4

Darkness.

That was the first thing she woke up to. Heavy panting accompanied with short breaths pervaded her lungs and she held her throat with both hands to try and let some air in but her efforts proved futile. Hypoxia

She struggled for air and fell off in the process landing with a thud on the floor. Her butt hurt from the impact and she cared little about it as the need for oxygen was insatiable.

Her eyes were wide as tears slipped from her eyes, she couldn't fathom what was happening to her and she felt herself ease up slowly. Her breaths were evening with each second that passed.

She felt her lungs relax and freed her hands from the neck hold she had instinctively put herself in. Her hands rested on her sides as she laid her head on what happened to be a bed, soft and inviting.

She laid there for a minute which turned into two and before she knew it she had slowly caved into the bed's warmth. Her memory came back to her and she remembered everything that happened and his face being the last thing she had seen. Timothee

"Are you going to keep staying like that?"

That voice. Timothee

She shot up immediately and glanced straight at where the voice had come from. She strained her eyesight to see what was before her and she could make out only his silhouette and anger took over her.

"What happened to me?" Her voice was raised

The figure began making its way to her and just when it was right in front of her crouched state. He flicked an object and the lights came on suddenly blinding her, her hands covered her eyes and she bent her face down.

"Fucking shit!" She was infuriated

"Language" he warned

She slowly uncovered her eyes and peered at him through her fingers.

"You" that was all she could say

He was the reason she had fallen, if he hadn't stood behind her all the trouble she had struggling to breathe would have been avoided.

"Me?" He was calm even in her situation. There was no trace of anger or amusement in his voice, it was though the event before him did nothing to his demeanor,"What is it?"

"You pushed me"

"I vividly remember you falling in by yourself"

"Fuck you"

"Dixie" he warned, "Language"

She scoffed and stood up from the floor and sat on the bed. Her knuckles made noises as she cracked it then she tilted her neck and it made noises too. Timothee watched her silently then he pivoted and began making his way out of the room.

"How long was I out?"

His steps halted at the door as his hand had swung the door handle

"Twenty two hours"

"Oh my God, Rachel is gonna look for me, I need to go home"

"Yes you need to go home"

"Where's my phone? He side glanced her and looked away, his gaze returning back to the door,"Your belongings are downstairs, on a couch"

He swung the door open and took a last glance at the girl who was fumbling with her shoes, he had really put her in a panicked mode, "It was just four hours" and he was gone

"What an asshole" she smacked her head, he had made her heart beat so fast. She took her time to wear the other shoe and once she was done she looked around the room to see if anything there belonged to her and when she didn't see anything she left.

She walked swiftly down the stairs taking two steps at a time which got her right shoe out of place and she bent down and adjusted it. When she stood back up her eyes caught something on the wall, it was a picture.

She took a closer look at it, it was Timothee but in a black and white picture and she smirked. He looked good but there was something off about the picture. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

She walked down the rest of the steps and into the hallway, she had to admit she was lost.

"Timothee" she called, her eyes daring round the place trying to find an exit. There were so many doors and she decided to check each one and none of them was the exit.

"Timothee" she called again, "Could you help me out"

There was no answer.

"I'm lost please"

No answer.

"Fine I'll find my way, you can snub me for all I care, I don't even need your.." The door behind her slowly creaked as it opened and she was scared, it felt like something from a horror movie, "Timothee, is that you?"

Silence.

"Lincoln" she was freaking out at that moment,"God please let it not be what I think it is"

Still no answer.

She got closer to the door and when she saw that no one was there and it was just an exit, she let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding, "Damn, I almost shit my pants"

She took the exit and came out to the sitting room.

There was no sign of Timothee, he was gone just like always. He would appear and vanish just like the wind.

She looked behind her in case if he was right at her back like he normally does

"And he isn't behind me" she blew a breath out which tousled the hair in front of her eyes and she adjusted it to the back with her hand.

Like Timothee had said her belongings were right on a couch and she double checked it and saw that everything was intact, she felt silly for thinking that something would have been missing.

"Timothee" she called again.

There was no answer.

She guessed maybe he had something else that was important to do and as she slung her handbag on her shoulder. An idea came to her mind.

She walked up to the place where the artifacts were kept and began glancing at each one, she lifted a horn and scrutinized it then dropped it to pick another one and she did the same to every other object.

She didn't care about the time again, the artifacts had won her over.

How old are these objects?

Which museum did he get them from?

"What are you doing?" The voice startled her and she quietly dripped the object, her body obscuring the action from the person behind and she slowly turned around to gaze into red eyes.

Lincoln

"I was just cleaning the dust on the table" she gestured to the object that held the artifacts. She hoped he had bought the lie, she couldn't risk getting caught snooping around besides she had barely just started working.

It was quite unfortunate that on her first day of work she had almost drowned in the pool, she had woken up and cursed in front of her employer and she was caught snooping around.

What a great résumé that would make?

He seemed skeptical about it but remained callous and signalled to the door and she followed him. When she was outside the gate she made her way to the bike but Lincoln held her back,"Master Timothee wouldn't like that"

She feigned ignorance but she knew what he meant the fact that she was snooping around when she was meant to have left for her home but it wasn't her fault, she was supposed to be his assistant but the certain master had gone on a trip she had no idea of.

She ignited the engine and drive off. There was something about Timothee which kept bothering her and those artifacts at his home were so ancient and she thought maybe he was a curator.

She thought about asking him but it might seem a little bit forward and besides she wasn't meant to question him, it was his private life after all.

When she got back to her apartment, Rachel was sleeping and she remembered that she had thought of apologizing to her when she got back from work with cake. So she tip toed inside not making a sound and dropped her bag on her bed and searched for her debit card.

She decided to change her dress though the one she wore was already dried from the fall in the pool but she reconsidered because Rachel would know that she was back.

Then she searched for her debit card and when she found it, she tip toed her way out.

She didn't see fluffy on the way, her steps were hurried as she made it out of the building and she got on her bike and left for a restaurant that was not so far from where they lived.

She used to visit that place with her foster sister until she moved out of the house, she had told her foster parents that she needed a change of environment and they agreed. She was a grown woman now and could make decisions by herself.

She had promised them that she would be fine but they were still worried buy they finally got used to it when in the first year she was still alive and the same thing for the second year too.

She got into the restaurant and went straight to the counter and ordered for a cake, she had hope that Rachel would be happy for what she had done last night. As she kept thinking about that event, she realized that she was at fault. If only she had read that message to the end then she wouldn't be in this place right now trying to spend the money that was meant to be saved.

She knew she was broke just like she knew she had a flat ass.

"What color would you like the icing?"

She was snapped out of her thoughts,"I would like..." She thought of Rachel's favorite color and it struck her that she didn't know her roommate so well. All she knew was the girl who loved parties, had hangovers and was a light sleeper

Hold up!  light sleeper

That meant that Rachel knew that she was back and she had to go through all that trouble of tip toeing but at least Rachel didn't know that she was getting her something, " The color blue"

She tugged on the door handle, it was a little difficult for her to access with the cake she carried on her hand. She adjusted it to the left hand and the right one did the trick.

She got inside forcefully almost loosing her footing but caught herself.

Her eyes snapped to Rachel's side of the bed and there she was already staring at her. Her lips were tilted upwards as her eyes held amusement in them, "Is that for me?"

Dixie couldn't deny it and she nodded. Rachel's smile grew wider as she sat up on the bed and beckoned got her to being the box closer which she did and she dropped it on her lap.

"Thank you so much sugar face, I forgive you now"

Rachel looked away in shyness

"Well I already forgave you in the morning but if I knew that you were going to get me a cake then I would have told you earlier"

"It's ok, I had wanted to get it for you though, I felt bad about last night and the fact that you might have had trouble catching some sleep and I decided to get you this without you knowing"

Rachel gave her a look which she understood immediately. She was a light sleeper and she had heard her come in

"Did you know about the cake?"

"I didn't at first but when you came back earlier.." She knew it, Rachel had heard her, "you were murmuring it to yourself"

"I did?" Dixie furrowed her eyebrows

"Yes you did, I bet you didn't even know that you did it" she chuckled

"I didn't" she shook her head

She had no idea that her thoughts were being said out even though it was a murmur. She had spoilt the surprise herself.

Rachel lifted the lid of the box and she grinned, "Wow, It's my favorite color, how did you know blue is my favorite color? "

color, you have mentioned it once during one of our talks" she lied

"Have I?"

"Yes"

"Well, I'm glad you remembered then"

"Yeah" she liked away shyly again

"Thank you Dixie"

"You are wel..." Rachel kissed her cheeks.

They had settled down to eat dinner which Rachel had prepared, spaghetti with chicken sauce and Dixie was eating like she had been starved for years

"Rachel this food" her mouth was filled and her words were not really audible, she pointed to the food on her lap," is so fucking good"

"I know right, my mum used to make this food for me"

Dixie thought of her mum and the food that they used to eat back then, she vaguely remembered her and also the meals. She was a child then. She shook her head at the thought of remembering her past at that moment.

The food was too good to begin to dwell on her past.

"You could teach me how to prepare it"

Her culinary skills were good but not as good as Rachel's and she was glad when she found out that Rachel could cook really well. She was going to learn some things from her even how to bake too.

Rachel chuckled, "why not?"

"Thank you"

"Sure but first you would have to promise me one thing" she held a left finger up as the right hand was holding the fork.

"What is it?" The spoon clinked on the plate as she twirled the fork in the spaghetti before bringing up and straight into her mouth.

"You would be willing to learn"

"I am willing to learn" she defended herself

"No you are not" Rachel shook the finger she held up to signal disapproval.

She knew her roommate so well in the period of time she had stayed with her. She was observant and she knew a lot about her. Dixie was clumsy, silly, she could remember some things and to make matters worse she was lazy.

She had liked her the moment they had met, her hair was attractive and she wished that she had such kind of hair although she could just dye hers to be red.

She was American while Dixie was Irish who was born and raised in Florida before her Mother died. Dixie's  parents were divorced and their father had started a new life with his family leaving Dixie and her mother.

When the woman died, he didn't even come to take her, she was then taken to foster homes and the present family she was in moved out of Florida to Los Angeles where they had stayed for a while before Dixie decide to live on her own.

They had supported her choice and here she was sitting in a two bedroom apartment eating spaghetti with chicken sauce. The thought alone made her laugh. Her roommate was so funny at times and also annoying.

The little things she did that she thought were left unnoticed, the way she helped her during her hangover, the way she kept telling her at the party not to take too much alcohol which she turned a deaf ear to. She was grateful for her but she wasn't ever going to tell her that.

"I'm serious Rachel. I want yo learn how to cook this"

"I said I would teach you but you have to be serious and not pull any of those things that you do"

"Things like what?"

"You know Dixie"

Dixie knew. She knew how unserious she was at important matters. She wasn't surprised that Rachel was reminding her,"Alright, I promise not to do any of those things, are you happy now?"

"Yes, I am happy now" They laughed

"So how was work?"

Dixie cringed

"Have you ever thought of adding a little color to this place"

Timothee glanced at her and back at the book he was reading, "No"

"I think it needs a little color"

His eyes were on her again and back to his book

"Anyway that's just my suggestion, you can, you know leave it the way it is"

Timothee didn't regard her, she felt he didn't talk quite much

"By the way, are you a curator?"

Timothee didn't look up again

"I'm asking because of those artifacts on the table" she pointed to the place but Timothee's eyes were still on the book he was reading, "oh, ok"

She had given up, he didn't want to talk to her.

"So what is my first task?

He didn't answer.

"Master Timothee, what am I supposed to be doing?"

Timothee's gaze was still on the book

"Fucking shit!" She whispered, her hands reached for her hair disheveling it

"Language" that was the first thing he had said all day ever since she arrived.

"Sorry"

He didn't answer

"Master  Timothee, can I go out to the pool side"

His gaze snapped up from the book he was reading

"I promise, I won't fall in this time" his attention turned back to the book, "Well that is if you don't startle me, you know" she laughed but he didn't join in.

"Ok boomer" she rolled her eyes and went to the poolside and sat down a good distance away from the water.

She had woken up early in the morning and arrived at seven on the dot because it was what was required of her only to be met with a cold attitude from her boss.

Not that she wanted any closeness but at least not to the extent of acting like she is talking to a wall.

Was he always like that?

Lincoln was like that too, guess birds of a feather flocked together.

Why was she even employed?

If he was going to be giving her the cold shoulder then he could have just picked number four at the interview.

She never imagined that she would ever be picked, she wasn't on good terms with Lincoln that day and suddenly she got picked.

Maybe Lincoln was just trying to be intimidating.

She stayed there for a while, this was the worst job in the world. She began wishing she was a dishwasher in one of the expensive hotels, she would make friends there rather than sitting on a chair away from the pool because she is afraid to kill herself the second time.

She slowly walked to the pool and when she got to it's bank, she crouched and stared at her reflection.

Her red hair, her freckled face, brown eyes stared back at her. She brushed the water with her hand to and fro and once she was done she stood up and began making her way inside.

There he was still seated reading and she shook her head

This was the worst job ever

I hate it here

"Is there anything you would like for me to do for you?"

He didn't say anything and it infuriated her the more so she sat back down on the couch.

Music drew her away as she settled on the chair, calming her nerves and relaxing her mind.

She needed a getaway at that moment and it just happened to come at the right time.

Lauren Diagle's 'Now is forever' blasted full time from her headset.

Her eyes closed and as she sunk deeper and deeper into oblivion something hit her on her the head.

It got her attention and had her acting fast only for her to see a folded piece of paper lying on the floor. She frowned.

Timothee stared at her as though she had grown an extra head.

"Turn down the volume of that song"

The first thing he had said since the day begun

"And why should I do it?" She tilted her head

"Because I asked you to"

"I won't do it" she challenged him and for a minute she forget about the hierarchy

"Have you forgotten your place?"

The mood in the room had suddenly gone from light to dark and one can only anticipate what came next

"I'm sorry" her head was bent down, "I would turn the music down"

The music wasn't even that loud to disturb him and she wondered how he was able to hear it from that distance not even a dog could but he did.

Something smelled fishy about him.

She turned the music down and began putting it back on

"Wait" He stopped her, her actions halted, "I have changed my mind, turn it off"

What?

She was stunned. He was taking advantage of his position, "Excuse me sir, I don't get.."

"I said" he repeated each word that followed one after the other emphasizing on them,"Turn. It. Off"

She was really upset but she turned it off. She clenched her teeth, her mouth twitched.

Who did he think he was?

"What do you want me to do? I have been here all morning doing nothing just watching you read" she gestured to the book that was on the table.

"If I need your services then I will tell you to do something"

She scoffed, "My music wasn't that loud"

"I just wanted it turned off" he picked up the book on the table and continued reading.

"Why?"

"Because I wanted it" he said calmly.

His cool demeanor aggravated her the more and she wanted him to feel what she was feeling

"Does my song bother you?" She turned it higher

"Turn it off" he was angry.

She increased the song to the highest and he covered his ears, his breathing became heavy

"Dixie, stop" Hus hands covered his ears.

"Why does it bother you?" She smirked.

He closed his eyes as though he were in pains, she didn't understand how a song could affect him that much

"Why does it bother you?"

His breathing was still laboured, he couldn't answer her

She could see he was in pains but she didn't understand why and she turned the music off and approached him

"Sir? Are you ok?"

He breathed slowly, he had calmed down, he removed his hands from his ears and looked at her.

Anger

That was all she could see in his eyes.

He wanted to kill her that was what she could decipher from the look he gave her

"I'm sorry for.." She stuttered unable to finish her sentence before being interrupted

"You are fired"