After Christian brought me my second suitcase, he told me I could feel free to put anything I wanted in the dresser since it was basically empty.
So I unpacked and loaded things into the dresser, which held nothing but a small notepad, an old ballpoint pen, and maybe a safety pin or two.
When I was done, I left the bedroom. As soon as I stepped into the hall, I saw Christian in the living room. He was sitting in the plush chair closest to the hall, watching what sounded like some kind of sporting event on TV.
He glanced my way when he saw me approaching and asked, “Hungry?”
I nodded. “Famished, actually.”
“Tomorrow we’ll do some grocery shopping. How about a pizza for tonight?”
“Anything sounds great to me right about now.”
“I’ll order it online and have it delivered so you don’t have to go out again today.”
I thanked him and sat in the chair next to him. There was a small round table between the chairs, and on it sat a beer.
I wasn’t sure what to do at that point. Should I start a conversation? Or would he rather not be distracted from what he was watching?
I decided to remain silent, not sure what to discuss anyway. I was too tired to think clearly.
When he heard me yawn, he told me, “Feel free to lie down on the couch or your bed if you need to. I’ll let you know when the food is here.”
“I’m okay for now, but after we eat, I’ll probably want to wash up and hit the sack.”
“No problem. I’ll be as quiet as I can.”
We didn’t talk much until the food arrived. Getting the pizza seemed to take forever. He was so engrossed in the event on TV that he wasn’t exactly quick to order it. As my stomach growled, I mentally urged him to hurry the hell up.
I had to resist the urge to keep looking at him, curious as I was about the guy.
Finally, he ordered the pizza, and when it arrived, it was all I could do not to scarf down most of it.
Sensing how hungry I was, he said, “This is a pretty big pizza and I’m not that hungry, so don’t feel like you have to hold back. Eat all you want.”
“Thanks, Christian. I don’t think I’ve ever been this hungry in my life.”
After three large slices and plenty of diet soda, I washed my face and brushed my teeth. I stood in front of the mirror attached to the dresser, brushing out my hair, which I’d unraveled from its braid, when Christian appeared in the doorway.
“Wow,” he said.
I glanced at him as he gave me a once-over. I held the hairbrush in my hand, now clad in a long pink sleep shirt with white bunnies.
“What?” I asked, a touch nervously. “That I would sleep with bunnies all over me or that I’m just another chick who likes pink?”
He gave a quick chuckle. “I didn’t realize your hair was so long.”
“It is, and I’m definitely getting sick of it.”
“Must be hard to care for,” he said, eyeing me in a way I wasn’t sure I should be flattered by… or creeped out by instead.
Changing the subject, I asked, “So what about payment? We never really discussed that yet. How much do you want and how often?”
“Just a few hundred a month will do,” he said with a shrug. “The grocery store is within walking distance, so you can just get what you want food-wise.”
“Just a few hundred?” I asked, surprised.
He nodded. “Norway isn’t as cheap as Thailand, but it’s not very expensive. I only pay $825 for this place, and that includes heat, electricity, and water. So, $300 a month is fine. Remember, you’re going to be doing the cleaning and laundry, so I’m good with a few hundred if you are.”
“Yeah,” I said, still surprised. “That’s an excellent deal. That way I could save a bit while I figure out where to go next with my life.”
“There’s only one other thing I want from you.”
Oh no, I thought. Here we go. This is where he’s going to demand a blowjob after work or something, and then I’ll have to split with nowhere to go and just hope I don’t run out of money before I can get out of the country.
“I just don’t want you to give out any information to anyone who may come around looking for me, okay?”
I blinked, caught off guard by the simple request. “Yeah, sure. No problem. Mind if I ask why?”
He hesitated a moment, and I thought he might tell me to mind my own business—or to pack my shit and get out—but then he said, “Rumor has it my father is looking to reconnect with me, and I really don’t want anything to do with him. I guess he’s been hunting me down, or trying to, anyway.”
“Oh, I know all about family members we’d rather avoid, so no problem. My lips are sealed.”
He nodded appreciatively. “Good night, hun.”
As I pulled the bed’s floral blanket over me, I wondered if there was more to Christian’s story than he was letting on.
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