Daimon:Be ready and come over. No excuses.
I looked down at this little text sent by the devil and texted back.
Me:Can’t
Two microseconds later.
Daimon:U will!
I could seriously hear him over the text ordering me.
Me:No I won’t! Not today!
Daimon:Addie u will fucking come or else I'm coming over to ur home and introducing myself
Fuck was this man so irritating.
Me:Fine. Where and when?
Daimon sent me an address in Lower Manhattan. Thankfully, my dad was having a good day so I was able to slip out for a few hours.
I walked around the busy sidewalks crowded with people. Cabs lined the streets as they honked at each other to get by. At least the day was sunny and warm.
I stood in front of a huge building, which reached high into the sky. The building itself was a homage to the old glory days of New York. A well-dressed doorman came out and greeted me.
"Ms. Addie?" he smiled.
“Yes?" I said suspiciously as I looked at the middle aged man who had a full belly and a jolly disposition. All he was missing was the white hair and beard and he'd be the classic Santa.
“Mr. Evans is waiting upstairs for you.” He reached behind him and opened the door. “Just go to the elevator and punch in Ph 3.”
I followed his instructions and entered a wondrous building that was stunning inside. A large crystal chandelier shined brightly as it lit the lobby, lined with various marble stones and expensive couches. A large, round, dark mahogany table stood in the middle of the lobby, with a huge silver vase filled with pink and white flowers, an arrangement so large the scent overpowered the entire lobby. A young man, maybe in his thirties, stood behind an opulent desk made of white marble and gold trim. He nodded his head as I slowly walked by. He extended his hand to an elevator off to the corner. I followed his gesture to the front of a small elevator as he walked over to me and pulled out his card key.
“Mr. Evans is right upstairs,” he said in a professional voice, nothing like the jolly man I saw before. The elevator doors opened and I pressed Ph3.
The doors opened to a dark foyer with only one bright light, which lit the area from above.
“Come in, Addie.” Daimon turned the corner and leaned up against the wall. He stood in a pair of loose jeans, a simple white T-shirt and bare feet.
“Come on, Addie,” he said low as he looked me over.
I entered and the elevator doors closed behind me. That's when I heard a chain like sound and the pitter-patter of feet running toward me. A tiny, dark chocolate lab came at me. “Drako no!” Daimon ordered, but the dog didn't heed. I dropped to my knees and began petting him. The pup nudged his little head into my hand as he licked me. Daimon stood quietly as he watched our exchange.
“How old is he?” I asked, still petting him.
“A few months,” he said quietly.
“Is this what you want? You call and I come running here like a dog?” I said as continued to pet the dog. He looked at me intently, but said nothing.
“I ordered food. Come let's eat,” he said as he walked into his place.
Drako ran after his master, but stopped midway. The dog looked back and waited for me. I kicked off my shoes and walked in, Drako waited until I reached his side and led me inside.
Daimon's home was completely black and dark, almost cold like, with dark marble floors and black walls. There was hardly anything to indicate anyone lived here. Daimon stood waiting for me at his table next to a large window, which overlooked the Hudson River. Takeout containers from a local Chinese restaurant filled the table. Two plates were placed across each other with forks and chopsticks.
“Sit.” He pulled out my chair and waited. I watched him with unease at what he was about to do. “Relax, Addie, I just wanted you to sit and eat with me,” he said.
I moved over to where he was. I watched as he held out the chair. I sat down warily, as thoughts of how he pulled the hundreds of chairs out from under me flashed across my mind. He chuckled low into his chest as he pushed the chair in. Drako sat under the table between our feet. Daimon sat across from me and began to open up the takeout boxes, taking out food and placing it on his plate.
“Orange beef?” he asked as he handed me the box.
“Why did you call me here, Daimon?” I asked watching him carefully. He slowly put the container down and looked at me with annoyance.
“I ordered too much food,” he bit out.
“You can't be serious? You know I work. It's not easy for me to just leave and come here.” I raised my voice but I stopped, I was trying hard not to lose it on him.
He put his chopsticks down and leaned back into his chair. We stared at each other for a long while, both of us weighing our options. I was about to get up and leave when Daimon finally spoke.