"When you're done with your pathetic little show, sit up and wipe that disgusting sweat off. We've got business to discuss," Fenris drawls, yanking the car door open, ready to step out but Axel grips his wrist, stopping him.
Axel's touch sends heat burning through Fenris, consuming his whole body. Fenris pulls Axel's hand off his wrist and turns back to him. "What? Already done with the show?"
"What business are you talking about?" Axel asks, his voice strained.
Fenris doesn't look at him directly as he stands just outside the car, like he can't stand to be inside any longer.
And as much as he wanted to punish Axel for last night, he knows it wasn't really Axel's fault.. and besides, he got his trophy back.
And besides, he wants nothing to do with a male mate who could ruin things for him even more. All he wants is to treat this as nothing more than business until he gets what he wants then they can go separate ways.
"I have a business offer for you," he says flatly.
"Business?!" Axel echoes, surprised as if he thought Fenris was about to throw him in jail for stealing, judging by how vicious and cold he'd acted earlier.
"Yes. I mean, you look so pathetically in need of money that you throw yourself out there to the thousand eyes of men just to scrape together some pathetic dollars, following strangers around. So I thought I could do some good for society and offer you a decent job," Fenris says, his voice tinged with arrogance.
"First of all, sir, if you can't even fake a little respect for me, I'm not doing any business with you." Axel stares at him, half-shocked he actually dared to say that to him.
"Oh? I've been so nice to you so far, want to see the real deal?"
"Just… what do you want me to do?! And I do it once and that's it," Axel blurts, his voice tight when Fenris's tone suddenly drops dangerously low. "We'd be even, and then we can just go our separate ways!"
Fenris can't help the small smirk tugging at his lips when he sees the tension in Axel's face.
"Crossdress as a decent woman and stay around whenever I want you to. And…" His tone lowers further.
"What for?!" Axel cuts in, staring at him, clearly caught off guard. "If you want a woman, you can get plenty! I mean, a man as rich and good-looking as you could get anyone. Why do I have to do that? Just because you caught me crossdressing doesn't mean I want to do it on command!"
Fenris doesn't answer immediately. His eyes rest on Axel with unreadable stillness.
What for? he repeats inwardly. Just being this close gives me everything back. I can emit my dominance pheromones again.
I feel like myself. I don't need to sleep with him. I don't need to mark him.
He just needs Axel close enough to keep his strength from fading.. to regain what he has lost.
As for the mate bond… he'll deal with the fire burning in his gut. He'll die controlling it if he has to.
As long as he can reclaim what's his… his name, his dignity.
Finally, he mutters, "Two hundred dollars."
"Two hundred dollars per hour?" Axel's eyes dart around, suddenly sounding interested.
Fenris looks at him.. and for a second, it seems like he might burst into laughter, but he doesn't. "No. A month. You want to be paid by the hour? Then I'll make that five bucks."
"I'm not doing it! You think it's easy to dress up like that, look as pretty as I would, and have a bunch of guys stare at me like they're about to rip me apart?!" Axel snaps, pretending to open the door. He grabs the handle and pulls.. but it's locked.
Meanwhile, on Fenris's side, the door annoyingly sits ajar.
How the hell does that even work?! Axel thinks, baffled.
"Five hundred dollars a month. I'm not discussing it anymore. The deal is done. You start now," Fenris says, getting back into the car, opening the windows, and driving off.
"Wait.. you said a month! Then how long do you want me to keep doing this?!" Axel asks, suddenly realizing.
Fenris doesn't answer, driving into the heart of the city. He can tell that it's already almost dawn.
"Can I get paid for this first month? I swear I'll do it properly even when I get the payment before working," Axel pushes.
"No," Fenris says curtly.
"Then can I get paid weekly? I really need to sort something out. I mean, as long as I've worked that week, why not just..."
"Do you ever shut up?" Fenris cuts him off.
"Will I get paid weekly or not? If not, there's no need for me to do this, I'm not go..." Axel insists, before Fenris interrupts again.
"No problem. Weekly it is."
For a moment, Axel just stares at him, like he's realizing something. Why does it feel like he wants him specifically? He could hire anyone when Axel is being so annoying to him.. so why is he not throwing him out already? Is this a trap? he wonders.
He falls silent for a moment, but the moment he stops talking, that heat returns, he's been distracting himself from that strange feeling by talking more.
"So… what's this about? Family issues?" He starts again, "If I'm going to be around them, I need to know. Hah, I see what this is: wealthy family, arranged marriage since you haven't brought a woman home because you're some cold CEO always busy with work. And since you don't want the woman they picked, you're trying to fool them that you already have someone… But come to think of it, if you're faking it, why get a man to crossdress instead of just hiring a real woman?" Axel rambles on, while Fenris says nothing and doesn't even react.
"Oh my god," Axel suddenly gasps, as if something clicks. "Look man, it's totally fine. Being gay isn't that ba..."
Fenris's knuckles tighten on the steering wheel. "Just shut up!" he snaps, the word gay getting to him.
That had never crossed his mind until he mated with the brat beside him. And the thought that Axel sees him that way somehow disgusts him.
Axel falls quiet for a moment, but not for long. "I'm Axel Blake, by the way. I didn't get your name…"
Fenris lets out an almost unbelieving chuckle. "You really are a parrot, you can't keep your mouth shut, you might say something you're not supposed to say. So… when you're on duty, you'll pretend you can't speak. That you're mute. And since it'll feel like a punishment to you, I'll add a hundred bucks to your payment."
He says, eyes fixed on the road.