“I like your apartment," he said.
Lily hung up her keys and tried to cover her nervousness. “It’s cheap, and as a first year attending, I have loans.” She’d been passed over for chief resident and had settled on working in the division of General Pediatrics. Even though she’d written more papers than any other resident and was bilingual, she wasn’t leadership material.
“You’re an attending?”
“Yeah, I graduated last year.” Something chilling occurred to her. “Are you a med student?”
He laughed. “No.”
“What do you do for the hospital then?”
“Nothing, I work in City planning and Urban development.”
“And why were you at our party?”
He closed the distance and mimed her shape with his gloved hands before getting on his knees in front of her. “Because of gorgeous strong women with goals.”
“Oh.” The light reflected off his eyes, making them seem purple and all-encompassing. She found she was shivering on the inside.
“I like women who know what they want. Women who aren’t going to pretend.”
She snorted. Definitely not someone who worked for the hospital. “Everybody lies. Everybody's pretending.”
“You don't have to pretend with me.” He pointed to her shoes. “Do you want these off?”
“Yes.” After he removed his gloves, she listed to one side. His large hand grasped her ankle and unbuckled the heel on the left and then the right.
“Oh, thank God. This is why I don't wear heels to work.” If she had red lines from trying to dance for less than two hours, her heels were not up to the task of her twelve hour days in the hospital.
“Why don't you sit on your couch and I'll make you feel better.”
“The condoms are in my bedroom,” she blurted out.
“I meant rub your feet. We’re early for condoms.”
He wanted to rub her feet? “Too early for condoms but not your foot fetish?”
The Man in Black stayed on his knees. “I don't have a foot fetish.”
“Then why?”
“Haven't you ever let anyone pamper you? Take care of your needs?”
“You want to take care of my needs.” Her hearing must have failed. He’d said ‘no’ to sex but was going to take care of her.
“You only have to ask, and I'll obey.”
“You're kidding. You're going to let me tell you what to do?”
“Is that so odd? To have a man listen to you and want to please you?” The light flashed off his eyes again.
She opened and closed her mouth. The Man in Black with his purple eyes—a shade of purple which didn’t occur in nature—had an excellent point. “I need another drink. Get it for me.”
“Do you want me to crawl?”
Omg, he would crawl for her. “The regular way will be fine. Meet me on the couch.”
“What do you want to drink?” he asked.
