Purple and Green
June's POV
"Look at that hotshot.", Mabel said, taking out the lollipop out of her mouth and pointing it down at the road from the balcony.
I looked up from my book and strained my neck to see the person Mabel pointed at without getting up from the chair. I raised my eyebrows, groaned in approval and returned back to my book. The male character in the book seemed more intriguing than the one standing on the road, wearing a coffee coloured suit, with some other middle-aged men dressed in suits.
"Didn't do the magic?", Mable asked, a bit annoyed that I did not indulge into the men-gazing.
"When will this 'turning June into an allosexual woman' campaign end, Mabby?", I asked, closing my book after placing the bookmark properly, looking up at her.
"June, I just want you to appreciate something that looks good. Just take a look. I am not asking you to marry him.", Mabel said and rolled her eyes.
I stood up, reluctantly, and searched the man in the coffee-coloured suit. He was now sitting in one of the benches on the footpath by the road. Not that handsome or striking but he definitely had an aura like he owned the whole place or something. He had goggle-shaped glasses perched on his not-so-sharp nose, with an overall roblox character shaped face. Seemed muscular and around 6 something tall? I realised I was assessing him too much so I looked back at Mable to find her sucking on her lollipop again busy staring the man down.
"Stop ogling him.", I said and Mabel looked back at me smiling. I shook my head in disbelief and went inside the room to keep back my book and plan my next move.
I currently fled from home telling my parents that I will be away on a business trip for 6 months. It was not a lie because I was sent by the company but was given the option to make a choice. A choice to either take up the job role I was given here or return back after 6 months. I just didn't tell my parents that I won't be returning. I will just give them a surprise. And they deserve it. They traumatised me all my life with their weirdly protective and demeaning upbringing with infinite restrictions. I will get back at them with one single blow. It's been two months I have been having fun at my temporary-but-soon-to-be-permanent job and I am finally settled down. I am finally out of their grasp and this is it.
"I will be going out to meet my date tonight. Will you be fine alone? This will be the first time you will be staying alone. I am a bit worried.", Mabel said, coming into the room and settling on the little two-seater couch we had bought last week.
I rolled my eyes even though I was unsure myself because she was my coworker, roommate and only proper acquaintance here. But she just started seeing someone only recently after getting out of a very toxic relationship. That's what she said. I don't know.
"I am happy you have someone. Please don't worry. I will lock the door and stay aware.", I say, waving my hand to show how cool I am.
"Okay, baby.", she said, walking over to me and placing a kiss on my cheek, "But remember I will be like 15 minutes away so call me if you need anything."
"Your girlfriend won't get angry?", I asked, rather jokingly, smiling.
"We are not girlfriends yet. Don't jinx it.", she said and swatted me on my arm.
"I like this, you know. A kiss and a slap. Deadly combination.", I said, smirking, because the slap did hurt but I am a master in masking emotions so she never knew. Instead she laughed out loud and said,
"God, if you said yes I would have pinned you on the floor right now and feasted on you. But you as an asexual is such a waste."
"Aahh...appreciation! I like where this is going. I hope you ditch your lady at the bar and come back soon. Because after all, I get to cuddle you and not her.", I said with a smirk to which Mable threw back her head laughing holding her belly and then said, "Stop it" in between her giggles and went towards the bathroom.
Me flirting with women has always been a smooth and unintentionally done thing since my school days when I didn't even know I was a panromantic asexual. But I was never into labels and all. I just liked men, women and everything human. Like being inclusive. I did not discriminate. I appreciated beauty whenever I saw one. And guess what? All my female friends liked me when I got like this but I swing the other way too. Because I am cute.
But then again I had my own dreams and other things to do. So I chose to stay single and not look for a lover because it's very tiring to look for a person to date. And I lost my peak youth era to my parents so its my time to shine.
After Mabel left in the evening, I made sure the door to our apartment was locked well and that everything needed during crisis was handy. I have lived alone, yes. Overnight? No. So please understand me. I even closed the balcony door and pulled the curtains close. Around 11 pm when I was about to get on the bed to retire for the night because I have work next day I heard some commotion on the street outside.
I did not pay heed to it and let God take over if something happened and pulled the covers on me when I heard another sound, this time it sounded like a gunshot. I still stayed silent because I was in my bed room and there's no way I am getting out now. I could not see anything so I chose to stay in the bed awake hoping the sound would quiet down. After a while it happened again.
"Of course. Just on the day Mabel isn't home.", I muttered and got out of bed, walked towards the window in my room and pulled away the curtains.
And I almost felt my heart stop beating. The same roblox faced human in a coffee coloured suit was now aiming his gun at a fat man, also in suit and some other people with guns were also there around. Everyone had weapons in their hands and there were no other pedestrians the road being a small community alley. I froze for a moment but then I saw coffee coloured suit turning his head towards my apartment. The window was on the same side as the balcony. Before I was able to think, I crouched down after pulling the curtains close.
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Leonard's POV
"Sir, the client will be here soon. Should we go into the café now?", Fred, my right hand man, asked, a bit of fear in his voice because 20 minutes ago I scolded him for making me wear this unnecessary coffee-coloured suit that is overly uncomfortable.
"No. Let's do this here. I don't want to affect anyone's business. They are dangerous.", I said, without any expressions, not looking at him. It was almost 8 pm, and I did not want to go into a congested café to finalise a deal. If anything, I am unconventional. But what made me uncomfortable now was two girls who were staring at me from their apartment balcony on the other side of the road.
Thanks to my good vision, I was able to stare back to see what they are trying to do. Instead one of them seemed disinterested and I could see her only through the railing gaps because she wasn't standing up. The other one was, what should I say, a bit too much for me. She did not have basic manners. I looked around to see a bench nearby and went over to sit there. Immediately all my men huddled close to me, surrounding the bench making it impossible for me to see the other girl who now stood up to...see me...I guess?
Okay, she was cute. Short, a bit chubby, with glasses, round face. She was wearing a purple and green striped sweater. She looked like those studious and serious nerdy girls. Like a girl with lot of rules and principles to follow and a single thing off track can tick them off. Then I shake my head to get back to the situation I am in. I need to meet my father's client today.
Mr. Alan was a bit grumpy and moody and dad said I was very adept in handling people like him. Well, he was right. But I was a bit angry because I had my main front business to handle. It was spring and tourists flock in large groups throughout the city. My hotel chain, restaurant and tourism company is booming. But family business comes first. So here I am sealing the deal of some new ammunition for shooting ice bullets. Safest. Not illegal. And leaves no evidence. And my dad is the well known dealer of innovative modern warfare things.
"I don't think Julien is making a good decision by sending you to talk to me, Leo. You are practically inexperienced in these matters.", Mr. Alan said to me, and took a deep breath in as if he lost energy in the first sentence he said since he arrived and sat next to me on the bench.
"Why do you think so?", I asked, raising my eyebrows in annoyance.
"We are not supposed to do this in public.", he said, his nostrils flaring in anger.
"I don't take suggestions from anyone, not even my father. Who do you think you are?", I asked, a little frustrated now.
"You-", Mr. Alan was about to say something when Fred interrupted,
"If you are talking about the signing the deal, we can do that in the car right there. Everything is ready."
"I am not talking about deals with you. And if Julien isn't available for his long term client, I am selling them to someone else, people are actually lining up for this whole set of weapons.", Mr. Alan said, attempting to get up when I said,
"Oh, you mean selling it to Landon?"
Mr. Alan looked at me stupefied.
"You know I can get rid of you now if I want and confiscate all your weapons including the old refurbished set that came in last night that you chose to hide from my father. I just cut out a shared deal with Landon this morning about your offer.", I said, getting up from the bench, signalling my men to call Landon out of my car.
Landon Baker is my father's rival's son, but he was also my best friend from university. Obviously, no one knows this except us. And yes I have friends. Now Mr. Alan's anger turned into fear when he saw Landon come and stand next to me. And then the issue started. The issue that I was supposed to avoid. Mr. Alan's right hand, Sophia, came forward, swinging her signature short-barrel rifle on her shoulder. She equals bloodshed and I am not in the mood of bloodshed. So I signalled Fred to make sure there are no other common people when Landon's men chose to stay on guard.
"Those guns are for another purpose. You don't need them.", Sophia said, sternly. Her high ponytail swinging in the night wind and her red biker's suit clinging on to her lean but jacked body.
"Oh my, look at papa's princess!!", Landon's angry voice chimed in the quiet alley, "You do know every weapon in this state goes through Julien Spencer's checks, right? Don't be so arrogant!"
So yeah. Landon and Sophia has been at each other's necks since they first met at the annual business meet held by his dad Henry Baker, after we graduated university. Sophia then frowned and then loaded the gun before pointing it at us. Mr. Alan then sensed the tension and said, afraid but stern,
"Stop with the gun Sophia. I am talking."
Sophia clicked her tongue in frustration and lowered it but then there was a gun shot. Not from any of our men.
"Shit! I told Mills to stay away from the deal tonight.", Landon said and signalled his men.
"Is this a joke?", I asked, now annoyed at Landon for the 100th time this week and saw Sophia aim the gun at us again.
"I didn't even tell him about today's deal!", Landon said, exasperated when Mills arrived with two guns in his both hands and said, gleefully,
"Time to help my Spencer juniour! I can't allow any man to ruin my Leo's mood. Only I get to do that!!"
I closed my eyes to contain my anger when Sophia said, "Take the new guns and leave. That was the deal."
"No!", Mills said, pouting, aiming his guns back at Mr. Alan and Sophia, "If Leo wants something he gets that. And if he doesn't I make sure he gets that."
Landon placed his palm on his forehead. Mills Baker was Landon's orphaned cousin and his business partner as well. And he was in love with me. But my rejection did not demotivate him at all. He still believes that I will turn gay for him one day. He might be lean and a bit shorter than me and Landon but he was a better shooter than us. And I practically excelled in knifes. Then the gun shots resumed. I took out my gun and loaded it before aiming for Sophia and her men. And I sensed someone watching me. I turned my head towards the apartment from earlier and I saw someone duck their head down inside the room through the window next to the balcony. I couldn't help but smile and made up my mind to end tonight's deal.
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Finally writing something that I am comfortable with. Less cringe and a bit more funny. Let's see how this turns up. Share your thoughts on Leonard and June, though.
