Eliezer’s Ange by Eden Auclair

III

cassiopeia is nineteen

she is a junior in university

Cassiopeia smiled toherself as she worked on a poem for her creative writing lecture. Everything She Was, was her soul laid bare, and a smile graced her lips from the thought.

The professor called the end of class faster than she’d expected and a sigh escaped her lips. She needed to have a refined poem composed by tomorrow and now, she wasn’t entirely sure she even liked what she wrote in the past hour.

I’m rewriting this entire poem, that’s it, she thought to herself as she stood up and huffed.

“Hey, Cassiopeia,” someone called out to her as she stacked together her notebooks and pencil case. Slightly turning her head, a huge grin curved her lips as she saw her best friend and partner in crime. Handsome as the devil—or so he likes to say—and genuine too, the boy had heads turning in his direction as he walked up to her.

“Hello Niccolò,” Cassiopeia greeted back as they walked out together.

“Always so formal, Miss Leilani,” he tsked, shaking his head.

“Be quiet,” she snickered.

“How’s it going, pretty girl?” He returned the wide smile as he slipped on his sunglasses and threw his arm around her shoulder.

“It’s going,” she giggled, “tired as always. How are you?”

“I’m exhausted.” He exhaled with a frown. “And I think whatever I wrote in class was utter chaos. So now, I’ll be spending my night rewriting poetry,” he laughed and she joined him wholeheartedly.

“I was thinking the same about mine,” Cassiopeia giggled.

“Want to hang out at the diner in the gardens later and work on it together?”

“Yes, I’d love to.” She nodded happily as he turned his head to kiss her temple.

“Okay, I’ll pick you up at your apartment, yeah?” She nodded in reply.

“And I’ll give you a call when I leave mine. Where are you heading to now?”

“I want to stop by the bookshop before I head home but Autry wants me at Carousels and Dinges for a few hours first,” she pouted.

“I don’t know why you’re pouting. It’s not like I’m about to go to work for you.” Niccolò laughed in a teasing tone.

“Why are we friends again? You’re such a dork.” Cassiopeia’s bottom lip jutted out.

“You love me, Cassiopeia.” He continued his laughter as she hit him upside the head playfully.

§

“Cassiopeia, can you serve tables five and seven, please?”

“I got them,” Cassiopeia yelled amongst the lively talks of the busy shop.

“A crepe and blackberry passion fruit iced tea coming up.” She took down the girl’s order before disappearing into the kitchen once again.

Stepping out again in a rush to serve table seven, Cassiopeia heard the bell chime. Her eyes cut to the door of the coffee shop and she was suddenly frozen in her spot. A quiet gasp escaped her lips seeing the manstanding at the door. She felt him staring through his black sunglasses, his aura brooding as ever.

But the moment didn’t last long and she hurriedly walked off to table seven.

Hewasn’t even upset since they’d only had their first encounter three years ago for just a few short moments. But God, she still took his breath away every time he caught sight of her.

He went straight for a booth in the back. He stared at her openly, drinking in every ounce of her divine beauty. His eyes could barely leave her for a second; he was completely mesmerized.He had just returned from his overseas business affairs early this morning but he couldn’t wait a moment longer to see her again. He pulled out his MacBook and opened out a fresh spreadsheet in an attempt to distract himself from her. But it was impossible with her so close, yet so far.He openly stared at her, taking in every one of her emotions. He most definitely didn’t miss the frown constantly pulling at her lips. And he wondered why. He wantedto know why.

“Sir, what can I get for you?” A waitress approached him, pulling him from his thoughts. His eyes cut to the waitress giving him a sultry smile in the Carousels and Dinges uniform more revealing than the others. He arched his brow.

“I want another waitress,” he demanded rudely.

Feeling daring, the waitress rolled her eyes, blowing her bubble gum until it went pop, and bit back, “Is there a problem?”

Already having his patience tested, he stood up, towering over the girl. Involuntarily, she stumbled back and stared at him with wide eyes.

“Want to say that again?” His tone was sardonic.

“N-No,” the girl stuttered and ducked her head.

“See that girl over there.” His eyes cut sharply to Cassiopeia standing at the counter and the girl nodded fervently. “I want herto be min- my waitress.”

“Okay,” the girl uttered, before walking off hurriedly. He watched from the red booth as the girl grasped Cassiopeia’s arm and began talking animatedly. Cassiopeia’s eyes caught his and words between French and Persian left him. He inhaled sharply for there was nothing more enthralling than her gray irises.

Slowly, she made her way to him, wearing a small smile and feeling a bit anxious herself. All the while, he felt his heart beating wildly against his rib cage, and then chaotically once she was standing before him, he wondered if she could hear it.

“Hi,” Cassiopeia greeted softly as she yawned, unable to stop it. He couldn’t help the smile that broke out on his face. She was the cutest thing he’d ever laid his eyes upon.

“Cassiopeia.” Her name rolled off his tongue smoothly. She felt something stir inside and her eyes widened.

“H-How do you know my name?” She asked before she could think.

“Ange, I know much more than you’d imagine, but...” He paused and grinned cheekily, nodding toward the nametag on her white shirt. The realization struck Cassiopeia hard when she glanced down and saw her nametag, sighing a soft ‘oh’ as if just remembering it was there.

Cassiopeia’s face turned cherry red as she nodded with her slack jaw and looked to the ground before asking timidly, “What’s your name?” Please don’t hide from me, Cassiopeia, he inwardly frowned when she shied away from his eyes.

“Eliezer,” he said. That’s a sexy name, Cassiopeia thought, and he is an equally sexy man—she refrained from saying her thoughts out loud.

“What can I get for you, Eliezer,” she questioned instead. Immediately, he felt aroused under the table and he had images running through his head one after the other of things he wanted to do with her, to her. Just hearinghis name roll off her tongue so smoothly and sweetly did wonders to him. Eliezer spent so much timein the past few years just imagining what it’d be like when they formally met, what it’d be like the first time she said his name. And now that he was living the moment, the feeling for him was nothing short of idyllic.

A faint blush bruised her cheeks from the myriad of times his eyes raked her body. He was insatiable as he took his time in memorizing her figure that he almost forgot she asked him a question—until his name left her mouth in a whisper. Eliezer’s eyes snapped to her and their gazes locked in a heated stare.

“I’ll have a Vietnamese Iced Coffee,” he replied. Cassiopeia felt herself drawn to his smooth and alluring voice. She nodded as she quickly scribbled away on her notepad and turned on her heels. A frown fell upon his lips seeing her disappear through the kitchen doors. However, moments later, when she pushed through the doors again and stood at the barista counter, a fire lit in his eyes. He watched her intently as she skilfully moved around, grabbing ingredients and tools, making five drinks all at once. He loved her for she moved ever so gracefully and everything she was, screamed elegance.

She disappeared through the kitchen doors once more before coming out with a server on her arm consisting of two stacked plates. Stopping at the counter, she placed the five drinks on the server and came around the counter. And she went to Eliezer first.

“Here’s your drink,” she said with a smile, placing the tall glass before him. He watched the glass in awe—it was the same drink he watched her make only moments ago. It was the usual drink that he made for himself every morning, however, watching her make his drink ignited something inside of him.

Eliezer looked up, only to find Cassiopeia no longer standing before him. His eyes immediately flickered around the shop and he caught sight of her serving other tables. He sighed sadly, longing to have her be his.

Raising the glass to his lips distractedly as he typed away on his laptop, he felt as if he was in heaven. The sweet and bitter sensation of her coffee had tasted far better than any coffee he ever had. In all his life’s entirety, Eliezer had been making his own coffee for years, yet here Cassiopeia was, making it better than he’d ever known. He didn’t believe he could drink any other coffee ever again.

Fifteen minutes later, Cassiopeia made her way back to him.

“Would you like anything else, Eliezer?” She asked with her signature smile.

With the assertive arrogance rolling off him in waves, as usual, he answered, “Yes. A date with you.”

She became flustered, that much was obvious as a blush spread over the apples of her cheeks. She couldn’t seem to find any words.

Just as she opened her mouth to reply, his phone dinged. Pulling it out, he hissed out incoherently once the screen came to life. He didn’t even take note of how long he’d been sitting in the corner of the coffee shop until now, he realized that he was late for a meeting with fellow industrialists in half an hour.

Talk about being fucked, Eliezer thought, utterly pissed with himself and surprisingly, Cassiopeia too because he was so captivated by her beauty, he found himself lost in her.

Lifting his head to meet her worried eyes, his own softened once more and he felt sadness fusing with his usual brooding nature. He wasn’t ready to leave his angel yet.

“Cassiopeia,” he whispered, his eyes never once leaving hers as he closed his laptop and slipped it inside his Saint Laurentbackpack, “I need to go,” he grinned apologetically. Immediately, sadness swirled in her gray irises and her smile slightly fell and he didn’t miss it—he was fighting every fiber in his body that was screaming for him to stay in her presence.

Eliezer stood from the booth, slinging his backpack on one shoulder and her eyes widened at his tall and built stature. He was nothing short of a foot and then some taller than her. And God, was he built, she thought as she felt herself staring shamelessly. His chest looked oh so defined under his tight and fitted wine-colored dress shirt.

Cassiopeia was so lost in her thoughts, she hadn’t even realized Eliezer standing right before her until she felt his arms enveloping her small frame.

“Don’t forget my wish for you. For us,” he whispered in her ear gently. His head was bent low enough that she felt his hot breath down her neck. And every ounce of her being only screamed for more.

“Je suis désolé, ange.”

I am sorry, angel.

He uttered softly as his hand cupped the back of her neck and he placed a chaste kiss on her forehead.

And then Eliezer was on his way, leaving Cassiopeia to her own devices.