Mathias had slept in. This was a rare occurrence and one he worked very hard to not make a habit of. Considering all her talk of not being a cuddler, he’d been quite… confused when he’d woken up to her curled up against his chest. He’d smiled gently, and leaning down, had pecked a soft kiss on her forehead before slowly and carefully extracting himself from her to not wake her up.
He’d then gotten up to make breakfast for his guest however, since it was only polite to do so. He stuck with something light - unsure as to how they would be feeling after the night of hard drinking before hand. He snorted a little bit. To be fair though, he was pretty sure she wasn’t going to enjoy it if she woke up hungover and he was banging around in the kitchen, so he did his best to be as quiet as possible.
They’d made a bet - he remembered hazily. He’d won the bet. Oh dear.
Well, he supposed she wouldn’t fault him for cashing in on it sooner rather than later. Though he needed to find out what she was doing with the rest of the day before he did.
---
How long she had been asleep was the million dollar question. By the time red eyes flickered open enough to realize it was daylight outside, Imara no longer cared about the time. All she cared about was the headache she felt forming in the back of her skull. “Ugh…” She moaned, rolling over onto her back as she debated getting out of bed. “Smooth Imara. Real smooth.”
Oh she knew where she was. That part wasn’t hard to figure out. How she had gotten into his bed and where he was might have been the better question of the hour. But she slipped out of the blankets to find her clothes.
Once dressed, she finally managed to walk back out into the main living area. Blood shot eyes locked onto the other human form with as weak of a smirk as she could manage. “What? No coffee?”
----
Mathias motioned over to the pot full of the dark live giving liquid. “Just about ready,” He said with a small chuckle. “I just did eggs and toast today, but if you want more I can make more…” He said, finishing up the plating as he spoke. He set the food and things on the island for her so that she could get to it at her leisure while he got her a cup of coffee.
“How’s your head?” He asked quietly, gauging her level of hangover and debating if he should broach the topic of his thoughts now, or later.
---
That pot of dark liquid brought a smile of hope to her face. Coffee. Oh liquid gold in the morning, afternoon, and even night. But as the food came before her, Imara picked up the toast first, slowly munching at the crust. It was trial and error with her stomach at the moment. Better to be slow than regret it.
“Did you get the number of the truck that hit me? I think I’m going to go energy drain the driver tonight.” Imara half chuckled as she decided toast was fine and started to eat it normally. Between bites, she managed out “How is your wall?”
---
“That truck would be… the better part of the bottle of that good whiskey I bought… I think we had only a quarter left by the time we were done…” He laughed softly at her, bringing her the mug full of dark liquid energy.
“It’s seen better days, I’m sure my neighbors will file a noise complaint with the super but whatever.” He shrugged. “We didn’t break it so, so far so good.”
Though honestly a little bit of spackle would have fixed that issue.
---
“Well then…” Imara started but stopped as the rich black liquid came into reach. “Oh hello little nectar of heaven. Where have you been hiding.” She almost purred picking up the mug and sipping on the black coffee. Just what she needed.
Putting it down only when she had downed about a third of it, Imara seemed to have a bit more color in her cheeks. “So that means I have to drain you then since you poured.”
Looking back down at her plate, she finally grabbed the fork and tried a small bite of eggs. Her stomach’s reaction had her put the fork back down and grab a second piece of toast.
----
“I’d say that was a fair argument but I’m gonna have to decline.” He smirked. “I happen to need my energy right now.” He ate as well, watching her for a moment. “I’m also thinking of calling in my winnings now… If you’re feeling up to it and don’t have any other plans today.”
She looked like she was sobering up pretty well, but at the same time - she’d be no fun if she was completely miserable.
“Otherwise it’ll be tomorrow - so…”
---
His words made her stop mid-bite. Toast still hanging out of her mouth as she lifted her vision up to his face in a look that showed a touch more annoyance than she could muster right then. Slowly removing the bread from her mouth, Imara kept her tone flat.
“One, you don’t waste time do you? Two. Speaking of time, what time is it?” She tried to look around him for the nearest clock. “After being gone a month, they have me booked almost every day for the next two weeks.” Mind you that was after they had gotten ahold of the hospital and police reports. Then they had to accept she was not coming in to work for awhile.
“So, what do you want then?”
----
“It’s about… eight or nine…” Mathias said quietly. “Like I said, I’d rather do it today if you’re feeling up to it or tomorrow… I mean a bet’s a bet… But hey, whatever…” He shrugged. “If you have work and s**t I’m not going to cut into your bottom line.”
Honestly he wasn’t going to pull one of those… He felt they’d had a kind of.. breakthrough the night before.
“Eat your breakfast before it gets cold,” He said, working on the rest of his.
“More coffee?”
----
Eight or nine? So that meant she had….math made her head hurt...about six hours before she had to walk through those doors. After a month, she was scared to see what sort of meat selection the other managers had allowed in their kitchen. She was the pickiest of them all. It also helped that her family supplied game meat to most of the restaurants when in season.
Scooping up the mug of coffee, Imara attempted to watch his movements the night before. It was easy but the fog was starting to clear. “I’m on the clock from 3pm until close. Then clean up. Manager on duty. So, as I said, if you are calling it in today or tomorrow, realize that from about 3pm to midnight, I am going to need to be playing nice to customers and kicking the sorry asses of cooks that have gotten lazy without me there.”
Imara fell silent. She did not like this uncertainty. What did he want….
---
“Whens your next day off?” He asked her idly, moving over to the counter where his phone lay, thumbing through a few things on it. “Are you free… Next week? Say… Saturday?” He was looking at his phone with a slight smirk. A dangerous smirk.
He was planning something and it was obvious - but only because he WANTED it to be obvious.
Ask Imara, ask, you know you want to…
---
“Sunday.” Imara corrected without even having to find a phone or calendar. “Saturdays are some of our busiest. Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.” She finally admitted, looking down at her now empty mug. Sliding the china back towards him, she hoped he got the hint.
His smirk was clear to her. It was bait. Bait she wasn’t taking because he made it too clear. He wanted her to ask. Wanted to torment her with something. No, she would rather market down in her own head and then forget about it between now and then.
He did not need to be the forefront of her thoughts for nearly a week. “It’s why I always had a weapon on me heading to the parking area. People don’t mess with a woman carrying….often.”
----
“Sunday works, not the day I’d want but it works…” He said quietly. “I assume you have something formal you can wear? Doesn’t have to be a dress or anything crazy…” He said, grabbing the mug and refilling it. Bringing it back to her he placed it down in front of her.
“I have a gallery showing next weekend. I’d rather have you be my plus one for opening night, but night two will have to do…”
Well, what did you have to say to THAT Imara.
---
Thank whatever god you believed in that she did not have the mug in her hand when he presented the item in question to her. Her eyes were as wide as dinner plates and her mouth hung open. If you wanted to throw her, Imara Mason, into shock, that would have been the way to do it.
“Well…” Her throat cleared and she finally find the muscles to be able to blink. She had been expecting something out of this world. Something like going on patrol naked or making him dinner or even playing maid. But to be his date?
Words were escaping her. Thoughts were going in every direction and all she could get out was. “Let me see if I can work a double on Friday instead.”
----
“Let me know, if you can make it Saturday it’d be better than Sunday. Who knows, it might just be a fun experience all around for you.” He knew there was no way in hell she’d of agreed to it without the stipulation that she pay up her debt but, it helped if he had a date. It really did.
“I’ll even cut you in on some of my profit for the night if you help me sell any of my stuff,” He chuckled. “I mean, that’s fair yes? I mean I know you’re just doing this to pay off the bet, but I’ll put a little extra honey on it if that makes up for pulling a double?”
He didn’t want her thinking he was taking advantage after all…
---
How the hell was this supposed to be fun to her?
She was a girl that grew up getting dirty, banging up her knees and all around forgetting how to be a woman until mother nature saw to that. She had been shooting guns and holding weapons since she was old enough to walk! Outside of being polite to clients at the restaurant, and that was limited to ‘how are you this evening? everything alright with your meal? and let me take care of that’, she had little to no experience dealing with something like this!
And it wasn’t like she could say no! He was calling in the bet. Imara would not be known as a woman who went back on her word.
“I don’t think you want me doing that but if that is part of what I have to do, so be it.” Her tone was level as she tried to process all this. Finally she looked up at him and gave him a disheveled gaze. “You seriously want me there? Out of every woman in Destiny City….minus one who won’t be named….” She left it at that. “Please don’t tell me I have to dance or sing at this….”
-----
“All you have to do is hang on my arm, look pretty and pretend to be interested in Art… Trust me, I think you’ll like the people coming to this one…” He laughed a little. “They’ll be right up your alley, I promise…” He sighed a little. “Yeah, no dancing, just good booze, lots of finger food and rich people…”
Really rich people.
At least his Dad’s Cousin wouldn’t be there, that would have gotten ugly quick.
Or at least he HOPED wouldn’t be… He wasn’t an NRA guy… right?
---
There was a long sigh as she breathed out. At least he could clearly tell she was not into this at all. Damn bet. “How dressed up does this need to be then?”
She honestly couldn’t picture how anyone that could afford art from a gallery could be right up her alley. But, her only experience with them was what she saw in TV shows and movies. High class men and women, dressed to the nines, pretending to feel something when they stared at blank canvas.
Blank…”What are you showing anyway?” She asked now, more terrified that his semi image of her was going up on the wall. If anyone, it should have been Sonia. She was classic beauty after all.
---
“Pain if I can finish it in time…” He laughed softly. “A few of my more pin-up style pieces… some of my abstract stuff… Nothing with you or Sonia in it, if you’re worried about your faces being stared at by a bunch of rich dudes.”
He hummed for a second as he thought about dress code. “Normally these are black tie and dress affairs… but… You could get away with a decent set of slacks and some good shoes and a nice blouse… I’ll be wearing a suit but I’m the artist so if they want to call me out they can blow me…” He laughed a little. “You’re my plus one so the same rule applies. It’s not like we have money to throw around and I’m not going to pretend I do.”
---
Imara only swallowed and gave a nod. None of that helped calm her nerves. Completely out of her element…
Her mother was out of the question of asking for help. That woman would have her looking like a barbie in a matter of moments.
That left her sister in laws or ...Sonia was getting a phone call after this.
“So how long does this thing last?”
----
“A couple hours… from like… eight to Midnight.” He said with a small smile. “I mean we can jet after eleven, I don’t really ever close these things out usually. If I haven’t sold anything by then, I usually write it off as a flop anyway.” He smiled. “Can’t win ‘em all you know.”
He wasn’t much better off than she was. But at least with her on his arm there was a chance he’d be able to dodge the damn cougars. Not that he minded the attention, but they hurt his sales pitch when they expected the artist to come WITH the painting.
---
Mindlessly nodding as he spoke, Imara was only half listening. More math, another headache throb and she had to wonder what else he wanted from her. The bet was twenty four hours after all.
At this point though, she didn’t think her already turning stomach could take any other surprises.
“Okay.” She finally managed out, reaching now for the cooling mug of coffee.
Yep. She was still in shock. Added on to the hangover and today was going to not go very well for her should she have to hold a knife in her hand.
---
“Alright, so that works then.” He smiled and nodded his head, moving to finish cleaning up the kitchen. He’d let her soak it all in and get used to the idea. He wasn’t going to make a fuss about it. But in the long run, it really would help him out.
Still, he was sure he had thrown her for a loop, which was good. Keep her on her toes a little bit. Something he would be able to do to help keep her off balance.
---
Another deep inhale and she downed the rest of her coffee. This time, she walked around herself into the kitchen and placed it into the sink, filling it with water. It was the age old task that was bringing her back to this world.
Looking over her shoulder again for the time, she just shook it off. No need for an excuse. They were past that.
“Well, thanks for everything. I need to get going. Have to get over this hang over before time to to make tonight's meat choices.” Imara wasn’t talking to him. She was talking to no one as she went back into the living area in search of her shoes and keys. Grabbing both, shoes more slipping on, she turned and gave him a half smile. “Catcha on the flip side.”
Mornings after were always interesting. Especially after a night like they had….
Why didn’t she leave last night”? Now that question was going to bother her.
----
“Yep, if you need anything, just call..” Mathias chuckled. “Or come over and knock, todays a work day for me since I missed my normal gym time, so I’ll probably be home till you head to work.”
No strings, nothing to keep her here, so he figured she’d stayed because she was too drunk to go. The morning had been… Different than he’d expected but he wasn’t going to bring it up.
If she needed him she’d call. If not, he’d see her Sunday.
“Like I said, take the rest of the week off on patrols… We’ll figure something out later.”
---
“Sure sure.” She called back as she opened the door and casually waved over her shoulder. It was not until the door shut behind her that Imara felt herself really hit into shock. Hand going to the wall across from her, she leaned on her arm as the other hand came up to her face. Looking at the floor for a moment, she waited for the moment to pass. “What the ******** have I gotten myself involved with?”
A drunken bet. Near death moments. Hell, all of last night was one giant mess.
This was supposed to be simple….
Finally walkway away, Imara made a mental note as she pulled out her phone and looked for Sonia’s number. She needed advice...and a bloody mary.
Lesson one of joining the Negaverus: Nothing is ever simple.
----
Mathias finished cleaning up and then went into his studio, sitting down to work on Pain. With a huff, he started to work.
Maybe, just maybe… He’d be done before the weekend…
Why couldn’t things just be simple…
Why was he still thinking about her, even though she was out the door…
Dammit…
---
Torvil
