“Let’s just say, Lexi….” It caught my attention that he used my nickname even though he referred to my full name earlier. “I won’t ever do stuff that you do not feel comfortable with….”

“I see…. I will get paid, right?”

“Of course. If it’s too much again? Just donate it.”

“I see… If I decide that I don’t want to do this, will you let me go?”

“Of course.”

“How long will it last?”

That was when he smiled a little. “Until you learn to love yourself.”

“Excuse me?” I raised my eyebrows.

“Until you get bored of me.”

Ok that really wasn’t what he said before, but whatever.

“I don’t have to live with you, do I?”

“Nope.”

“... I’ll have to put up with Charlotte dressing me like some doll though, right?”

“Sadly yes, she would keep pestering us until she won.”

I sighed to myself, as I looked to the floor then back to him. After a few short moments, I held out my hand for a handshake. “Fine. I’ll do it. But no funny business. If I see any funny business? I’m leaving.”

“That seems fair.” He took my hand and we shook.

“Good.”

His skin was as soft as some babies arse. I really cared for the beauty regiments? I would seriously ask what lotions he uses. But Nocte told me that he was going to speak to Charlotte and he wandered off, leaving me behind with my thoughts. Was this a good thing? I only met him yesterday and now I’m apparently a ‘assistant’ who apparently just works like a girlfriend on a payroll. Aww, man! What do I tell my parents if they ask? A girlfriend on a payroll? No, of course not, that just makes me sound like an escort. Maybe I’ll just say that I’m just an assistant, would that work? But if they ask what I am assisting? That will be a whole nother ball park!

“Soooo!” Nocte’s voice rang out, as I was having my inner turmoil.

“Something the matter?”

“Well, I did inform her about something and, well…. It’d be better to come see for yourself.”

What was this about? I followed after him as he turned and we walked back to the main area but, as we approached, I saw a stack of boxes.

“What are these?”

“Your new clothes.” A loud voice announces, as, once again, Charlotte comes gliding over. “Honestly, it’s nice to see my young, forever handsome fellow finally get himself a nice lady.”

“Errrr….”

“It’s not like that, Charlotte.” Nocte interjected.

Charlotte blew a raspberry. “I take it that all these can’t fit in your car?” It seems like she totally ignored what Nocte said.

“No.”

“Then I will just have them dropped off. Miss?” Charlotte turned to me. “What is your address?” I watch her as she just whips out a small notepad and a pen from legit nowhere, and approaches me. I told her the address and she made a disgruntled face, but still wrote it down. I got the feeling that she isn’t fond of the area I live in. I mean, why would she? She has a store in the posh ass part of London.

“Excellent!” Charlotte announced. “I will also drop off the dress when the adjustments are made.” With a nod to both me and Nocte, she turns to leave.

“She is such a force of nature, I swear….” I mumbled out loud.

“That’s a bit of an understatement. By the way….” Nocte turned to her. “Would you care to have dinner with me tonight to celebrate our new found….. Work?”

“Errr…. Sure, I don’t really do anything else anyway.”

With a small smile, he turns and picks up four boxes. “Then you’ll be needing these….” He hands them to me. “Wear these for tonight.”

“Erm… Ok?”

“Well, I might as well take you home….. Cinderexi.”

“Hah ha. Very funny… I see what you did there.”

With that, we both exit the store and head back to the car. Nocte takes the boxes from me as we approach and he puts them in the back. As I slid into the passenger side again, I kinda felt more comfortable now than I originally did.

“By the way…..” I started to ask him. “How long have you known Charlotte?”

Nocte started up the car and began driving, but he still answered my question. “For a few years.”

“You helped her meet her husband?”

“Yep.”

“She was very friendly with you…..” For some stupid reason, I asked that. What was I expecting as an answer? That he had a fling with her? Why do I even care anyway?

“Have you not noticed that she was friendly with everyone?”

“Well, that is true….”

“We had a mutual friendship, nothing more.”

“Huh?” Again, it seemed like he was answering the question that she had in her own mind. Unless it was plastered all over my face. “But, erm….” I coughed to change the subject. “Don’t you think it’s a bit weird? We only met like yesterday, and now I'm your so-called assistant?”

“Stranger things have happened in the world.”

“I suppose. But usually? My luck would have ran out by now, or lack of it.”

“Your luck?”

“Err yeah…. I’ve never really been a lucky person.”

“I see…. Well, perhaps times are changing.”

“Oh, I really doubt that. Oh! That’s my home!” Everything went by so fast, I didn’t even realise that we were back at my place again.

“I’ll pick you up at seven.” He leans over to the back and hands me the boxes, as I open the door.

“Ok.”

With that, I exited his red Corvette, and watched him drive off. I pretty much just stood there in a daze, holding these boxes. All this was just a burst of luck, but then I had this feeling that soon all the luck will go and I will be just some unlucky sod once again. The cycle will just continue. But I suppose I could just be happy for the luck I do have right now at least. Sighing to myself, I turned to enter my building and headed to my flat. When I got inside I just went up the stairs to the bedroom and chucked the boxes onto the bed. I would be lying if I wasn’t curious what was inside these. So, with curiosity rising, I opened up the first box. Inside this first box, there was a stunning pair of black heels, which didn't have a massive heel either. These were more like the ones that I usually wear anyway. As I opened up another box, I saw that it contained a little black bag. I then opened the third box and saw that it contained a pair of white gloves. For the fourth final box? Inside the fourth box was a dress, a black dress. As I lifted it out of the box, I noticed that it was a slim fitting dress, with a slit down one of the legs. It was what you considered to be ‘smart but sexy’. Placing it down, I just crouched down into a ball. No way…. I’ve never been this lucky. Even when I did have luck? It was never like this. I’m going to wake up and this will all be a dream. As I pinched myself, I quickly realised that I was still here.

“Urgghhh…..” I groaned out loud as I stood back up. Ok, so this was happening. I wasn’t dreaming. But I had a few hours to kill before I had to wear the stuff in front of me. Alright then!

To pass the time, I just flicked through the channels while I slouched on the sofa, and when it was time? I took my bath.

Eventually, I was all dressed up in the clothes that Nocte gave me. What was even weirder is that it allowed me to wear my best underwear. God knows why. I blame the clothes. The stupid sexy clothes. In a weird way, it felt like a date, but it wasn’t. Two people can go to dinner together and it is not a date. It happens all the time! Business meetings, for example, and technically? As I looked down, I had to remember that this was a business meeting. My phone then buzzed on the kitchen side and it said one word.

Downstairs.

Ok then! I quickly picked up the new bag, threw my phone and keys into the bag, and I left both the flat and the building. Right outside, standing under the night sky, was Nocte again, standing in front of his red corvette. That did, in fact, kinda stand out. But there was something different with him. Instead of the usual red and black outfit? He was actually wearing a black suit instead, with a white tie. In a way? It matches my outfit too.

“Didn’t know you wore other colours.” I joked.

“You think I don’t?”

“Well, I had a feeling.”

“Hah!” He snorted. “But the gifts? Looks lovely.”

He must have meant the items in the boxes. “Ah, yes they are. Thank you.” Smiling at him, I once again get into the passenger side, and he drives off. Eventually, he drives somewhere that she only ever saw in pictures. “Is that… Is that the Bard?”

“Yes. Do you like Chinese food?”

“Yes!”

“Good, because I was an idiot and didn’t ask you if you did when I booked the table.”

“Oh…. Hahaha. Honestly? I like pretty much anything.”

“Well, that is good to know for the future then.”

With that, we head into the Bard. We find the elevator and he punches in a number. As the elevator stopped on one of the highest floors, we both stepped out. Nocte gestured for me to head over to where a small man was standing. As we spoke, Nocte immediately started speaking in what I could guess was Chinese. The man replied back in Chinese as well, and he walked off gesturing for us to follow. The man led us to a rather private room and, as I stepped inside, my jaw dropped. It was a table that could sit four people, but it was right next to a massive window with beautiful views of London. I had to stop myself from running over to it.

“You look like a kid in a candy store.” Nocte commented, as he closed the door behind him.

“Well, I’ve never even dreamed of ever coming here. But, more importantly….” I turned to face him as he pulled a chair out. “You speak fluent Chinese?”

“Well, it was Mandarin Chinese, but yes. Yes, I do. I speak many languages.”

“Oh right, yeah, you did mention that….” Feeling sheepish, I went over to sit on the chair that he started gesturing at and, weirdly, like a gentleman, he pushed me in. Chivalry wouldn't be dead if this guy is around, huh? However, as I picked up the menu in front of me and looked at it, my eyes nearly fell out. Man, this place wasn’t cheap! 

“I can see what is on your mind already….” Nocte spoke, as I looked over at him over the menu. “Don’t order the cheapest option, order whatever you want.”

“Money is no object for you, huh?”

“Not really.”

“I guessed so.” I raised the menu to hide my face from him.

“What type of wine or drink in general do you drink?”

“I have a fondness for sparkling.” I replied to him, as I looked at the menu again.

“Is champagne good enough?”

“Can do.”

As I looked up over the menu again, I saw him make a hand gesture and the man who was with them appeared out of nowhere and, once again, Nocte spoke to him in his native language. With a nod, the man left the room.

“What did you say to him?” I asked him

“I just asked him for his finest champagne, this is a celebration after all.”

“Oh, right….” I turned my attention to the menu again.

Eventually, the wine arrived and I finally decided on something, and Nocte ordered. But this time in English, since it was a totally different man who was taking our orders. While we waited, I thought I could ask my new ‘employer’ some questions.

“So… Mr Nocte…. Do you have a surname?”

“Not really.” He leant on his hands.

“.... No surname?” 

“I suppose, in your sense of the word, it is a ‘surname’, but to me? Nah. It’s more of a title.”

“Ehhh???” Ok, there were some things that he said that made no sense. This would be one of those cases.

“Divinus.”

“Hmm? Wait…. That’s your name?”

“Yes.”

“That can’t be real.”

“Oh, it’s real.” 

“Your family really are hippies.”

Nocte laughed at that. “Which reminds me…. I told my mother that you called her a ‘hippy’, and she found it extremely hilarious.” 

“Oh… Your mother?”

“Do you think I was found in some cabbage patch?” He raised an eyebrow at her.

“Oh, no….” I sipped my drink, before I could say something stupid again. Of course he had a mother. Duh. Oh, wait. What? My god!!!! This champagne felt like God's piss. It was divine. “Erm….” I tried to gather my emotions after the very good drink. “Does your mum live nearby?”

“Nah.”

“Ohhh….”

“So, what about you?” He asked me.

“What about me?”

“What is your story?”

“Me? Oh, I have no story. I’m just an unlucky gal with no future just rolling through life.”

“No future?”

“Yep….” I sipped the wine again. Man. God pisses out good drinks.

“Meaning?”

“Let’s just say that I never did decide what I wanted to do after I left school. I tried colleges, but I could never stick to one, so everything kinda failed. Blah blah….”

“You never found something you wanted to do?”

“Basically…” I sipped again.

“Has anything actually piqued your interest?”

“No….. Wait….” I put the glass down. “Yes, actually…. When I was a little girl, I wanted to be an actress.”

“Oh, really?” Somehow, me saying really piqued his interest.

“Yes, but what little girl doesn’t want to be an actress? With all the glitz and glam….”

“You never went for it?”

“Oh, it was just a pipe dream.”

“If you perhaps had an option to become an actress, would you take it?”

“If it was presented to me? Totally.” 

Nocte leaned back on his chair, and went into a deep thought.

“I mean….” I carried on. “That would never happen, I haven’t even taken acting classes.”

“I can find some for you.”

“Huh? Oh, no!” I waved my hands at him. “I think being your assistant will be enough!”

“I see….”

As I looked at him, I noticed, for a split second, that his face changed. He looked…. Annoyed? Or was it perhaps disappointment when I denied him from finding me the acting classes. However, his face immediately went into a smile shortly afterwards.

After some more idle chit chat, the food arrived and, as I took a bite, I felt that it was like heaven. God, this was good. But, as I looked up at Nocte, I noticed that he was picking out some food and placing them in a bowl. On closer inspection, I saw that they were all vegetables.

“Don’t you like vegetables?”

“Not really….” 

“But they're good for you.”

Nocte stopped picking them out and looked right at me, and he gave me a smile. “I’m sure they are, but they’re not for me.”

Does he hate them that much then? 

“Well, it would be a waste to just throw them away, pass them to me so they aren’t wasted.”

“Be my guest.” He picked out a few more, and handed me the bowl.

Over dinner, we continued to talk about minimal things. Nothing overly interesting. It was more like ‘how's the weather’ small talk. However, I did pick up that he switched the conversation to acting classes a few times, but I just flat out ignored him. Eventually, he seemed to get the point and never asked me again. But, as I picked up my wine glass and drank more of it, I realised that I don’t remember how much I had. The champagne was so good, I just kept drinking it. 

“Thankish forsh hiring me.” I said to him as I held out the champagne glass.

“I think you’ve had enough.” I vaguely watched him lean forward to take my glass, but I pulled it back and downed the rest of the contents.

“I knowsh when Ive hadsh a enough, and this?” I raised up the empty glass. “Isn’t enoughsh.”

Ok, I will admit that, in some corners of my brain, I knew I was extremely drunk. But some parts of my body and brain just weren't listening to my ‘sober’ part. I went and picked up the bottle itself and just downed the rest of that, and slammed the bottle on the table.

“Ok. Now I’m done.”