I felt safe. Maybe even content. I could lie here for the rest of my life. As I slowly adjusted to reality I could feel the arms wrapped around my waist, the arms that had held me until I cried myself to sleep. Momentarily their grip tightened, but they slowly released. I wanted to stay like this forever, well maybe not forever, but until I no longer had any breathe left inside me, until none of this was important.
I could hear the steady sound of my heart beating, counting down till its job was complete.
"Its all right", I said softly in my dream like state, I didn't know why I said it, but I felt his arms release and the words left hanging in the air "I promise I will be back soon" as I heard the door close softly behind him.
I floated, a million miles away. I was no longer attached to my body. Nothing was necessary any longer. No pain, anger, hunger, confusion, war, just me. My stomach rumbled loudly, and all too quickly I landed heavily back on earth. I sat up and looked at the fading sunlight. Everything always looked more beautiful in the golden wash of sunset, even the concrete landscape of Los Angeles. I did a recount of events. It was hard to believe that it had only been 24 hours since I was dragged to that club. For some reason if felt much longer. But then again time wasn't something you could count on, even though we tried to count it, sometimes it liked to bend the rules to.
I wasn't alone anymore, "Have you always been in the habit of entering rooms quietly and standing there?"
"Not always, it is something you develop over time, its better sometimes to observe a situation before plunging head on into it" the response had already formed itself and escaped before I had time to reconsider.
"Am I a situation? Interesting, I have been called a lot of things but not a situation"
My stomach rumbled again, reminding me that it was in dire need of food, I turned away from the enchantment of the sunset and looked at him. "Well this situation is hungry, so unless you are going to feed it, it will be going"
A smile curved over his lips "Of course I intend to feed my situation, what kind of host do you take me for?"
The kitchen was spotless. I could see my reflection mirrored in the splashback.
I got the feeling that Mordecai didn't eat in often. A kitchen didn't stay this clean just from a rigorous cleaning ritual.
Nevertheless he seated me at the table and next thing I knew there was quite a meal in front of me. I gulped down the spaghetti on the plate. Food had never tasted so good.
"Do you always sit and watch people while they eat? It's somewhat disconcerting that's all. People feel rather vulnerable while they are eating" a slight change passed his eyes, but it was gone before I had time to even consider it.
"Well you are finished now, so I don't think it matters" I looked down at my empty plate. I smiled. Touché.
I stood up and started to clear the dishes to the sink. With him next to me, I cleaned while he dried. I went to place the last cup on the shelf, I stood on the tips of my toes trying to reach, but I could feel it slipping as I tried to edge it over the side of the shelf. His hand was on top of mine and he slid the cup over the side.
Momentarily I felt trapped. Nervousness weighed itself down in the pit of my stomach.
"I should be going, it's getting late" I escaped to the door. "Thankyou for everything, if there is ever anything that I can do for you I would be happy to…."
His smile stopped me mid sentence. He already had something, I knew it, and he knew that I had realised it.
"Well now that you mention it, I would like it if you would come dancing with me"
"I'm afraid dancing isn't really my thing"
"I would be happy to teach you"
This was starting to sound familiar.
I sighed. I really did not want to go. I didn't really like to go anywhere, let alone dancing with a man I barely knew and who was one of the most egotistical men I had ever met. But he had saved me, no matter how cliqued that sounded. I owed him.
I prepared myself for defeat "Ok, I suppose it can't be that bad"
He knew he had won, that annoying smile on his face, while he stood there with his hands in his pockets. It irritated me, everything about him irritated me.
I wasn't someone who liked to admit defeat, so the sooner I could get out of here and pretend that I hadn't sold out the better.
I had a feeling that somehow things were quite quickly spiralling out of my control.
