BossJin Beginnings Excerpt

He crossed his arms over his chest, the anger evident on his cross face as he looked down at the young girl sitting on his sturdy but aged leather sofa. 

“You can’t keep compromising your health because of your depression, Leilani. You have to eat.”

She neither agreed nor disapproved of his statement. The girl just sat on the edge of the textured cushions, staring lifelessly at the void in front of her. Her focus wasn’t on anything in particular. In fact, everything around her was more blurred than within her vision. The blank screen of the television seemed like the best distraction among the low hum of a radio coming from the distance (probably an obnoxiously loud neighbor’s late night escape, she assumed), the collection of disks and DVDs Jin kept on hand near the entertainment set up he had, and the carpet underneath her feet. 

“I don’t care if I have to force you,” Jin spoke again, slightly breaking her disassociation. “As long as I’m here, I’m bringing you food whether you’re hungry or not.”

She still didn’t give any verbal response. Instead, she looked down at her hands that were locked together in her lap. Some days she was fidgety and other days the pain caused her to completely freeze. She could see out of her peripheral vision that the tall, muscular man had turned and left into the kitchen not too far from the living room, pulling out kitchenware to make some sort of dinner, no doubt. 

‘He’s so annoying. Why won’t he just leave it be? I’m not hungry’. She thought to herself. ‘It really doesn’t matter does it? If I eat when I’m with people, it’s only because that’s what they do.’

‘You’re pathetic,’ her less intrusive thoughts responded. ’You really think that’s healthy? You’ll save face by buying a simple meal or salad just to say that you were a part of it but when you’re alone you just…what? Starve yourself?’

‘That’s not true. I’ll eat because I have to survive. But I don’t want other people’s help’.

‘You’ve been weak all day, or should I even go as far as saying days, and you’re still going to turn down a fresh, hot meal? Because of that stupid pride you have?’

‘I’ve been alone all this time. I’ve had to be independent. I’ve had to look out for myself this whole time!’

‘You’re a weakling.’

‘I’ve been the one who has had to deal with all of this crap by myself!’

‘You’re weak.’

“Leilani…?” 

The girl gasped, turning towards Jin with a terrified look on her face. She had zoned out pretty far just now to not notice he had finished preparing their meals. 

“Are you okay?” He asked, concerned. 

She looked down at the plate of food he was holding in his right hand, one of the plates already set down at the long, rectangular coffee table in front of her. “I don’t want it.” She glared. 

“Eat it.” He demanded as his face turned sour. “I didn’t waste my time in the kitchen for nothing.”

“Well, evidently, you did.” She spat, her eyebrows furrowing as she kicked up her feet into herself on the couch. “I already told you I don’t want to eat.”

“It doesn’t matter what you want to do right now. I’m telling you that you’re going to eat.”

“Just because you run my dad’s bar doesn’t mean you’re the boss of me too!” She hissed. 

“Just because you’re Keahi’s daughter doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want and get away with it. Keahi put me in charge of his business and that just so happens to include you!”

She turned her head back and scowled so hard that normally no other person would dare to continue to oppose her or press their point any further. 

He held his ground and shot his icy, blue eyes back at hers, anger brimming within his body until it practically shot fiery daggers at her stubborn spirit. “Got it?”

“Ugh,” she scoffed. “I’m not eating it. You can forget it.”

Leilani continued to curl her head onto her knees, wrapping her arms around her body to prevent Jin from trying to break any other barriers. She refused. She absolutely refused! If she doesn’t have to, she doesn’t have to. She didn’t feel like eating. There wasn’t much purpose for it anyway. She wasn’t hungry. She wasn’t purposely depriving of herself of anything so this couldn’t even be considered self harm or whatever doctors call it. She truly hadn’t had the appetite she would normally have. It just…disappeared. No matter what she ate, how many times she ate, and when she ate it, it all seemed very lacking. She didn’t feel like she was benefitting from it. In the same manner, she didn’t feel she was depriving herself of anything either. 

Her hunger just wasn’t there. Things being gone were normal. 

She heard a plate hit the coffee table, sinking her head into her hands further. 

‘Just go away you stupid prick. What do you care, anyway? You’re just one of my dad’s employees. I’m one of your ‘responsibilities’. I’m nothing more than an inconvenience that you have to watch over, or else.’ 

He pried, but he had softened his tone to her. “Leilani, talk to me. Why won’t you eat?”

“Buzz off.”

“Leilani, work with me here.” He sighed. “What’s been bothering you?”

‘That’s a dumb question.’ “Everything.”

“Okay, like what?”

“Ugh. Just-everything!” She growled, her head still pressed against her knees. “Why do you even care? You’re not gonna make me eat your cooking. It’s disgusting.”

“Why would you assume that?”

“Because you told me yourself; you wrecked your own taste buds. You’re an alcoholic so if it’s not some beer or vodka, food tastes like paper, am I right?”

“I’m not an alcoholic,” he replied. Without looking, she could feel the slight grin on his smug face. 

“You smoke. A lot.”

“Does that bother you?”

“How doesn’t it bother you?” she snapped, immediately lifting her head to make eye contact with the man. He was positioned below her, his arm comfortably stretched across the coffee table as his knees were slightly bent against the end of the couch she was currently sitting on. “You’re constantly giving other people the opportunity to secondhand smoke! Heck, I wouldn’t be surprised if I had cancer with the amount of times I’ve come around you!”

“That’s harsh,” he admitted. 

“Well, it’s disgusting; which is why your cooking is bound to be disgusting! Because there is no way you could have decent cooking skills with that tongue of yours.”

“You’re making a lot of assumptions about me tonight,” he stated. "I can assure you, it’s really not as bad as you think.”