Page 36 of Kings of Desire
‘You see, I can’t usually sleep before the dawn, and I don’t really enjoy being alone,’ he continued on in a much more relaxed tone. ‘I have a butler, Alfred, who usually keeps me company, but once in a while he has to go out of town.’
‘Alfred!?’ I giggled, thinking about the cliche of his name.
‘His real name is Halifaster. Can’t go around calling people like that,’ Ferris shrugged while smiling at me. ‘Can’t help it if I like Batman. Even if at the end of the day I think I may be the Joker.’ The serious ardor frowning his face as he spoke was leading me to believe that the role would suit him just fine. Besides, The Joker was my favorite character of them all.
‘Should I have called him Igor?’
‘Don’t tell me you’re hiding a pair of fangs.’
‘No, a pair of fangs is one of the few things that I don’t hide.’
Should I be scared or fascinated!?
‘I won’t try to pry, I promise,’ and I planned on keeping my word. This Pleasure should be like a heist. In and out. No more complications needed.
‘Don’t make promises that you can’t keep.’
‘Cocky much!?’
‘More like damaged goods.’
‘We all are damaged goods one way or another, Mr. Ayers.’
‘Mr. Ayers!? Really? In the hour you’ve been around I think you have seen all shades of me. I would say it’s ok to call me Ferris.’
‘Ok,’ I nodded, stretching my feet closer to the flames. ‘This room is the most amazing place I’ve seen.’
‘For a second there I thought you were about to say that about me,’ his laughter brought me a strange joy since he was slowly detaching from his initial state. ‘Seriously now, it was made at my specific request. I needed a place where to feel best, especially since I don’t usually leave the house.’
‘You don’t? How come?’
‘Just not a fan of the outside world. Besides, I only need a laptop to control everything around me.’
‘You can’t control everything.’
‘Maybe not me, but my money can. I just sign a cheque and things get solved.’
I didn’t continue, just lost myself for a short while in my world. If things could be that easy in my case. Write something on a piece of paper and all problems solved.
‘What’s wrong?’ My absence was quickly noticed.
‘Nothing regarding this night.’ I wasn’t going to burden him with my own problems when he could barely carry his own.
‘I have time. Try me.’
‘You have enough burdens of your own. I can’t now.’
‘Ok, ok... I didn’t want to upset you, but it seems I’m best at this job.’
‘On the contrary.’
‘Don’t tell me that you discovered the bundle of joy secretly hiding inside of me,’ he cackled.
‘At least I got you to laugh.’
‘Yes indeed,’ a genuine smile raised the corners of his lips. ‘So, tell me about you. What gets to you? What makesyousmile?’
It wasn’t about me in so long that (far as) his question seemed to be addressed to a whole different person.
