A Devil Boss

Chapter 10.2

When Sera awoke, she was lying on something soft but not covered. She also heard work being done around her.

Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked around. Astarot was near her and was cleaning the living room floor, which meant that she had to lie on the sofa.

Dazed, she straightened up. "Heavens ..." she muttered, rubbing her head. "Again?" By that, she meant herself because it was ridiculous that she had fainted over a drop of blood.

"It's good that you're awake again. The damage is worse than I thought it would be. You can't live here anymore for now," he explained. "The building needs to be renovated. Some pipes are broken."

Horrified, Sera stared at him. "What, where am I going to live then?" she asked, gasping. The day couldn't get any worse.

"You can stay with me for now," he said, setting the shovel aside.

Sera swallowed. She wouldn't have to pay money that way, that was for sure. But should she really live with her boss for some time? She wasn't sure, but her head nodded automatically without her saying anything. What else could she do now that she had no money? "Thank you," Sera whispered, somehow touched, for it was a selfless offer from Astarot.

"Then we should get going. I'll see about getting the house fixed up," he assured her.

With difficulty, Sera stood up and staggered toward him. The lack of food, the shock, and the blood were having an effect. "I'm sorry to put you to so much trouble," she muttered, glancing at the mess, which looked a little better thanks to Astarot.

"That's all right," Astarot waved her off and put an arm around her, "let's go eat first."

Sera nodded dejectedly and then left the damaged apartment. How long she could not live here, she did not know. But Astarot had said there was more damage than she feared.

When they arrived at Astarot's apartment, she didn't know exactly what to expect.

It was a penthouse with a pool and a beautiful view over Los Angeles. Everything was in bright colors, and a lot of light fell through the many glass surfaces.

Elegant and modern, just like Astarot itself. If Sera was honest, no better apartment would have suited him.

Awe-struck, she marveled at the furnishings. Above all, she was delighted by the spacious eat-in kitchen. The kitchen island, which could equally be used as a bar, was large enough to let a whole family cook here.

"You have it very nice here," Sera admitted, setting down the small bag that she had hastily packed. She was joined by her laptop bag.

"Thank you," he said, gesturing to the sofa. "Do you want to order food?" he asked but didn't seem to mind cooking either.

Instead of sitting down, Sera stopped and continued to look around. As she did so, she replied that she actually liked to cook for herself instead of going out to eat or ordering something. Simply because she liked it and wasn't necessarily into fast food.

"My refrigerator is stocked," Astarot explained. "Do you like duck a la orange?" he wanted to know, and it sounded like he had planned it.

"Very much. The main thing is to have something to eat," Sera muttered, for her last meal had been more than twenty-four hours ago. She was even paler because of it.

"Then I'll finish it now," he declared, opening the oven. Inside, the duck was already prepared.

Astonished, Sera raised an eyebrow. "Were you expecting visitors?" she asked uncertainly. Why else would Astarot have a duck already in the oven? That sounded very strange.

"No, I always eat something bigger over the weekend and heat it up," he explained and began to prepare the rest of the things.

Sera hadn't thought of her boss that way. "Wait, I'll help you," she said hastily and got up to walk over to him. She didn't like just sitting around, even though she longed for sleep. "I've got to show my appreciation somehow."

Astarot laughed. "You don't have to," he assured her. "We'll make rice to go with it. It'll be quick."

Sera tilted her head questioningly. "Then will you at least let me set the table?" asked Sera, full of energy. She wanted to contribute something, at least.

Astarot pointed to a cupboard. "You'll find plates and cutlery in there."

While he cooked, Sera set the table. She also found the glasses and then wanted to know what he wanted to drink. Curious, she was, in a way, about what all he had there. Only it was not proper to look into other people's refrigerators.

Astarot pointed to a shelf where not only wine but juices were stored. "Help yourself."

Since she wouldn't drink alcohol on an empty stomach, Sera opted for water. True, white wine was a much better fit, but she wouldn't risk anything. "What would you like to drink?" she asked the question again.

"Grape juice," Astarot said, and at first, she thought of wine until she spotted the bottle of grape juice.

It was the closest thing to wine and made Sera grin. "You can drink wine if you want," she remarked. Her boss should have no regard for her. After all, he was home here, and she was a guest.

"I rarely drink on weekends," he waved it off, and Sera noticed a delightful aroma filling the room. Of orange sauce and duck.

Her boss actually managed to surprise her every now and then. Sera licked her lips and closed her eyes. She was so hungry.

Astarot standing in the kitchen like an expert chef seemed somehow surreal. In fact, Sera had thought he was going to be served. But Astarot, it appeared, had remained a down-to-earth man. That really impressed Sera.

Finally, he served the food, which looked very delicious and smelled fabulous. Sera's mouth watered.

She would love to pounce on it, but she controlled herself and waited until Astarot was seated. "Thank you very much. Enjoy your meal," she wished him and tasted the duck. It was exquisite and made Sera smile. "Better than at the restaurant by far," she claimed.

"I don't think so," he agreed, taking a piece as well. "But I'm glad you like it."

However, Sera stiffly maintained that his version tasted leaps and bounds better. At least to her. And she wasn't saying that to suck up.

"Then maybe you haven't been too good restaurants. But I'm happy you like it," Astarot said with a grin, taking a sip of juice.

"Possibly," she replied, shrugging her shoulders. "But then, I'm not a woman who eats out at restaurants all the time. It still tastes best at home, most of the time, and it's a lot less expensive."

"I guess that's true," Astarot agreed with her with a smirk and turned his attention back to his food.

As good as the food was, somehow, Sera didn't feel quite as comfortable. Which was simply due to being in Astarot's apartment. Indeed, she appreciated his helpfulness very much. Still, it was unusual for her to be accommodated so much.

After dinner, Sera got up and cleared the table as a matter of course. "Where can I sleep that night?" she asked as she put the dishes in the dishwasher.

"In the guest room," he replied. "I have several. So you're welcome to pick one."

Instead of doing that, she simply agreed to the first one. Now that her stomach was sated, Sera longed for a long, hot shower and bed. Yet it was the only afternoon.

Astarot showed her around his apartment before taking her to her room.

"Can we arrange times when you use the bathroom and when I do? I like to be undisturbed and don't want to create any awkward situations," Sera said before leaving her alone.

"You can lock it," Astarot said matter-of-factly.

Still, Sera preferred to have fixed hours. Locking it was merely an add-on.

Astarot agreed. Since he permanently left for work very early anyway, he would go to the bathroom first thing in the morning. She would come later than he did.

She agreed to that. They made times for evenings, too, so that everything would run smoothly. Sera had become more cautious and didn't want to have another bad experience.