Interlude

Chapter 8

Dev drove through the relatively empty freeway, Rose quiet beside him. She'd changed into a pair of knit tights, a brown sweatshirt and short winter boots. It considerably lightened his anger.

"Dev?" Her small voice echoed in the rumbling silence between them.

"Hmm..."

"I'm hungry."

He glanced at her, but she was turned the other way, looking out the window.

"Alright." he replied, softly.

It was one in the morning. Their only option would be a drive-thru, which neither of them minded. He took the exit leading to his apartment but made a detour to an A&W.

Before she could even look at the menu, he turned to her to ask, "Spicy chicken burger?"

"Um...yeah." There was no need to actually answer. It's what she always ordered at any drive-thru.

He lowered his window. "Two spicy chicken burgers."

"Three" she interrupted. When he glanced at her, she supplied, "I'm very hungry."

Despite the heaviness of the entire night, his lips pursued into a ghost of a smile. "Make that three burgers. Fries?" he asked her the last part.

She shook her head.

Shortly after, she found herself stepping into Dev's high-rise condo. The entryway was narrow but organized neatly with a plain bench in natural wood and black hooks at the top. It led her into a modern kitchen with high end appliances. There was a marble counter top in the center and bar stools tucked underneath it. A round dining table surrounded by four beige fabric chairs lay beyond. The living area consisted of a long gray couch, a rectangular coffee table and two arm chairs on the other side. To the right, a path led toward the bedrooms. All around the walls, tasteful pieces of artwork and picture frames were spread in perfect harmony. Bringing in all these elements together, in a theme of sheer grandeur were the massive floor-to-ceiling windows that spread across one entire wall.

The space screamed of luxury, comfort, style and a promise of a long successful journey ahead.

"You own this? she asked, though she already knew the answer.

"Yes.".

It had been uncomfortable to stand with him in her shabby, broken apartment. But now surrounded by such wealth and luxury she felt completely out of place. The burst of twinkling city lights beckoned her towards the window. She took cautious steps toward it. A gasp left her lips at the view that lay ahead.

It was breathtaking. The entire Vancouver skyline in a single, sweeping image.

Dev had always considered this view as the focal point of his home. It had been the primary reason to buy the condo. He had spent numerous mornings and even more evenings watching the seasons play out on. Some days the sun drowned the city in it's bright warmth. Other days, like tonight, the clouds roared in all their splendor. Once a year, the city was obscured by a blanket of sparkling snowflakes. The seasons came by but the view beyond his home remained constant in it's theme of beauty.

Until this moment.

This woman, with her wavy brown hair, was doing something peculiar to the view outside, simply by standing in front of it. He strained to understand at first. But as she remained there longer, her back to him, realization creeped in. The shape of her body, the curve of her waist, the locks of hair which, from a distance, seem to cut through the glass in tantalizing waves - it all had one purpose...