Season: Summer
Weather: Hot, smoky and overcast. It's like we're trapped in an over with no where to go to hide from the heat. It was a good thing there was air conditioning.
Day of the week: Monday
Date: 27th February, 2024
Coming out of my room after I woke up this morning, I found Chef cooking and the other three men eating. I scratched my head, felt self conscious in my messy hair and pyjamas and went to the bathroom to change and clean up.
"I've taken a day off," Chef told me, cooking my favourite scrambled eggs while I stood next to him, sniffing happily. He smiled, messed up my neat hair and then let me stand there, leaning against him like I used to, just enjoying being with him. "I'll cook whatever you want today."
"Really?"
Even in the past, Chef hardly ever offered me such a treat. I couldn't believe my luck.
"Really," he confirmed.
I got so excited that I jumped up to pull him down to my level. Chef chuckled and allowed himself to be pulled down so that I could kiss him on the cheek.
"Chef, I love you so much," I hugged him. "You're the best."
"My little cherie is the best as well," Chef agreed, dropping a kiss on the top of my head. "Go sit down, Jane. I'll bring you your favourite breakfast. If it's still your favourite. It has been a while."
"Anything you cook is my favourite, Chef," I cheered, taking the last seat at the table. I frowned. Where was Chef going to sit later?
"We're done," THE biggest boss of all said, standing up with Stony. "We're going to start work and we'll be working from home because of the smoke. We have meetings all day. Umbrey, as the freeloader, you can wash the dishes."
"Hey, what now?" the dark shadow lord looked aghast. "You're asking me, the big boss of the underworld to wash the dishes? Do you know what you're asking? Who you're asking?"
"If you want to freeload, you wash," Chef agreed, casting a look at the dark shadow lord over his shoulder from where he was standing at the stove.
"I can't believe the nerve of you people. Even if I'm freeloading, you still can't - it's unheard of..."
"Shut up," said Chef and the dark shadow lord moved his food around on his plate with a fork, stabbing at his tomatoes while muttering for the tomato to die like a teenager boy. "Eat properly. Don't play with your food," Chef told him, putting his and my breakfast plates down onto the table.
"If I wanted to be told off, I can just go back to my own parents' house. Why should I come here to be abused?" the dark shadow lord muttered, forking the tomato into his mouth.
"Exactly," Chef agreed. "Why don't you just go home, brat?"
"Just because you're the number one," the dark shadow lord began and then stopped abruptly when a sharp glare was thrown his way.
I supposed Chef was saving me from knowing too much information and quietly began my meal while the dark shadow lord ate his. The scrambled eggs were perfectly creamy with that bit of a chew that wasn't too hard or too soft. The addition of pepper and a dash of soy sauce made them amazing. I wasn't sure when or how, but the next thing I knew was I was being tucked back into bed.
And then a while later, a slippery eel of a man had slipped into the bed beside me, smelling of dishwashing liquid and was asleep before his head touched the pillow. Wrinkling my nose, I reached out to Chef who was sitting reading by my bedside with a pair of glasses on his nose.
Chef immediately took me into his arms and rocked me to sleep again, making me feel like a secure little child in her father's arms.
When I woke in the evening later, both Chef and the dark shadow lord were gone, although dinner had been left on the stove for us.
I missed Chef so much. I hadn't realised just how much I've missed him until like now, he's gone. I've missed his hugs and his cradling and treating me like a little child. It was a pity Chef's son had turned out such a scumbag or I might have married into his family just so that I could be Chef's daughter.
It seemed like he had missed me too. It was a pity he hadn't stayed longer. I had sniffled over my dinner all alone at the dining table. The other two men hadn't finished work yet and so they didn't know.
During the first part of the night, I had a strange dream of a naked man being in bed with a naked me. Frightened, I woke up to find the dark shadow lord hugging me tight. He was bare. I was bare. No wonder I had dreamed naked dreams.
My scream had woken him up and brought my two bosses running. They couldn't do anything to the shameless dark shadow lord though. He had dodged all their punches and kicks and then dived back into the bed, hugging a naked and crying me in his arms, using me as his shield. With the way he was holding me, I couldn't even cover up my body with my arms.
"Look, I'm just here to sleep," he grumbled. "I'm catching up on several weeks', maybe months or years worth of sleep, ok? Sleeping with clothes on is so uncomfortable. I won't do anything to our girl. Look. I'm not even aroused."
And he had slapped a floppy member against me, making me flinch and squeal.
"I can't be bothered. I want to sleep. Stop making all that noise," he growled in my ear, his bloodthirsty aura rising for a moment, scaring me into silence. "If I do accidentally do you, you'll be handsomely and beautifully compensated. You won't have to worry about marrying me. I'm not planning on letting anyone catching hold of a weakness of mine and holding me by the cohones. Be a good girl and just go back to sleep."
"I'm calling Chef," said THE biggest boss of all, tapping on his mobile phone.
"No! No way," the dark shadow lord exclaimed. "I'll make do with her bed. Alright? Her scent is good enough for the moment. She can go sleep elsewhere although it's not the same. It's much better having her in my arms, all soft and smelling deliciously calming."
I was a sobbing mess that was barely able to comprehend anything anyone said by that time. Somehow the boys dressed me and then carried me to THE biggest boss of all's bed. I huddled in the bed, ensconced in their embrace and writing in my journal while they chatted about what they should do about this new unwelcome addition to our lives.