Chapter 59: Watching One Piece And Getting In Trouble
ADRIAN’s POV
The One Piece episode was still running but he wasn’t watching it anymore.
Rose’s message had been three words: I’m coming up.
Which was either harmless or not harmless. With Rose, there wasn’t much middle ground.
He’d stopped following what Luffy was doing about thirty seconds ago.
His phone lit up beside him. He checked it.
Unknown number: Hi.... You free?
Adrian stared at it, his eyes scanning the number’s default title.
Dina.
He raised a brow. She’d actually texted hrtlim
He started a reply, deleted it, and stared at the screen. Rose was already on her way, starting a conversation with Dina right now just seemed too risky.
Still. It could have been something important.
Knock. Knock.
Adrian turned to the door. Shit. She’s here.
He dropped the phone on the coffee table, grabbed the trousers at the foot of the couch and pulled it on on the way to the door.
Rose stood in the hallway. Her eyes dropped briefly to his bare chest before returning to his face. Her cheeks colored.
Adrian smiled. "Hey."
"Hey." She stepped past him without waiting for an invitation. Apparently, she didn’t need one. He closed the door behind her and turned.
She sat on the edge of the couch, hands resting on her knees, which seemed a bit too formal for his liking.
"Mm. Is everything okay?" Adrian asked. "You seem a bit... tense."
He sat opposite her, his eyes fixed on her. Rose didn’t answer, which was oddly irritating. He straightened.
"How’d the gig go?" He added, shifting closer to her. "Did anything happen?"
She looked at nothing in particular for a moment before answering. "I got the commission."
"The commission?"
"Two hundred grand for a mural, and a five thousand bonus."
Adrian’s eyes widened. "Two hundred grand? Rose that’s..." He paused.
Her expression was still plain, her hands still nested on her knees. That’s definitely not the Rose he knew.
"Two hundred grand is a lot... and you’re not happy." He waited. "I’m guessing that’s the good news. So what’s the bad news?"
She pressed her palms flat against her knees. "Daniel recommended me."
"Daniel."
The name landed immediately. The convenience-store guy. Her ex. That didn’t make any sense.
"Yes." She responded.
"He recommended you for the mural?" He turned it over in his head, no good explanation came through. "Why’d he do that.
"That’s the part I don’t get." She rubbed her thumb along the edge of her sleeve. She looked down. "I’ve thought it over all afternoon, and I still can’t think of a good enough reason."
Adrian kept his gaze for another moment, his mind barely registering whatever Kaido was doing.
"Do you want the commission?"
"Of course I do."
"Then take it."
Rose frowned. "It’s not that simple."
"It is on your end." He leaned back. "It’s your opportunity, Rose."
"I know that. But..." She turned to him "what if he’s expecting something in return."
Hm. Fair point. Still, he could have told her to ignore it. He could tell her to ask Daniel herself. Neither option sounded particularly useful.
"Okay."
She raised a brow. "Okay?"
"I’ll talk to him tomorrow."
"Huh?" Rose’s eyes widened. "No, no. You can’t."
"Relax. I just wanna talk to him."
Her expression tightened slightly. "That’s what men usually say before someone gets punched."
Adrian smiled.
"I’m serious. I really just want to talk with him." He nodded toward her, nesting his hand on her shoulder. "I’m not going to touch him. You have my word."
Rose held his gaze.
"I’m going to ask him one question and listen to the answer. That’s the whole plan."
She didn’t look away, as though she was searching for something in him. Then her shoulders loosened. "You promise?"
He nodded. "I promise."
She turned away, her cheeks reddening again. "Hm. My boyfriend is a gentleman and a pervert."
"Proudly."
She laughed under her breath. Rose finally leaned back into the couch. Adrian did the same.
The episode kept playing silently in front of them, her mouth curving as she glanced at him.
"Thank you, Adrian..." She said. "for everything."
"It’s nothing." Adrian looked at the television, a mischievous smile drawing on his face. "But if you want to thank me properly, there are other ways to do it."
Rose tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, then shifted until her shoulder rested against his. "Hentai."
Adrian smiled.
Neither of them seemed in a hurry to fill the silence. Her shoulder remained against his.
Adrian let the quiet sit, still hoping for a reply to his pervy comment. Then, she shifted beside him.
"I have an idea."
He turned to her. "An idea?"
She stood. "Since you’re being all brave for me, how about I motivate you properly?"
"And how’s that?"
She nodded toward the bathroom. "Come shower with me-"
Bzzzzt. Bzzzzt. Bzzzzt.
His ringtone play out, painfully ending the moment he’d long waited for.
Adrian blinked once. Fuck.
His phone buzzed from the couch.
Rose smile faded, a sigh escaping her. She stopped, turned around and looked at the phone. Her eyes widened and then she turned to him.
"Who’s Dina?"
Adrian’s shoulders tensed up. "Dina? She’s... Drew’s friend."
Rose looked at the screen again, and then at him. "Why’s she calling you, then?"
Fuck. Adrian looked at the phone. He opened his mouth, but nothing reasonable came to mind.
Rose’s eyes stayed on the phone for a second longer than necessary.
Adrian knew that look. Questions had just entered the room.
"That’s the second girl that’s calling you today." she said.
"Rose, it’s nothing."
"It’s nothing that Drew’s friend is calling you this late?" Rose glanced at him. That seemed like a fair question.
She crossed her arm. "Maybe we should hear what she has to say."
Adrian looked at her. "I’m sorry..." A faint forced chuckle left him. Maybe he didn’t hear her right. "What did you say?"
"You heard me." She replied, her voice plain. "Answer the call."