The door closed behind them and Fabian returned to his seat on the sofa. Sitting down with outstretched arms, he took a look at Amber. She was standing ridiculously still next to the door, almost like a wallflower and obviously still rattled by what had happened earlier.
He had been resting in the room when he heard a scream earlier but had decided to ignore the commotion, but when the yelling and shouting escalated, he had to step in. They were just too noisy - he did not like noise. They annoyed him to no end. He had thrown open his door in agitation and was about to give the shouting couple a piece of his mind when he saw Amber. He hadn’t expected to see her attacked like that and for some reason, seeing her hurt made his blood boil.
He hadn’t been able to see her clearly under the dim corridor light earlier, but now in the privacy of his own turf and under the warm white light, he finally saw her features clearly for the first time.
Her lips, moist with a reddish tint were quivering and she was biting onto them to stop the trembling. He couldn’t see her eyes though, they were downcast, with her thick lashes shielding the windows to her soul and her hair, her glorious red mane was in a disarray, probably from the tussle earlier. She was unconsciously hugging herself as if shielding herself from any potential attacks.
Fabian picked up the remote which lay unobtrusively next to him and pressed the controls, automatically pulling back the blackout curtains. It made the room feel less claustrophobic. Perhaps the view outside would ease her tension.
“What’s your name?” Fabian asked, breaking the silence.
At his voice, she looked up and to say that he became lost in her emerald eyes would be an understatement. The moment their eyes met, she took his breath away and he had to blink twice to collect himself.
“Amber…Amber Banks,” she said softly. “I’m sorry I spilt your drink. I’ll get you another one sir.”
She’s been hurt and she’s thinking about my drink?
“Just stay,” perhaps his voice had come out more rough than he intended for she flinched a little at his words. It was then he saw the bruise on her neck. She noticed his gaze and quickly covered her neck in embarrassment.
Fabian sighed, stood up and walked himself to a white marbled minibar at the end of the room. There was nothing to drink here save for water in a crystal jug. All the good stuff was at the bar outside but she was obviously in no condition to head back to get him another drink. So he poured them two glasses of water instead.
“Come here,” he raised the crystal clear glass towards her and for a moment, she froze in fear, worried at what he would do to her.
Fabian had to smile, “I don’t bite.” He patted at the backless bar stool next to him, beckoning for her to come. She seemed to think a while before walking rather ungracefully in her heels towards him. She had a clumsy walk which amused him.
When she finally settled onto the stool, he passed her a glass that she accepted and nursed slowly.
“Your first day?”
Her soulful eyes fluttered up, “Yes.”
Her voice radiated warmth and sincerity, something he was unaccustomed to. He had been surrounded by pretentious people for far too long.
Taking a sip, her eyes strayed to the door. He could see that she was uncomfortable in his presence.
“What brought you here?” he implored, trying to make a conversation. For some reason, he wanted to keep her company. He made a mental note to find out the name of her preparator. The guy obviously knew his name but for the life of him, Fabian had no idea who the man was. That was how it was with him, he never really made an attempt to know people unless they were useful to him.
She blinked a little, bringing the glass to her mouth and took a small sip, “To pay for my brother’s education.”
Oh.
He hadn’t expected that. Most girls came to La Fire hoping to take a dip into the rich and famous for Jay Z and Dr Dre often frequented the joint. He had wondered if that was the case with her, she was beautiful enough to entertain the thought.
Her answer humbled him somewhat. He never had to worry about money, let alone worry about a sibling. Fabian Williams had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth and for as long as he could remember, money chased after him, never the other way around.
“You two live alone?”
She nodded, he had a feeling the siblings had been orphaned from young.
The talk about her brother lit up her face and she smiled, “Yes, he’s the smartest kid I know. He’s going off to university soon…he’s very bright and Stanford offered him a spot for IT.” Then she quickly clasped her mouth when she realized she had spoken too much.
“I’m sorry,” she dropped to a whisper.
Fabian laughed, surprising himself. His sour mood had completely disappeared thanks to the redhead.
“Tell me more.”
***
It was nearly four in the morning by the time Amber got off from work. The stars were still twinkling like tiny diamonds in the sky and the air was cold and damp with moisture. She waved goodbye to Lola and gave a nod to the bouncer, George, who stood guard at the entrance. He nodded back and flashed a toothy grin. She liked him, he reminded her of a giant teddy bear.
Cecil had deducted her pay for the broken glass but otherwise, she was still paid handsomely. Plus Fabian Williams had given her a tip. A hundred dollar tip!
He had pressed the crumpled bill into her hand at the end of their little conversation, with the reason being, “Just because.”
She did not know what to make of him, he was like an enigma, only asking questions about her but never revealing anything about himself. But he had saved her from the sleazy man with the gold chain, and for that, she was extremely grateful.
Speak of the devil…
The sleazy man stepped out of the club behind her and bellowed, “Well, well, well, if it isn’t William’s redhead.” His voice dripped with sarcasm.
There’s no need to be afraid, she told herself.
George was nearby and Cecil had given the man a warning not to touch any of her girls without consent.
She ignored him and hugged her denim backpack closer, trying to get some warmth. The morning air was cold and she had forgotten to bring her jacket. She could feel her nose turning red.
The man wasn’t giving up though, now that Fabian Williams was out of sight, “I liked that ass of yours.”
She sucked in her breath and glared at him.
“What? Cat got your tongue red? I can help you loosen up,” the man laughed, taunting her.
George noticed the exchange and took a step forward but Amber shook her head.
“I’ll loosen YOUR tongue if you keep pestering her,” a man walked over and draped a warm and protective arm on Amber’s shoulder.
“Anson!” My knight in shining armour! she laughed inwardly. Her little brother was very protective of her. Once, when they were younger, he had gotten into a fight with her classmates for picking on her. He spent a whole week in detention for that.
The man’s eyes narrowed at the presence of Anson, “One after the other, well aren’t you the vixen.”
Anson did not like what he heard, “Watch your mouth.” He took a step forwards forcing the sleazy man to take a step back. Though much younger, Anson was tall, towering at least a head above the man and was athletically built - the man would have been no match for Anson.
A black Bugatti Chiron pulled into view. It had come for the man.
Amber tugged at her brother’s arm, “Let’s just go.”
The man took the opportunity to quickly retreat into the passenger seat. The windows were tinted so black that even if they were in broad daylight, no one would have been able to tell who was behind the wheels.
Anson shot the man a murderous look before they turned to leave.
" If he insults you one more time, I’ll kill him,’ he muttered under his breath. Little did they know that those very words would come back to haunt them.
The Banks siblings lived in a tiny rented room at the top of Ma’s Bakery. They had been living here for the past seven years, ever since they lost their parents. Amber had stumbled upon this place by accident. Their late father had mortgaged their house to fund a business plan that had failed miserably and upon their parent’s death, all the money left from the insurance coverage was used to either pay for the funeral or to settle their late father’s loans. Their relative had decided early on that they would not be able to take the two orphaned children in, especially not when they had three other little mouths to feed. So they tried to send Amber and her brother to the orphanage. Amber refused and in the end, they were left to defend themselves. It was a cold winter’s night when the owner of Ma’s bakery, Margaret Cornwell found Amber peering through her frosted windows. Anson had been sick and they had not eaten for days. That fateful night, Margaret to
Fabian turned away from the window’s panoramic view and headed down the linear stair rails to his kitchen, his mind still lost in a web of memories from yesteryear. “Good morning sir,” a sprightly voice called out from a lone white illuminated box that sat unobtrusively in the middle of his marble benchtop, bringing Fabian’s mind back to the present. It was the only presence he allowed in his house. “Morning V,” Fabian opened his mirrored double-doored fridge and pulled out a glass of orange juice. V was his ubiquitous virtual assistant - the brainchild of Fabian Williams and one of Virtuex Holdings’ top selling innovations. “What would you like to have for breakfast today?” the voice quipped. V had access to every part of the two-tone modern house, from Fabian’s master bedroom all the way to his garage in the basement and was, therefore, able to cater to all of Fabian’s commands. He did not feel like eating. Not after answering the phone call earlier
The La Fire Club was abuzz with excitement. As Amber walked into the dressing room to collect her uniform, she saw women primming themselves in front of the vanity tables with lights, looking even more made up than usual. They were chatting with each other excitedly, some giggling, others gushing and a few were even adding more padding to their push up bras.“Amber! How do I look?” a busty blonde quipped, turning around to face Amber. Her breasts were practically spilling out of her corset.“Um…chesty?” she wasn’t exactly sure what to say but the answer seemed to satisfy the blonde who went back to facing the mirror, apparently to add even more padding.Amber made her way to the back of the dressing room where she found Lola, sitting crossed legged and alone on the sofa where they first met yesterday. Unlike the other girls, Lola had a book on her lap and a pen tucked neatly behind her ear.Amber had to smile, she liked Lola. The girl was as honest as anyone
“Now, now Fabian. I’ve sent you Amber, so please remove the scowl from that handsome face of yours,” Madam Cecil teased, pushing Amber towards Fabian who remained seated on the sofa. Amber felt like a piece of property and did not appreciate it. “Madam Cecil, I’m only here for waitressing works,” she said exasperatedly, suddenly wondering if she should be wary of Fabian Williams. Did a sleazy beast lay beneath the facade of this handsome man? She could feel her heart beating faster. Fabian waved his hand at Madam Cecil, “You may leave us now.” Amber shot Cecil an anxious look and to which the older woman replied, “Amber my dear girl, Fabian is one of our most well-behaved customers here. You’re in good hands.” With that, the head hostess turned around and strode out of the room – her hips swaying against her insanely tight pencil skirt and heels digging into the soft carpeted floor with every step before she finally closed the door behind her
Amber was dreaming, but like everyone else who dreamt, she did not realise that she had tumbled down the rabbit hole…. ‘She was standing alone in a semi-darkened room and mist surrounded her. A single window was positioned above her, allowing a little bit of light to stream down into the room. “Hello?” she called out nervously, trying to see what lay ahead of her. She took a few steps forward cautiously with her arms stretched out, not wanting to knock into anything when suddenly she bumped into something soft. She looked down and gasped. The mist that enveloped the room earlier on began to dissipate to reveal the body of a battered man lying at her feet. He was chained in shackles and curled up like a cat. Then to her horror, the man stirred. Amber tried to run but for some reason, her movements felt heavy, as if she was underwater. She could hardly move at all. Help! She wanted to call
The journey home for Amber was a daze. She had no idea how she managed to even make it back in one piece. What had Anson done? He normally couldn’t even hurt a fly! There must have been some kind of misunderstanding.Her hands trembled as she fumbled with the keys to the door. They jingled too much and she couldn’t fit the key into the lock.Damnit! Open!Frustrated, she kicked the door only to let out a little yelp.Calm down. I need to calm down.She took a deep breath and slowly inserted the key into the keyhole again, this time, it worked and the door creaked to an open.Although it was nearing dawn, the room was still quite dark and while the windows were left open, Anson had drawn the curtains to a close.“Anson?” Amber whispered, closing the door behind her. Then in the corner of their little room, right beneath the window sill, Amber saw her brother, huddled under the curtain that flap
The line sounded too cheesy to be a threat.“I know what your brother did.”“Excuse me?” Amber frowned into her phone. It sounded like a ripoff from the 1997 horror flick ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’. And because of that, Amber had trouble taking the call seriously at first.Until the caller said, “I can prove his innocence.”That sealed the deal for her. As much as she had tried to encourage Anson to turn himself in to the police, deep down, she had been filled with dread. The alleyway was a blindspot and all evidence pointed to Anson. There were witnesses from the first night when Anson had a heated verbal exchange with the man. And he had touched the knife with his bare hands for goodness sake!So when the mysterious caller dangled the key to freedom for her brother, of course she had to take it. But Amber was no fool, she knew there would be a catch.“Who is this?” she whis
A numbing icy wave washed over Amber upon hearing Liam’s words. They repulsed her. “What do you mean?” she asked, taking a cautious step back, bumping into the door from where they had entered earlier and shredding her palms with her clenched fingernails. Anson instinctively stepped in front of his sister, shielding her tiny frame with his own. His body language practically screamed, ‘Stay away from my sister!’. At this, Liam began to laugh as if Amber had just asked the funniest question. He laughed so hard he had to hold his sides and the siblings stood silently watching him rocking back and forth in his swivel chair, waiting for him to catch his breath. She took his laughter as a sign of him not lusting after her body; which in a way came as a huge relief. Even Anson started to relax a little. Perhaps Liam Smith wanted something menial, like a week of housekeeping perhaps? It was a naïve thought, but for a moment Amber truly thought all would be we