat down there like a helpless kitten stuck at the edge of a window.

She pulls him by the arm, "Ahh" He groaned as his stomach shook, and as quietly as she could, she slipped him out of the place.

...

"Are you feeling better now sir?" She asks as they both sat on the roof of the restaurant, taking a breather. Since the building was set on a hill, it had a rather pleasant view.

"I could be better, but you keep calling me sir." He reminds her, and there was something about the way he stared at her that made her heart race and her skin flush. Something about the look in his eyes that said 'I want something from you.'

"Y__You're my boss, I can't." She quickly turns her head, looking straight ahead, and a smug crawled up his lips.

"It's a beautiful view."

"Isn't it?" She cheerfully says. "You can see the whole of Black-crust from here." She points, and the light in her eyes as she spoke made something move in his chest.

"mm, Black-Crust looks so tiny from up here. You come up here a lot?"

"N_Not anymore... Sadly... But when I was a kid, me and Roxy wou..."

"Roxy?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Roxanne is my best friend, Roxy for short. She works at the mall too. And she's also the only child of Papa and Mama."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Well, are you not their daughter?" He seemed really curious and serious about that question, and now she could only wonder if he was color-blind or something. The skin difference was certainly obvious, wasn't it?

"OH, I supposed you were probably adopted, seeing that they treat you like they would a daughter." He quickly explains as he saw the weird look on her face.

"OH! No, I'm... I'm not their daughter. But yes, they really treat me well. They do, but I'm just a family friend that they take care of." She turns to see a weird look on his face. "OH, I'm so sorry sir, I didn't mean to bore you with my talks. If you're feeling better now, we should..."

"No_ No_ No, please, I don't mind. And besides, this ache is still eating me up a bit. I think I'll have to sit like this for some minutes longer." He assures.

"So, tell me about yourself... I can't think of any better thing to do while sitting like this."

"There's really nothing to tell sir,"

"That's a lie, your face says you have a lot you want to tell me... Well, not necessarily me, but I'm the one who's here and willing to listen, so__ tell me."

She stares at him, it seemed the man had various personalities. First time, he looked strong and deadly, next he looked cute and helpless, now, now he was looking firm and friendly. Now it was almost like she was sitting next to Roxy, the friend who she could confide in. 'Can a boss be a friend...'

"I really don't have much of a story to tell. All I know is the stories I was told..."

"I'm listening," he urges her on.

"I grew up in an orphanage, they say I was found one morning by the riverside and I was floating on a..." She suddenly broke off, she remembered this part, apart from Roxy, every person she told this part of her story, ran away from her, saying she was probably a troll baby, or a frog baby. Kids didn't play with her and called her disgusting, so even when asked, she never told this part of her story again.

"If you don't want to tell me more, it's fine." He could see her fighting with herself on whether to continue or not. He slips his palm over hers, causing her to flinch lightly at the warmth of his touch, "I don't need to know what you don't want me to know." He simply says.

'Can a boss be a friend' his actions got her thinking again.

"Th_They said instead of baby clothes, I was found wrapped in what looked like toad skin, and floating on a huge lily pad." There... She said it. Now here it comes, the change of attitude, the look of disgust, she was expecting it...

"No matter how much I think about it, you really are similar to the fairy-tales I was told as a kid..." Those were the words he blurted out, and it wasn't a look of disgust on his face, but of wonder, awestruck wonder.

"You know only special fairies with the power to control water are able to float on lily pads... A normal baby would sink. I think you have superpowers." He raises his brows teasingly at her, causing her heart to race with excitement, he wasn't running. In fact, she looked down at her hand, and his palm was still over hers.

"It's either you read really weird fairy tales as a kid, or I guess I am really a special fairy with water powers." She laughs, at her own words, and he smiles back heartily. 'Can a boss be a friend,' she found herself asking again.

"So tell me more, that is... If you want to" He quickly adds. And she nods. She wanted to tell him everything.

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Keep on throwing in your powerstones people. They are highly appreciated and keep those comments coming in too, I enjoy being in your heads. ^_^

It's always nice to know what y'all are thinking. Thanks for choosing Cloaked in an Enigma <3<3