I bite my lip as we step out. "Well..."
"Stop it." He picks up an umbrella that was leaning against the elevator and opens it with the same suaveness of the great Fred Astaire. Instantly, the tips of my mouth tip upwards even more almost soaring toward my eyes. I've never smiled so hard so I have to look away and laugh.
My next thought is to tell Victor I love him a billion times. But I'll just take it slow. He takes my hand, holding the umbrella up with the other, and we step past the wrought iron gate, and towards his Mercedes that's barely squeezed in a parking spot.
As the rain pounds the top of the umbrella, Victor reaches over and opens the passenger's door to let me in.
"Her royal highness." He waves a hand as I start to get in.
"Not funny," I still begin to laugh. Victor is rarely corny, but for the moment, his dominating presence is at bay as he jogs around the car to get into the driver's seat. I'm guessing he really has made it his mission for me to enjoy this rainy day.
Doesn't he know that it's him? Not the rain that I seek?
The Mercedes purrs to life.
"Oh goodness," I reply as he slowly inches back and forth trying to get out of a tight spot.
"Can you do better?" Victor challenges.
"Okay, Mr. Competitive." My hand comes up to hide my silent giggles, as an old Caprice is behind him, but a Smart car is probably what came and squeezed the Benz in. "You know what, Vic. I can't do any better at all. You would get the best of me regardless of the fact. Because I can't drive."
Victor turns, looking at me like if I've lost my mind. I bust up laughing. Why does he put me in this calming, bubbly state, but still exude mystery and ... Something almost akin to fear?
"I'll have to teach you one day," Vic confidently replies, finally getting out of the tight spot only to be stuck in traffic.
"One day?" My eyebrows arch. But my heartbeat is erratic at the thought that the past and present gift of him will become a future melody.
"Yes."
Turning in my seat, I watch him. In such a luxurious car, Victor still commands attention. I remember thinking he was a model when we met. Nah, he probably couldn't even get a gig. The product would never be better than the inhabitant. Unless the agent was in the business of selling clones that looked just like Vic. Nothing could touch Victor's allure.
"Vic, where are you taking us? We just left the rain for the car. So I could sit here and enjoy us inching through traffic forever, in this car, but it will automatically bias my opinion and loathing of rain."
"Don't worry. By tomorrow you will think of rain as cozy again. And even better than that, since I want to be your first thought. You will think of me first."
I sigh as my reply. Victor doesn't even know the half of it. He's none the wiser about how much his essence consumes my thoughts.
Victor
It's late afternoon. We begin walking to Central Park. Wind rustling through the leaves, and bright green trees shedding out most of the rain. Though one dreary day that could only make a depressed person gloomier. My little one is by my side, cozying up in my arms. The Umbrella shields us from much of the rain, but still Luxury radiates from the internal warmth. Our breaths fog out before us. Lux has this air about her now as if no sadness about the past can touch her.
I'm tempted to find this Arnold guy and torture him in the worst of ways. And then kill him of course. First, I need my team to find Doctor Charles Everhart her mother's murderer and the requestor of her father's hit.
Murdering anyone that has ever done my little one wrong is at the top of my mind. If I had known her from the start, Luxury would never have doubts about how precious she is.
"What are you thinking, Dr. Finch?"
As Luxury says that name, not my name, I want to tell Luxury my true identity.
Can she handle it? I've considered bringing her into my world. That would require her to... For the first time I'm not confident in my own musing. Luxury deserves better than what I can offer.
But what am I to deny her the truth. "Lux, there's something I need to tell – "
"Vic! Look!" She shakes my arm and smiles. The pale colors of reds and blues and oranges soar across the sky.
"What a beautiful rainbow," Lux says.
The soft patter of the rain against the umbrella top has stopped. The sky is open wide, boasting an unfamiliar sight.
Wow, I've never really looked up. I mean looked up at the sky in this way. The sky reflects the ocean in a tropical paradise, and I've enjoyed my share.
"Kiss me, Vic," she leans on her tippy toes.
I bend down. My lips take to her soft silky ones. Then allow my tongue to delight in Lux's sweet mouth.
"You are the best," she says. Within her champagne colored eyes, Luxury tells me she loves me without uttering a single word.
That makes me uncomfortable again. I've never considered a woman's needs. Yes, I give them their heart's desires and their version of needs. But no. I can't start now. "Luxury let's get changed."
We end up at Burberry. The greeter knows me by name. It was the first place I came to upon arrival to New York. I quickly deter the blonde from calling me D'Ross. "Attend to my lady."
"Yes, sir." The attendant's eyes change from wishful to jealousy since, we've flirted in the past.
"Pick something olive green," I reply and head to the men's area to give the attendant my sizes. Then I feel Luxury following me. I turn around and look down at her.
"Victor uhhh..." Luxury begins. "I have only a few raindrops on the bottom of my jeans, I don't need – "
Instead of replying, I point to the dress that she will wear. The female attendant heads for it.
"Oh, wow, it's beautiful, but … Vic this place is," Lux comes closer and whispers, "expensive."
"Do you want me to pick your shoes, too?" I ask.
Luxury huffs and followed the blond again who is just so stumped that my lady isn't pointing to everything in the store.
Later that evening, I receive a texted update from Bobby George that Whitson is home safe and has been watching TV all evening.
Lux bites her lip, looking over at me as we finish up dinner.
So to steer her away from my business I ask, "Home or dancing?"
"Dancing!" Her face brightens.
Tonight, I don't take any notice in the women trying to flirt with me. Really, I hadn't done so when we went to the club with Suyoung and Graham. Luxury commands attention. She has this "fuck off" attitude with every female passing by. The club is crowded so she exudes hard charisma as I over tip one of the bra and panty-wearing hostesses for a seat.
The hostess places the few hundred dollar bills in her bra, smiles at me asking, what I would like for bottle service.
Luxury, all though entirely tiny even in the Burberry heels, steps in front of me and makes a response. The hostess turns around with a smirk.
"Sit down, Victor," Luxury commands, pressing her tiny palm into my chest.
I take a seat on the leather couch, and her lips quickly reach mine. "You better not tip that disrespectful bitch either," she warns.
"Whatever you wish," I reply, as Lux continues to kiss and bite my bottom lip. Her aggression turns me on as bright dotted lights echo off every contour of her body, while Lux dances just for my enjoyment.
A few drinks later, Luxury has my manhood straining against my pants as she gyrates on top of me.
"Lux," I whisper into her ear, as she kisses on my neck. "Keep on and I will fuck you right here, in this club." She gives a tipsy giggle and I grab her cheeks, kissing her lips hard. "No, I am serious."
I pull Luxury down on top of me, so she knows exactly what I mean. She moans after realizing how hard she's gotten my piece. "Vic, take me home," Luxury begs between kisses.
It's just past one a.m. when we start out of the club. Though Luxury is part-sleepy part-drunk part-operating on anger toward her father, her fuel is beginning to run low. But she still promises to fuck me tonight.
"You're going to fuck me, huh?" I stop her right at the corner, grab as much of her ass in my hands as I can. "Luxury, I will put your sexy little body to sleep."
She wraps her arms around my neck. We kiss even more, until my phone begins to buzz in my pocket. Wondering if it's Bobby George with another update, I pull it out and see Madeline's number. Loyalties tell me to answer. Luxury is becoming annoyed, but I owe Madeline.
"Not too many people call after midnight. Don't mind me." Lux folds her arms.
"Just a sec," I reply, even though it's impossible to placate two women.
We're standing outside in the crisp night air, waiting for a taxi. I gather a few paces for space. I keep an eye on Luxury as she stands beneath a streetlamp, and then I answer.
"Victor?" Madeline says. "Thank goodness you answered. Has your plane been delayed? Where are you?" There's this hope in Madeline's voice that pales even more. The years have not been good to us.