Page 8 of Pervade London
What followed was Xander coming into frame in a sprint toward the cab, opening the door and then reappearing with my violin.
I shot Xander a look of concern. “How did you get into their system?”
“It’s one of my many talents.”
“Are you a hacker?”
“Not technically.”
“What do you do?”
“Security.” A twist of his lips hinted it was a little more complicated than that.
“Why did you lose your job?”
“Creative differences.”
I hesitated only for a moment. “Okay…one night. You can sleep on the sofa.”
He lit up with joy. “I’ll repay you.”
“You got my violin back.” My eyebrows rose to let him know that was no small feat. “If I wake up dead tomorrow I’ll be pissed.”
Xander laughed and followed me back up the pathway. “Tomorrow, I’ll have access to money. I’ll be able to thank you properly.”
“Trust me, you already did.” I raised the violin.
Not that I didn’t believe him, but we were all one day away from a lucky break that would turn us around. I certainly felt this way.
Reaching into my pocket for my door keys, I rummaged around and then looked up at him. “I rent a room here so bear that in mind.”
“I’ll be quiet.” Xander followed me up the steps. “I appreciate this.”
“Of course.”
“You’re talented. I may have been half asleep, but I recognized ‘Caprice No. 24.’”
“You heard me play?”
“A little, yes.”
The fact he recognized that piece of music added a new dimension to him in my eyes. He certainly carried himself like someone who was cultured and educated.
It didn’t take me long to give him a tour of the house. He was polite enough not to make fun of the country décor with its chintz fabrics, plaid furniture and drapes. Though the kitchen was an improvement, despite my landlord’s love for the French provincial style. The numerous gadgets revealed its owner was addicted to cooking shows and I often benefited from this by finding an assortment of Harold’s delicious creations in the fridge.
He was away visiting his sister in Edinburgh, but Xander didn’t need to know that.
While he used my bathroom to take a shower, I got to work ordering us a curry.
When the take-out arrived, I paid the deliveryman with the money I’d scrounged up. For some reason, getting Xander fed brought out my nurturing side.
I returned to the kitchen and dished out our delicious meal into bowls, placing them on the table. The scent of tomato and spices filled the air.
From the cupboard, I brought down two china plates and pulled out cutlery from the drawer. Then I filled two glasses with water.
“Hey.” Xander stood in the kitchen doorway. “That smells amazing.”
He looked a lot more than presentable, from his softly tanned skin to those locks of dark gold.The scruff gave him an edgy appeal. He reminded me of European royalty.
