Remembering You

Modern

I looked around without trying to look too suspicious for my followers that Mr. Right had promised me. Almost as soon as we had pulled out, I saw two black SUVs pull out behind us, following us at a decent distance to not look too utterly suspicious. I let out a breath I didn't even know I had been holding, glad someone at least was watching out for me.

I assumed home was a house like I saw on TV. Apparently, living in the cities houses were very rare, so we had an apartment in some very tall building.

"Good morning Ms. Lightfayre, it's good to see you back! Gorgeous as always," the man in a strange outfit said as soon as we got in the mirrored elevator. I held Sera tightly, but she was busy playing with her doll and seemed entirely at ease with the man who had been clearly just standing in the elevator waiting for us. He didn't even ask what floor we were on, seeming to know which button to press for us.

"Right," I said suspiciously, trying to get Jason's attention with my eyes. He was busy looking at his phone, quite comfortable with the stranger. He pressed the button for the top floor, and after a very awkward elevator ride, he finally let us out into our apartment.

"We live on the top floor?" I asked as Jason unlocked the only door that was between the elevator and the apartment. The door looked like reinforced steel and was newer than the surrounding walls as if it was put in after the fact. Of course, it could have just been him trying to make sure no one unwanted came in. My suspicious mind worried that he was trying to keep me from leaving, which bothered me more than I would have liked to admit.

I was expecting a homely small space filled with vibrant colors that told the story of my life. Mementos and sweet stories behind every inch. What I got was a large brightly lit gleaming white space. Every inch of it was white and sterilized looking like every inch of life had been wiped from it.

I had expected Sera to freak out and ask what happened to our home since this CLEARLY wasn't it, but she took off almost immediately in the direction of a playroom filled with light-colored pale toys that all blended together.

"What the actual fuck," I asked after I picked my jaw off the floor. Jason loosened his tie and made himself comfortable in the ultra-white large kitchen that held far too much space to feel natural. The furniture was all white and looked hard as rocks, and when I sat on the couch, my suspicions were confirmed. Sitting on a rock would have actually felt better than our furniture.

Jason sat on the identical couch across from me, observing my reaction over a shot of whiskey, looking far more relaxed than I had ever seen him before.

"This can't be my home," I said stoutly, refusing to play along with his ruse. This was a joke. It was fun, I loved kids, and I was a very expressive person. I enjoyed drawing in the hospital and had spent more time teaching the kids how to paint than was probably normal. The house didn't fit me at all. It was like someone had taken my house and scrubbed it clean of anything resembling me.

"Why do you say that?" He asked, leaning back against the couch and letting out a relaxed sigh. It had been a trying week for us both, but now we had time just to relax and no distractions. I had barely been alone with the man at all, and now I was supposed to pretend to be his wife. It was insanity.

"It doesn't feel like me at all. It feels like the opposite of me actually. I feel messy and...and expressive...vibrant...this apartment feels devoid of life," I said looking around at the white gleaming surfaces. He looked also taken aback by my hatred of it and was obviously just used to it how it was right then.

"You said it was some sort of minimalistic modern crap. You loved it and paid our cleaners very handsomely to keep it pristine white. I never got it, though. Just one of the many things I gave up on fighting you on," he admitted, smiling sadly, remembering whatever arguments we had quite fondly it seemed.