Chapter 5

Holding her chin in her palm as she leaned against the counter, Diana's mind kept wandering off as for the thousandth time that morning, she reminisced every single moment of last night's truly scary event and how she, had ran away from that man like a scared mouse, without so much as a single word.

She lightly shivered as the memory of that brooding gaze and how it held her powerless kept popping at the forefront of her mind, the thought of actually seeing him again making her feel so reluctant to go back to that house.

But she had to. God help her, she knew that she did. She was living there now and she had to get back, because she had a job to do after all. She couldn't just run away like a scaredy child. She was no silly little girl, like miss Nancy had said and she definitely needed those money. She couldn't afford to just up and leave.

"Rise and shine baby, rise and shine," Dan's voice abruptly brought her back to reality as he approached the counter with a tray of dirty dishes, the girl immediately rushing to help and start washing them.

"You still thinking about that weird dude?" He asked as he peered at her still somewhat distraught expression, blowing out a sigh of his own. She reluctantly nodded.

"Honey, I'm sure it is all just a misunderstanding," He once again tried to reassure her, gently placing a hand over her shoulder.

"Look, you can always give up and move out if you're too scared to go on, you know that. It's not like you're being held there against your will or anything. We can find something else in the meantime," He suggested as the thought quickly popped into his mind, the girl immediately declining his offer with a shake of her head.

"No, Dan. I'm not a coward. Besides, I'm sure it is all just a misunderstanding like you said. Maybe the guy had just returned from a masked party or something like that and here I am freaking out over nothing," She shrugged as she gazed at him, resuming to her task right after.

"But what if he will really ask you to clean up his piano naked while he watches?" He suddenly said with a hint of sass and mirth lacing his tone. The girl suddenly let out a small and shocked gasp, feeling her cheeks rapidly turn a deep shade of red as she quickly remembered that that scary man had already seen her like no other ever had before; donning a rather... scandalous attire.

"Oh my god, girl! Is he hot or something?" The male almost hysterically shouted as he noticed that visible blush painting her cheeks and that affected look into her eyes, growing desperate to know everything that there was to know about the mysterious male as that image seemed so interesting now.

"No! I mean, I don't even know, Dan! I was too busy wetting my panties!" She shouted back at her friend in annoyance, angry that he would even ask her such thing. Yet the moment she noticed that knowing look in his baby blue eyes and that mischievous grin spreading over his thin lips she let out a freaked-out squeal, quickly covering her burning cheeks with her hands.

"Oh my god not like that!" She complained, now struggling to rid herself of the intrusive and nasty thoughts entering her mind as her friend doubled over in a fit of crazed laughter.

.•**•.

All tired out after yet another busy day at the coffee shop -besides the fact that she didn't get an ounce of sleep after last night's events- she lazily trudged her legs upstairs in her way to her room.

"Ugh, why does this house have so many stairs?" She loudly complained to no one in particular since the foyer was completely empty, groaning in exhaustion once she'd finally reached those last steps leading to the first floor.

Making her way down the corridor to the very end and into her room, she didn't hesitate to kick her boots off and throw herself on the bed, taking but a few moments to rest and just breathe since she had yet to clean up that freaking piano as well.

Lying over the silken sheets for a few more minutes, she mewled in complaint as she realized that it was time to get up and go to complete her task, even faking a few sobs as she mourned over the comfy bed.

"I will miss you so much...Will you miss me too?" She dramatically told the bed as she slowly rose to her feet, sighing yet again before she went to change out of her baby blue jeans and black loose blouse into a pair of comfortable leggings and a t-shirt as she knew she would that get heated up while working. She always did, regardless of the room's temperature.

Once ready, she put on a pair of canvas jogging sneakers then made her way downstairs to the cleaning supply closet, taking everything she needed before going to the grand living room.

All set and ready, she took a clean and new rag, pouring some special solution onto it before she started to meticulously clean up every single key, like the master had specifically requested.

Too focused on cleaning up, she hadn't even realized when the time had passed her by, only now noticing that it was almost nighttime as she'd been so lost into what she was doing, even taking the liberty to clean up the leathered stool and few other pieces of furniture from the room.

"Oh wow..." She mumbled as she checked the time on a victorian grandfather clock, hurrying to gather the cleaning supplies and scram out of there as soon as possible as she most definitely wasn't too fond of another impromptu encounter with the master of this house.

Not after that embarrassing moment the other night...

So after she had gathered everything up, she ran through the house like a madwoman and placed everything back into the cleaning supply closet before going to the kitchen to at least have something to eat before going to bed.

Hastily boiling herself some pasta with sauce, she ate and then did the dishes with the speed of a lightning bolt, barely even allowing herself to take a moment to breathe. She then ran through the house and all the way to her bedroom, only then letting out a long breath of relief once she'd closed the door behind her. She was now safe. And she'd successfully avoided another encounter with that ghost of a male.

.•**•.

She could barely even realize what was happening as at some point throughout the night, she suddenly picked up the faint and melodious sounds of piano keys.

They gently caressed her eardrums, over and over again, with each note feeling more and more awake, until she had fully risen herself into a sitting position, hazily looking around the room.

Rubbing the sleep off of her heavy lids, she listened for a few moments longer, struggling to focus onto it since she could barely hear it as it came from somewhere inside the house.

Few more moments passed as she simply listened, strangely enough feeling so drawn to the beautiful song, even if she had never been very fond of this particular instrument before. She hadn't even taken it much into account. Yet for some unknown reason, she seemed to can't get enough of it now...It enticed her and beckoned her to come closer... listen to it better...

And against her better judgement, she climbed down from the bed, careful enough to put on the thickest and longest robe she owned as she most definitely wasn't going to make the same mistake twice and give anyone else a view at her sexy lingerie. She then tiptoed downstairs, choosing to hide herself behind the wall as she closely listened, enraptured by the magical sound.

She even found herself taking a seat on the floor, making herself a little bit more comfortable -well, as comfortable as one could get by sitting onto a cold and hard marble flooring- listening to the song as she sat completely still.

Sometime throughout the tune, she slowly started to feel so...curious...

So intrigued that she dared scoot closer and take a peek, only to notice the same male from the other night dressed the same way -top hat and all- and with that same frightening appearance painted over his face as from her spot, she could perfectly see his side profile, the ghostly male sitting on the stool in such a calm, tranquil manner whilst his long fingers expertly touched the keys of the piano.

Gazing at the side of his neck, she noticed what appeared to be a big and red-colored rose tattoo with dark leaves and thorns. She did not fail to also notice that both the back of his hands were tattooed as well as her eyes interestedly trailed all over his form, finding herself so intimidated and yet so...intrigued by the sight of him.

What was his deal? Why was he looking like that? Surely there had to be a story behind all that...

So lost in thought, she almost missed the way that his dark eyes ever so subtly shifted in her direction, the girl however being quick to hide herself back behind that wall, her heart now drumming wildly inside her chest as the thought of being caught by him terrified her to no end.