The inside was as striking as the outside. It looked like the lobby of a high-end hotel, the type of place I’d seen on TV but never stayed in. It wasn’t flashy or obvious, but there was no question everything in here, from the understated furniture to the landscapes on the walls, had come with a massive price tag.
I stuck close to Lucky as he led the way through the living room, then past a large dining room. Everything had a subtly masculine feel, which made me think the house had been decorated for a bachelor. It just didn’t read like a family home in any way.
Finally, we reached the enormous kitchen, which had deep blue cabinets, stone countertops, and top-of-the-line appliances. There was a counter with barstools, and Lucky told me to take a seat. As he unpacked two pints of ice cream and several smaller containers with sprinkles, caramel sauce, and other toppings, he asked me, “What do you think of this place?”
“Honestly? It’s beautiful, but it’s also kind of depressing.”
“In what way?”
“I guess it’s just the excess of it all. How many people live here?”
“One.”
I whispered, “All this for one person. How do some people have so much, while others have so little?” I dropped my gaze to my hands, which were folded in my lap. After a moment I said, “I guess it just feels strange to me because of the way I grew up. For the first ten years of my life, my family of six was crammed into a two-bedroom apartment. After that, we rented a tract house, but it wasn’t much better.
“There were no free rides in our family, so Lark delivered newspapers, and every day after school, my sister and I collected cans and bottles from all the neighboring apartment complexes so we could return them for the five-cent deposit. But even with all of us bringing in some money, that small apartment and later on that run-down house were all we could afford. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we deserved a place like this because we worked hard. I just don’t understand how one person could think they needed this much.”
“For what it’s worth, he knows he’s spoiled. Also, I didn’t realize you had more than one sibling.”
“Yeah, Lark and I have an older brother and sister, but they’re actually worse than our parents, so neither of us are in touch with them. They’re both the type of people who use religion as an excuse to condemn pretty much everyone who’s not like them.” It finally occurred to me I’d been bringing the mood down, so I said, “I’m sorry, Lucky. It was nice of you to share this with me, and I shouldn’t have gone on about all that stuff.”
“There’s no need to apologize. I always want you to tell me what’s on your mind. And I didn’t think it through when I decided to bring you here. It just seemed like it’d be a nice change of scenery.”
“It is. I feel like I’m in a fancy hotel.”
He grinned at me, and then he said, “So, I brought us stuff to make some epic sundaes. That place we stopped at sells these fun kits with all the fixings, and I thought you’d enjoy a little ice cream party for two.”
“That’s amazing, thank you. Look at all those toppings! How will I choose?”
“You don’t have to choose. Just pile them all on, let your inner child go nuts.”
He found us some bowls and spoons, and we sat side-by-side at the counter and tried to outdo each other with our over-the-top creations. “You have to try this,” I said, as I scooped up a big dollop of my sundae and held the spoon out to him.
He ate it and smacked his lips a few times, as if assessing the flavor profile. Finally, he said, “That’s not bad, but try this,” and he fed me a spoonful of his sundae.
“That’s a winner,” I said, and he smiled at me.
After we finished eating and cleaned up, Lucky told me, “There’s one thing in particular I wanted to show you in this place. Come with me.”
He led me to the third floor, which mostly consisted of one big, empty, beautiful room. It had a polished wood floor and high ceilings, and it was almost totally unfurnished, except for a pair of benches beneath the tall, arched windows.
I asked, “What’s this used for?”
“I think it’s meant for parties, but I came up with a better use for it. Take off your shoes and jacket, and I’ll show you.” I followed his instructions, and he did the same.
Then he went to a panel in the corner and poked some buttons, and after a minute upbeat salsa music filled the space. He ran toward me and slid in his socks, and I laughed as he bumped into me and caught me in his arms. “So, maybe salsa dancing should have happened before the sundaes, but I was hungry,” he said. “Please tell me you aren’t too full to dance with me.”
“I’m not, but I don’t know how to salsa dance.”
“I’ll teach you a few steps. The nice thing is, it’s just you and me. If we do anything awkward or embarrassing, there’s nobody here to see us.”
“That sounds good in theory,” I said, “but I’m the one who’s going to be awkward and embarrassing, and you’re here to see it.”
“You’ll be fine. It’s not like go-go dancing. There’s nothing to fall off of,” he teased.
Even though I was skeptical about being able to do this, he was a patient teacher and walked me through the basics. I liked the part where he shook his ass, and the way he moved his body was extremely sexy. He grasped my hips and tried to get me to move like he did, and even though I was less than successful, he was positive and encouraging.
When he somehow felt I was ready, he said, “Follow my lead.”