Isn't she lovely?

Chapter 4: An opportunity

Her mother used to tell her how strong and brave and independent she was. And Darcy always believed what her mother told her, but not right now. Right now, she thinks that it’s all a complete BS.

After the incident, Darcy went straight to the women’s comfort room inside St. Regis, with the hope that the hand dryer would help dry the soaked clothes, was quite thankful that only some of the clothes got wet and half of them were still fine. She tried calling the Loki guy at least three times. Hell he didn’t even say he was sorry, but every single time it was unsuccessful, his line was either busy or the calls went straight to his voice mail. She was getting more and more frustrated as the time ticked by. She knew anytime now Richard would call her and ask where she was. How would she explain this to him? Her boss can be catty and he has an attitude where he can get people humiliated if he wants to. He’s like the gay version of Miranda Priestly.

Darcy continued to lay the clothes on the clean side of the marbled counter at the same time calling the Loki guy. She was trying very hard to stay calm, but her inhale-exhale method became a whine when she saw the once pristine white cut-out dress now had a blue stain on the middle. Apparently, one of the other clothes had done it.

“s**t,” Now she wanted to cry.

“Please answer the call.” Darcy muttered like a prayer, wishing that the long-haired, nut-job had mercy on her. When it was still a failure, Darcy cleared her throat and decided to just leave a message.

“H-hey, Darcy here, the girl who got wet –soaked a while ago because of the way you drive, anyway I really need you to pay for the clothes that got ruined because you see… uhm… well I can’t really afford to pay for those and-.” Darcy wasn’t able to finish her message when the door opened and two girls went in and gasped as they saw her.

“Oh gosh Darcy, what happened?” A tall blonde girl wearing the weirdest gown Darcy had ever seen said, looking at the clothes.

“Jenny, it was an accident, I’ll get this fixed. Please don’t tell Richie yet.” Darcy hastily replied. She knows the girls hate her because of the way she comments on them whenever they’re working, and now she immediately regrets doing that to them.

“But he is literally going crazy now; we must tell him where you are and what you’ve done.”

The Kate Moss wannabe said as she hauled the clothes into Darcy’s arms. “Hey stop!” Darcy yelled, but Jenny just looked at her with disdain. “Come on girls, don’t be such bitches!”

Darcy’s attempt at stopping the girls was futile, so she just followed them to where they were going and braced for another stressful confrontation. She wants to kick ass so badly, but as she took in her surroundings, she knows she should not act in an unethical way. She reluctantly follows the girls into the lavish King Cole Bar, suddenly faking a calm demeanor and faux elite acting. The bar was filled with nicely dressed people, drinking from fancy glasses and chatting sophisticatedly. Darcy suddenly felt remorse for choosing a laidback outfit, she felt out of place and some people were giving her an arbitrary once-over from head to toe.

“I just borrowed these clothes, Darcy! I didn’t buy them because I have a lot of debts already! How could you be so stupid?” Richard said in a hushed but heated voice. He was fuming when they'd approached him from the far end of the room and he was trying very hard not to yell at Darcy because he didn’t want to cause a ruckus and, even worse, get him and his team kicked out of the establishment. Darcy couldn’t do anything but to just profusely apologize as fat tears clouded her sight. She hates being treated like that; even more, because she knows she can’t fight back.

“I swear it was an accident! I didn’t-.” Darcy tried to explain but she was interrupted by a deep drawl. Suddenly she felt her heart thud wildly.

Disappointment dawned on her as she looked up to see and it was not the guy she was hoping to see.

“Just go, Darcy. I am done with you.” Richard said, dismissing her and proceeded to talk to the guy who happened to be the manager.

Her tears are threatening to fall now. She doesn’t want to cry over stupid and simple things like that, but her problems and frustrations are just suddenly piling up over her head and she feels like s**t has really hit the fan. Darcy hurriedly departed the bar, planning to go straight back to the restroom to let it all out. She knows she’ll feel better after that. Screw independence, screw bravery, she’s going to cry her frustrations out because she’s still a girl anyway.

She was halfway through the huge double doors when she caught sight of him, the unmistakably jet-black hair, lean frame, and deep set of green eyes, that fucker Loki, the guy who started the ‘ruining of Darcy’s Day’.

Darcy watched as he gracefully lifted a glass, as he puckered his thin lips to take a sip, as his eyes glinted at the mellow lighting of the bar, as he arched a fine brow towards his buddy sitting across from him. Darcy observed how the strikingly handsome stranger moved; unaware that she was now just a yard away from him.

“Can we help you?” the big deep voice of the burly blonde man sitting across from Loki snapped Darcy’s reverie. She cleared the lump in her throat, suddenly feeling awkward looking at the two finely dressed men before her, but then she plucked up some courage and replied.

“Well, as a matter of fact, he can.” She said, pointing an accusatory finger at Loki and earning a confused look from the two.

“Ah. You’re the girl from the street. I remember now.” Loki drawled.

“Yeah, that was like thirty minutes ago. Listen, Sir. I got into trouble because of your attitude, and you weren’t answering your phone… I don’t need you to pay for them anymore, ‘cause it’s too late for that now, I just need you to apologize to me,” Darcy ranted and exclaimed “–dude my eyes are up here!”

“Miss, calm down, please join us and let us discuss this in a civil manner.” The other guy said, and as he shook Darcy’s hand, he introduced himself as Thor. Talk about weird names. But at least he’s polite. Not like rock star dude right over there.

“Thank you, you’re very nice! Not like this emo, I’m Darcy Lewis. I work for Richard Productions L-L-C, I was anyway, and we’re having a photo shoot just there at the bar, I mean they are. Because you see, they went bankrupt and stuff, so they fired me. My employment was supposed to be terminated tomorrow, but voila, my boss terminated me today! And that is because of you, Slenderman,” Darcy said towards Loki and turned to Thor, “And this guy sort of ruined half of the clothes, and those are not just any clothes, those are YSL. Like did you see how expensive that s**t is at Barney’s?”

Before Darcy could finish nervously blabbing her mind to them, Loki cut her off rudely and coldly, just like the way he talked to her in the street.

“I will write you a check so you can buy another. And do buy yourself a mouth filter, or much better, those things they put on canines, a muzzle.”

“Loki!” Thor warned. Loki pulled out a rather thin checkbook and a glinting gold parker pen from his coat pocket, ignoring the seething look from Darcy and an incredulous stare from Thor.

Did Darcy already mention she hates this guy? Well again, she hates this guy and if they’re alone she’ll tie his long pretty neck with a rope and she’ll stab him with a butter knife, her nutella knife.

“I said I don’t need you to pay anymore, I just want you to apologize to me because of your rude behavior. And don’t forget to add about the sentence you said just now.” Darcy has got her own Miranda Priestly thing going on with her when she’s angry, but most of the time it doesn’t really work, just like right now.

“I do not need to apologize to anyone. It was your fault all along. You were very careless. Now accept this and get out of my face.”

Alright, that’s it. He’s going to win the douche-bag-of-the-year award, presented by Darcy Lewis.

“You are the most unpleasant sociopath I’ve ever met in my whole life.”

And with that, as quick as lightning, Darcy got her strong independent ass up from the seat, grabbed a glass of wine and poured the contents of it on Loki’s face. Screw ethics. Screw fancy hotels. Screw this attractive guy.

Maybe her mom is right after all, maybe Darcy really is brave. Okay, not really. Because after splashing wine on Loki Laufeyson’s pretty face, she rushed out of the hotel and hopped into the first yellow cab she saw.

“Drive! Drive! Drive!” Darcy frantically said to the cab driver, nervously looking back at the hotel’s door anticipating a lean figure to come out.

“Okay. Where to?” the driver lazily asked. “To Brooklyn, –please!”

Her last words came to a startled cry as the door to her right opened and long, black pants-covered legs slid in beside her.

“You are really testing my tolerance, Darcy Lewis.”

Darcy almost choked up on her own breath as she looked up at Loki’s intense emerald eyes staring back at her. The look on his face and the thing going in his eyes scares her, it’s like he was reading her mind and he can see how absolutely terrified she is of him and how she thinks he’s really sexy in his goddamned dark bearing.

“Well, I’m sorry, okay! I was pissed at you for being such a d**k! I didn’t know what came over me when I did that. All I know is that I felt insulted. And you’re still not apologizing to me, and if you don’t plan to do it, then get out of this vehicle.”

Darcy let out a frustrated sigh when she felt the car start moving and she failed to win the stare-contest with Loki.

“I said I need not to apologize…” Darcy noticed the change in Loki’s breathing pattern and the way he stopped speaking. Does he want to throw up? Because his lips were twitching into a slight pout and the line on his knitted eyebrows became intense.

“Stop the car.” Loki said.

“I can’t, the light’s green.” The driver replied. Darcy waited for a retort, but surprisingly, nothing came. He just sat there stoically like a mad person. Well, maybe he really is crazy. Or maybe he’s just not used to old cabs and he feels revolted.

“Is everything okay?” Darcy whispered, testing the waters. “Yes, Ms. Lewis.” He drawled, staring out the window, his hands clasped together on his lap.

“Why are you not saying anything? And can you just say ‘I’m Sorry’? Why is it so hard for you to say that?”

Darcy waited for a reply but what she got was a low but genuine laughter coming from him.

“What the hell’s so funny?” Darcy asked, watching as his shoulders shook from his uproar. Okay, maybe he really is a psycho.

“Nothing, it’s just that I’ve never experienced precious wine being poured on my face before,” his scowling eyes changed into warm tender ones and his cheekbones had been defined even more as he smiled. s**t. He’s cute. “And to think that I, a Laufeyson, followed some lass into a public vehicle, I just think it is very hilarious.” Cute, but he’s still arrogant.

“Whatever dude.” Darcy crossed her arms as she looked out the window. She had already decided to ignore him but the words that he said got her attention.

“What?” she asked.

“I said, would you like to work for me?”

A job opportunity. Why not? But from this guy, uh hell no.