FOUR

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.