got to New York the night before we met at the docks.”
“What makes you think I can fly, then?” If he didn’t know before, then I had just given it away.
“What can I say? I’m great at reading people. It’s a gift.” He was grinning ear to ear now. This wasn’t us bonding. He was interrogating me.
“Fine, don’t tell me.” Maybe a less controversial topic would get me answers. “What do all of those tattoos mean?”
“I don’t know. They were from a fortune cookie.” He fell back onto the bed and started laughing at his own bad joke. “They look good, right?”
“I think you’re full of it.” Let him stab me, I was getting nowhere except learning he was a total jackass.
He was playing with the tassel on a pillow now. “If you’re not gonna take this seriously then I’m not either.”
“Me? I am being serious. You’re the one giving me all these ridiculous answers.” I regretted saying that almost immediately. He sat up again at the edge of the bed and stared at me.
“So, I’ll ask you again.” His eyes were piercing right into me like in the alley. “Can you fly?” he said, enunciating each word slowly.
“No! Okay, sort of …” I didn’t know how to respond without sounding like a total moron. He raised an eyebrow and waited for me to get the words out.
This was so uncomfortable to have a discussion about. “I’ve tried, but I’m bad at it. I can go up, but that’s pretty much it.”
He clapped his hands in sarcasm. “There we go, finally some honesty.”
“Answer my question now. Why are people trying to abduct me?” I heard the door opening behind me and hopped out of the way.
It was the lovely Vivian again. She gracefully stepped into the room and smiled warmly at me. She looked at Noah on the bed and the dirty sheets. She was visibly displeased, but didn’t mention it.
“Your presence is requested in the ballroom,” she told him. “Please get dressed and meet us there.”
Noah let out an exaggerated sigh and leaned back, looking at her. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”
Vivian gently closed the door behind her. I suddenly felt like I shouldn’t be a witness to whatever was about to happen. Noah just lay there grinning at her as she walked up to him and sat on the bed.
“Can you please be good tonight?” She put a finger on his chest and slowly traced it down his abs, all the while staring into his eyes. Her French accent could have melted the coldest heart. “For me.”
“Why mess with perfection?” Noah gave a sly wink and pulled her on top of him.
He shifted gears and got up from the bed so suddenly that Vivian was almost knocked over. Sauntering to the door, he swung it open and paused, stretching his arms against the framework and nodding to a couple passing by who were dressed for the red carpet. He disappeared in his usual fashion, followed by Vivian.
Party guests strolled by, looking in at me. Left standing there awkwardly, I closed the door, not knowing exactly what my captors expected of me. It didn’t seem like there would be much resistance if I tried to leave, but this could be a trap.
Of course my cell phone was gone, so I couldn’t call for help.
I stepped out of the bedroom and into a massive corridor with wide marble floors and hand-carved ceilings. The walls were decorated with oil paintings and mirrors illuminated by candlelight on either side. Every few feet were another set of luxurious baroque furniture: loveseats and sofas, dark wood end tables and gilded display cases of expensive jewelry. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think I was back in seventeenth-century France about to meet the king or something.
Walking down this hallway was like walking down a city block. I must have passed a dozen rooms before I reached a four-way intersection with two grandiose curved staircases and a tremendous gold and crystal chandelier overhead. The piano still playing somewhere in the background was now joined by a string
“What makes you think I can fly, then?” If he didn’t know before, then I had just given it away.
“What can I say? I’m great at reading people. It’s a gift.” He was grinning ear to ear now. This wasn’t us bonding. He was interrogating me.
“Fine, don’t tell me.” Maybe a less controversial topic would get me answers. “What do all of those tattoos mean?”
“I don’t know. They were from a fortune cookie.” He fell back onto the bed and started laughing at his own bad joke. “They look good, right?”
“I think you’re full of it.” Let him stab me, I was getting nowhere except learning he was a total jackass.
He was playing with the tassel on a pillow now. “If you’re not gonna take this seriously then I’m not either.”
“Me? I am being serious. You’re the one giving me all these ridiculous answers.” I regretted saying that almost immediately. He sat up again at the edge of the bed and stared at me.
“So, I’ll ask you again.” His eyes were piercing right into me like in the alley. “Can you fly?” he said, enunciating each word slowly.
“No! Okay, sort of …” I didn’t know how to respond without sounding like a total moron. He raised an eyebrow and waited for me to get the words out.
This was so uncomfortable to have a discussion about. “I’ve tried, but I’m bad at it. I can go up, but that’s pretty much it.”
He clapped his hands in sarcasm. “There we go, finally some honesty.”
“Answer my question now. Why are people trying to abduct me?” I heard the door opening behind me and hopped out of the way.
It was the lovely Vivian again. She gracefully stepped into the room and smiled warmly at me. She looked at Noah on the bed and the dirty sheets. She was visibly displeased, but didn’t mention it.
“Your presence is requested in the ballroom,” she told him. “Please get dressed and meet us there.”
Noah let out an exaggerated sigh and leaned back, looking at her. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”
Vivian gently closed the door behind her. I suddenly felt like I shouldn’t be a witness to whatever was about to happen. Noah just lay there grinning at her as she walked up to him and sat on the bed.
“Can you please be good tonight?” She put a finger on his chest and slowly traced it down his abs, all the while staring into his eyes. Her French accent could have melted the coldest heart. “For me.”
“Why mess with perfection?” Noah gave a sly wink and pulled her on top of him.
He shifted gears and got up from the bed so suddenly that Vivian was almost knocked over. Sauntering to the door, he swung it open and paused, stretching his arms against the framework and nodding to a couple passing by who were dressed for the red carpet. He disappeared in his usual fashion, followed by Vivian.
Party guests strolled by, looking in at me. Left standing there awkwardly, I closed the door, not knowing exactly what my captors expected of me. It didn’t seem like there would be much resistance if I tried to leave, but this could be a trap.
Of course my cell phone was gone, so I couldn’t call for help.
I stepped out of the bedroom and into a massive corridor with wide marble floors and hand-carved ceilings. The walls were decorated with oil paintings and mirrors illuminated by candlelight on either side. Every few feet were another set of luxurious baroque furniture: loveseats and sofas, dark wood end tables and gilded display cases of expensive jewelry. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think I was back in seventeenth-century France about to meet the king or something.
Walking down this hallway was like walking down a city block. I must have passed a dozen rooms before I reached a four-way intersection with two grandiose curved staircases and a tremendous gold and crystal chandelier overhead. The piano still playing somewhere in the background was now joined by a string
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