Chapter Five - Lisbeth

Davon is far more handsome in person. The photos really filtered out his gorgeousness. His eyes – What I previously thought were brown, are not brown at all, but the most unusual green; green and Amber mixed together in a piercing, devouring gaze.

Money knows no bounds. This huge, stunning house. The Liberton Co clothes he had brought me ‘in my size’ fit perfectly. And now dinner in this big room with white walls, marble floor and a chandelier. And, hats off to him, he must have paid attention to our conversations online because I am pretty confident I can smell my favourite food cooking.

“I don’t know what you feel I deserve but I am honestly very thankful.” I smile up at him and he reaches forward to take my hand in his again. His big hands were warm and neatly taken care of.

“You deserve to feel happy, Liz. I can help, if you’d accept it, of course. If not you’re free to stay as long as you wish and leave when it suits you. The choice is yours alone, but you have my support no matter what direction you turn.”

“Thanks. Really.” I find my gaze drawn to a man in a white outfit that strode towards us with plates of steaming food balanced in his arms. “I think our food is ready.”

The man in the white outfit laid the plates in front of us, bowed slightly, and strode away.

“I requested your favourite. Smoked salmon with butter potatoes and a side of fries. I must say, it’s a little odd having two types of potatoes in one dish, but it looks great nonetheless.”

“It’s appreciated, Davon. It smells wonderful.” I admit and tuck in right away, picking up the chips in my fingers.

Davon watches with curiosity, a small smile pulls at his lips.

I immediately realise what I’m doing and put the chip back and clean my fingers before I pick up the cutlery. Of course I forgot my manners. This isn’t Sencuba Bay. I needed to eat with more dignity here in the city, if not, it is considered as rude, from what I understood from reading books set within cities. Davon is shaking his head lightly, withholding his brilliant smile as he does so.

“Sorry.” I mutter before eating a forkful of food.

“Don’t worry. I don’t expect you to know city etiquette if you’ve never been to the city. Relax, Liz.” He moves in a little closer and whispers in my ear. “But I seriously hope you do stay long enough to understand.” I sense him smelling me up this close. Not in a weird, creepy way. More like when you catch a nice smell and you end up hunting it down to find the source. It’s me. I’m the source…

It’s only just now I realize I’m alone with Davon. Where had Gabriel buggered off to? Giving us some privacy I’m guessing, since this table is large enough to seat at least fifteen, maybe twenty if some stand. Who Am I kidding? No one stands up at tables to eat, not in Uryburg.

“So, what made you decide to use my money to come to The City?” Davon asks, picking up a tall glass full of bubbling liquid. I have some too, now I have come to notice.

“Why wouldn’t I?” It felt like a trick question. Did he not give me the money to come here? Was it just bait to see if I’d bite?

Davon shrugs softly, hardly a movement at all. “Most people wouldn’t.”

“Wouldn’t what?”

“Use my money for something they say they will.”

“Well.” I pick up my tall glass, sniff it before tasting it. It is sweet and refreshing. It feels like my tongue is being massaged by hundreds of popping bubbles. “I’m not ‘most people’. Luckily for you. What did you expect me to spend half a million on?” I put the glass back down and carry on eating.

He glances sideways toward me. And for a short second I see pain in his eyes, although well hidden. “Drugs. A bigger house. Food. Something you’d need. Not everyone has your heart, Lisbeth. A lot of people would have taken the money for their own benefit.”

I clear the plate and sit back, using a napkin to clean my mouth and hands. “There was no reason to not trust you. You seemed nice when we spoke on the dating website. You made me smile most days. And back home… Back at Sencuba Bay, I felt life lacked a lot of things. I lacked meaning and purpose.”

“Hmm, I made you smile, you say?” He smiles again and looks toward me, his sultry gaze flickers to my lips and neck and back to settle on my gaze once again. He looked like a hungry dog, eyeing up a juicy bone.

“Yes. Most days.” I begin to chew my bottom lip and look away. I can’t deal with his hungry eyes.

“And yet you always left without saying goodbye. I always presumed I just bored you.” He’s teasing me now and I can feel his eyes burning holes on my skin.

“You were far from boring, Davon. I left without saying goodbye because goodbyes feel permanent. And I didn’t want it to be permanent.”

“How about ‘speak soon’? That’s not permanent.” His voice was low now. Nothing more than a whisper.

“I didn’t think of that.”

“Well, now you know for next time.”

I smile to myself and look back to his gaze which has now softened.

“When we are done eating, I’d like to show you around the house.” He looked at his ‘Curtel’ watch. A watch that caught the light and glistened like the ocean waves. “And maybe tomorrow you can meet the others.”

“The others?” I lean back as our plates get taken from us. And at this stage, I’m worrying just slightly. The others?

“You’ll see.” He flashed a small smile and clicked his fingers as the cook strode beside him with the empty plates. The wordless action sends the cook back to the kitchen, only to come back out with two bowls, towering with colour and shapes.

“What is this?” I ask as the bowl gets set in front of me.

“This, my darling, is cheesecake ice cream, topped with whipped cream, strawberries and sprinkles. A treat from yours truly.”

“Wow. Back home we never had things like this. And fruit was for breakfast.” I take a spoonful of everything at once and give it a taste. And oh holy sandstorms, is it good! I almost sink into a puddle on the floor. The tartness of the ice cream, with chunks of biscuit, mixes wonderfully with the smooth sweetness of the cream. The strawberries give every mouthful a burst of freshness. My eyes roll to the back of my head.

“Better than sex?” Davon asks cooly.

“I wouldn’t know. But if sex is as good as this there will be no issues.” I chuckle and eat more till the bowl is empty. I feel like I could eat that ten times over.

“You’ve never had sex?” Davon asks, almost sad.

“Well, no. Sex is for making babies and being a 30 year old woman in a small community and no men around my age to procreate, it’s a little hard.”

This made Davon even more curious. I can see it in his eyes, the way he’s studying me.

“Have you ever had an orgasm?”

“Once or twice I think.”

“Once or twice you think?”

“Well, sharing a bunk bed with my sister in a house that is only one small room was a little difficult.”

“Then, what were you doing when you thought you had an orgasm?” Davon was facing me now. Hands relaxed together in front of him.

“Swimming in the ocean.”

He raised a curious eyebrow. “You touched yourself while swimming?”

I shrug softly. “A little.”

He smiled a little and reaches out, allowing me to take his hand if I wanted to. And, of course I did. His big hands envelope mine like a warm blanket. He guides me to my feet and keeps me close. Close enough to feel his body heat radiating from him. Close enough to feel his slow breathing. Close enough to reach out and touch him if I wanted to. He kept one of my hands in his, and led me away from the dining table.

His walk is slow, his shoes clacking with mine against the marble floor. I look around the house as we walk through it. The paintings on the walls and the sculptures and water features and huge windows. He leads me to a doorway and opens it so I can take a look inside.

Inside, is a medium sized room, long with a screen at one end and rows of reclining seats. I can feel Davon’s body behind me, his breath down my neck. “Cinema room. Every Saturday night we have a film on.”

I nod and turn back to him. “Pretty cool.” Davon steps back and closes the door behind us and leads us down another hallway. These hallways seem endless, and in no time at all I had seen the indoor swimming pool, the bar, the gym, and best of all the library. A house with a bloody library. Bookshelves upon bookshelves of beautiful books. “I must say this is my favorite room so far.” I run my fingers over the spines of some books at eye level and smile.

Again, I feel Davon’s heat behind me. This time, he growls into my ear. “That’s because I haven’t shown you the bedroom yet.” A shiver crawls down my spine and heats up the space between my hips.

I have never felt like this before. My heart races and my breathing hitches. I close my eyes and feel him press closer. “Maybe one day, I can show you what you’re missing.” He turns me so I can look him in the eyes. “But it is up to you to decide when is best for you. Just whisper those words in my ear, and I will show you a whole world you have never known.”

He wants to kiss me. He has a dark, heavy lidded look. His eyes were basically already kissing me. I lick my lips and nod gently.

“ Good. Now, come this way, I have a few more things to show you. “ He leads me back through the dining room and up some gorgeous black marble stairs with a low hanging chandelier. Up these stairs and down yet more hallways (God, how many hallways does this place have? I must have walked more in this house alone than I have in my entire life back at Sencuba Bay.) were doors either side of us. He points to one. “If you ever need me, this is my room. And this one right opposite is yours.” He opens the door to lead me inside. This is not the same temporary room that Gabriel took me to earlier. This was much larger and grander. The bed looks neat with black sheets. It must have been the same size as the entire shack back home. And best of all, I notice a bathroom. A bathroom inside a bedroom? How frickin awesome is this?

“Wow. Davon. This is…” I can’t find the word as I walk inside the bathroom, complete with a black porcelain throne, full body mirror and humungus shower. “My very own bathroom and shower? Davon… this is incredible.” There’s the word I was looking for…

“Of course. Where else would you have a bathroom?” He cocks an eyebrow and I don’t tell him that back home the toilet cubicles are shared and the ‘shower’ consists of taking a dip in the ocean.

“Now… come.” Davon takes my hand and leads me to a table beside the bed where there was a few bags in the chair. He dives into one and first pulls out a smallish box and sits on the bed. “I thought, since you didn’t have one, I’d buy you a phone. Here.” He hands it to me and I open the box and stare at the flat black screen. “Go ahead and set it up whenever you’re ready. Take your time to get used to it. I’ll put your important contacts in tomorrow. Like mine, and Lakistas.”

He dives back into the bag and pulls out a larger box. “And a laptop. In case you wanted one. I’ll get it set up whenever you want to.”

The rustle of the bag again, and I’m sat here dumbstruck, staring at the phone in its box.

“I brought you Make-up. I brought you a few sets of clothes, just to get you started. I also managed to get you a debit card so you can store your money and a nice bag to carry your things around in.”

“Davon.” My voice is hardly there at all and I set the phone down next to everything else. “Thank you. But I don’t need all this stuff…” I blink at everything laid out on the bed in between us.

“Yes, you do. You may not have back home. But here, it’s important. You need a mobile phone to keep in touch with people. Send emails. Take pictures. Find your way around the big city. Phones are important in the city. So are debit cards for your money, so you can buy food and clothes and pay for your house or car… Lisbeth. I know this is a big cultural change for you, I understand that, I really do, and I’ll help you in any way I can. With your phone you’ll be able to speak with your sister every day. “

“But..”

“Shh. I gave Gabriel a phone, my old one, to give to Lakista when he dropped you off to give to Arianna. So, all you need to do is save my old number in your phone and set it as your sister’s name.

“ Oh. “ I picked the box up again and took the thin device out, along with its charger and booklet. Upon a quick read, I manage to turn it on. Bright white words erupt on the screen. ‘Sxi-Phone EX’.

“I know it feels like a lot. Especially after having basically nothing.” Thunder rumbled like a giant beast outside, rolling over thick dark clouds. “It’s all necessary. Maybe apart from the make up. You are beautiful already. But it’s there if you ever decide to use it, at least.”

“Thank you. It’s a lot to take in, but thank you.” I try and smile but my attention is drawn to the phone which has now turned on.

“Well, you get settled, OK? Breakfast gets served at 8am . Your alarms are set for 630 so you can get ready for then.

“ Sure. Sounds fantastic. “ I nod lightly. I watch him as he makes his leave. I can’t help but eyeball his strong, broad shoulders and his butt which look fine as hell in the suit. He almost catches me staring.

“I’ll see you in the morning, Lisbeth. If you need anything you know where to find me.”

“Yep! Right opposite!” I grin, almost embarrassed at having dirty thoughts about him.

“Right opposite. Sleep well my little darling.”

The door closes.