Alexander's Disappearance

09

        "How suspicious." I stepped out of the car. 

         On our second 'date', he was taking me home. If anyone was spying on us, this would look highly suspicious. I wouldn't be surprised if Elijah hired someone to spy on my every move. I tried my best to convince him that I had nothing to do with Alexander's case, but if he was smart, he wouldn't trust me. Elijah was intelligent, but I really doubt anyone can see me from here or know I'd be here. For now, I must not worry about Elijah, only that I just hope in a few hours, I don't see myself on the front page with Noah next to me. The worst part is, we were heading to his penthouse. 

         Noah chuckled. "I think this is the best place possible."

         He lived alone in a spacious penthouse with no one by his side. We entered the private elevator silently... All was silent but my beating heart. I don't know what came over me, but I was suddenly anxious. I haven't talked to a man one-on-one like this for a while, and I must have subconsciously assumed Noah was a person I was seeing. We just met. I didn't want to rush any connection. I needed to let him know that. I don't know what we were. Friends? Frenemies? I was still skeptical about his motives, and I wonder if he was skeptical of me. I mustn't trust anyone. Here I was, standing in the elevator, waiting for the door to open to enter this man's place. A place where he eats alone, sleeps alone—maybe, and simply lives alone. I was nervous, yet confused. "Noah," I said. I walked out, took off my heels gently and set them on the shoe shelf. I turned around to face him. "What do you want from this connection?"

        He raised his eyebrows in amusement. "Wow, you're blunt."

        I followed him with his eyes. He walked past me and towards the large seating area. The penthouses in the city are extremely extravagant and modern. If I wasn't still living in Alexander's mansion, I would've moved into a snug penthouse in New York. It was very unlike Noah to have a modern—almost futuristic—place. I expected there to be darker tones involved, but overall, I was very in love with the living room. Windowpanes were surrounding the main area, and I could see the city from below. White coaches, chairs, glass tables, a marbled kitchen top, and wooden flooring. It was pretty, but I'd never expected Noah to even like something like this.

       Especially the peculiar-shaped furniture. The glass table in the middle of the couches, in front of the fireplace, was a rectangular glass top resting on a wooden V-shaped bottom. There were a few tall, odd chairs with a large gap in the middle around the dining table and the dining table had three stone-made naked alien sculptures holding up the glass top. I wanted to know where he found these items. I observed the white triangular, three-dimensional fireplace. 

       The only thing that weirded me out was the number of windows. I was glad I lived in a house rather than a place where a drone might fly by and spy on your every move.

       "I guess you're an exhibitionist," I commented, still in awe. 

       Noah laughed. "You can say that."

      "What made you choose... this design?" I asked. I walked to the couches and sat down properly. Although I felt like Noah and I were on friendly terms, I still felt uncomfortable making myself at home here. 

        "I originally went with a dark industrial design, but I felt moodier and dull," he said as he poured two glasses of water. While talking, he held them both and walked towards me. He sat close to me and placed the glass on the table. 

       Looking away from him, I took the glass in front of me and sipped. 

       Noah continued, "Hate feeling like that. So I said—to my interior designer, who is a very comedic French man named Mark—, 'Let's change it up. I want a modern look, with futuristic funky furniture.'"