The Marked One (The Marked Series Book 1) (6 page)

“It’s a habit?” She only nodded. “I understand it is likely a fear associated with the idea that people would still see who you really are, but I don’t want you to hide from me.” Aaliyah was certain a number of reactions crossed her face. “I want you to honestly answer the following question. Do you like working in labs because less people work with you, therefore they see you less?”

“Yes.” She swallowed her slight discomfort. “Less eyes to judge when you work alone.”

“There have been few people in your life to actually see the beauty.” She shrugged. Suddenly, he stood and walked to a door, which she assumed was for his private bathroom, and disappeared for a second. He returned with a washcloth and took a seat next to her on the couch.

She felt his heat at her side. He smelled of summer rain as he held the cloth out toward her. The complete astonishment of what this man was asking her to do made her barely capable of shaking her head.

“May I?” The admiration she saw in his eyes made her lose her tongue, and after a moment, he gently caressed her chin with his thumb.

She released a breath she been holding, and he turned her face so her left side was to him. He barely looked away from her, wiping the cloth over the left side of her forehead. Closing her eyes for a moment, she realised that by looking at him, looking into his eyes, trying to see how he saw her, had given her courage so she opened them again.

His hand moved to her cheek and he softly smiled at her as he more tentatively cleared away the makeup. For a moment her emotions were taking her to old places, whiplashing her into new ones, completely abandoning her in confusion over why she felt okay with herself being exposed to a man who could rule the world.

Thick tears collected on her eyelids. “Aaliyah, don’t cover the uniqueness that is you. If people don’t see it as beauty, they don’t deserve to be in your presence. I think you are beautiful as you are.” He looked into her eyes, and she felt the urge to kiss him. To thank him for his odd kindness and, at least for a while longer, walk on the cloud that was making her feel she might drift away.

He stopped and looked at her.

She felt the tears roll from her eyes. “Can I get a moment to fix myself?” He gestured at the door to the side and handed her the washcloth. As she entered the small bathroom, she closed the door and leaned against it for a moment. She sighed and looked at her face, partially exposed in the mirror.

Stepping closer, her fingers traced over the mark she hated. Nothing in her mind found any logical explanation as to why Mr. Gerardo had looked at her so admirably, even less why he had basically cleaned her face of the makeup. Shaking her head of the confusion, she worked on removing all the makeup, knowing it was the better option than walking out with half a face.

As she entered the office again, Mr. Dennis-Patrickson was there holding papers on a clipboard for Mr. Gerardo to sign. Mr. Dennis-Patrickson only smiled at her as she went to take a seat again. She was worried over what he was making of the fact that her makeup was removed. He left without a word and a short, awkward silence passed.

“Gerardo Corporations has a research facility at the marina near the zoo and aquarium. I want you to start there tomorrow. The lab is seeking a technician, so they already have things with which you would be able to help,” Mr. Gerardo began to say.

Aaliyah was now more certain this all was a huge joke, yet the man continued.

“Your achievements while studying were quite impressive, and while the business sector will miss out on your knowledge, the environment needs to be protected first,” Mr. Gerardo said as he rose from behind his desk. He adjusted his perfect silvery gray vest and walked back to where they were sitting earlier at the lounge.

“Is this a type of joke you play on people in your spare time?” He surely didn’t miss the bitchiness in her tone.

“Ms. Labuschagne, this is no joke. I understand how strange this all must be, but I think you deserve this opportunity.” His eyes were fixed on hers, and she actually believed him.

She couldn’t quite figure out what was happening, as the offer, the situation, and the opportunity felt surreal. So she stumbled over her words when she said, “But most of my formal scientific studies were done in South Africa and when I got the exchange student bursary, I only continued the environmental science stuff as extra modules. I don’t even have a proper degree.”

“But you have all the studying one needs. Practical-wise, you were the best in your year in South Africa and it was the reason you were chosen for the bursary to come here. When you got here, the university was at capacity for what you were supposed to study and you took what they gave you and embraced it.”

“It is kind of creepy how you know all this,” she said, overwhelmed that he knew she had spent half a year after school working on environmental studies and then got the chance to do so at the University of Pittsburgh, even if things hadn’t quite gone as planned. And now, four years later, she had a business degree and a makeshift science degree with all the modules she needed.

He smiled at her. “I have the resources to be creepy.” She chuckled. “So what do you say? Want the job?”

She hesitated, fearing there was a catch, that she’d be made a fool of by someone. “It’s not that I’m ungrateful, but why?”

“I assure you I don’t have any ulterior motives, other than wanting to set right what one of Gerardo’s employees had done wrong, and in hopes that I might get to know you.”

She let out a sound of disbelief, shaking her head. “It doesn’t seem you need me for that, based on your research.”

“I meant more personally, if possible,” he replied with what seemed a shy smile.

She felt flattered but also cautious, but the worry dissipated because this man had her hooked. She entertained his notion. “I thought in-office relationships were a no-go.”

“You won’t be working directly for me. I’m sure there is a loophole.” She smiled like an imbecile. If she could sway like a teen, that was what she wanted to do in that very moment. This utterly attractive man was suggesting a relationship with her after he had seen her face. In fact, he wanted to see her exposed and never had she felt more confident. “Would you like to have dinner?” he asked after she seemed to think things over for too long.

There was a knock on the door, followed by Mr. Dennis-Patrickson sticking his head through the crack. “Sorry to interrupt, but Mr. Young has arrived.”

“Thank you, Ivan,” Mr. Gerardo said and the door closed again. Aaliyah jumped up, wanting to leave, but he stood with her. They were at eye level and only a few centimetres apart. “So, would you?”

Her mind went loopy. “Would I what?” He was about to speak. “Oh, the job. Yes, please. Thank you.” She hoped he’d forget about asking her to dinner, as she was certain it was a hallucination that was part of the drug-induced euphoria of having her dream come true.

He took her by her elbows. “Aaliyah, the dinner?”

Her mouth went dry. “Yes,” she said and added, after he sighed with what seemed to be relief, “just not tonight, I have plans with a friend.”

“I am leaving the state to go do business for a while, so how about Friday night?” He became cautious and let his hands slip away. The lack of touch almost felt wrong. She managed a nod. “I’ll call you later with details.”

She smiled. “Sounds like we have a deal.”

He showed her to the door. “I would’ve walked you out, but—”

“I understand. Thank you for the job. I’ll see you soon, Mr. Gerardo,” she added with a confident, beaming smile and stepped out.

“Good day, Ms. Labuschagne.” She heard the smile in his tone as she closed the door behind her. Her own smile felt quite revealing.

Heading out, as Mr. Dennis-Patrickson led Mr. Young, who was in fact not so young, to the office, he whispered in passing, “Just wait for me.” A few seconds later, he walked to his desk. “You need the information of your new employment.” The way he was smiling showed that he could tell she had actually forgotten about all the other things when the date came into mention.

She felt embarrassed when she realised she was in such a blissful state that she’d nearly left without any details. “I’m far from being in my right mind right now.”

He grinned at her. “Well, here are all the documents you’ll need.” He handed her a stack of papers with the top showing the Gerardo Research and Rehabilitation Laboratory’s information and he continued giving her more need-to-know things, like how to get there and what to expect. Right before she was about to leave, he placed a business card on top of the stack of papers. “It has his private number on it, and I am glad that you have accepted the offer.”

“The job or the dinner?” She sounded cocky, even to herself.

He beamed back at her. “Both. He is odd, but you’ll see he has good intentions.”

“I think I just found my source in finding out more about him.” She pretended to contemplate something with a smile. She found Ivan pleasant because he was kind, forward, and looked like he could be interesting to hang out with.

“Dear, he’ll tell you whatever you want to know. Just be yourself. He already likes you.” She arched her eyebrows. “What? There is no point in hiding it while I’m the one who will be planning your dinner date.”

She felt her cheeks flaming up. “Okay…this is awkward. I think I’ll leave to freak out somewhere else. Don’t worry if shrills come from the elevator,” she confessed.

“I like you,” he said and led the way to the elevator, an arm once more slung around her shoulder.

“Thank you, Mr. Dennis-Patrickson,” she said formally.

“Ivan will do.” The elevator arrived and she stepped in. Right before the doors closed, he said, “Don’t hide how beautiful you are, Aaliyah.” For a moment she was confused but let it slip her mind. The day was going too perfect to worry about petty things—even the good ones.

***

Flash Republic and Foto Na Dans were singing
Afrikaans
, as she sat on her crappy couch, trying to drown out the knock-knock of the hammer meeting the nail as Vera’s husband, Pietro, slammed a wooden board where the hole was on the outside. He was doing it a little later than what Vera had originally mentioned, but hopefully it would stop the rats from moving so freely in and out of her place.

“What on Earth are you doing?” her father asked the moment he picked up the phone. “Is it chicken
flatties
you are preparing? Because it sounds very loud.” She had been so busy preparing for the following day that she only came back around six, nearly forgetting to let her father know the good news.

“Hello, Daddy.” She was smiling to herself.

“Hey,
pampoen
. Now what is that noise? I’m missing your cooking very much, so please say food.” He truly sounded distraught.

“You might have a problem,” she teased. “It is sadly just the landlord fixing something outside,” she said, not wanting her father to know she found a dump, but she had already loved it too much. Especially now, as the sun was setting and the rays fell through the window right onto her, sitting on the couch. “I called to tell you something other than that though.”

“You found a job?” He didn’t mind to make sure that he sounded utterly disappointed.

“Yes, but…in a lab, for Gerardo Corporations,” she said, excited.

“
Pampoen
, that is amazing.” This time he truly sounded pleased. “But how?”

“Long story short, I met Tristano Gerardo today. Daddy, he himself hired me.”
I’ll leave out the dinner and the rest…for now.

“Wow! And I feared that you’d need to come back home, disappointed that things didn’t work out.” He was slapping the “butter” on thick to show his fake disappointment.

“We both know it is what you would’ve preferred.” Her cheeks hurt due to her excessive smiling.

“Because you were doing something you didn’t really love. Now though, hell,
pampoen
, this is so great. Do you know what your responsibilities will be?”

“Not yet, but I’m starting tomorrow. Do you remember Madeline?”

“She’s your only friend. How could I not?” he said a little sadly.

“Well, she sold one of the paintings with me on and now she is going to do more of them…with me on.” Her father kept quiet. “You think it is a bad idea?” she asked, a little worried.

“No, I just wish I thought of having you drawn and selling your pictures earlier in your life so you could’ve realised how beautiful you are.” She only sighed. “Now tell me why this Mr. Gerardo himself wanted to see you?” Her father sounded like a real interrogator. It didn’t help that he had worked for the police in his younger years as a detective.

“Uhm, the people I interviewed with yesterday didn’t follow correct procedures, and I was called in for a sort of makeup interview.” She squinted as the sun’s rays lowered in her window. “Wait, I forgot about the time differences. It is probably—”

“
Pampoen
.” He used his serious father voice. “What are you hiding?”

“Uhm…well.” She sighed and with her intake of a well-needed breath, she spilled the beans. “I am going to see him again.”