Breathe, My Love ~ KSI (discontinued)

0.5

nude lipstick

Hoda was sat on the roof, puffing out the flavourless vapour. She was thinking about adding another flavour to the collection, when she received a call from an unknown number, it would have taken less than three guesses to know who the number calling her was. It was her new neighbour. Ethan. The guy with ginger hair resembled noodle strands if she looked close enough. He had freckles a few of them actually, but he was fit. She could give him that. He had a muscular build.

She swiped picking up the line.

Silence. Besides the ambience of the sound beneath her, the line had gone quiet.

"Hey, it's Ethan." He spoke after clearing his throat his tone tense and nervous.

"Hey, Ethan." She greeted him, her tone relaxed and easy as she breathed out a puff of smoke between her words.

"Are you on the roof?"

"Yep." She chuckled; it hadn't taken long for him to pick up on her quirks.

She heard his laugh from the other side of the line but it seemed closer. She moved her feet from under her and there he was looking up at her.

"Hey, Ethan." She chuckled seeing him standing on JJ's balcony staring up at her.

"Hey Hoda," His voice was smoother than it was over the phone, upon seeing her he had relaxed, seeing her so calm and chill had calmed his nerves, not to mention the dopey smile that had crossed his face as he set his eyes on her.

"Here, come up," She offered.

"Or you could come down?" He said with a smile.

"I don't do big crowds." She shrugged in response; she was so carefree that Ethan almost envied her. She was living her best life in the biggest penthouse in London.

"Don't worry there's only a few of us here," His neck had cramped from looking up at her and he mentally cursed himself and his poor posture.

A few more words of convincing and Hoda had rolled her eyes but reluctantly agreed to meet him downstairs because he had sworn, he would meet her in front of JJ's house so they'd walk in together. An odd offer but one he was willing to make.

She fixed her scarf and put on her cream Jordan high-tops, she reapplied her nude lipstick and popped a piece of gum she stepped out of the elevator on the floor beneath her, greeting Ethan outside the door that beamed upon seeing her.

They shared a small hug as greeting as Ethan led her into JJ's apartment, he had left the door unlocked. She walked in with a smile on her lips, listening to the introductions that Ethan was giving her. They stepped into the warm apartment, like Hoda, his apartment had underfloor heating, so the aroura in the room was warm and welcoming, the smell of Cinamon adding to its comfort, the scent that Hoda had sold him less than five hours ago, he had clearly enjoyed the feeling of the cinnamon-scented water vapour running through his head.

She smiled upon seeing their faces.

Simon. JJ. Vik. Josh and two others she couldn't recognise, she hadn't seen them. Nor had she been formally introduced to Simon.

"Hoda, meet Simon, Callux and CalFreezy."

She smiled politely shaking their hands, "Pleasure meeting you."

"The pleasure is all ours," Callux grinned with a suggestive arched brow that made Hoda grimace in disgust, she hated the effect she had on men sometimes, if she was too distant, she would be deemed as bitchy, cold and entitled, if she seemed too friendly, she would be seen as suggestive and slutty.

Men were so hard to understand sometimes.

She arched her eyebrow daringly as she sat next to the empty seat beside Ethan, onto the couch.

"You didn't tell us you're a millionaire," Simon is the first to break the silence.

"Was there a need to?" She shrugged, "You didn't tell me what you do, nor did you ask me."

"She's a millionaire?" JJ was awed at the new heard fact.

"Yeah, Vik was telling us today, at the podcast." Josh nods.

Hoda isn't as comfortable as she was. Too often had she been stabbed in the back by people who only wanted to steal from her fame and fortune.

JJ had an uneasy feeling fill him. Now he wasn't sure how much more he could take of her presence. She had lied to them. He was bought up to believe women as humble, quiet beings with no say in what happens and now to know a woman who had an empire worth of money and fortune made him uneasy. Women were already deemed as witches, but this was different, with a whole empire waiting for her command, she could quite literally be deadly.

It didn't help that she was quiet and calculating either. It only messed with his head.

"We're gamers, YouTubers."

"Oh, cool." She nodded, seemingly fascinated as she held a conversation with Simon, Josh and Vik over their gaming carriers. Whilst in her head she thought about the mountain of unattended files on her desk that had piled up on her desk. These boys had become a serious distraction in her life.

Just as though on cue her phone rang, Chase's face lighting up the screen.

She excused herself from their conversation as she moved to the kitchen area.

"Hoda!" He all but squealed under her ear, deafening her for a second.

"What?" She had hoped to have at least got a few hours without her secretary bothering her about work matters.

"You've been invited to the met."

"The met?"

"The Met Gala you dummy!" He sighed, she really had the power to make or break somebody's mood if she felt like it.

She rolled her eyes and reluctantly agreed to what he had to say and ended the call, that was a problem she had to get back to the next time she sets foot in the office, but for now, that can wait.

As she got back to the living room, she saw the boys' eyes trained in her. If she were anyone else she would have easily cracked under their gaze, but she knew these stares all too well. She received them on a daily.

"So is he your boyfriend?" JJ was the first to speak, trying to analyse her like she was prey for his next meal.

"No." She responds in an equally hard tone. The corners of her lips turn up as she begins to say her goodbyes and leave.

"It was very nice seeing you gentlemen, but on that note, I have business to attend to,"

"This late in the evening."

"I am sure with the nature of your job; you have worked more than the required nine to five." She mused dryly. She thanked them again before stepping out of JJ's apartment.

She was only a few steps from the elevator when she heard footsteps behind her. Turning around she saw exactly whom she expected. Ethan.

"Hey, I'm sorry for JJ, he can be quite rude."

"Don't be." She shook her head, she wasn't even fazed, it had happened to her too often.

"But I am," He spoke solemnly and honestly, "So, maybe I was wondering if I could make it up to you by taking you out for dinner."

"I don't do dates." She chuckled, easing the tension and nervousness that had seemed to have built up in him.

Her contagious smile had eased him.

"Not a date, a dinner, just to get to know each other better." He nodded, initially a bit hurt she would turn his date down, but understood her.

"Very well, text me." She said as she stepped into the lift but as the doors close, he was sure he saw her wink.  

Written: 06/11/2021

published: 08/11/2021

(A/N: Behz and Hoda be getting it)