I turned my attention to a tall man with chocolate toned skin and shoulder length braids pushed back with a blue bandanna. He wore expensive looking street clothes and Gucci brand glasses. The more I stared, the more I recognized him.

“Oh! My! God!!! It’s David Agazzi, I thought,” Not only is a an incredible designer, he also manages a blog for the company and works with beginning designers. “MATÍAS!” He shouted in a deep voice. “I’ve been asking for the fucking documents all morni~” he suddenly stopped when he noticed me.

I immediately jumped up after I realized I was still sitting in Matías' lap and approached Mr. Agazzi. “I..it’s a pleasure to meet you sir. I am such a huge fan!” I said “I follow all of your fashion tips and I think it’s amazing that you can figure out how to pull different pieces of articles together. Could I please shake your hand!!” 

I sounded like such a nerd, but he was my idol. I used to wake up every Saturday morning just to read the blog. He had worked with some of the most popular stars and to have simply met him was incredible. 

I couldn't even believe I stood in front of him.

“Of course!!!,” he said shaking my hand enthusiastically.

“If you want me to take a picture with you, I'd happily do that as well, kitten,” he said. I blushed at the nickname. 

“Fucking touch him again and I’ll kill you David,” Matías stated in a stern tone. He wasn't yelling, but it was still scary.

“Hey, kitten”, he said completely ignoring Matías, “I have a great idea; if you want to leave this crazy bastard and come with me I’ll show you around.” Omg. THE David Agazzi just asked to take me around THE Fashion Life Inc.

“OMG! That would be amazing,” I responded.

“GET OUT!” Matías shouted, suddenly standing up causing me to remember his presence.

“Oooooh, are you mad that your pet didn’t decline my offer,” David responded. Matías simply stared him down as I began to regret my answer.

“Ok, fine no need to get your panties in a twist.” He walked towards the elevator and before he entered he turned around. “Kitten, if this bastard hurts you anymore you can always come to me on the 36th floor,” he said to me with a smile. “He is hurting you right? I can see the scars, so don’t lie.”

“Yes,” I replied quietly. 

“Matías, I suggest you get him some longer sleeves so his scars aren’t exposed. If someone sees him and reports you, it’ll cause trouble for us all. Also, I don’t care what kinky shit you’re into, but I’m sure he doesn’t like it so stop,” he said to Matías in a much more serious tone. He turned around and left.

I stood in the middle of the room, afraid to make any movement. “He's angry,” I thought. I pursed my lips together as I remained still.

“I’m going to my meeting, stay here.” I jolted a bit when he spoke. He got up and entered the elevator. I sat on the couch and tried to relax, though that didn’t really help. Suddenly, I remembered the bar. I walked over to it and grabbed some chips. “Maybe I could have a drink as well,” I thought. I quickly pushed the idea aside out of fear that Matías would scold me for underage drinking. I’m not that type of person anyways and I’ve never had alcohol once in my life. The only reason I’m thinking about it now is because I'm so stressed. I sat back on the couch and watched some t.v till Matías came back at 1:30.

He continued working till that evening, but didn’t say a word the whole time.

He grabbed all his stuff and went to the elevator at 6:56. I quickly followed behind him. He didn’t speak at all which made me nervous. I know he told me not to trust anyone, but it’s not like I went with David. Sure, I told him I would, but Matías didn’t let me go anyways. I understand why he’s mad I just wish he would at least talk to me.

We got to the car and left the building. Traffic was bad, so it took an extra hour to get home. That meant an extra hour of complete silence.

At this point I was worried I’d be punished when we got back. Actually, even if I'm punished, it's better than him not talking to me. 

We pulled into the garage  and still no word from Matías. I hopped out of the car and went inside. “Sir” I said. Matías didn’t even acknowledge me. “Is it ok if I wear one of your hoodies as a pajama.” No response.

I went upstairs, took a shower, and threw on a pair of underwear and a yellow hoodie. The hoodie was down to my knees, so I didn’t bother putting on pants. I looked into the mirror and realized how disheveled I looked. Dark circles were under my eyes from the amount of stress I’d been put under. My hair was in desperate need of a trim. I’ve never really had body hair so shaving was never a concern, but that only meant that the marks from the previous day could be clearly seen on my legs. They didn't hurt as much, but it was a reminder of the pain I went through. This, added with my already small frame made me appear to be an abused, abandoned child. In some ways, I guess I was.

I headed downstairs to find Matías cooking in the kitchen. He was making empanadas and a salad. I sat at the counter and watched him cook. He brought my plate over and filled a glass of water for me. “Thank you, sir,” I said.

“Mmhmm,” he responded quietly. My eyes immediately shot up. His back was faced towards me as he poured himself a glass of wine. “At least it was something,” I thought. He sat on the stool next to me and ate. After downing the wine he stood up to put his plate away. I caught his hand as he got up. “I’ll wash the dishes,” I said looking into his eyes. I didn’t receive a response, unless you consider him staring at my hand on his one. He went upstairs and seconds later I heard the shower running.

After I washed and dried the dishes I also headed upstairs.

The shower was still running so I found the remote and turned on the t.v. I brought my legs to my chest as I watched Dr.Pol. When I am stressed, nature channels always calm me down. I’m not an outdoors person at all. Period. I just don’t like it, but if it’s on t.v it’s totally fine. They make it seem more interesting than it actually is. Similar to people idolized online. They make life seem more interesting and perfect than what it actually is. 

The door to the bathroom swung open and Matías stepped out with only a pair of underwear on. My attempt at not staring was weak and I found myself examining every part of his body. He had a six pack and I hadn’t noticed it before but a tattoo of a giant, black snake went down his side with flowers surrounding it. He had a sharp v-line that led... down there. Even through his underwear it is clear that he is very “gifted” in that region. He walked over to the bed and sat down; resting his head against the headboard. He watched the channel I had put on without even acknowledging my existence.

I can’t take it any longer. I scooted closer to him and leaned on his shoulder. He looked down at me and simply stared. “Sir, please just talk to me,” I said begging him to say something back. “I’m sorry for earlier. I know I shouldn’t have accepted his offer, but I was caught in the moment,” I explained. He pulled me into his lap, but other than that I still didn't talk to me. 

I don’t know why, but I became really emotional. I felt like crying, I don’t even know why. I pressed my face into his bare chest and breathed in his lavender and mint smell. He smells intoxicating. I continued breathing in his scent as he wrapped his arms around my hips. I pushed my head into the crook of his neck. “Why are you crying?” He asked, whispering in my ear. I looked up and hadn’t even noticed the warm tears falling down my face. “I...I do..on’t k..know” I said through tears and whimpering. I pressed myself back against his neck. “Wh..why didn’t you t..ta..talk to me?” I asked.

“It was your punishment for earlier,” he stated calmly. Matías wiped my tears with his thumbs. 

“I’m sorry,” I apologized for the second time. “It’s ok, you’ve learned your lesson now right bebé?” He asked in a sweet tone. “Yes, Sir” I responded calmly. I really wanted to tell him it wasn't my fault. I wanted to hit him and command that I receive an apology for being mistreated. But I said none of that. 

I looked up at him. “I didn’t notice your tattoo till now. It’s really cool,” I said, trying to change the subject. 

“Yeah, I got it when I was 17. I went on a trip to Honduras and a family friend did it for me,” he explained. I began tracing the tattoo on Matías’s side with my finger. I’ve always thought that tattoos are cool but I'm afraid of needles so I’d never get one. In fact, I’m afraid of a lot of things. I’ve always been more or less pathetic.

“Why do you like me?”, I finally asked. As I asked that questioned, I wondered to myself if what he even felt for me was attraction. He hit me and didn't speak to me until I broke down. 

 Please like,subscribe, and comment. I’m not sure if this chapter was good or not so if you could tell me in the comments or give constructive criticism that would be great! Thanks! 

Contact Info: Ramenbowl2005@gmail.com