C2

Selene.

As soon as Mafia Jason left everyone let out a sigh and I slumped down on a chair to relieve my shaky legs.

"That man is a monster" Lena poured herself coffee with shaky hands.

"We dare not breathe aloud in his presence" she took two sips and passed it to me.

I sipped from the coffee and loved the way it warmed my cold fingers.

"You have a lot of balls, I'll give you that" James rubbed my shoulders, giving me a little massage.

"Why are you massaging her?" Linnea asked confused.

"Don't you see how she had to strain her neck with the way he was towering over her and stuff, she could use a neck massage"

"Thanks James, I appreciate it"

"No problem"

Something clicked. That guy and Troy had the same body build.

"Troy!" I whispered gently.

"What?" James asked as he skillfully massaged my neck.

"Where's Troy?"

"Is that a note," Carlos picked it up and turned towards the light, "it's Troy's handwriting no doubt, I can tell from how scattered it is"

"What does it say?" I asked.

"My work here is done and Dusty-ed. That prick, I knew he was up to no good"

"Calm down Carlos, it could just be a doodling or—"

"Who are you guys berating like that?"

Everyone turned.

"Troy?"

"Is something wrong?" He looked confused.

"I thought you left with Mr Danvier" James scowled.

"No, why would I do that?" Troy asked nonchalantly.

"Don't you work for him?" James asked.

"No"

"Well then explain this" he passed the letter from me to Troy.

Troy looked the letter over.

"It was a long time ago, so long ago. I wanted out and wrote that to Dusty but I never gave him. I kept it in my jean jacket"

"I see" Dusty nodded.

"Well we are glad you're back" Daniel spoke smiling.

"Where did you go exactly?" I asked giving him a suspicious look.

Troy looked at me then at the rest giving him the curious look and sighed.

"Alright, I have a certain disagreement with Mr Danvier"

"I knew it" Carlos screamed into his face.

"I'm stressed too much to argue Carlos, I need a fucking massage" he massaged his shoulders.

I pushed Lena forward.

"Guess what, Lena gives body massage, very good body massage"

Troy looked at me then at Lena, then sighed.

"Take off your shirt?!" She smiled sexily at him.

Carlos scoffed and looked away.

Lena watched Troy take off his shirt with excitement.

Who could deny, Troy was quite good looking with the tattoos, chiseled abs, piercings and the rings gave him a bad boy air.

Lena smiled at him and massaged his shoulder, then trailed her hands down his abs.

He caught her hands and pushed her away roughly.

She landed heavily on her butt.

"Since when did you seduce every good-looking man. Have you become a slut for fuck's sake?"

Carlos pulled Lena gently to her feet.

The others glared at me and I just turned away and whistled innocently.

I looked at Dusty but his head was bowed, an unreadable expression on his face.

I took a step forward, and grabbed Troy's shoulders and began massaging it.

"You are a very stubborn person" He raised an eyebrow.

"Is that what you think?"

"Yes"

He stood up and towered over me menacingly.

I placed a hand on his chest and pushed him back on the stool and for someone with lots of muscles he fell back quickly to the stool.

"Why are you giving me a massage? Do you like what you see?"

"Shut it Troy" I chided.

He clamped his mouth shut and watched as I massaged his body still looking nonchalant.

"Better?" I raised an eyebrow.

Troy whirled his arm gently and nodded his head.

"Much better, thanks"

Satisfied I stepped back and studied him.

Someone entered the staff door and walked towards the group.

"Mrs Schwarzkopf, you're here early. It's nine, therapy starts two in the afternoon"

The young woman bobbed her head before smiling at Dusty.

"I know, I came to buy doughnuts and coffee"

She paused as she studied Troy who was putting on his shirt.

"Excuse me" she shoved me a little roughly to the side and narrowed her eyes at me.

"What were you trying to do?"

"What do you mean? I just gave him a massage, why the hating?"

"Stand back, I'm going to do my job" she spoke coldly.

"Good luck with that" my sarcastic remark did nothing more than to earn me a nasty glare.

I turned to Lena who was sipping orange juice.

"Who's she and how old is she exactly?"

"Ohh, I feel love tension between the both of you" Lena cooed.

I glared hard at her.

"She's Imogen, Imogen Schwarzkopf, Anglo-German so to speak. She's older than Troy, twenty three; two years older. She used to work at a rehab facility somewhere in middle Brooklyn until she got promoted to the main division here in New York but everybody knows that she loves him, it's so visible in the way she talks to him, tries to make him laugh, visits him everyday even though his therapy days are only Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays"

"Please tell me that Troy is in love with her" I blinked excitedly making the girls stare at me.

"Why?" Linnea asked confused. "If I was him, I wouldn't even bother myself to look at her"

"Because to overcome one's greater challenge someone has to be by your side, helping you through the darkness like a light beam"

"I think you're rather confused," Mariah objected, "She's only like this because Troy's hot and stuff. She does this therapy for my neighbor's son that is one year younger than Troy and she hates his guts, actually she loathes him because he isn't handsome, couldn't even pass as average but the guy's honest and pure about his feelings for her"

"That's...harsh"

A crash brought their mind back to the situation at hand.