by Sandi Lynn
“Shall we take our walk now?” I asked.
“Yes. Don’t forget the cake.” She smiled.
“You wait here and I’ll run in and grab it and give it to Harry.”
When I walked back inside the bakery, Thaddeus handed me the box and I brought it outside to the limo.
“Aubrey and I are going to take a walk around SoHo for a bit.” I handed him the cake.
He glared at me for a moment as he took it from my hands.
“Just call me when you’re ready to leave,” he spoke.
Walking back to the table, I lightly placed my hand on Aubrey’s shoulder.
“Are you ready?”
“I am.” She got up from her seat and took hold of my elbow.
I grabbed her hand and wrapped it around my arm, bringing her to my side.
“Will this work?” I asked.
The corners of her mouth gave way to a small beautiful smile. “Yes. This will work, but I’m also going to use my cane if that’s okay with you.”
“Of course it is. Why would you even ask?”
“Because people tend to feel uncomfortable. I actually had a man once tell me not to use my cane when we were on a date because he didn’t want people to know that I was blind.”
“You’re kidding me, right?”
“No. I’m not.”
“I sure hope you never saw him again after that.”
“I didn’t. But I did make sure to trip him a couple of times with my cane before telling him never to call me again.”
I chuckled. “Good for you.”
The feeling that resided inside me as her arm was wrapped around mine was something I hadn’t felt in years. Something I never allowed myself to feel. I never would have walked like this if she wasn’t blind and needed assistance. I didn’t do this. I didn’t go on walks and I certainly didn’t let women wrap their arm around me. Not even in the bedroom. I was drawn to her for some reason. I tried to stay away and was successful until I saw her tonight. What is it they say? Out of sight, out of mind? She might have been out of my sight, but she certainly was never out of my mind.
“If you don’t mind me asking, how do you get around?”
“Since I don’t have a fancy car with a fancy driver,” she smiled, “I take a cab, the subway, or I walk. Just like all the other people in New York. I also use my iPhone for almost everything, even my clothes. I used to tag each color a different way, but now I use an app and all I have to do is swish my phone over what I’m thinking about wearing and it tells me the color. It’s so much easier.” She laughed.
“I bet it is.”
“I do have apps for almost everything. I use the GPS like it’s my eyes and I use an app that tells me what’s around me, like the locations of ATMs, shops, and restaurants. Technology has come so far in helping those who can’t see that sometimes I fear people will become too dependent on it and then what happens if something goes wrong and we can’t access that technology? That’s why I still use what I’ve learned as well. No matter what happens, you can never lose that.”
As we were walking, Aubrey’s phone went off.
“It’s my apartment building. Why would they be calling?”
“You better answer it.”
“Hello. What? Oh my God! Was anyone hurt? How bad is it? Did you call my Aunt Charlotte? Thank you for calling.”
“What happened?”
“That was Rebecca, the building manager. There was a fire in my building and everyone has been evacuated. I need to get there, Ethan.”
“We’ll go. Let me call Harry to bring the car around.”
“Okay. I’m going to call my aunt.”
I placed the call to Harry and as soon as he pulled up to the curb, we climbed in and headed straight to Aubrey’s apartment building.
“Was your aunt home when it happened?” I asked after she hung up with her.
“No. She’s in North Carolina visiting a friend of hers whose husband just passed away. The funeral is tomorrow and she’s catching the first flight out after that.”
Harry needed to park around the corner because lines of fire trucks and police cars had the street blocked. Climbing out, I grabbed on to Aubrey’s hand and we headed towards the building but were shortly stopped by a police officer.
“I’m sorry, but you can’t go near there.”
“I live in that building,” Aubrey spoke.
“I’m sorry, miss. All residents have been evacuated and need to make other arrangements for tonight.”
“But—”
“Come on, Aubrey.” I placed my arm around her. “Let’s go back to the limo and figure this out.”
“I need to call Penelope,” she spoke as she climbed inside and pulled out her phone. “She didn’t answer, so I’m going to try Ian.” She placed her phone in her lap after she got Ian’s voicemail.
I tightly clenched my fist as I looked up and saw Harry staring at me through the rearview mirror. I had my room at the Plaza she could stay at for as long as she needed, but if I sent her there, she’d be all alone and I wasn’t sure that was a good idea.
“You can stay at my place tonight.”
“That’s sweet of you, Ethan, but I don’t want to be a bother. I can get a room at a hotel nearby.”
“You could, but I would feel better if you stayed at my place. Your building just had a fire and I don’t think you should be alone.”
“I’ll be fine, Ethan. Really.”
“Maybe you would be, but you’re staying at my townhome tonight and I don’t want to hear another word about it. Do you understand?” I spoke in an authoritative tone.
“If you insist.”
“I do. Harry, take us home.”
“Very well, sir.” He smiled at me.
I rolled my eyes and looked out the window.
“Do you have an extra toothbrush?” She smirked.
“No. Do we need to stop at the drug store on the way?”
“I think so.” She scrunched up her nose in the cutest way possible.
“Harry, we’re making a stop at the drugstore.”
He pulled over to the curb, and after climbing out, Aubrey held on to my arm and I walked her down the street to CVS. Walking in the store, I looked up at the signs to see which aisle the toothbrushes were in.
“Aisle five is where we need to go.”
“Okay. Lead the way.”
A smile crossed my lips after she said that and I couldn’t help but stare at her.
“What kind of toothbrush do you want?” I asked.
“Anything medium is fine.”
“Do you have a favorite color? Shit. I’m sorry.”
“What are you apologizing for?”
“Asking you if you had a favorite color. I mean, without your eyesight, I would assume you don’t even know what colors are.”
“Hmm.” She placed her finger on her lips. “I lost my eyesight when I was eight, but I learned all of my colors when I was about four years old. I know what colors are and what they look like. And to answer your question, my favorite color is blue.”
“Again, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
“Stop apologizing and just grab me a blue toothbrush.” She laughed.
I grabbed one and asked her if there was anything else she needed.
“Do you have toothpaste?” she asked.
“Of course I do. Do you think that I never brush my teeth?”
She smiled. “Just making sure, Mr. Klein. I should also get some new deodorant. I’m almost out anyway.”
“Okay. That’s in the next aisle over.”
She took hold of my arm and I led her to aisle four.
“What kind?”
“Secret. But make sure it’s the solid, not the gel.”
“Damn. Why are there so many scents?”
“Because we women have to smell nice and we always have to have options. You pick.”
“Me?” I asked.
“Yes, you.” Her smile grew wide.
“This lavender one smells good.” I held it up to her nose.
“Lavender is my favorite scent. It’s the same one I have at home.”
“Lavender it is, then. Anything else?”
“I’ll need some makeup remover wipes.”
“Where would those be?” I asked.
“Skincare aisle?” she asked.
Looking up at the signs above, I found that skincare was one aisle over.
“Next one over. Take my arm.”
I led Aubrey over to where the facial products were and picked up a package that said “Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths,” and placed it in her hand.
“What brand are they?”
Looking at the package, I spoke, “Neutrogena.”
“Those are fine. Thank you.”
“Anything else?”
“Nope. That should be all.”
She took hold of my arm and we walked up to the cash register to check out. Once the clerk rang up Aubrey’s items and gave her the total, she reached in her purse and took out her credit card, handing it to the young girl.
“You need to swipe it yourself,” the clerk spoke.
“And you can’t do it for her, why?” I spoke in irritation.
“Because we have the machine right there, sir.”
“Ethan, it’s fine,” Aubrey spoke as she felt the machine with her hand.
“She’s visually impaired. There’s no reason why you can’t do it for her.”
Aubrey slid her card through the machine and the clerk shot me a look.
“Looks like she did just fine to me,” she spoke with an attitude.
“You need an attitude adjustment. I want to speak with your manager.”
Aubrey placed her hand on my arm. “Don’t, Ethan. It’s not worth it. Let’s just go home.”
“No. It’s not okay. When you’re working with the public, you don’t treat customers like that.”
“Thank you.” Aubrey smiled at the young sales clerk. “Have a nice night.”
She grabbed hold of my arm and started pulling me along. Once we climbed into the limo, Aubrey sighed.
“Listen, Ethan. I know this is new to you, but I can manage things on my own. I’ve lived with this for the past seventeen years. I’m used to people being rude and having attitudes.”
“What did he do?” Harry asked as he looked at me through the rearview mirror with a grin.
“He was ready to get someone fired because she wouldn’t slide my card for me.”
“Is that so?” His glare intensified.
“She was rude and it was uncalled for,” I spoke.
“She wasn’t that rude and she didn’t know I was blind. If I would have insisted that I couldn’t do it, she would have helped me.”
“Doubt it. She was a snotty little bitch.”
Aubrey let out a light laugh.
As soon as Harry pulled up to the curb, I got out and opened the door for Aubrey, reaching for her hand and helping her out.
“There’s two steps going up and then there’s a slight turn to the left with another seven stairs leading up to the front door.”
“Sounds nice.” She smiled.
As we stepped inside, Aubrey spoke, “I just need you to explain to me the layout of the house.”
“Oh. Well, it’s eight thousand square feet with six floors.”
The corners of her mouth curved upwards as a small laugh escaped her lips.
“Eight thousand square feet? Why do you, a single man, need a house this big? Are you planning on having a large family?”
“No. No family for me, ever. But, it’s nice to have the room when I host parties or when my parents come to visit. Plus, it was a foreclosure and I got a good deal on it.”
I led her to the right, placing her hand on the steel elevator doors.
“This is the elevator that goes to all floors and the button is right here on the left. The door opens to the right.”
I pushed the button and the door opened. Aubrey walked inside and I followed, taking her hand once again and placing it on the panel on the right.
“Here are the buttons and there’s also braille lettering, which I never noticed before.”
“Most people don’t,” she spoke. “You also have stairs, right?”
“Yes. There are staircases on every floor of the house. Since we came through the front door, we are on what’s called the Parlor level, which consists of my office, the living room, and a bathroom. Since you’ll only be here one night, let me take you to your room and we can start from there.”
“Okay.” She smiled.
We stepped onto the elevator and I pushed the button to the third floor. When the doors opened, I guided Aubrey to the right.
“Your bedroom is to the right when you step out of the elevator.”
I watched as she counted the steps into the bedroom. Looking at the bed, I wanted nothing more than to throw her on it and fuck her right here and now. She had my attention all night and I wanted more.
“The bed is to the left.” I guided her over to it. “And next to it is a nightstand on each side. Across from the bed is a dresser with a TV mounted on the wall directly above it.”
“And the bathroom?” she asked.
“This way.” I placed my hand on hers, which was wrapped securely around my arm, and led her to the bathroom. “There’s a large sunken tub with jets if you want to take a bath and a glass enclosed shower next to it. Now, I’ll show you where the kitchen is.”
As soon as we made it to the kitchen, I explained the layout to her and showed her to the island, where she ran her hand along the top of the high wooden chairs.
“Describe the kitchen to me. Like the color of the wall, cabinets, and appliances.”
“The walls are an eggshell color. The cabinets are a dark cherry, the granite countertops are a burgundy color and all of my appliances are stainless steel.”
“I can picture it in my head and it looks beautiful.” She grinned. “Which floor is your bedroom on?”
“The entire fourth floor is the master suite.”
“Wow.” She smirked. “Fancy having a whole floor to yourself.”
“I will admit that I like it.” I grinned.
Chapter 13
Aubrey
His scent filtered throughout the house. There was no escaping it. It had been a long night and I was growing tired, so I decided that I wanted to take a bath.
“If it’s okay with you, I’m going to take a bath.”
“That’s fine. Do you need help?”
A smile escaped my lips as I lowered my head.
“I can manage on my own like I always do.”
“Okay. Do you need me to help you upstairs?” he asked.
“I can find my way,” I spoke as I headed towards the elevator. “Do you by any chance have any bubble bath?” I bit down on my bottom lip.
“As a matter of fact, I do. It’s in the corner of the bathtub by the faucet. Ingrid put a bottle of it there since it’s the guest bathroom. She said you never know when the mood would strike for a bubble bath.”
“Great. Thank you.”
Stepping into the bathroom, I started the water and felt around for the bottle of bubbles. Once I had it in my hand, I removed the cap and held it up to my nose, taking in the fruity scent. I undressed and carefully climbed into the bubbly water. Sinking down and closing my eyes to relax, I heard a knock on the bathroom door.
“I’m leaving a t-shirt on the bed for you to sleep in.”
“Thanks, Ethan. I appreciate it.”
“I’ll be downstairs in my office if you need anything.”
“Okay.”
I inhaled deeply, letting the fruity scent of the bubbles sedate me. He was being so nice and it was hard to imagine that people called him “The Iceman.” I had yet to see that side of him. Climbing out the tub, I reached for the towel,
wrapped it around me, stood in front of the sink, and removed my makeup with a cleansing cloth. Once I was finished, I went to the bedroom, walked over to the bed, and picked up the cotton t-shirt that Ethan had left me. As I slipped it over my head, my phone rang and alerted me that Penelope was calling.
“It’s about time you returned my call,” I answered.
“Sorry. I was with someone.”
“And who were you with?”
I could hear her swallow hard on the other end.
“This guy I met at the party. His name is Leo and he’s brutally handsome and we may or may not have had sex in the backseat of his car.”
“What?!” I exclaimed.
“Don’t judge me, Miss I just met Ethan and slept with him the next night.”
“Fine. I won’t judge, but I called to tell you there was a fire at my apartment building.”
“Oh my God! Are you okay?”
“I wasn’t home when it started and I’m not sure what damage there is.”
“Where the hell are you?”
“I’m at Ethan’s house. He insisted I spend the night here since I couldn’t get hold of you or Ian.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I was going to go to a hotel, but he wouldn’t let me.”
“Hmm,” she spoke.
“What’s that ‘hmm’ for?”
“Nothing. Listen, I’m happy you’re safe and I’m sorry I didn’t answer, but I have to go. Leo and I are heading back to my place.”
“Do you know anything about him?”
“As much as you knew about Ethan when you slept with him. Call me tomorrow.”
“I will. Love you.”
“Love you too, baby doll.”
I ended the call and made my way down to the Parlor level where Ethan’s office was.
“Are you in here?” I asked as I approached the doorway.
“Yes. How was your bath?” he asked.
“It was good and very relaxing.”
“I must say, Aubrey, you look really good in my t-shirt.”
I let out a light laugh. “Thanks. Would you mind telling me what color it is?”
I heard the rustling of his pants and soft footsteps as he approached me.
“How about you show me how that app works? The one that tells you the color of your garments.”
I pushed the app button and scanned my phone down the t-shirt. It alerted me that the color was black.