Sonic: Earthbound

Chapter 24

Alex's mouth was in a perpetual state of slack-jawed awe as Patrick led her through the front door of the main house and into a large foyer.

Patrick flicked on the lights, took a deep breath and called out, "HELLOOO? ANYONE HOOOOME?" His voice echoed, though just slightly, throughout the house. But, of course, he was greeted by nothing but silence. "Yeah... I didn't think so. I guess we're safe."

Alex shook her head, bewildered. "Why do you even need such a big house? I mean, if no one's ever even here to enjoy it?"

"I guess they thought it would be good for raising two kids in... or something. But my sister went on a 'self-exploration journey' in Europe and, frankly, never came back."

Alex raised a single eyebrow. "Hmm... Maybe she never found herself, so she's still looking," she mused playfully, hoping her joke would take the edge off his discomfort when speaking of his estranged family.

Patrick let out an amused snort. "Come on." He took her hand, making her blush, as he led her up one of a pair of matching staircases that led to the second floor of the house.

"Seriously??? You have two staircases? I feel like I should be coming down them in a ballgown or something, like that one scene in the Titanic, or in Beauty and the Beast."

"Oh, c'mon," he said exasperatedly, and yet the image of Alex in a ballgown painted a pretty picture in his mind. "I'll take you to my parents' master bathroom. Get you something to wear, and I'll throw our wet stuff into laundry."

"Your parents' master... Oh! Wait, wait, wait! I have to ask, and please let me know if I'm overstepping my boundaries, but do your parents have, like, a luxury bath? Ya know, like with the jets and everything? What's that called? Like, a... a jacuzzi or something?"

Patrick glanced over his shoulder at Alex, wearing an expression that seemed to say, 'C'mon, We're not that rich.' However, he sighed and turned forward once more. "What do you think?" he asked. "My parents are preposterous."

But Alex's smile only widened. "You call it preposterous... I call it brilliant! Your parents are brilliant, Patrick! You're brilliant! Do you think I could, ya know, like, use it?" She chewed her lip nervously, trying not to look too eager, even though she was grinning behind that lip bite.

"Well..."

Alex hugged his arm and leaned against him. "Pleeeaase?"

Patrick glanced down at her. Her off-the-shoulder sweater had been slipping further down since their romp in the pool. And now, here she was pressing firmly against his arm. That begging expression of hers certainly didn't help matters, either. With a deep breath, he acquiesced.

"Oh, all right."

Alex fist-pumped the air. "YES!"

Patrick just shook his head. This girl had no idea what she did to him. As he led her through the master bedroom, Alex did her best to tiptoe across the carpet.

"Man... I feel really bad dripping water all over your parents' floor like this."

But Patrick was hardly worried about dripping over his parents' bedroom carpet. They were almost never home to even know any better. It'd be dry by the time his mom got home from work... whenever that might be. The master bathroom was just annexed off the side of the bedroom, across from a pair of French doors which led out onto a small balcony. There they found the jacuzzi.

"Here we go. This bathroom is crazy. There's a sound system, a dimmer switch for the lights, and the jacuzzi controls are on the wall by the tub."

"Whoa...Sweet!" Alex went over to inspect everything, only to chew her lip again and glance sheepishly at Patrick. "Um... I have no idea how to work any of this," she admitted. "Would you...?" she left her question hanging with a simple tilt of her head.