Collateral Damage

chapter 9

The next morning, I decided to take matters into my own hands. And by that, I meant deciding what I was going to do and not waiting on Alexis to tell me.

I prepared breakfast while he was at the gym. His steps halted near the entrance when he came back, the smell of hot food taking him by surprise. But only for a second before he continued to his room, again ignoring me.

'I cooked food,' I said when he emerged from his room, showered and dressed. I gestured to the table where I had set up plates.

'I see,' he said. He stared at the table before finally settling down.

I served him bacon and eggs and then disappeared in the kitchen to clean up. Which wasn't exactly disappearing because he could see me fussing around in the open kitchen.

'Genevieve,' he said, only loud enough so I could hear him. I had noticed he always talked in a low voice. Unless he was yelling.

I turned toward him. He hadn't started eating yet.

He cocked his head to the chair on his right. 'Come sit with me,' he said.

I wouldn't lie I was quite surprised. First, he went out of his way to avoid all unnecessary contact with me and then he asked for my company? Why?

I nodded anyway. Maybe he was just lonely.

I sat beside him.

'Help yourself,' he said and started eating.

I had made enough for two people but I had guessed I would eat after he left.

We ate in silence. The awkwardness was on another level. It was like when you went out on a date with your first girlfriend or boyfriend in eighth grade and were too shy to say anything. So, all you did was eat ice cream in silence and be on your way at the end.

He cleared his throat when he was finished. I was only halfway through my food. 'You want to go somewhere tonight?' he asked. He was fidgeting with the Rolex watch on his left wrist. He also looked quite uncomfortable, as if he had been building up the courage to ask me this during the entirety of the breakfast.

I stopped eating and set my fork down carefully. I studied him while I chewed the bite I had taken.

'Go somewhere?' I asked after I had swallowed.

'I figured you'd like to go out after being holed up in the penthouse all day,' he shrugged.

I thought for a moment. It warmed my heart that he thought about that. It was a bit ridiculous as he was the reason I had to stay holed up like a hermit in the first place. But it still mattered because he could have been ignorant about it and not cared.

'You would come to?' I asked.

'Of course,' he said as if it was a stupid question.

'Okay,' I agreed and resumed eating.

'Where do you want to go?' he asked, leaning back in his chair.

'I don't know,' I said. If I worked a normal job I would have preferred staying at home and watched some TV. But things were different now. All I did was stay at home and if I didn't go out I would go insane in less than a week.

'Any movie you want to watch? A dinner perhaps?' He gave me choices.

This time I didn't look at him. It seemed a lot like a date to me. We both going to movies or for dinner. I didn't mention that to him, though. I didn't want him to feel conflicted about taking me to places. He already had a girlfriend or whatever they were.

'A movie's fine,' I said.

'Okay. Be ready by six,' he stood up taking his plate with him to the sink. He left shortly after.