Page 47 of Ra
“I know, it’s good, yes?” he asked, smiling seductively.
Azi’s gaze swept him from head to toe, clothed in a black single breasted suit, tailored at the waist to give the impression the garment was made for him. He wore a crisp, white linen shirt beneath the jacket, with the collar button left unfastened. The matching slacks fit his legs with a suggestion of a caress, but not too tightly to look uncomfortable. The sharp crease ironed into the slacks added to the overall sculpted appearance he made. He wore a pair of soft, black-leather dress loafers, with no socks. Which, some might find questionable for formal dress, she found in this instance to be very sexy. His ankles, tanned, and elegant while still strong and capable, peeking out from beneath the hem of his slacks, and the top of his loafers, giving a hint at what the rest of the skin on his foot and leg might look like sans the pants. His black hair was made even blacker by the mousse he’d apparently borrowed from her bathroom and used to push his hair back over his ears. While not long, it wasn’t exactly short, and seemed a little unruly, but he’d tamed it perfectly by slicking it back on the sides and giving the top a bit of control with his fingers. The mousse had dried and left his hair shinier and slicker than usual.
“It’s very, very good, Ra. You are a dream to look at.”
He grinned smugly. “I know.”
“Question is, though, where are you going?”
His smile fell and he took a step closer to her. “With you. Why would I be going anywhere else?”
“You can’t go with me. This is a presentation to archeology students, egyptologists, and investors about Egypt and your tomb and artifacts in particular. What do we say if someone recognizes you? It’s not worth the chance.”
At first he thought to argue with her, because he really, really wanted to be there. But then it occurred to him that the only thing she did better than him was argue, so he’d take another approach instead. “Did you hear yourself? Who in today’s world would ever consider, much less believe, that Ra has returned?”
“Well, yeah, but…”
“Honestly, dear Azenath, I just wanted to support you. And I’ve never seen a presentation on me. I’m curious.”
“Ra, I know you. You’ll disagree with something that’s said, or displayed and you just won’t be able to help yourself. You’ll jump in and correct me, another professor, an investor… who knows what kind of distraction you’ll create. And what if someone does notice how much like the paintings of Ra you do look?”
He smirked at her and raised an eyebrow. “Then I tell them family lore is that I’m descended from the god himself. But, then again, since he created all things, aren’t we all? Then I laugh, they laugh, you laugh, and they donate more money to help in your work. I can help you. I’ll be beneficial.”
“Ra…”
“Do you believe I mean you harm in any way?”
“No. I just know that you are not familiar with the ways of things. Etiquette. You still think like a god.”
“Because I am still a god, I always will be. But I’m also growing more at ease with this new me, and world as it operates in this age. Have I not proven it?”
“Well, we haven’t exactly left the house much,” she said, blushing.
“There’s not much outside of the house that I care to experience as much as what’s in the house.”
Azi blushed even deeper and smiled at him, fully influenced by every little thing he did. “And who would I tell them you are?”
“Your man. I am your…” he hesitated, not wanting to say husband, or betrothed, or anything else that he wasn’t actually, but not wanting to say friend either.
“Significant other,” she supplied.
“Is that what they call a man who is not a husband but who is exclusive to one woman?”
“Yes. And the same for a woman in the same position.”
“We are one another’s significant other. There will be no other!” he said, lifting his arm into the air with his index finger pointing to the ceiling.”
“Okay, we’re not going to include that last part. Just, ‘hi, I’m Ra. I’m with Dr. Clement’. If someone says, oh, how do you know Dr. Clement? You say, we are together.”
“I am her significant other,” he said proudly.
“If you must. And what if someone says, how ironic that you have the name Ra?”
“I will say, it has been passed down in my family for ages. It’s a fine name, don’t you think?”
Azi closed her eyes and let her head fall back on her shoulders as she took a deep breath. “No chance you’ll just wait here?” she asked, without opening her eyes, or even lifting her head to the upright position again.
“You could try to make me wait here. But we both know that I would find a way to get there, and when I got there, I’d beirritated and short-tempered, and you are aware that when I’m short-tempered, I tend to let my godliness attitudes as you call them, overrule my common sense. But if you’d rather take that chance…”
