I leaned to the side trying to see him better in the murkiness and rubbed my naked thighs together to discard a tingle. “I need pants if I’m going to go outside and travel.”
“You’re not going to go outside and travel.”
“Oh, I plan on leaving you soon.”
“Cross that off your fucking to-do list then.”
“I can’t, I apologise, I wrote it on with permanent marker.”
“Then I’ll get you a new piece of paper to re-do your to-do list.”
“That’s a waste of paper. Think of the trees.”
“I’ll plant some more trees.”
“They take a long time to grow.”
“You’re not going outside, once you go outside everyone’s going to tear you apart.” He sipped his drink. “And that’smyjob.”
The upside-down man in the spare room started to cry again.
I leaned over the table with my wine glass of water and held it out. “Should we cheer?”
“What?”
“Should we clink glasses in celebration of our first date?”
“Our what?”
“This is our first date, is it not? It’s very romantic. I just might fall in love with you.”
He glared at me for a long time. Smothered in dark and cuddled in his hood and sunglasses, I had no way of distinguishing the features on his face nor any expression that emitted from him. His silence spoke of nothing. The flickering candlelight highlighted the love heart red rims on his sunglasses.
“Is there hot water here?” I asked.
“Eat your food.”
“Can I have a bath?”
“Nice try, but I’m not leaving you alone to climb out of the window.”
“You can watch.”
He dropped his fork on the plate, glaring at me from the other side of the table. “Yes.”
25
I sat on the edge of the mattress looking through the ensuite door as Dig ran the bath. There was something about the deep powerful gush of bath water that drowned out worries, the appetiser for what would come: relaxation. Steam fogged the bathroom, the balmy sweet heat already reaching my cheeks.
My brows sprung up with delight as Dig poured in bath oils and brought out a loofa.
“Where did you find all these beauty products from?”
“The stores.” He pulled out shampoo and conditioner.
“You looted them.”
“No, I bought them at the supermarket. Of course, I looted them.”
