Vol. 1: Haru to Aiden - Chapter 7

Haru

After clearing the dishes and cleaning the tables, I got myself a bottle of soft drink, which was free for the staff, and found myself obediently heading toward Aiden’s table.

Damn! I wondered why I was doing this. I should just ignore him and take my break in the staff room like I usually did.

Before I could change direction, however, I found myself already at the table, staring at Aiden.

Aiden moved over along the booth, allowing me space to sit next to him, which was also in front of Camille, who said. “You’re Aiden’s brother?”

I wasn’t the least bit surprised by her astonished tone. Aiden was all American and very Caucasian, with blond hair and hazel-green eyes while I was half-Japanese with dark hair and eyes. Of course, most, like her, would be astounded if we mentioned that we were brothers.

“I’m Haru, his stepbrother,” I said, twisting the lid of the soft drink bottle open. Then I drank to my heart’s content, so thirsty I was.

Camille said, “Stepbrothers, I see.” She chuckled prettily. “So you’re the youngest, right?”

I nodded, suddenly very aware of the strong perfume smell lingering in the air around us, which I now knew belonged to Camille.

“Mm-hmm,” I responded, trying not to show how much I disliked the intense scent.

“High school freshman?”

I felt my face heat up immediately while Aiden beside me was chuckling away with amusement. I turned to glare at him as I tightened the lid of the drink bottle. I then jabbed my elbow against his side to show him my annoyance. He reacted by grabbing me into his arms and tousling my hair fondly.

I blushed at the intimate contact. But fuck, I liked being in his arms.

I heard Camille clearing her throat, and I flicked my gaze to her. The moment I saw her face, I knew she didn’t like seeing us acting so brotherly. Her gaze was sharp and harsh when directed at me.

I said, struggling my way out of Aiden’s arms, who wouldn’t let go of me, “University. Freshman.”

She frowned. I wasn’t sure if it was because I told her that I was a university student or because she saw Aiden wrapping his arms around my middle and pulling me against him. Damn, but I was almost sitting in his lap.

Why was he acting so brotherly? And here in front of this woman and a whole lot of other people in the restaurant at that?

“Shocking, eh?” Aiden said, his breath fanning against the skin of my neck, which made me groan deliciously inside. Fuck! I could feel my whole body warming up and melting against him. This was not good at all. This situation was dangerous.

“He’s eighteen and still looks like a sixteen-year-old kid.” Aiden chuckled. “But that’s Haru. You should have seen him when he was eight. He was so adorable with the blackest hair and darkest eyes. With his pale skin, you would have thought he was a doll.”

I saw Camille chuckling uncomfortably. “Really? Doll? Those Japanese types? Wow! You must love your stepbrother, Aiden? But he’s eighteen now...”

I could tell she wanted to voice her opinion and ask why Aiden was still treating me like this.

While I was deliriously happy that he was so intimate with me, however, we were at a public place where many were watching. I sighed and turned to glare at him again. “Aiden, let me go, will you!” I pinched the skin of his arm.

“Ouch!” he cried. “You rascal. That’s not the way to treat your older brother. You need to be disciplined.” His eyes were glinting intensely with a sort of passion that made my heart race in excitement.

Fuck! Where the hell did that come from? That smoldering heat exuding from those beautiful eyes of his.

I swallowed hard, so affected I was.

A merry voice said, “Yes, please do discipline him, Aiden.”

Breaking eye contact with Aiden, I turned to see Jess before us with a bottle of water in her hands.

“The harsher the better,” she said. “Such as spankings on the backside.” She winked at me with a cherry smile.

I finally managed to move out of Aiden’s arms and settled a little farther away from him along the seat.

“Hey, Jess,” Aiden said, a bright grin on his face. “Has Haru been misbehaving at work?”

Jess shook her head. “Rather, he doesn’t follow my advice, you see, and that’s annoying. So, Aiden, as his older brother, please do your duties and discipline him properly.”

Because of her amused tone, I knew Jess was implying the sexy, erotic type of discipline that happened in the bedroom behind closed doors rather than the normal type that one gets from their elders when one misbehaved.

She turned to Camille and said prettily, “Can I sit here?”

Camille was hesitant for a moment but then obliged by moving over. Jess took the seat and said, “Thanks. I’m Jess, Haru’s best friend, by the way.”

Camille said, “I see. But you look older than eighteen.”

Jess grinned. “I know, I get that a lot.” She turned her attention back to me and Aiden. “So, anyway, it’s nice to see you two being lovey-dovey tonight.” She frowned suddenly. “Haru, why are you so far away from Aiden? Move closer.”

I rolled my eyes. I knew she was using me and Aiden to satisfy her Yaoi craving, since there hadn’t been a single lovey-dovey gay couple coming into the restaurant to entertain and please her tonight.

Aiden chuckled as he tousled my hair again. I groaned in despair and embarrassment as he then hooked his arm around my neck and pulled me close to him so that our faces were only inches apart. Fuck! My heart was racing again. If this happened too often, I swear I’d have a heart attack one day.

He asked, “Close enough for you, Jess?”

Jess grinned widely as she nodded in approval.

Camille cleared her throat and then asked, as her eyes stared at me in what I could only assume was displeasure, “It’s hard work, isn’t it?”

I raised a brow at her, wondering what she was talking about. “Hard work?”

“Working as a waiter here.”

I nodded. “But it’s fun, and the pay isn’t bad.”

“It doesn’t look fun to me,” she said. “And the pay is one of the lowest, isn’t it?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Well, it’s enough for me to get by,” I said, annoyed that this woman was poking her nose where it didn’t concern her.

I turned to Aiden and asked, “Why did you guys choose this place?” After which I quickly took another drink.

“Because you’re working here, and I don’t want questionable men giving you unwanted attention and harassing you,” Aiden said bluntly. “I’m here to watch over you.”

His answer made me choke on my drink, and I coughed loudly.

Aiden patted my back. “You okay?”

“I’m fine. I’m fine,” I said, moving his hand away, my face hot.

Shit! I could feel Camille’s sharp gaze on me. The woman asked with raised brows, “Questionable men? Harassing him?”

Jess nodded, still smiling as she watched Aiden and me. “Yep. Haru gets a lot of unwanted attention.” She turned to look at Camille then. “It can’t be helped since he has such a pretty face. It’s only right his beloved stepbrother has to watch out for him, right?”

Camille furrowed her brows. “Unwanted attention? But he’s eighteen. Can’t he look after himself? And I doubt any man would find him that attractive to want to give him that sort of attention. If he was a girl, I would agree, but he’s a boy. Then again, it’s probably Haru who does things to entice other men to give him that sort of unwanted attention.”

Her words got me so pissed that I saw red. Fuck me! Did she just put the blame on me for enticing men to harass me? God, this woman was opinionated.

I noted Jess could only stare at the woman speechlessly while Aiden frowned darkly.

Aiden said, “Camille, that wasn’t very nice.” He pulled me close to him, which surprised me. His hand was warm and tight on my arm. “Haru is not that type of boy. I’ve lived with him for ten years, and I know him very well. Please apologize to him. Surely, you don’t mean what you’ve just said?”

Camille went bright red in the face, probably flabbergasted at how protective Aiden was toward me.

She said, “Why do I need to apologize? I’m just stating my opinion.”

She sounded like a spoiled rich girl who always got what she wanted and had never needed to apologize for anything she did, whether it was right or wrong.

Fuck! This was getting out of hand, and I felt sick to my stomach over the situation. I didn’t want Aiden to lose his client, which Camille was. But with the way he was acting right now, picking my side over hers, it was getting rather dangerous. Although I must admit that Camille was a bitch, picking on me and saying hurtful stuff like that.

I said, “I’m going back to work,” as I moved out of Aiden’s arms.

“Haru?” Aiden said, looking at me.

I smiled to reassure him. “It’s fine, Aiden.” I turned to look at Camille and said, “Don’t go around judging people before you know them. FYI, I have a person I’m in love with, and I don’t waste my time going around enticing other men, which you seem to be implying.” With that, I turned on my heel and started heading back toward the staff room.

Behind me, I heard Jess say, “Thanks for ruining the fun, Camille.” A moment later, she was beside me.

Once we were back at the staff room, she asked, “You okay?”

I nodded and said, “I’m fine,” even though I wasn’t.