Live-In Strangers

CHAPTER 2: What now?

The car stopped at the underground parking lot of the tall building it entered earlier.

It was a little bit long drive from where I was, but not long enough for me to finish the large fries and drink he bought from the drive-thru.

"You live in this building?"

"Yeah. Impressed?" he smirked.

I ignored what he said and continued to ask, "So, you're rich."

After he put away the seatbelt, he looked at me again. "Sure am. I own this building."

Is he serious?

"Pff..." He started chuckling. "It has to be that to impress you? You're kinda hard to impress."

"I'm not impressed," I scowled. "I'm surprised. That's different."

"Uh-huh. So, what do you think? Living with me won't be so bad, ain't it?"

"It'll be hard to tell just from that."

He was still chuckling when we get off the car. I can't help but think how he got a knack for pissing people off.

I still can't believe I'm at this moment right now.

I was just walloping because of my pathetic life few minutes ago, now I'm with this sketchy rich guy who asked me to live with him. Geez. Talk about unexpected life turn.

"Zero-One-One-Two-One."

The guy looked at me.

I gave him a questioning look. He smiled.

"That's the passcode."

"Oh..." I nodded. "You mean, I can go out and come back here?"

He pushed the door opened. "Well, of course. Were you planning to coop up yourself in here? That's not good for someone who's growing up. You should have fun and explore the world."

I looked around. This is the topmost floor. And his penthouse was the only room here. His place is goddamn spacious and luxurious. Everything seems shining. And I think it kinda suits his image. The paint was a balanced mixture of bright and dark colors. And I can't help but notice how most of the designs were geometric patterns. Puzzling and mysterious, but unexpectedly complementary of each other. Just like him. But then again, what do I know about this man? Technically, nothing.

I cleared my throat. "I thought you won't let me out anymore."

"What?" He stopped taking off his coat and turned to me. He stared for seconds, before laughing. "What... Are you serious? You think I would lock you up in here? Oh, damn. You're so funny!" He wiped the corner of his eyes.

"It wasn't that funny."

He raised his hand and gestured me to wait as he tried to contain his laughter.

"Okay, so..." He coughed. "I won't lock you up. Or even threaten you to stay here for that matter. I asked you to live with me, you agreed. That's all there is to it. Did I make it clear?"

I shrugged. "I guess so."

"... Okay. That's good enough. So, do you remember the passcode?"

"Zero-One-One-Two-One. Yes."

He grinned. "Good girl. Use that if you went out." He started loosening his tie. "You can walk around, so you can familiarize yourself. Feel at home, please. You'll live here from now on, after all. As for me, I'll take a shower first. You can take one, too, later. So you can sleep well tonight."

After that, he left and disappeared behind one door.

How is everything so natural to him? He may be a stranger to me, but so I was to him. He's letting someone he doesn't know in his home as if it was no big deal.

I took his word and roamed around the house.

He's complete with everything. From the appliances, down to kitchen utensils. His fridge was filled, too. But his cooking equipments look untouched. Not surprising. After all, he looks like someone who would eat in some fancy restaurant instead of troubling himself to cook. To be fair, he seems to be rich enough to do that all his life.

He doesn't have a second floor, instead he has this whole and wide floor for his own penthouse.

After few minutes, I got tired and sat down the couch. If I'll live here from now on, then I won't need to check all of the rooms in one day. I'll have several days to do that.

I took out the MP3 player out of my hoodie's pocket and sighed.

I was planning to listen to music while waiting for that stranger to go out of the shower, but before I could do that, he already stepped out.

The door to bathroom was on the farther left side of the open living room.

He was wearing a bathrobe and was holding a towel to his head. His bathrobe was a bit loose, exposing a bit skin of his chest. From that small glimpse, I could already tell that he has great body beneath that robe. And as the moment was in that direction, my mind finally has the chance to take in his facial features. Tall nose, dark and deep set of eyes, reddish thin lips, strong, angular jaw, cleanly shaved. He's indeed a man. Strikingly handsome one, at that.

"You're drooling."

My eyes widened and reflexively reached for mouth.

He laughed. "Just kidding. But don't stare at me like that. You're making me conscious. I can understand why, though." When he saw my disgusted eyes, he chortled. "Pff. Just kidding again. You can stop now with that look. You're hurting my feelings."

Wow. He's so freakin' annoying.

"Oh, do you have spare clothes? I don't think I kept women clothes here and it's too late at night to ask my secretary to buy you some." He leaned against the wall near him.

I hugged my bag closer to me and answered me in a small voice. "I... I have the undergarments..."

Why am I feeling embarrassed over this?

"Really? That's perfect. I'll let you borrow my clothes. I don't think I have your size, though.. Whatever. You can go in the shower now." After that he left again.

Geez. He really doesn't care about anything, does he?

I walked into the shower. As expected, it was bigger than the apartment I lived in my whole life.

I wonder what would Fatima think when she found out about this.

Staying long under the shower and sinking myself into the comfortable bathtub after made me look back to everything that happened in my life.

The days I was weakened by not eating for days, the times I would have to stay out and cold, wet from the heavy rain, because Fatima's drunk and won't let me in the apartment, the days I'll get beaten, had to deal with Fatima's good-for-nothing and perverted boyfriends and clients... To think I'd survived living like that, I'm quite strong, aren't I?

And, considering everything that happened, perhaps it's not surprise that I would just suddenly decide to live with a stranger. Like, yeah, sure. Come what may.

And as if he knew I'm thinking of him, a knock was heard on the door, followed by a low, manly voice.

"I'll leave the clothes here. It's the smallest ones I found, but would still be bigger for you, I'm sure. Just make do with it for tonight. We'll buy your clothes tomorrow," he paused. "Then, I'll be on the living room now."

After I heard the door closed, I didn't hear anything more.

I buried my face on my hands.

Okay... From now on, I'll be living with that man.

Then... now what?