A Devil Boss

Chapter 9.1

With her mouth open, Sera stared at the building they were about to enter. Uncertain and a bit nervous, she adjusted the red veil and her dress, which fit after the excellent meal. Her makeup was matched to the dress, and Sera actually felt like a woman from the Orient. This was probably not only because of all the other guests wearing such dresses but also because of Astarot, who had dressed thematically.

He matched her in color. It didn't seem to matter what clothes he wore. He always looked good. But today, incredibly sexy, Sera thought. Moreover, he had been exceedingly courteous to her all day.

Together they entered the house, which had been converted into an art gallery.

As they walked down the hall, Sera pondered whether Astarot was merely flattering her or not. His whole behavior raised questions she couldn't answer.

Several times they were stopped, and Astarot had to make small talk. Most of the time, Sera stood by silently but with a smile, speaking only when prompted.

He kept introducing her and never seemed to tire.

Finally, they made it to the central part, and Sera noticed that this seemed to be where women and men made small talk separately. There was a table with tea and food where the women gathered.

In fact, it was mainly about the numerous exhibits. Sera had never heard of works of art, but she had to admit that they contained a beautiful charm that transported one to the oriental lands. "We should split up," she whispered to Astarot, feeling like she was being stared at by the others.

"Are you going to make it alone?" he asked with a grin, not seeming averse to the idea.

Sera had forgotten entirely that Ceciel actually wanted to meet her. "Won't go wrong, I hope," she murmured but didn't feel quite as comfortable. That was because she didn't run in such circles, and she didn't know who all the people were.

Ceciel was an older and very striking lady. She was brightly dressed and spoke loudly. Also, she had quite a bit of jewelry in her hair, which somehow fit the theme.

Bird of paradise, Sera's father, would have called her. The corners of her mouth twitched at this thought. That was definitely the appropriate name for Ceciel. Still unsure of what to do, she simply stood and watched the others.

It took some time for Ceciel to notice her, and that was only because Astarot had stepped up to greet her. The woman turned her gaze to Sera and beamed before beckoning Sera to join her.

In her mind, she even cursed Astarot as she stepped towards Ceciel. He made her feel like she was being paraded. "Good evening," Sera greeted the bird of paradise.

"Ah, how nice to meet you at last," Ceciel gave rapturously. "Astarot has spoken so highly of you."

"I hope so, and not only good things. That would be a lie," Sera remarked. With difficulty, she suppressed the urge to prod her boss for it.

Ceciel smirked. "He only says good things," she defended with a laugh.

"He likes to flatter too much," Sera asserted, giving him a meaningful look. "Your gallery is wonderful, and I'm delighted to meet you."

Ceciel beamed. "You like it? You know, I put in it all the impressions of my trip to the Orient."

Ceciel's words piqued Sera's curiosity, and she thought of Belial, with whom she had contact from time to time. Mostly they wrote text messages to each other, which already went in the direction of flirting. "Would you tell me more about it when the time comes?" asked Sera hopefully.

"I'd love to," Ceciel beamed, and Astarot gave Sera a look that made her almost regret it.

Soon she knew what Astarot had meant, that Ceciel was very talkative. She spoke without a dot or comma, and it was hard to get away from her. Several times Sera tried to get a little break from Ceciel's flow of speech but couldn't manage it.

It wasn't until her smartphone rang that she apologized to her hostess. With one look, she had recognized who was calling, and that didn't bode well.

"Are you not feeling well?" asked Astarot, concerned. He seemed to have noticed that she had gone pale.

"I have to take this," she said apologetically and turned away. She headed for a corner where she could be alone and talk undisturbed.

When her brother called her, something terrible had always happened. This time was no exception. Horrified, she listened and cursed. Why couldn't her sister finally stop doing that? "I'm leaving right now," Sera said, hanging up before hurriedly walking toward Astarot. "I'm sorry. I have to go," she whispered to her boss. She would change first and then head out. So far, she hadn't needed her car at all, and it was in the garage. Everything was within easy walking distance, and Sera didn't see the point of taking the car because of it.

Astarot eyed her. "I'll tell my driver to take you to your apartment," he said, seeming to think of something she hadn't thought of. She was nowhere near her car.

"Thank you. I'll see you at the office on Monday," Sera said, apologizing to Ceciel for having to leave already. But she was in a hurry, and she had turned pale with the bad news.

No sooner had she stepped out than a car pulled up and stopped in front of her. The door opened, and a familiar man got out. "Miss Taylor?"

"Yes. Please take me to my apartment," she asked miserably and got in without another word. She had simply left her boss standing there, and she knew it had not been correct. But it had to be done.