The Eighth

Dinner

There was a knock at the door as I unzipped my suitcase and laid out my clothes. "What do you want Leo?" I yelled.

"Just to know what you're up to." He answered through the other side of the door.

I rolled my eyes, "Just trying to figure out what to wear."

"Here, let me help." The door swung open slowly followed by the entrance of Leo with the same old smile on his face.

"You know you could have asked. I could have been indecent for all you knew!" I exclaimed.

Leo laughed then shrugged. "But you weren't." I glared at him as he stepped beside me. "Oh come on, relax." He picked up a black maxi dress, "Wear this." Leo said as he threw it at me. He sat on the bed where the dress had been and stared at me.

"Do you expect me to change with you in here staring at me?" I said pointedly. Leo shrugged but stayed put. I grabbed his arm and tried to tug him off but he didn't budge. "At least turn around?" He complied and turned the opposite way, but I grabbed a knee high sock and tied it over his eyes just to make sure.

"What, you don't trust me?" He smirked.

"Of course I don't, I just met the sin of lust today and you expect me to trust him while I'm changing in the same room? Hell no." As I was talking I took off my shirt and threw on the dress over my jeans as quickly as I could.

"Please don't tell me you're going to wear the jeans with the dress." He said flatly while still blindfolded. I peered at him to make sure he wasn't peeking and quickly slid the jeans off.

I tapped his shoulder to let him know I was done and threw the clothes I was wearing into a hamper by the closet. He undid the sock from his face and turned around. It seemed as if he was about to say something witty but the words didn't form. "Y-you look good."

"Uh, thanks." I said slightly red. "So are you going to change?" I said trying to change the subject.

"Why? Are you wanting me to blindfold you?" He said as he winked.

"Shut up," I laughed.

"So she does have a sense of humor." He smiled. "But yes, I can change too." I turned to exit the room as he called after me. "I honestly don't care if you stay."

I shook my head, a smile at the corner of my lips. "I don't really trust you with a blindfold, Leo." I said as I left the room. "Oh and I like to think I'm a little more courteous." I said looking back.

"Yeah?" He said back, turning and catching my glance. My face turned fully red. By the time I had glanced back he already had his shirt off. Something in the back of my mind wanted to look just a little bit longer but I shook it off, dismissing it as part of the sin aura or something. But does that affect another sin if? ...If I even am one. I shook my head shoving the thought away. I heard him snicker as I walked away, but I couldn't get the image of him out of my brain. I told myself to stop and waited for him to come out.

He emerged from my room in a white crisp button up that he had left untucked. He had a navy gentlemen jacket slung over his shoulder that he laid on the couch. The button up was just his size and framed his upper body which left me only to remember the shirtless glance from just seconds before.

"It just turned seven." He said interrupting my thoughts, to my thankfulness. Just as he said it there was a knock at the door. Leo grabbed his coat and started putting it on.

"Stay there," I said firmly as I answered the door. Just as promised, Mrs. Landers stood there waiting in a green top and brown pencil skirt.

"Well, I'm glad I dressed up just in case," Mrs. Landers smiled. "You look great."

"Thanks, Auntie." I said trying out the new nickname. "I hate to ask this so short notice but is it alright if I bring someone along?"

"Oh of course! The more the merrier." She exclaimed. Leo took his opportunity and slipped in beside me at the door. Mrs. Landers eyes widened in shock. "Who's this handsome young man?" She said with a forced smile, her shock still plain on her face.

Leo held out his hand, "Hi Mrs. L, I'm Leo. I've heard a lot about you." He said putting on his charming white smile.

"Well, uh, how do you know Hazel?" She asked warily.

"I'm Hazel's boyfriend." He exclaimed, taking her hand and shaking it. He had just barely cut me off before I could make an excuse. I glared at him but quit just before Mrs. Landers cast a worried glance at me.

"W-why was he in the house with you?"

"No need to worry. I just swung by before you arrived. I'll take care of your girl, Mrs. L." He grinned reassuringly.

As the awkward situation came to a close we followed her to her car and drove towards the restaurant. We continued in silence the whole way with Mrs. Landers glancing in the mirrors to chaperone every twenty seconds. After we arrived it was a fifteen minute wait. We let Mrs. Landers sit on the last waiting chair but Leo and I stood awkwardly next to each other for the first few minutes until he bumped me with his elbow.

"You know we should probably act as if we were actually together." He whispered.

"Don't blame me for your plan, it was your idea." I replied sharply.

"It was the only thing I could do without drawing conclusions. Such as: if she wanted to meet me at my house in the neighborhood if we were just neighbors or wanted to know why we'd be hanging around each other so much etcetera."

"Oh really? Well I think you're enjoying this cover too much." I pointed out.

"Maybe I am, but will you just play along before she gets suspicious." He grabbed my hand as he finished his sentence and to my surprise it felt perfectly normal.

After a few minutes we were escorted to a booth and he slid in next to me. During the dinner we were asked a lot of questions, but Leo seemed to have an answer for all of them. I could tell she was shocked and maybe a little disappointed that I was 'growing up too fast' in a sense because of the margarita she ordered. By the end of the meal she handed over her keys and decided for us to just take her car back to my house and she'd call a friend for a ride and she'd pick the car up in the morning. I'm guessing the reason why she didn't just let us drive her to my house and wait the alcohol out was because she didn't even want any idea that Leo might be 'spending the night' or something. I didn't blame her. This whole situation was quite new to me too.

Before we got in the car I made sure Mrs. Landers friend picked her up. There was already someone in the passengers seat so I watched as she got in the back before I let Leo start the car. For some reason the person in the passengers seat seemed slightly familiar for some reason.

"Leo, do you know that guy?" I asked, deciding to just go out on a limb. He looked at me questionably then peered through the window. His eyes widened and that's when I knew something was wrong.

"That was Wrath."