Chapter 6

Jacob

A week has passed and Andrew kept switching moods every now and again, it's like a disease and at first, I prompted him to get it checked out but he kept assuring me he was fine. It became a gag around his other men though, teasing him that's he's bipolar or has split personality. He usually plays along but when he's not in the mood he brings out the leader card and his aura suddenly becomes menacing and it's hella scary.

My Father has been frequenting his visits to the magazine firm I work for. Every time he comes, he never fails to tell me how much more money we could be making if I work for him instead. He even tried to get Andrew to sign up for his company too, and his answer was just weird. It was hella weird. Well, not weird but kind of off for his usual attitude.

"Jacob," My dad entered my office and Andrew gave up his seat to my dad, he was quiet the entire time we arrived in at the magazine firm, Something must really be bothering him. Something in this building.

"Dad, you're here, again," I sad not taking my eyes off the model I was currently editing photos of. This magazine is for another company, I sure as hell don't want to disappoint them if this ever comes out terrible.

"Of course, I wouldn't stop unless you go back and start doing a proper job," He said, he was taunting me, trying to make me lose my cool so that I would embarrass myself in front of my co-workers. I kept my cal though as much as I can.

"I am doing proper work dad," I said pushing my self to seem bored. If he thinks that I'm not interested in what he has to say, then maybe he would just leave.

"How about you son? Why don't you work for me instead?" He looked at Andrew and the man visibly jolted, clearly, his mind was elsewhere. He looked like a deer caught in headlights and I would've laughed at him too if it weren't for my father's presence.

"Oh, uh that's, that's very generous of you sir, but I actually work for Sir Twist," He said gesturing towards me, I applaud his incredible acting skills, in the back of my mind.

"Well, that's a shame, but if you change your mind, here's a business card," My dad stood up and handed Andrew a white card with gold embellishments. "You know where to find me if you also change your mind," my dad said with his signature plastic smile as he walked out of my office door. Andrew's shoulders slackened slightly and he took his seat, in front of me, once more.

"You have a problem with my dad?" I asked and he looked at me as if I just pointed a gun towards him. He was silent for a few minutes and I just stared at him, waiting for an answer.

"Wh-what?! where'd you get that idea?" he asked, his face was stoic, clear of any emotion. It looked weird and it only confirms that there's just something odd between my dad and Andrew, even if they probably have never met before. "I barely know him!"

"mm-hmmm..." I pretended to believe him and he took it, slumping against his chair to drum his fingers on my desk.

"Jacob, my team, and I have concepts for the ad Mestlè was requesting?" Zac, one of my team leaders, cautiously opened the door and stepped into my office. Zac is a tall man, a bit shorter than Andrew but definitely as muscular.

Andrew stood up but Zac only shook his head, giving me the flash drive and stood behind me. I plugged it in and with Zac's guidance, he presented to me a mood board and a storyline along with prospects as cast. I approved every single one except the cast listings. "Thank you, sir," Zac said walking out the office doors.

"You want me to kill him?" Andrew immediately asked the moment that the door closed.

"What do you mean you want to kill him?!" I was beyond shocked, sure I saw him kill people before. More specifically, that guy from that time I got...you know. "He's my employee!" I said and he didn't look too convinced.

"When you're not looking he was eyeing you up like candy!" Andrew said and turned his whole body to face me. The atmosphere in the room was getting thicker and thicker and even though there are a few goods he's done for me. The bad is slowly outweighing it all in my head.

"Calm down Andrew, you've been pissy all morning," He huffed at my words, slouching against his chair like a child reprimanded by their parent.

"Besides, I think he already has a boyfriend or something," I continued with my work with little to no distractions. Andrew occasionally receives phone calls here and there. He answers them right in front of me but I can barely hear the person on the other side and Andrew only answers in one-lìners. It's so impossible to eavesdrop on this dude.

"Sir, Me and Harry are leaving now," Zac peaked through the glass doors once more, hand in hand with a tiny, curly, brown-haired boy with blue eyes. The employees usually don't have to excuse themselves from their boss as much but since the four of us were the only ones left in our department, it was nice to know when you're going to be left alone in the office. I experienced that once, I was so invested in my work I hardly noticed that I was the only one left, good thing the night guard came to check on me.

"Alright, see you both tomorrow," I said and gave Andrew a pointed look. "See? boyfriend." I said gesturing to the retreating figure of the two men.

"Still, I'm gonna bury 'im if I have to," I just rolled my eyes as I finished packing my things and we got out of there.

We got to his parked car and we started driving the opposite direction that we took that morning. "uhhh, where are we going?" I asked, looking up from my phone, being bombarded by my boss who can't start his laptop properly.

"Let's eat somewhere nice, I'm starving." Andrew kept his gaze towards the road but he had this faint smile on his face, a giddy expression taking over his features. A comfortable silence followed after that, nothing much was needed to be said and we were both okay with that.

"Hey...I have something to I wanted to ask," I was picking at my skin again, pinching and twisting, scratching and trying to peel it off. I felt dirty still.

"Shoot," He said casting a look towards me before his eyes were on the road once again.

"When I was, you know... back in that building..." I evaded his eyes, I don't know what might happen if I look into them. "You...You called that man..." He was on top of me again, groping and caressing everywhere and I laid there powerless, not able to do anything but be at his mercy. "Jack, as if you know him?" My fingers were itching, twitching. I was using my nails to pinch at certain parts, My palm, where he made me touch that thing of his.

"Jacob, you see-"

"No! I-I want to know, need to," I kept my stare on the side mirrors willing all the memories of that moment away.

"Jack was a-uh how do I say this. Jack took me in when my dad died, he took me under his wing. Made me run errands." Andrew removed his fingers from mine and started playing around with his food. "I was exposed to the type of business he was running. Prostitution, drugs, and borderline human trafficking. So I left his gang and started my own. A few of his members who became my friend followed me and the four of us started this. For the longest time, he's been taking my One Night Stands? for a lack of better terms. I never bothered with finding out what he does with them," He finished staying silent for a long time.

"So why go after me?"

"Something about you feels different than everyone else." He looked at me and smiled, I felt my cheeks heat up as I looked back out of the car windows. I heard him chuckle like what he said would just make anyone's heart melt in a second.

"2 stars, come one, you have anything less cliche?" I said cupping one hand over the other, after noticing that the skin I was picking on started to bleed a little. I don't know what it is about me these days but I just feel uncomfortable in my own skin. Like it's a dirty jacket I'm desperately trying to get off.

"Yeah no, anywho, we're almost there," Andrew drove down a few more black before parking in front of a small, homey establishment. There were tainted glass windows that let you see the inside of the building. It has wooden flooring and walls, the maroon tables looked to be metal. Andrew walked in front of me as we entered the establishment. Immediately, a stout middle-aged woman greeted him with the warmest smile. From where I was standing, you would assume that it was his mother.

"Oh, Andy dearie! How have you been?" She hugged him but because of her height, she was able to reach just around his torso.

"Jody, Hi! I went here yesterday." Andrew pats her back and I just stood there awkwardly watching them.

"Oh! Hi! You're new!?" She said Standing in front of me, in the dim lighting, I couldn't tell that much detail from afar but closer I can see that she's definitely a middle-aged, Asian woman. "I'm Jody!"

"Jody?" I asked pertaining to the western sounding name.

"Yeah! My name is Mari Joy but I much prefer Jody!" She reached up to pinch my cheeks and I smiled at her. She feels nice, like a mother I never had. "Sit, Sit! I have the dished prepped they'll be out in a minute." She walked away to the kitchen. There was a window on the far left of the small diner where we are able to see cooks walking around. The whole place was spotless, it was clean to the very last corner.

"She's something else, isn't she? Makes me wish she's my mum." Andrew said watching me intently from the opposite side.

"Yeah, same here. My mom's way too busy with money and friends to pay attention to me and my sister." I said, thinking back to growing up where she was always busy, either with work or she was going out with friends. She's living like a high schooler at that point. It was appropriate for her since she got pregnant at such a young age. Nowadays, she just goes out with friends more, work is no longer a problem since she retired and is enjoying the wealth dad provides.

"Really? she never goes home?"

"She does but we only get to see her when she cooks and when she leaves in the morning."

"How about your dad?" A waiter came by our table to provide us a pitcher of water and two glasses.

"Just water?" I asked I would've thought that since it's an Asian food joint, there would be some crazy fruit juice or some blend.

"Trust me, the food they serve here is flavorful enough." He said chuckling.

"And yeah, dad's well, I don't like him. I rather that he is not at home." My father always wanted to be rich, and he worked from the bottom till he got to the top. I never asked how he got so rich, I just let it be. He wanted me to take over his business once he eventually dies but I didn't want to be a boring old CEO for his boring old company that deals with partnerships. Managing subsidiaries and whatnot, yeah he can enjoy that for himself. "He never approved of my career path, but still you only get one father, would love it to be somebody else though," I gave myself a pity laugh and Andrew gave the faintest smile.

"Here you go, dearies! One bowl of Crispy Dinuguan, A bowl of Adobo, A bowl of Sinigang and plain rice! Enjoy!" Jody said listing off the order as a waiter, beside her, placed them on our table.

"Dig in." Andrew immediately took a portion from the rice and got a scoopful of the blackish soup-like food in a bowl. "Want me to feed you?" He smirked and I realized I had been staring for a long time. I shook my head and started to take a porting from the rice when he leveled his spoon to my mouth.

"What? No! I'm not a child anymore."

"Come on try it." He said nudging his spoon just a little bit closer.

"Fine." I took it in my mouth and it tasted heavenly, The meat was weirdly crispy and the soup part was a bit thick but tasted so good. "This is delicious what is it?"

"Pig's blood."

I choked on what I was eating and accidentally swallowed it all, I went into a coughing fit and the asshat in front of me was laughing his ass off. Though it is what it is, I think I do like how it tastes and may eat more of it.

"So, speaking of parents, tell me about your parents. I told you about mine, it's only fair." I said placing a few dollops of that black dish into my plate.

"Well, I told you about my dad,"

"No, I just know that he died. What was he like?"

"Well, one could call him eccentric, a bit old fashioned. But I saw him work so hard every day just to take care of me. You know, your dad and him could have been friends in another dimension. My dad also dreamed of going incredibly rich, and he was close at one point but died before he got to it." Andrew said the conversation not affecting his mood at all he looked absolutely fine, not a bit devastated that he had no father, I can't relate to so much so I didn't comment on it.

"How about your mom?"

"Well, she left us. They had me when they were in college. Mom wasn't ready so she gave birth and left." He shrugged, again he seemed to really not care about his biological parents. "Besides, I got people like Jody, you, and my gang to keep me company. That's all that matters to me," He gave me a small cheeky smile before digging back into his food.

"5 stars."