Chapter Seventeen
The night had not gone to plan. At least we had managed to replenish our energy. Jason would freak out. There was no way a young man that had grown up as a Perfect would happily accept that he was something else entirely. William had been stupid to force the angel out of him before being eased into it. He was right, it was quicker to show him, but why not explain who we were first?
‘Are you okay?’ Melissa brushed her hair as she wandered around the kitchen.
I drummed the surface of the kitchen worktop. ‘I…’
Melissa had agreed to let me stay with her until I got sorted. I had laid in bed all night wanting to go to her. Not because I was particularly attracted to her but because I wanted to explore her body.
I was a man. When I had watched men from above, I had wondered why women drove them to do crazy things. Why was sex such a big deal?
‘You can tell me,’ she said, coming to stand in front of me.
I cleared my throat, unable to voice my thoughts. The top she wore was low cut. It showed an impressive cleavage. I wanted to touch her.
‘What is it, Paul?’
Shaking my head, I pushed away from the work surface and hurried past her. Melissa was my friend. The thoughts I was having about her must be wrong.
‘Paul!’
Her shout followed me out of the house. Nothing I said would explain the rush of desire that flooded me every time I saw an attractive female. It wasn’t just Melissa, it was all of them.
The Perfects rushed by me in the street. I had no direction. William, I needed to speak to William.
The taxi stopped when I whistled. My heart beat as it took me to my leader. I needed his help. My whole body was stiff, needing something…
‘Thank you,’ I said as I climbed out of the car.
The guards stood in the entrance to the compound. ‘Can I see William Davies?’
They looked at each other, laughing when I stared. Were they not going to let me see him?
‘Do you have an appointment?’
I shook my head. I didn’t know how to get in contact with him. How could I arrange a meeting?
‘Then you can’t come in, sorry.’ The guard turned his back on me.
My fingers twitched at my side. I had to speak to William. The rev of an engine made me jump out of the way of the black car that pulled up in front of the barrier.
‘Who are you?’ a blonde haired woman called out of the window.
I smiled at her. She was attractive, like all the Perfects. ‘I’m a friend of William’s. I don’t know his new government phone number. I was hoping someone would let him know I was here.’
The woman grinned slowly. ‘What’s your name?’
‘Paul Butler.’
Opening the door, she gestured for me to climb in beside her. The mobile phone in her hand was held to her ear before I could even get in.
‘William, I have a man named Paul out-’ He must have interrupted her. Her cheeks flared red but then she softened, her smile returning because of something he said. ‘Of course, I’ll bring him right in.’
I hid my sigh of relief. Who knows what I would have done if I hadn’t been able to speak to William. Catherine put a hand on my leg. ‘He says you’re Melissa’s brother. You’re also applying for a job.’
My throat moved for two reasons. Firstly, I was apparently having an interview. Secondly, the way she looked at me from under her eyelashes made me hot.
‘Yes,’ I squeaked, nodding when I could say no more.
Hoping she wouldn’t ask any questions, I glanced out of the window as the car parked up.
‘You’re interesting. I know job interviews are intimidating but…wait…if you’re applying for a job why don’t you have William’s number?’
Putting a smile on my face, I turned to her. ‘Because I’m not actually having an interview today. William told Melissa to get me to pop along. I left his number on the table at home.’
Catherine looked at me. I saw the reflection of myself in her eyes. My light hair was gelled in the fashion the Perfect men wore. My suit was straight and smooth, unlike my rising body temperature.
‘Okay.’ Catherine squeezed my hand, which lay on my thigh.
Her fingers brushed my trousers as she pulled away. My throat got even tighter.
‘Let’s go,’ she said, sliding out of the car.
I watched her long bare legs as she unfolded them. Shaking my head, I ripped open the door and stumbled out.
‘Keen to see the new leader, are you?’
I nodded, linking her arm through mine to stop her from touching me. Her flirting was her own insecurity, I could see that. I didn’t want to get too close to her, though. She was a wild one. I could tell.
‘Excuse me for saying this but you’re like a teenage boy.’ Her tinkle of laughter was accompanied by the stroke of my bicep.
She made a noise in her throat when she encountered the muscle there. I had never worked out. I was lucky the body that had been created for me was in good shape.
‘I’ve never seen you before. Are you local?’
We made our way across a courtyard with Catherine literally hanging off my arm. I had never seen a woman so open with a man she had never met before.
‘No, I’m from the north of the city.’
That’s where Melissa’s home was now. I didn’t have my own home yet. William had used the excuse that Melissa was my sister. Clever touch.
‘Well, if you get the job, I would love to show this part of the city. I’ll take you on a little tour.’ The wink that followed her sentence made my cheeks flush with heat.
Was she being serious or did her words mean something else entirely?
‘Paul! It’s good to see you,’ William’s booming voice called through the open door to the building we approached.
Catherine almost melted as we came up to the new leader. She unwound herself from me and went towards William. He stepped into the courtyard, grinning down at her when she preened. Offering my hand, I sucked my bottom lip into my mouth to stop from saying something inappropriate.
I had a habit of not knowing when to keep my mouth shut. It was a part of me that was ingrained. A personality trait apparently.
‘Who is this?’
An older man interrupted as William shook my hand. He strode towards us, a guard flanking either side. His suit was grey. His face had started to age, yet surgery had tried to keep him young. It didn’t work.
‘This is Paul. Melissa’s brother.’
I guessed he was the chancellor, though he didn’t introduce himself to me. He just gave me a blank stare in return. Melissa had told me about her encounter with him. He was a predator. One to look out for.
‘Let’s get on with it, shall we?’ William nodded at the officials as he gestured for us to leave.
‘Just one thing,’ the chancellor called as I stepped through the door.
William turned back. I couldn’t hear what was said but the energy shifted. William’s back became rigid and Catherine gasped.
‘I’ll sort it,’ the new leader said.
He followed me into the hallway, overtaking to lead me to his office.
‘This place is bloody crazy,’ he said as soon as the door closed behind me.
The young man, Jason, sat in the corner of the room. He stared at the floor, his knee jumping as his foot bounced on the ground.
‘Can I speak to you alone?’ I asked.
It was hard enough to think of a way to voice what I wanted to say to William, let alone to the teen who’d only learnt he was half angel twelve hours earlier.
‘Jason, please will you go and get us some coffee.’
Getting up, Jason did as he was told. He went to pass me but froze when he finally looked into my eyes. ‘You were there last night.’
‘Jason,’ William warned.
The lad wasn’t taking his new role in his stride. He looked extremely freaked out. His eyes widened as he watched me sit down.
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‘You’re one of them…I mean…’
I got back to my feet and put a hand on his shoulder. ‘So are you. Accept it. Be okay with it. And everything will turn out fine. There’s nothing you can do to change it anyway.’
Shrugging, I ignored William when he barked my name.
Jason said no more as he left. Our leader was a brave man to allow him to interact with other Perfects. He could tell them whenever he felt like it. Maybe I should have been nicer to him.
‘There was no need for that,’ William muttered.
I slumped into the chair again, bringing my ankle onto the other knee and making a triangle with my fingers as I rested them on my chest.
‘He needs to be tough.’
William shook his head. ‘Did you not see his mother out there?’
Catherine was his mother? Poor lad. No wonder he was a little…
‘Are you okay? You seem a little uptight.’ William interrupted my thought.
I put my head to the side and regarded our leader. He looked good behind the big desk. It suited his personality. ‘I’m a little…frustrated.’
Pulling the collar of my shirt from my neck didn’t release the pressure around my throat. The flood of heat that rushed my body made me squirm under William’s gaze.
‘So? Get it out of your system.’
He looked down at the paperwork on his desk, dismissing my important situation.
‘But…I’m an angel. We’re supposed to be…’ What were we supposed to be?
The corner of William’s lip twitched before he looked up at me with a straight face. Did he think my predicament was funny?
‘You’re an angel in a human body. How can we relate to them if we don’t know what it feels like to be one?’
I undid the top button on my shirt. Breathing deep, I pulled air into my lungs. ‘Our purpose is to help get the Perfects to accept the Avoidables. Surely, I can’t just sleep with someone-’
‘Paul. Are you struggling to focus on your goal because you’re overcome with desire?’
I choked as he looked me directly in the eye. He didn’t need an answer.
‘Sex isn’t wrong. Sleeping around to make yourself feel better does nothing for your self-esteem. I wouldn’t suggest you do that. Don’t do it with a stranger either. Find someone you like, woo them, have fun and enjoy the whole process. But first of all, be ready for it.’
The knock on the door was tentative. William shouted for Jason to enter. Only the lad would be afraid of interrupting.
‘I’m sorry about earlier,’ Jason said, handing me a steaming mug. ‘I need to understand more, that’s all. I need to know everything…The book helped, though, thanks, William.’ Jason touched the back of his neck, looking between William and me.
‘You will understand eventually. I’m glad you are reading up on your new gift. Trust me, you’ll learn more soon but, there’s no time for tea and a chat now.’ William stood up suddenly from his leather seat. ‘We need to get into the action.’
Jason paused, his mug halfway to his lips. ‘Action?’
I shuddered as a smile crossed my face. I was up for some action.
William rolled his eyes at me. What? I couldn’t help the raging testosterone that plagued my body. He shouldn’t have brought me down with him if he didn’t think I could achieve what we’d set out to do.
‘Your mother…go get her.’ William pointed at the door as he buttoned up his suit jacket.
Jason stepped towards the door, pausing when he opened it.
‘What exactly are we doing?’ he asked, rubbing the back of his neck once again.
William smiled wickedly. I couldn’t help copying it as I rose.
‘We’re going to Lower Side. Your mother is going to give us a tour.’