they exited the living room and headed toward the dining area. The room was massive, with a huge table over by the bay windows. A giant chandelier hung dangerously close to the tabletop, adding an extra air of class to the room.
Amie stared and marveled at the craftsmanship in the walls and furniture that surrounded her. Everything was so authentic. It was like being in a museum, only this time she didn’t have to stay behind a velvet rope.
She dusted her finger along the extended dining table and glanced at Malik, “Fourteen chairs for your fourteen friends?”
“Stop…” he said bashfully.
“Seriously, this is ridiculous! You actually have this many people over at once?!”
“Of course not,” he laughed softly, pausing briefly before continuing, “Okay, maybe a few times. It would be poor form to run out of chairs when entertaining.”
“Entertaining who ?” she teased, referring to his female callers.
He raised his brows and clapped his hands together. “Moving on,” he said quickly.
They continued the tour of the house, each room more grandiose than the last, to the point that it made Amie want to laugh. She wasn’t jealous, really. Well, maybe a little. This was more wealth than she’d ever fathomed, and to Malik it was just a talking point. This marble came from here; these walls were designed by so-and-so… Of course, she ate it all up like the happy tourist she was, but she was continually surprised by how unimpressed Malik was with his own success.
The house contained many rooms worthy of excitement; a theater, a vast library, and her favorite: the swimming pool. At the entrance was a faux poolside; complete with lounge chairs and other upscale patio furniture. The roof peaked into an oversized skylight that let the sun’s rays in. Tiled stairs led into the L-shaped pool; the water so clear you could see the multi-colored tiles floored beneath it, as if there were nothing in the way.
Amie leaned over and dipped a toe into the water, heavenly and warm, before lazily spinning around one of the stone pillars lining the poolside.
“Okay, so instead of saying ‘we’re going on a tour’, you definitely should have said ‘we’re going swimming, like, right now.’”
“‘Like’ isn’t a big word in my vocabulary,” he teased. He watched her reaction for a moment before asking, “You really want to go swimming?”
“Is that even a question?”
He smiled. “Fair enough.”
The two went their separate ways—Malik having to remind Amie exactly how she could get back to her bedroom—and changed into bathing attire before convening back at the pool.
While Amie bashfully tiptoed down the tile stairs into the water, Malik simply splashed in at the side, racing over to drag her into the water.
“You’re one of those!” she scorned as she tried to run away from him, the water slowing her down.
Eventually, he caught up to her, grabbing her waist and spinning her around in the water, mocking as though he were going to dunk her under. The two laughed and began walking the length of the pool together.
“You sure you wouldn’t rather be in the hot tub?” he asked, pointing across the room.
“I’m pretty sure I’d rather be right here.”
He nodded and began leading her to a smaller staircase by the pool. He walked her up and opened a door at the top. The entrance led to a sprawling garden and a connected pool outside. Tall trees were planted in front of the entrance and gave way to endless greenery.
Amie beamed, taking in the stunning flora and fauna, until Malik came up behind her, picked her up, and carried back into the outdoor section of the pool. The water was perfect, and her new boss wasn’t so bad himself.
With that, she wriggled away from him and splashed water his way. “You are a man of many mysteries,” she said. “Let’s talk.”
“Let’s talk,” he
Amie stared and marveled at the craftsmanship in the walls and furniture that surrounded her. Everything was so authentic. It was like being in a museum, only this time she didn’t have to stay behind a velvet rope.
She dusted her finger along the extended dining table and glanced at Malik, “Fourteen chairs for your fourteen friends?”
“Stop…” he said bashfully.
“Seriously, this is ridiculous! You actually have this many people over at once?!”
“Of course not,” he laughed softly, pausing briefly before continuing, “Okay, maybe a few times. It would be poor form to run out of chairs when entertaining.”
“Entertaining who ?” she teased, referring to his female callers.
He raised his brows and clapped his hands together. “Moving on,” he said quickly.
They continued the tour of the house, each room more grandiose than the last, to the point that it made Amie want to laugh. She wasn’t jealous, really. Well, maybe a little. This was more wealth than she’d ever fathomed, and to Malik it was just a talking point. This marble came from here; these walls were designed by so-and-so… Of course, she ate it all up like the happy tourist she was, but she was continually surprised by how unimpressed Malik was with his own success.
The house contained many rooms worthy of excitement; a theater, a vast library, and her favorite: the swimming pool. At the entrance was a faux poolside; complete with lounge chairs and other upscale patio furniture. The roof peaked into an oversized skylight that let the sun’s rays in. Tiled stairs led into the L-shaped pool; the water so clear you could see the multi-colored tiles floored beneath it, as if there were nothing in the way.
Amie leaned over and dipped a toe into the water, heavenly and warm, before lazily spinning around one of the stone pillars lining the poolside.
“Okay, so instead of saying ‘we’re going on a tour’, you definitely should have said ‘we’re going swimming, like, right now.’”
“‘Like’ isn’t a big word in my vocabulary,” he teased. He watched her reaction for a moment before asking, “You really want to go swimming?”
“Is that even a question?”
He smiled. “Fair enough.”
The two went their separate ways—Malik having to remind Amie exactly how she could get back to her bedroom—and changed into bathing attire before convening back at the pool.
While Amie bashfully tiptoed down the tile stairs into the water, Malik simply splashed in at the side, racing over to drag her into the water.
“You’re one of those!” she scorned as she tried to run away from him, the water slowing her down.
Eventually, he caught up to her, grabbing her waist and spinning her around in the water, mocking as though he were going to dunk her under. The two laughed and began walking the length of the pool together.
“You sure you wouldn’t rather be in the hot tub?” he asked, pointing across the room.
“I’m pretty sure I’d rather be right here.”
He nodded and began leading her to a smaller staircase by the pool. He walked her up and opened a door at the top. The entrance led to a sprawling garden and a connected pool outside. Tall trees were planted in front of the entrance and gave way to endless greenery.
Amie beamed, taking in the stunning flora and fauna, until Malik came up behind her, picked her up, and carried back into the outdoor section of the pool. The water was perfect, and her new boss wasn’t so bad himself.
With that, she wriggled away from him and splashed water his way. “You are a man of many mysteries,” she said. “Let’s talk.”
“Let’s talk,” he
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