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Amelia was still stuck on the question of food but too unfocused to be able to concentrate enough to make a decision. “I’m not sure what to ask for,” she admitted.
“That’s okay,” Cassius replied. “Don’t worry. Marcus, the usual is fine, but you can make it double.”
“Yes, sir. I will work on it right away,” Marcus replied as he passed them.
The hall outside the elevator was short. The walls were black with gold trim on the floors and ceiling. The ceiling itself was a mirror, reflecting the dark black and white patterned tiles on the floor. There was a table off to the side with a large vase bearing an immaculate plant. Amelia felt like she was in a luxury hotel. But this wasn’t a luxury hotel. This was just the outside hallway of Cassius’s home.
Marcus stopped at the door and waited for them to approach before he opened it. Cassius entered first, turning around as he took his jacket off and handed it to Marcus who followed close behind Amelia.
Amelia entered and looked around, instantly overwhelmed by the interior of the penthouse. She stood there flabbergasted trying to take in all of the intricate details.
The floor matched the one out in the hall. From where she stood, it was one large hall that after just a few feet opened up into a massive open floor plan. Marcus opened a closet behind them and put Cassius’s jacket in. He then turned and hurried off in another direction while Cassius stepped in front of Amelia and stretched his arms out.
“Want a quick tour?” he asked, a smirk stretching out across his face.
Amelia nodded as she began to walk forward. In a way, she was almost too scared to enter. She didn’t feel physically in danger. She just felt that everything she looked at was so expensive, she was afraid of bumping into something or breaking something. She had no idea what anything cost. From vases to mirrors to statues. The interior was decorated like a castle. A tall bust stood on a pedestal near the entrance. Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus the plaque on it read.
“That’s not an original. Just a copy,” Cassius said, letting out a laugh. “Lazarus is a fan. Personally, I prefer Socrates.”
Amelia wasn’t much of a history buff, but she knew who he was talking about.
Cassius led the way further into the penthouse. Off to the right was a large opening, a kitchen with a long island and barstools lining it. Past that was a door where Amelia could hear the sounds of someone hard at work, most likely Marcus preparing the dinner, whatever it may be.
Up ahead and opposite the island was a wall with several comfortable-looking seats in front. In between was a table with a stack of books.
“This is my reading nook,” Cassius said. My collection is right on the other side.”
Amelia reached out and ran her hand over the arm of the chair as they passed, the soft beige wool brought a warm vibe.
“Laszlo by Ross Cassidy,” Cassius replied. “Lazarus and I are fans.”
Amelia had no idea who that was. She knew nothing about interior design, but since Lazarus, whom she had yet to meet, was an architect, she was sure that he had a variety of eclectic tastes when it came to interior design. She couldn’t imagine what else was around the corner.
As Cassius approached the corner he looked over and Amelia could see a smile cross his face. He then stopped and stood aside, waiting for her to approach.
Amelia’s eyes enlarged as she walked around the wall and spotted the collection. A bookcase lined not just the wall she walked around, but the far wall up ahead, and the full wall to the left. Eight rows up, wall to wall, was full of books of various colors. She looked over and immediately began to browse, running her fingers along the book’s bindings, their different textures and smells all hitting her all at once. It was such a nice smell. A unique scent. Books from around the world and bound differently all had a unique smell to them. It was like each book had its own personality.
He had books from authors she knew and liked and even had ones from writers she had never even heard of, which was rare given her profession.
“This is all so amazing,” Amelia said. “Impressive.”
“Thank you,” Cassius replied. “It’s taken me years to fill these shelves, and some aren’t even mine. A few are Lazarus’s, and a few were our father’s who also had a love for literature. I like to think I’m the best of both our parents. Our mother was into art, our father into books.”
Amelia found that interesting, but her browsing had come to a stop. Her heart began to race as her fingers froze before touching a specific book. Her eyes had caught a glimpse of it just before she touched it and as the words formed in her head and it registered what she was reading, she had to try to compose herself. She looked over to Cassius who noticed her reaction. All he did was smile as she looked back at the book in amazement. And a small part of her felt like he knew she’d stumble upon it and get excited.
It was a copy of the First Edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. She hadn’t mentioned it, but somehow Cassius knew she would react in such a way once she saw it. There weren’t many First Editions of this left in the world. The last that she knew, in total, there were somewhere around twenty, and out of those twenty, only a small handful were in private collections. It was full of illustrations and one of the best stories ever written.
Amelia didn’t even want to touch it. She was too afraid. She remembered reading about one being auctioned over and going for around two million dollars. For a book. She couldn’t wrap her head around it and took a step back as she quickly glanced around at many of the others. She couldn’t even begin to imagine the total worth of his collection.
“I, I have no words,” Amelia said, feeling overwhelmed.
“I know, it’s a lot. But I’m not worried about the worth of the book if you can’t open it up and enjoy it,” he said, reaching forward and pulling the book out. He handled it firmly, but respectfully, and opened it so she could see the interior.
Amelia stared on in amazement before a voice called out from back towards the front of the penthouse.
“Food will be ready shortly,” Marcus announced.
Cassius closed the book gently and then placed it back. “Maybe after dinner we can continue to peruse, and you can pick something out you’d like to read or take with you.”
