The Fall

Friday Night Continues

PENTHOUSE

CLAIRE POV

"You were not kidding about the 'To the skies part' thief. Who did you steal this from?" I poked at him verbally, wondering if he thought the moniker was endearing or annoying.

"Indirectly, from people with far too much money and not enough sense." He freed my shoulders from his leather coat and hung it on a stand by the door. Rough fingers brushed smooth skin and sparks danced down my arm.

"I am going to need to hear more about that..." I said as my eyes wandered around the open plan of his penthouse. It was stunning. Decorated in brown, woody tones with white and cream furnishings. A teardrop fireplace hung from the ceiling in the corner near the door.

Cream couches faced a larger than life tv with a white shaggy carpet spread over dark mahogany floor boards squaring off the cozy space near the fire. On the opposite wall, a white marble kitchen opened to the space, complete with a long thite bench and shining with stainless steel appliances. Appliances that were less than pristine, indicating the man actually used his kitchen.

The place was huge. It must occupy at least half the space this entire floor had to offer. A few doors branched off into places unknown, I didn't even want to think about how dear the rent would be. Doubt soured my excitement, he was obviously rich, what did he want with a waitress? Was I a toy? A break from his regular acquaintances? Was he simply acting out against the strictures of his normal life?

The throbbing protrusions claiming to be my feet found their way over the smooth cool floorboards and out to a balcony that wrapped around two sides of the penthouse apartment. I should have taken the lift Xavier offered halfway here, but my ego didn't let me, and my feet paid the price.

The clouds had finally wrung themselves dry, and I lifted my face and arms to the sky. Allowing the breeze of heaven's kisses to roll across the sensitive parts of my neck and palms. It was cool and grounding.

In the face of nature we are all just human after all.

"You look like you are about to fly away." That voice was so uniquely Xavier, and it sounded like it tasted; whisky, honey and sex. There was a peculiar wonder and longing twisting the whimsy of that sentence into something more, but for the life of me I was unable to discern what.

I opened my eyes to see him standing in the doorway. A silhouette traced with gold, two deep glasses of red wine held out to either side. I captured the moment to store in my personal gallery, and felt quite unable to catch my breath.

"Perhaps I am. Maybe it's my turn to disappear into the unknown." It finally registered that we were alone. All alone. Just him and I and the palpable tension drawing us together.

"I had better distract you then, and postpone the inevitable breaking of my heart." He was making his way over to me. Slow deliberate steps that commanded more attention and generated more tension than a headlong rush into my arms would have.

"Oh hah, very funny, do you know how corny some of the things coming out of your mouth are? Do you rehearse these lines in front of the mirror?" Stars twinkled out from the heavens, watching what would happen next as I goaded the approaching stranger.

"Every Sunday. To prepare for another week of breaking hearts and spreading legs." He delivered the line with a dead sarcastic tone that bit at my sensibilities and rankled my pride.

"Seriously? I preferred the other guy. Can you bring him back? Here I thought I was special." I turned away from Xavier and pouted. Pretending to be hurt while a small but angry flame burnt in my chest.