Page 10 of Alessia
She leaves me there: stunned with a burning cheek from where her lips just touched me.
3 - Harper
My shift flies by so fast that I can’t believe it’s already eight by the time the evening shift comes to relieve me. I rush down to the dressing room and take a quick shower. I can’t show up at Alessia’s house smelling the way I do after two shifts. I quickly wash my hair and body. I wrap a towel around my body and open my locker to see what clothes I have. Luckily, I always keep something in there just in case. I choose a black legging and a cute dark red top with lace borders which make my boobs look amazing. I towel dry my hair and leave it at that, it will be dry by the time I get to her place. I take a look in the mirror and like what I see. My cheeks are flushed from the warm shower. I quickly apply some eyeline, mascara and lip balm and close my locker. When I leave the dressing room Elio is leaning against the wall, waiting for me.
“Hi, miss Davis!” he says with a nod.
“Hi, it’s Elio, right?”
“Yes, it is miss. Are you ready to go?” He starts walking to the exit in the main lobby with me walking quietly behind him. He walks through the rotating door to an SUV parked by the curb. He opens the back door and motions me to get in. Nerves swarm through my stomach. What am I doing? I don’t know this man, I don’t know Alessia other than the few brief encounters today and now I’m getting in this car to meet her in her home! I pull out my phone and quickly send a text to my mom, it’s been a while since I talked to her. I promise her to call her tomorrow on my day off.
Elio gets into the front seat and weaves into the traffic. He leads us up to the 110 and into the direction of Santa Monica. After about an hour of traffic jams and delays, we drive onto Ocean Avenue and stop in front of a modern-looking complex. It has balconies on all sides and a view of the ocean from the front. The sun has already set but there are still whispers of twilight in the air. Elio drives the car to an underground garage and parks next to one of the expensive-looking cars down here. In the corner there are a few motorbikes parked and next to those there’s an elevator to the apartments, I guess.
Elio opens the back door and helps me out of the vehicle. The elevator pings and the doors slide open. There she is. Alessia is waiting for me in the elevator. Why does this feel like some weird kind of date?
“Hi Harper, come on in! Carmen made dinner and Netflix is waiting for us.” Alessia’s eyes are sparkling and a smile decorates her face.
I walk into the elevator and Alessia pushes the button with the number three on it. “The third floor is my domain, and the second floor is for my little brother and sister. The first floor is for the staff,” She explains.
“Wait I thought these where all apartments?” I ask, looking at her with raised brows.
“It was, until my father bought the entire building for me and my siblings. We remodeled the entire building to our needs and now I’ll never leave.”
The elevator pings and opens to a giant open floorplan apartment. To my left there’s a small but luxury kitchen and a dining table fit for eight people. To my right there’s a living room with a giant crème colored fluffy couch, cozy chairs, and table made of driftwood. Lining the wall are endless bookcases made of rich dark wood. The bookcases stop on both sides of a giant floor to ceiling window that overlooks the ocean across the avenue. I make a slow-motion twirl round the massive space. It’s a miracle that my jaw didn’t hit the floor with a loud thud. Alessia stands against the kitchen counter with her arms crossed and a smug grin on her face.
“Like what you see?”
I spin around to face her, stunned by all that surrounds me. “Yes… it’s so gorgeous in here. I never thought that it would look like this here.” I make another spin around the room.
“Red or white?” Alessia asks from the kitchen.
“Uhm… water?” I say with hesitation.
“You don’t drink, or you don’t want to? Elio will drive you home later tonight, so you don’t need to worry about being out late with alcohol in your system.”
“I dodrink but….”
“But you thought I wouldn’t take care of you and made sure you got home safely?”
“But what about my car? It’s still at the hospital.”
“Where are your keys?”
I dig into my bag and fish out my keys and lay them on top of the counter.
