Chapter 16

About an hour later, we returned to my apartment with three sets of bookshelves, a few lamps, an end table, a coffee table, and some other minor things that were mentioned earlier as well as a few things I didn’t think I would need, but Rachel insisted on getting.

It was a mad dash to get everything into the apartment because we had to return the truck. We didn’t bother wasting time putting everything in place, we just piled it all in the living room and locked the apartment back up. Once the truck was empty, she handed me the keys to her car and we went back to the rental.

When we returned, she dropped me off in front of my apartment. The plan was to shower, get dressed, and meet her at her place to leave.

I never showered so quickly in my life. A nervous tension gave me the energy I shouldn’t have had, not after moving all that furniture. I didn’t bother blow-drying my hair after my shower. Towel-dried was always good enough for me. Besides, the dry air outside would likely finish drying my hair before we arrived at House Vikkor.

I pulled on the clothes Rachel had laid out for me. A light gray suede shirt with long sleeves, black slacks, and a new pair of black boots made up my attire for the evening. The boots were the pair she thought I needed for my wardrobe. I thought it would have taken me a while to find a pair in a style that I liked, but within twenty minutes, and with the help of one of the salespeople in the store, we found a very nice pair. The boots weren’t cowboy boots, at least, not the classic rattlesnake skin with pointed toes and metal tips or such. They were still considered cowboy boots, but with blunted toes and soft, supple leather that made them more comfortable than I would have expected. As the salesperson put it, the boots breathed with you as you walked in them. I had to agree.

When I knocked on Rachel’s door, she called out for me to come in. When I closed the door behind me, I noticed movement in the bathroom. “Give me another five minutes. I’ll be right out.”

I nodded and called, “Okay.”

I waited by the door. For some reason, I was nervous. Adjusting my shirt. Smoothing out wrinkles. Pacing in front of the door. I had too much energy to just sit and wait, so I stayed near the door. I didn’t understand why I was nervous though. It wasn’t like this was a real date with Rachel. I knew she wasn’t interested in me. It had to be about the meeting. The more I thought about it, the more I convinced myself that was the reason.

The light in the bathroom flicked off. I looked up.

I noticed her aura first, glowing brightly and fuzzy with jittering nerves. What was she nervous about? To a degree, knowing that she was nervous helped me some. Odd how that worked.

She stepped out of the bathroom and pulled the door closed behind her. Her hair was brushed back and fell in soft waves behind her, leaving her face open. There was something in her eyes that I hadn’t seen before. Her expression seemed to dare me to say something, but then her lips curled in a smile as she looked at me. The only makeup I could see was her lipstick. Her dress was a black evening gown that had straps that fell off her shoulders to her upper arms. The top of it hugged her breasts, followed her slim waist, and loosely hung from her hips to mid-thighs. Her long tanned legs looked good against the black of the dress and high gloss black high heels finished her outfit.

To say I was speechless was an understatement.

“What do you think?” she asked.

I only stood there blinking at her. I couldn’t even utter in guttural. You know what I mean, “Uhhh...” or “Err...” or any of those other single-syllable words that don’t mean anything other than you can’t think of what to say.

“I’ll take your silence as a good thing,” she said smiling as she walked toward me.

Finally, I did something intelligent. I nodded.

She laughed and stopped in front of me. “Well, I do believe we have a dinner date to attend.”

I finally ripped my eyes off her long enough to open the door. “I hope I don’t look like a stunned idiot all night.”

“You’re not an idiot,” she said as she flipped off the lights and stepped outside.

No, I thought, but I am a fool, going on a dinner date with someone who isn’t interested in me. I shook my head.

“What?” she asked.

I smiled but knew it didn’t reach my eyes. It wasn’t a happy smile. I shook my head.

She studied my face for a second and then shrugged. “If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine.” She left me standing there as she walked toward her car.

I did my best to shake off my depression. There were other things to worry about tonight. My love life, as non-existent as it was, could wait for another day. I trotted out to her car, catching up just as she opened the driver’s side door. She smiled at me just before she climbed in. It warmed me to my toes, but the sensation didn’t last. Damn. I needed to get a grip.

The Saturday night traffic wasn’t too bad. We took West Abrams to North Fielder. At Brooks Drive, the left side of the road was a continuous wall of concrete, a gated community. We pulled up the gate and I called House Vikkor again.

The same female voice answered, “House Vikkor.”

“This is Ral Sutton. I’m outside the gate and need the code to get in.”

“You already have it,” she said.

I pulled the phone from my ear to look at it. Then I looked at the card I was holding. I put the phone back to my ear but it was dead.

“What did she say?” Rachel asked.

“She said we already have it,” I returned.

She held out her hand and I gave her both the phone and card. She looked the card over and started punching buttons. The gate opened with the quiet hush of a motor and chains as it slide out of the way.

“What was the code?” I asked.

“The address,” she said.

I nodded and we pulled through. We followed the street around a few houses. The address was printed in fine, minuscule letters on the back of the card under the mini-map. When we found the street, we couldn’t miss the house. It was the only one there.

“I thought this was supposed to be a business dinner,” I said.

Rachel was staring up at the house along with me. “Well, as big as that house is, I think someone has the clout to have a business dinner at home.”

There were cars already parked in the driveway and a few on the street. Rachel pulled in at the end of the line on the street. We got out and I waited for her to come up off the street. She hooked her arm around mine without any preamble. She was my date after all.

We started up to the house and a man headed our way. From a short distance, he asked, “Can I help you?”

“My name is Ral Sutton,” I called back. “We were invited to dinner with House Vikkor tonight.”

He nodded and looked us over. He stood just a bit taller than me. His dark hair was cut short and brushed back. His suit looked good on him. It made me wish I had a suit; as if I was underdressed. Then he turned and started walking back up to the house.

Rachel and I followed him, walking over the thick green grass. The front yard was a visual feast of textures. Rocks and plants followed swathes across the lawn, breaking up the continuing monotony of the grass. The driveway blended in with the textures, being laid brick rather than simple concrete. A walkway attached to the driveway cut through part of the yard. Flowers and plants decorated the sides of the walkway.

The House was big, easily as big as the house where the party had been held Thursday night. But where the party house had been very modern, this one was more rustic. The siding was wooden shingles. The roof and edges were black. Part of the front of the house, next to the entryway, was stone. Someone had gathered stones not only to use for the landscape but for this portion of the house and used them like bricks for the first story section of the wall. On the other side was a chimney made of the same types of stones.

The man that had met us out on the lawn opened the front door and stepped back to allow us entrance.

Rachel and I went in. The man closed the door behind us without coming in. The Foyer was softly lit. The warm colors of the walls made the place feel instantly welcoming. The bench next to the door looked antique, but it didn’t look sturdy enough to hold me should I sit on it. Stairs went up to our right and the left was open to a formal dining area. The table was made of dark, rich wood, and polished to a high glossy shine. Six straight-backed chairs were set around the table, and at each was a place setting. A hutch stood against the far wall. Dark polished wood and glass doors made up the piece. Glittering crystal glasses and plates stood inside the hutch. Well, I was sure they were crystal. As expensive as the rest of the house looked, I wouldn’t have been surprised.

Ahead of us, the living room was visible. The warm, welcoming colors continued throughout everywhere we could see. People were sitting in the living room, talking. One of them looked in our direction. She stood up and made her way to us. It was Alexandria.

She smiled as she approached. Her attire earlier had been very businesslike, but now she was in a dark brown dress that made her tan look even more alluring. The dress hugged her chest and midriff perfectly, showing off her curves. The skirt swayed around her legs. Her makeup was also a striking change from earlier in the day. Dark eye shadow over thick mascara made her eyes stand out more dramatically. Her lips were painted a deep red as well. Not dark, but some shade that made them seem fuller than they already were.

She held out her hand as she walked towards us, her steps clacking loud in her high heels. “Ral, I’m glad you could make it.” I shook her hand. She turned to Rachel and shook her hand as well. “Come, we discuss things going on in the living room.”

She turned and strode away, expecting us to simply follow. I looked at Rachel and shrugged. She did too with a small, amused smile. What was she amused about?

Alexandria stopped and looked back. “Please, come. We won’t bite.”

I gave Rachel another glance and then followed Alexandria. Rachel stepped off with me like we had planned this.

The furniture in the living room was plush and looked very comfortable. The colors, soft tans, grays, and dark burnished accents of wood, made the place feel very homey. To the right was a fireplace built with the same stone recipe we had seen outside. The placement was wrong for it to belong to the chimney we had seen, but that didn’t stop it from looking impressive. Shelves were built into the wall on either side of the fireplace and held books, music, and movies in a variety of different media. Various Knick knacks gave the place a bit more life. Straight across from us were glass double doors that went out to a terrace. Outside lights brightened the area, making it as inviting as the rest of the house. To the left, there were two doorways, one of which I could see led to the kitchen. Between the doorways was a large painting. It was done in the same warm colors as the rest of the décor. Whether the house was decorated to the taste of abstract art or the painting just happened to work with the décor, I wasn’t sure. However, there was more to see than just the house.