12. Chapter 10
FRANKIE
“ F rankie,” someone whispered.
Their voice was deeper, one she didn’t recognize off the top of her head. Where was she? Why was someone in her apartment?
“You’re okay.” the voice spoke again. “You’re safe, and all is okay. You’re at Behind the Scenes.”
Gasping, she sat up and looked around with wide eyes. She was at work. Why was she asleep?
“I am so sorry!” She raised her voice, pushing her hair down with her hands. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep! I really didn’t. I promise I’ll come in earlier tomorrow to make up for the hours I missed. I’m good for it, just ask Lita!”
Warm hands cupped her cheeks, pulling her face toward the person. Noah. She was with Noah… her boss.
“Oh my goodness. Was this all a dream, and I’m still at the interview? Did I fall asleep during it? I promise I’m not normally like that. I can stay awake, and you don’t need to worry,” she rushed out. “I am so sorry. This is so embarrassing.”
Noah gave her a gentle smile. “You’re okay, Frankie. You aren’t in any trouble, and you aren’t coming in earlier or staying later. You fell asleep after your shift was over.”
Her shoulders slumped, and she should stop herself leaning into his right hand. Oh, she loved it when he touched her. She wanted to beg him to do it more, but that would be inappropriate. He was her boss.
“I’m sorry for falling asleep. This is the first time I’ve ever done it. I think it’s because I feel so comfortable and safe here,” she mumbled at the end.
“Do you not feel comfortable and safe anywhere else?” He was staring at her so intently, like he was trying to see if she would lie.
She shook her head. “No, not at my apartment.”
Frankie closed her eyes and sucked in a breath of air.
She should not have said that. Not when Noah said he would take her out of there if anything dangerous happened.
But nothing had happened yet. She just didn’t feel comfortable and safe there.
Which meant he had no reason to take her to a different apartment.
“I don’t like the sound of that,” Noah grumbled.
“It’s really not that bad,” she brushed off. “I just don’t get good sleep sometimes. But there are a lot of times that I do so, you really shouldn’t worry. I’m perfectly fine there.”
Who was Frankie trying to convince? Who was going to believe her if she didn’t even believe herself?
“Don’t,” Noah growled.
Her eyes went wide. “Don’t what?”
“Don’t brush it off like it’s nothing. You don’t feel safe there. I should take you back to your apartment so you can pack and bring you back to my house.” Noah continued to cup her face. “I should demand it.”
“But you aren’t going to.” Her voice went higher.
He raised an eyebrow. “I’m not?”
She nodded and took a deep breath. “You aren’t. You told me you would only make me move out if something dangerous happened.”
He pulled his hands from her face, and it took everything in her not to whimper and ask him to place them back. She felt lost, like something was missing. His hands were. He grounded her in a way she hadn’t experienced before.
“Something bad has happened,” Noah pointed out.
“You said something bad like a robbery, killing, shooting, and things like that. Not that I can’t sleep at night.” She rolled her eyes.
Noah gripped her chin. “Watch it. Don’t roll your eyes at me.”
“Sorry,” she whispered, looking down.
Noah sighed and let go of her chin. Did he not like touching her? Was that why he kept letting go every single time?
“I just, it’s what I can afford right now.
I know it sucks and it isn’t safe, but it’s been home for a little while.
It’s not going to be a forever thing, just until I can save up some for a better place,” she told him.
“And I already promised that if you ask about if anything happened or if you heard anything that you would move me. I’ll tell you if something risky happens. Nothing has yet.”
She wanted to be closer to him, and being in one of his apartments meant he would most likely check up on the apartment every now and then.
But at the same time, she didn’t want anything to happen because then she would be closer to him.
She couldn’t develop any more feelings for him.
She also couldn’t afford for him to figure out that she had lied to him about her medical condition.
But hers wasn’t life or death, so did it really matter that much?
Things were starting to get dangerous with how she felt and constantly thinking about him. It wasn’t normal, not for someone she had only known for a day.
Noah grumbled under his breath, and she couldn’t help but smile. Her logic was not making him happy, but it was working.
“If I hear even the slightest thing, I am moving you out of there, do you understand me?” he asked. “It is taking everything in me not to take you back to your apartment now and pack for you. I don’t like you being there, and it isn’t going to last long.”
“Understood,” she replied. “It’ll be okay. Promise.”
He didn’t look too sure, and she knew even the slightest hint of something, he would move her to a different apartment.
“I also can’t move since I have paid rent for the next two months. It was in the agreement that I had to pay a year in advance, and it’s not over yet. So you can’t take me or else my money is going to go to waste,” she pointed out.
“If it comes to that, I will pay you the balance you owe so you can get some of your money back.” He kissed her forehead, making her freeze.
Did he really just kiss her forehead? Did he do that to everyone he knows? Was there some secret meaning behind it? Was she going to have to owe him if he gave her rent money?
“I can’t do any blowjobs for you!” she yelled, pulling back right as the door open.
“What is going on in here?” a man asked from the doorway. “Why is she yelling she can’t give you any blowjobs? Did you ask her to do that?”
Noah looked offended. “Of course I didn’t ask her that! I would never do that.”
The other man walked closer to her, kneeling right in front of her and placing a hand on her shoulder.
“Hands off,” Noah said through clenched teeth. “Hands off and get away from her.”
A smirk found its way on his face. He had short brown hair, stubble, and looked jacked. “I’m Oliver, sweetie. Can you tell me your name?”
She looked up at Noah. Should she answer Oliver, or did Noah not want her to? Was there something wrong with Oliver?
“Look at me, sweetie,” Oliver said, a command. “I need you to look at me and not at Noah. Everything is going to be okay. I just need to make sure that you are safe.”
Frankie looked at Oliver in shock. “Of course, I am safe. What would make you think I wasn’t?”
He raised an eyebrow. “You yelling out that you can’t give Noah a blowjob. I need to make sure you’re okay and he isn’t pressuring you into anything.”
“I don’t think Noah would do that,” she mumbled, looking at Oliver hesitantly. “He has been nothing but kind to me. Sure, sometimes he does some weird things like kiss my forehead, and I don’t know what that exactly means, but he makes me feel comfortable and safe.”
Oliver looked at Noah. “Forehead kisses?”
Noah shrugged, not saying anything.
“Can you tell me your name, sweetie?” Oliver asked again.
“Frankie.” She sighed. “I’m really fine.”
“I’ll be the one to decide that right now. It’s nice to meet you, Frankie. I’m Oliver, one of the other owners. Now, was he threatening you?”
Frankie was starting to get irritated at him. “Did you not hear me before?”
“Attitude,” Noah warned.
Oliver looked between both of them repeatedly, amusement written all over his face.
She sighed once again, making it longer and more dramatic. “No, he is not threatening me. Noah wouldn’t do that. I just blurted it out, and I didn’t mean to. We weren’t even talking about anything related to blowjobs.”
“What were you talking about?” Oliver asked.
“You sure are nosey.” She wrinkled her nose. “Your Little is going to have a hard time doing anything with you asking all those questions. Will you let her do anything without asking a bajillion questions? It’s no fun when that happens.”
Silence filled the room as Noah and Oliver looked at her in shock. Her eyes went wide when she realized what she said.
“Ummm, well, that is awkward,” she mumbled. “Sorry. I need to go home and sleep. I’m exhausted.”
It wasn’t a lie, Frankie was exhausted, but it was an excuse to get out of the office with these two. She did not need them getting her in trouble or interrogating her. Two Daddies up against one poor, tired Little? The odds were not in her favor.
“Don’t even think about it,” Noah said before she could move. “You aren’t going anywhere.”
“I need to,” she replied, glaring at him. “I need to get home so I can attempt to sleep. I’ve got work tomorrow. Unless you are firing me for falling asleep after my shift.”
“She fell asleep after her shift?” Oliver asked, looking at Noah. “Is she okay?”
“She felt safe here and obviously hasn’t been sleeping well, so she fell asleep here.” Noah sighed.
“Do we need to implement nap time for employees again?” Oliver asked. “Or maybe just for her?”
She gasped. “You know I’m sitting right here!”
“Yes, we know.” Oliver winked at her. “Be a good girl and sit there for a little longer.”
Her mouth fell open as she glared at Oliver. Did he really just say that to her? She didn’t like that one bit.
“Excuse me?” she asked.
“Yes?” Noah took a step forward. “Do you need something?”
“I need you guys to stop talking like I’m not here. I am an adult. I’ve been taking care of myself for a while!” She raised her voice. “I don’t need you to act like I’m not here as you talk about me and make decisions.”
They stayed quiet as they looked at her. Did she go too far this time? Maybe she did, but she didn’t care right now. She didn’t like being talked about like she wasn’t there. It was rude, and she was an adult who made her own decisions. She made them and bore any consequences.
“I’m sorry, Frankie.” Noah knelt in front of her. “It was not my intention to make you feel that way.”
She crossed her arms and looked away. “I’m mad at both of you.”
“You have every right to be,” Noah gently said.
Frankie was not expecting him to say that. “I do?”
“Yes, Little one, you do. It wasn’t nice of us to talk about you like you weren’t here.” Noah placed his hand on her knee. “Not nice of us at all.”
She nodded. It wasn’t. Not at all. Oliver had an amused look on his face, but she didn’t pay any mind to it.
“Come on.” Noah held his hand out. “Let’s get you home.”
“So we aren’t going to talk about her yelling she wasn’t going to give you a blowjob as I walked in?” Oliver asked.