The Devil's Sweetheart

The temperature in the room raised in a trice. ''You seems to be a lot closer to that nasty piece of shit than I imagined?'' Devin's threatening voice and his bloodshot eyes raged like a beast. He has a reason to hate Birds of Paradise flowers now.

''Close or not close, don't rate him. He saved my life.'' Leena argued. She will not let anyone degrade her savior, not even Devin. ''You need to understand one thing. Without him, I wouldn't have been alive today.'

An ablaze of anger burned in his eyes when Leena started backing Enger in front of him. Saved her life! That one thing had bound Devin's mouth to utter a word against that man. He got up from the bed and wordlessly stormed out of the room.

''Devin, wait!'' Leena screamed, but neither he halted nor turned back at her. ''The temper of his!'' Leena knocked on the headboard furiously, only to end up hurting her hand.

''Was it my fault? I am not going to follow you.'' Leena climbed out of bed, stepped down the stairs, and made her way into the living room. She saw Devin sitting on a couch, watching boring business news; at least for Leena, they are boring. Carrot was sulking, throwing tantrums at Devin by tearing her plush toys demanding him to put the dog's show channel, but he was sitting like a log, not bothered. Most likely, enjoying the pleasure of torturing Carrot.

''Carrot,'' Leena called the pupper. An instant joy of satisfaction towered over Carrot, and she raced towards Leena. Growling at Leena, Carrot pointed her sharpened eyes at the TV and then at Devin. It's clear that the Furry Carrot is not particularly happy with Devin's behavior.

''Leave him, Carrot. You will watch them daily in the office, isn't it?'' Squatting to the pupper's height, Leena tried to console Carrot, but the stubborn Carrot walked away from her, scowling. ''Fine, I will talk to him.''

Leena glanced at Devin. ''Change the channel to dog's show.''

Their eyes met for a split second, and Devin instantly turned away from her. What now! Leena had a headache dealing with the two. ''Carrot.'' Leena sweetly smiled to coax her. ''Don't mind him. He is worse than a child. Let's go to the kitchen. I will give you something to eat.''

Food instantly brightened Carrot's mood, and she silently followed Leena wagging her tail.

''She called me a child?'' Devin muttered as he switched the channel while his eyes were constantly darting to the kitchen. He wanted to go, but the ego in him tied him down to the place. The thought of Leena standing for that man was vexing Devin.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Carrot was gobbling the peanut butter, her favorite food, which Leena rarely gives because she is scared that it adds too much weight when consumed daily. ''The house looks dull when Devin keeps mum, don't you feel it, Carrot?'' Carrot paused, shook her head in response to Leena's question, and then resumed eating.

''But I feel so. Was I harsh on him?'' Leena brooded over it as she opened the refrigerator and picked vegetables to prepare dinner. While searching for a knife, an idea snapped at her brain.

Leena went out and stood in front of Devin. ''I am not finding the knife.''

Eyes still on the television, he said. ''It must be in the drawer dock_''

''I am not finding the Knife. Come, and help me.'' Having said that, Leena turned around and went back.

Devin threw the remote on the glass table and calmly followed her. As he expected, the Knife was in the drawer dock, which was in plain eye's sight. Devin then understood Leena was deliberately working to anger him. With the work done, he was about to leave when Leena called him again. ''I am not able to find the salt jar.''

With a loud thud, he placed the salt jar in front of Leena, and not to his surprise, the jar was visible to her eyes. Was Leena done with Knife and salt jar? She irritated Devin until his patience ran out and snapped at her, ''Are you turning me into your personal Alexa?''

''Doesn't matter.'' She said. ''You can never sing like Alexa.''

Leena's blatant remarks raged a fury in him. ''Anything more?''

''Yes.''

''Now, what do you want?''

''Can you also help me find my husband's smile?''

''It's in the kitchen cupboard....'' His thoughts ceased when his brain finally processed Leena's words. Pressing his lips to control his smile, which was threatening to break out, but failing to do so, he burst out into a fit of laughter. He pulled Leena and tightened his shield over her waist. ''Happy that you won the fight?''

''Wasn't you that started in the first place?'' She scoffed, burying her face deep into his chest. She doesn't like going to bed fighting with Devin. Sooner or later, Devin would take the initiative to cool her, but every time making him try is not enough.

''I don't like when your think about some other man, Leena.'' He voiced his opinion genuinely. Especially Enger, but Devin kept the thought to himself. The man might have saved Leena from danger, but he is a stalker. Although Devin had no evidence that Enger is behind Leena, leads point to him. Enger's background also has turned into a mystery to Devin. Everything about him is ordinary, which is making it more suspicious. He tried to investigate if he was in Seattle five years back, but nothing yielded about him. ''I don't want any rift to occur in between us, now or in the future. I am scared that would happen.''

Lifting her head, Leena cupped his face and gazed into his eyes. She felt an emotion of fear deep inside his pools. ''Nothing in this world can separate us, now or ever.'' Leena cursed herself for bringing Enger's topic in the heat of the moment. Her jealousy toppled over her when someone gifted him his favorite flowers, and she bought a third party into their relationship. ''Let's not talk about him anymore.'' To turn the environment merry, Leena shifted the topic to her office gossips. ''I forgot to talk about an incident that happened in my office. Do you know what that stupid Mandy did today?''

''There is not a day you will miss talking about her.'' He chuckled, mood brightened in seconds. ''What did she do?''

''She was bitching to one of the new employees that I was an obese kid during my childhood, and after Liposuction, I became thin,'' Leena explained in one breath and took a long puff before she continued. ''Her face was as white as a cockroach's blood when I caught her red-handed. I wonder what satisfaction she would get cooking up stories about me always.''

''What did you do to her after?'' Devin asked, curious. Leena's office gossips always amuse him, especially about Mandy. While Leena cooks up weird stories on others, there is another person who topples her.

''That's a long story which I will cut short_''

Leena's thoughts cut off when the intercom buzzed, and the WatchGuard informed them about a visitor Jalapeno.

''Has she come? I am excited to meet her.'' Leena clapped her hands, and hand in hand, they walked out. Carrot also followed behind them.

The moment Devin opened the door, Leena's sight fell on the woman in a midi dress. On the other hand, the woman securing her goggles on the head. At first, she looked at Leena from head to toe, and then her gaze shifted to Devin. ''Is she your wife?'' She asked in a flat tone.

''Yes. She is Leena.'' Devin introduced Leena to Aunt Jalapeno.

''Jalapeno. Call me Aunt Jalapeno.'' She winked at Leena, extending her hand.

''Pleased to meet you.'' Leena smiled. "'You have a very unique name.''

''I know. My name can burn anyone's butt.'' 

Devin cleared his throat. ''You are not allowed to speak the informal language in the house. Leena minds_''

''I don't mind.'' Leena interrupted and opened the door wide to let the guest inside.

''Thank you, child.'' Aunt Jalapeno glanced at Devin from head to toe, making him shiver. Involuntarily, his hands went behind to cover his back.

''Looks like you have lost some weight during your accident. Let me squeeze your buns, and see,'' Not before Aunt jalapeno's hands reached behind, Leena pulled Devin to her side in fear. ''I_I don't like_''

''Who are you guys talking to?'' Nick arrived at the doorstep. When his gaze landed on the woman, his legs rooted to the spot in fear. ''A_unt Jalapeno!'' The only thought that entered his mind was to run away and save his butt.

''Nicky, boy! Are you also here?'' In seconds, Aunt Jalapeno approached him. With his quick reflexes, Nick covered his back. ''You are still not over that habit of squeezing my butt?'' He yelled at her.

''As if I go fangirling over yours.'' Aunt Jalapeno's face looked as if she had swallowed a lemon. ''My all-time favorite is Kurt boy's bums.'' Her eyes twinkled in delight.

''No wonder he runs away at the sight of you.'' 

Leena burst out into laughter.