Page 79 of David's Love

He starts rubbing the back of his neck, pondering while I resume eating my sandwich.

“I can’t let you stay here alone anymore,” he says with some finality in his words. “I’m sure there are other guys like Keith out there. He seemed like a nice guy, didn’t he?” he shoots at me, raising his eyes and setting his hand down.

He pins me with his stare.

“Yes, he did.”

I take a sip of tea.

“But I won’t move out because of him.”

“I’m not asking you to move out. I’m asking you to be with me.”

“I am with you.”

“I mean all the time, Elizabeth.”

I place the cup of tea down and look at him, befuddled.

“What exactly do you have in mind?”

“Exactly what I just said. You come with me.”

“I can’t come with you. I have a life here.”

“A life that someone like him can put in danger.”

I find his words outrageous. There’s no way I can go with him, and he knows it. He has a life outside my meager existence.

I’m the little ant that moves breadcrumbs from one point to another while he’s the condor flying up high.

Living in several places around the world.

Flying out at a moment’s notice.

Indulging in food chefs accustomed to his culinary preferences cook especially for him.

“So what exactly do you have in mind?” I say again. “How do you envision this? Are we putting out a public statement?”

“No. You start working for me. As in really working for me.”

Not a muscle moves on his face while I try to make sense of this.

“You’re serious?”

“Dead serious. I was restless in New York. There’s the distance between us. And then there’s this. I’m not coming hometo you being sexually assaulted by someone. What could’ve happened had I not come to your place tonight? You didn’t even know I’d show up.”

“He ran away.”

“He ran away because he saw me. He was already talking to you, mostly harassing you, from your back porch. You would’ve walked outside to talk to him, and he could’ve easily entered your place.”

“I would’ve put up a fight.”

He stalls for a moment, his eyes diving into mine before he leans closer, his hand finding mine.

“Listen, Elizabeth. I don’t want you to put up a fight. And I don’t want anyone to do you any harm. I would hate myself if something bad happened to you. All right? You were a target. He targeted you. Maybe he didn’t do it that first night. Or maybe he did. Who the fuck knows? I don’t want you to be here by yourself, waiting for my phone call, only to have someone like him at your door.”

I kind of see his point, a ball of tension lodging in my throat.

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