Page 33 of Truth or Dare

“So, you’re okay to stay here for the time being?”

She nodded. Then she looked like she wanted to say something else. She didn’t.

“Anything you need, you tell me, okay? De-stress, detox, whatever, and we’ll figure things out as we go. I know you’ve probably been through hell so if you want counseling, I can arrange that for you but it’ll have to be done carefully for confidentiality. I can arrange counseling over the computer, privately. You wanna go out, I’ll have a driver take you, keep you safe while we sort everything. You can’t tell anyone where you’re from, what’s happened to you. We’ll come up with a cover story. I’m in the loop, though, on everything with you until I say different. You’re not my prisoner Felicia, but you keep me in the loop. I’m accountable for your actions as long as we’re on Kruna radar. Got me?”

She nodded.

“Help me out, here, angel. I need to know you get me, that you’re not nodding because you’ve been trained to. This is serious shit we’re talking about here.”

She stared at me for a beat, just blinking at me, then took a deep breath. “I understand, Dare. I’ll be good. I won’t try to leave. I won’t contact anyone from my past. I’ll do whatever you want me to do.” Her lower lip quivered.

I put my hand on her shoulder and squeezed. She dropped her head to the side so that her cheek was resting on the top of my hand. I snatched my hand back. Her expression dropped.

“Good. Thank you. It’s the best way to make sure we’re safe. So, uh, help yourself to anything in the kitchen. Watch TV, whatever. Mi casa su casa. I’m working from here today and I’ve got a lot on the go the next few days so I’ll be in and out. Anything you want, need, lemme know.”

I headed to my closet and grabbed clean clothes and then headed for a shower.

As it got dark, I emerged from my den where I’d been working and found her sitting on a stool at the island staring at the blue sapphire necklace. Zack and I had left it there with her bag. Suddenly, hunger clawed at my gut and I realized I hadn’t eaten all day. And although I’d told her to eat, I suspected she hadn’t either.

“I was thinking of ordering take-out. You like Chinese food?” The second it was out of my mouth I winced, realizing how idiotic it was. “Wait. Shit. I know that’s not the same as Thai but it’s probably too close. How about we order some pizza, get you some fettuccine alfredo?”

She smiled. It wasn’t one of her fake ones, I don’t think. It was beautiful.

“My family owns an Italian restaurant; I’ll have food sent over. Anything you don’t like to eat?”

“I could go the rest of my life without plain rice but no, not particularly.”

“Have you had anything to eat today?” I asked.

She shook her head, not making eye contact.

“Sorry for not taking better care of you,” I said, catching her eyes. “I get working and time slips. Don’t wait for me, okay? Make yourself at home here. If I’m here we can grab something at night together but if I’m not, help yourself. You can also get food delivered from the restaurant whenever. I have a tab. I’ll leave you a menu.”

“Thank you.”

I almost wanted to take off back into the den to avoid her. This was awkward. But I’d left her by herself all day and thought it’d be rude. Besides, I needed to gauge her frame of mind, too, so I’d know how alert I’d have to be here in my apartment.

“So you wanna watch a movie or somethin’? We can throw something on to watch while waiting for food.”

“That sounds good.”

I motioned toward one sofa and took the other one.

He was in faded jeans and a soft-looking gray t-shirt. He looked good in jeans. He looked good in shorts. He looked good in a suit, man he looked good in a suit. And he looked damn good in those low-rise track pants. It took a lot of hot for a guy to look good in sweats and Dario Ferrano owned hot in those sweats. But most of all, he personified all that was hot in those boxer briefs in the mornings. He was buff. He also had this way, this intensity in the way he carried himself. He drew attention. He had to get female attention wherever he went.

It was a weird day. I was used to being alone. At the resort I’d spend hours alone waiting for an assignment. There was a little socializing with the other slaves, but Cleo hated me so much that the others generally avoided me so they wouldn’t get lumped in with me and face her wrath. So I was used to my own company, something I would never have said before Thailand but since becoming Felicia I was used to being alone. Not alone with the freedom to change the channel, not able to eat whatever and whenever I wanted, and so forth. I still hadn’t fully wrapped my brain around my new circumstances. It was a lot to swallow.

Dare put The Hobbit on. It was a switch to watch something that wasn’t porn. I almost giggled at one point because I started imagining the hobbits doing it. I got my mind off that by glancing in his direction and seeing him flex his biceps to put his hands behind his head, which got me thinking about him having sex. Dang. I started to get hot under the collar.

A little while in, I heard a buzzer and he paused the movie and then went to the wall near the door where there was an intercom. A few minutes later he answered a knock on the door and a teenaged boy came in, gave me a wave, and put a big pizza box and a large paper bag with twine handles on the island. He and Dare spoke in what must’ve been Italian for a minute and then Dare reached into his pocket to fetch out some cash and put it in the kid’s hand before he ruffled his hair and then the boy was on his way, waving at me on his way out. Dare brought the food to the coffee table, then brought over a bottle of wine and two glasses, and flicked the movie back on while he set all the food out.

I ate while watching the movie, for the first time in almost two years not overly conscious of what I was eating. I really enjoyed the food and not just because it’d been two years since I’d had pizza. This was the best pizza I’d had in my life, hands down.

He paused the film after the meal to step out to the balcony to smoke a cigarette, which was nice since it was his apartment. I didn’t know if he did it for my benefit or because he preferred smoking outdoors, but when he came back in he cleared the leftovers away and put them in the fridge. I felt lazy. And full. I felt like I should be doing something. But it all felt so weird. He stretched out on the one couch so I followed suit and lay down on the one I was on.

I woke up when the credits were rolling. I was asleep on the one couch and he was asleep on the other. But there was a soft gray blanket over me, so he must’ve put it on while I was asleep and the idea of that gave me a twinge in my chest.

He was so handsome. And asleep he didn’t look at all pissed off like he usually did. Then again, he was probably pissed off because he had to deal with me. I was a complication in his life.

---