Dangerous Conceit by Ali Lee

Chapter 3

Lexi’s heart beat fast. The perspiration wetting her forehead made it impossible for Abby to apply any blush. Lexi had encountered numerous men while trying to obtain information and could not figure out why she would be nervous about going out with Rafa. He was the means to end the women’s miserable situation. That alone should motivate her to abandon her nerves, but Rafa was no normal source to gain trust.

“Lexi, your hair is being as stubborn as you are. It won’t curl.” Abby set the curling iron down next to where Kayla sat on the edge of the tub. Maura was on her lap. “Honey, that’s hot, so don’t touch it, okay?”

Lexi smiled and shook her short hair from Abby’s grasp. A soft giggle came from Maura as Lexi clipped a piece of her hair behind her ear. “You’re wasting your time on my hair with that old junk anyway.”

Kayla hiked Maura to her waist and stood, Maura’s curls bouncing with the lift. “I'll bet you’re ready for dinner, aren't you sweetie? It’s already five-thirty and I’m starving too.”

“Uh huh,” Maura mumbled and looked over to Lexi.

“Why don't I take you downstairs and make us both something to eat?” Kayla set Maura to stand and grabbed her hand.

“No.” Lexi pointed at Kayla. “Maura needs to stay upstairs until I’m out of the house and the doors are locked. No risks, remember…especially with her.”

“I know, but I figured we had a few minutes.”

Lexi stood and held out her hands for Maura. “No, with this man, he’ll probably show up fifteen minutes early. Let me meet him outside the house when he pulls up.”

“Then get,” Kayla said, “before you miss him and he knocks.”

Lexi tapped Maura’s nose and gave her a playful kiss. “Abby has a special dinner planned for you tonight.”

“And you are going to love it.” Abby added and started to put away all of the items she could not use for Lexi’s make-up.

“You hear that, sweetie? Isn’t that nice of Abby?” Lexi gave Maura a big popping kiss.

“I wanna go with you. Is it gonna to be a party?” Maura asked as she locked both her legs around Lexi’s waist.

“Oh sweetie, it’s not a party; but when I come back, I’m going to bring you a present, okay?”

Maura's green eyes sparkled as she smiled up at Lexi. “Promise?”

“Of course I promise. And I never break my promise, do I?” Maura shook her head as Lexi set her on the floor. “Okay, sweetie, wish me luck.”

Maura was used to saying goodbye and reached up for Abby's arms. “Good luck. Don't forget your promise.”

Lexi smiled and gave her a tiny kiss on her lips. “No chance, sugar-bear. I'll see you tonight.”

As Lexi took a step, Abby crossed her fingers for good luck, which Lexi returned. She was going to need all the powers of the universe and then some on her side if she would get through the night without any surprises.

***

After parking in the empty driveway of Lexi’s house, Rafa stepped out of his car and started up the concrete sidewalk. Weeds grew in between the cracks with three worn steps at the end that had remnants of paint from years ago. He looked at the front of the house, concerned with how the roof above the porch sagged down. Her circumstance made the knot in his chest tighten more as he wondered how he could have prevented her grim situation.

Rafa hesitated in his thoughts and grazed his finger against the thin black belt around his matching slacks. He thought he had dressed casual until seeing the house. He unbuttoned the top few buttons of the navy dress shirt he wore to make Lexi feel more at ease. He could do nothing about his car. The Lexus did not match the old minivan with a broken window or the small blue car with one side mounted on a jack stand next door. The scene overwhelmed him, triggering his thoughts back to a time he had tried to forget, a time in his life that had ended with no explanation.

He was on his way home to the shabby old two-story house on the edge of town—the town of Homestead where he used to live. Each night, after he finished his shift on the assembly line, he would go to the house with its peeling outer paint and cracked walls. For eight years, Rafa lived on his own and fended for himself. He had no mother and a drunken father who disowned him as a teen.

It was cold that night. He pulled the black knitted hat that he always wore snug over his ears. For days, there was no reprieve from the rain. He did anything he could to stay warm. As he approached the street where he lived, Rafa noticed a woman along the sidewalk. He did not know her age but guessed eighteen or something close by her appearance. She was struggling with a middle-aged man with long graying hair—a creep named Charlie who lived in the house across from him and someone who he already did not like. Charlie was trying to take advantage of the woman out alone in the wrong part of town. As Rafa walked closer to them, the woman fought against Charlie’s grasp. It caused the faded black hood of her oversized sweatshirt to fall, revealing long messy bleached hair and prominent blue eyes.

Lucky for the woman, he was the one who found them late that night. Rafa doubted any other person would have bothered with the situation. As he met them, he stared at Charlie, angry that he would try to hurt her. “You should probably let the girl go and leave before you get yourself killed. There’s nothing here worth dying for.”

Charlie glared at him, annoyed he had interfered and kept dragging the woman despite her attempts to escape. “Mind your own business, asshole. This doesn't involve you. Go back to your whorehouse before I beat the shit out of you.”

Rafa was surprised Charlie threatened him and gave a mocking nod. “You can try if you'd like but you won’t get far,” he said and pulled a worn looking gun from his jacket pocket. “You have one second to let her go, Charlie. I don’t make threats.”

Charlie considered his words and stopped to look at the woman and back at Rafa before dragging her again. It was the last mistake he ever made, and Rafa pulled the trigger on the gun and sent Charlie falling backwards. Blood oozed from Charlie’s head onto the road as he took his final breath. The woman never screamed but looked at Rafa with total shock.

“What are you doing out alone at night? Do you know what that man would have done to you?”

“I,” she started but nothing more than a sound came out.

Rafa shook his head and hunched down, grabbing Charlie’s arms with his gloved hands and dragging him behind some old abandoned metal bins. “Where do you live? I'll walk you home if it's close by.”

“I…can't go home tonight?” She uttered as if the fear of going home surpassed the fear of almost being raped.

“Can't or won't?” Rafa countered.

“Both.” She looked at the ground, shivering from the chilly winter air as she pulled her hood back over her head.

Gazing down the empty street as the rain picked up speed, Rafa wanted to get indoors and out of the cold. It had been a long enough day as it was. “Fine, you can stay at my place until morning. It's a few others and me. They won't bother you if you're with me. There's no electricity…just water, and it's kind of shitty, but at least, it’ll keep the rain from making you miserable.” The woman gave a small, appreciative smile and started following him when he turned back around. “By the way, what's your name?”

She looked up from underneath her hood and answered, “My name is Em.”

When the locks on the front door rattled, Rafa was startled back to the porch rail he had grabbed as Lexi opened the door enough to squeeze her body through before closing it fast.

“Hello Mr. Paolini,” she said and skipped down the steps and past him to his car.

“Did you expect me to get here early?” His brows lifted as he followed her to the passenger side, questioning why she was in such a hurry.

“Yes, and I didn’t want to keep you waiting,” she said and slid into the seat as soon as he opened the door for her.

“I see.” He closed the door again and got into his side of the car, suspicious of her odd behavior. Then he thought back. She had always been odd. She was never like anyone else that he knew. It was probably what caught his interest in the first place, nearly six years ago.

As he drove away, he glanced at her with questions but instead noticed the pale blue satin dress that covered her shapely curves. Had she given him more than ten seconds before getting in the car, he would have been able to appreciate how well the dress fit. He liked how it brought out the color of her eyes—completely different from the restaurant uniform. She did not dress extravagant, yet the lack of indulgence brought out her best features. What Rafa really liked was the scent of her perfume. It was pleasant and not overbearing like others he had known. For that, he was thankful.

After twenty minutes, Lexi looked at him, taking in his gaze on the road and the smooth manner with which he steered the car. He wondered if she remembered him despite how much he had changed. The thing different about her was her hair. It used to be long, blond and straight but now was short and brown.

“Where are we going,” she asked, giving no sign that she knew who he was. In both appearance and status, he was a different person. He was a little disappointed that she did not recognize his voice with as much as they used to talk. He still did not know why it ended between them. He wanted answers and wanted them now but would have to bide his time.

“I’m taking you somewhere special. You like the ocean, don’t you?”

Lexi nodded while fiddling with the angel-shaped pendant on her necklace. “I love the ocean. It’s one of my favorite places.”

“Good to hear,” he said but already knew that she enjoyed the water. She used to talk about it a lot, about the feeling of freedom it gave to her. “We’ll be there in five minutes.”

When they arrived at the dock where his yacht was anchored, her eyes widened at the massive structure. He did not know if it was his extreme wealth or her genuine excitement or both, but the gleam in her eyes pleased him as she stepped out of the car.

“I don’t know what to say, Mr. Paolini. I’ve never seen anything like it. I can’t believe we’re going out in something like that.”

“Rafa,” he corrected her formality.

“Yes, of course,” she turned away and mumbled. He wondered about the manner of her tone and the way she looked put-off. Then it dawned on him. The women at the restaurant had called him out. Lexi probably thought he saw her as a one-night stand. He did have his share of women who threw themselves at him but he did not look for the attention. It came with his position.

“Come on. I’ll help you to the boat.” He took her hand, saying nothing as they began to walk down the dock. Her touch felt familiar yet something he had never expected to feel again, flooding his mind with thoughts. Why did he think he could pick up where they had left off? So much time had passed in between.

“I usually captain my own ship,” Rafa pointed at an older man behind the wheel as he helped her onto the boat, “but since I'm on a date, I figured on hiring someone for the night. His name is Stanley, but we won't be talking to him much since he's on duty.”

Lexi held up her hand in greeting to Stanley, another difference between her and others. Other women he knew would not have given Stanley their time, seeing him as a worker for their benefit.

“Let's go downstairs while Stan gets this beast on the water. Dinner shouldn’t be much longer.”

“Wow,” she said. “You’ve really thought this through.”

“What?” His tone showed offense. “Are you impressed that I could plan something like this?”

Lexi chuckled. “I'm not sure impressed is the right word to use—maybe dazzled,” she admitted.

“Dazzled. I’ll have to remember that.” He led her through a door to the side of the boat and down a small stairway to the living quarters. “Why don't you sit with me while dinner finishes and we can get to know each other.” Rafa pointed at a cushioned bench seat behind a miniature dining table. On top of the table was an open bottle of merlot, ready to pour into glasses. “How old are you, Lexi? You couldn't be older than twenty-four,” he said and handed her a glass.

“You looked up my address but not my age?” She narrowed her eyes. Her manner was teasing, testing him with her reply. “I’m twenty-three.” She looked at her lap and tucked a stray strand of hair. It was cute how she answered him with sarcasm to mask her nerves. He could see straight through her act and thought about the age difference. She should be twenty-four. That made her seventeen at the time he met her.

“If I learned everything about you, Lexi, then we wouldn’t have anything to talk about, would we?” He gave a satisfied smirk as she looked away, her verbal responses no longer able to gain the reaction she wanted. “Rafa stands for Rafael and I’m thirty.”

“Thirty.” She ignored the triumphant grin spreading across his face and leaned forward with both hands on the table. “So what do you do for a living, Mr. Paolini? You must be influential from what I’ve already seen…being privy to my information and all.” Lexi took a small sip of wine and swallowed slowly, redirecting the spotlight onto him. She never did like to talk about herself.

“Call me Rafa,” he corrected again. “I guess you could call me a consultant. I advise my boss on what decisions to make and he decides whether or not to carry them through.”

“Then your boss puts a lot of trust in you.”

Rafa chuckled and picked up his glass, spinning the contents. “He trusts me,” he shook his head and shrugged, “but I won't ever tell him that. Some things are better left unsaid.”

That made Lexi smile. Rafa and Angelo had a hate and love relationship. They were an unlikely match that worked.

“I guess you went to college then if you have that sort of control.”

“College?” Rafa looked thoughtful. “Yes, I went. It seems like an eternity ago, but I guess it hasn't been that long. I had completed my bachelor’s in political science when my boss found me. I was rough around the edges—an intelligent shit but a bona-fide mess. He was convinced he could change my life. I guess he was right, but I won’t admit to that either. I am grateful though. He paid off my loans and sent me for another two years. I’m loyal to him.”

“I guess it's a good thing he found you then. It sounds like you two were made to work together.” Lexi smiled as Rafa nodded in agreement.

“He's barely a year older than me, so we’ll probably work with each other until he kills me. My boss is a pain in the ass, but we’re actually more like brothers than anything.” Rafa stopped and looked directly at her. “So what about you? Have you gone to college?”

Lexi shook her head. A small, regretful side-glance replaced her fascination with Rafa and his boss. “I signed up for a few online classes once but dropped them before the year started. I still think about sometimes. Maybe when I get some free time, I’ll try again.” She looked at the wall, thoughtful about the topic. Rafa wondered what was going through her mind.

“You should definitely do that, Lexi. College can be important. I was able to put my past behind me after my last two years.”

“Well, I haven't given up on the idea. It's going to take some time, that's all.”

Rafa nodded in return before changing the subject. He had questions and there was no better way to ask except to be straightforward. It was not his method to hint at what he wanted to know.

“So…how about telling me something personal. Are you dating anyone right now?”

“Besides going out with you tonight?” Lexi's expression turned sullen, her gaze resting on her hands in her lap. “No, I haven't since I was eighteen. It’s been a long time. It's kind of a hard to talk about. After the last man…I…” Lexi shook her head as she spoke, looking as if she was mentally berating herself for her honesty. “It’s still hard for me. You’ll have to forget what I said.”

“How long did you two date?” he asked. Though unlikely at that age, she could have dated someone new for all he knew.

“Well…I was really seventeen when I met him. I had turned eighteen. We dated for less than a year, too short of a time for me to still be hung up over it.”

Rafa inspected the red wine in his glass, not knowing what he had done to have her disappear on him after nine months if she still thought about him. The news did encourage him to continue and he took her hand with resolve, gripping it slightly while Lexi stared at him with a confused look. He was not letting her go this time and placed a gentle kiss on her hand. “If you date me, I’ll make sure you never get hurt. I'm sure that I can erase all those memories and put a smile on your face.”

Lexi was shocked. She stared at him, her eyes trying to decipher if she heard him correctly. “Wh-at?” she mumbled.

“I was pretty clear wasn’t I?”

“Yes, but…you don't know me, Mr. Paolini. You have no idea what kind of woman I am.”

“Call me Rafa, and I already know more about you than I have others. I want to know even more.” He scooted closer, making Lexi's eyes shift to the table, the wall, the wine, and the glasses until she looked back at him.

“How do you know me?” she asked.

“Let’s just say we’ve met before,” was his reply. He was serious about her, had always wanted her and he was getting her back. For the first time in five years, all the feelings he buried in the back of his mind returned. He could not help himself despite how forward he came across. Her body stiffened as his hand rested with ease against her cheek.

“Rafa,” she started but he cut her off and gave a small squeeze to her wrist with his other hand. He had forgotten what a genuine kiss felt like as he pressed his lips against hers again. Her mouth was warm and sweet—his lips deliberate, feeling the slight shivers throughout her body as she leaned closer to his chest. She may not have expected him to kiss her tonight but the connection was instant.

Then he pulled away, leaving her breathless, incapable of deciphering a single word. “That wasn't so bad. Was it?”

His dark eyes stared in hers, completely mesmerizing her; then he slid his thumb across her lips to emphasize what he intended and moved away to stand before she thought he wanted her in bed.

“Would you like to see the ocean before we eat?” His firm hand fit around hers with comforting warmth, not waiting for a reply. He found it strange how her mind did not see who he was but her body knew.

When they arrived back at her house, Rafa opened the passenger door and raised her hand to his lips before watching her approach the entryway to her home. Unlike earlier, he noticed how many deadbolts she unlocked, making him wonder who she was hiding from behind those locks. That was something he would have to find out very soon. There were also lights on upstairs that meant someone other than Lexi lived there. Whatever the truth, he was determined to know every detail about Lexi.