“Dinner was amazing” Jessica told Javier as he opened the car door.

“I could tell by the way you polished off that pasta”

She ducked her head and blushed.

“Don't worry, I love a woman with a healthy appetite. I tired of going to dinner with women who pretend they're not hungry yet I can sit across the table and hear their stomach rumble like a angry animal.”

She giggled and took his outstretched hand. She paused as she looked up at his house. Ivy and ferns grew through the crevices of the old winding stone path, which led directly to the colossal structure. The house looked like a cut out from Architects Today magazine. The house was a series of rectangles constructed of steel and glass. It was unapologetically modern. It stood amidst the manicures lawn as if beamed there rather than constructed. It was beautiful.

She blushed when he caught her staring at his house.

“Come on” he smiled at her.

They crossed over the threshold and Jessica was awe struck. The inside of the house was even more impressive. They place was, spotless. It made her apartment look like the city dump.

“You like it?”

“I love it” she breathe out.

He chuckled and led her further into the house. They walked along the hall and came to a stop at a door with the words ‘do not disturbe’ etched into the gold plate. He pushed the door opened at chuckled when she exclaimed.

“Oh my God”

“I'm glad you like it”

“Now you're just showing off” she said rolling her eyes.

“Have a seat, I'll be back with snacks”

“Snacks?” She asked puzzled

“Well you can't Netflix and chill without snacks now can you?”

Jessica was even more impressed as she walked further into the room. Who wouldn't be impressed of a mini home theater, especially when there was nothing ‘mini’ about it.

So this is how the other half lives.

She sank down onto one of the cushy leather seats and waited for Javier to return. Her mind drifted to wondering how the rest of his house looks then she wondered if Bethany was sharing his room.

No way, he wouldn't do that.

“Do what?”

She turned and saw him standing next to her seat holding a tray with all different assortments of snacks while holding a glass of champagne in his other hand.

“I guess I said that out loud”

“Sure did”

“Um...I was just wondering where Bethany sleeps”

“Oh” he replied. He put the tray down next to her then sat down. “We don't share the same room if that's what you're thinking”

“Good. I mean...OK I'll shut up now”

He chuckled and reached for a remote, the warner brothers tune sounded around the room as the movie began. Jessica wasn't even conscious of the fact that less than halfway through the movie she had plastered herself to Javier like a second skin. Watching a bunch of people trapped deep in the bottom of the ocean wasn't what she had in mind for a Netflix and chill night. She had a sneaking suspicion though that this was all working out exactly the way Javier wanted it to.

The sound intensified the moment as a shark made its way towards the girl trapped in a iron cage. As it rammed its head against the cage causing the woman to scream so did she, effectively pouring the champagne from her flute onto them.

“I'm so sorry” she quickly apologized as she dabbed at his chest.

The jerking of his chest beneath her hand caused her to look up and find him trying desperately to hold in his laughter. She slapped his chest and made to move away from him but he caught her hand and held her in place.

“I'm sorry but that was funny” he said between his laughter.

“I'm glad you think its funny, now I'm all wet” she complained

“You can change into one of my shirt while I dry your clothes”

She followed him up the stairs to his room, taking in everything as she went along. When he pushed opened his door and she followed him inside, she paused as her eyes landed on his beautiful king sized bed. Her mind drifted to tempted territories that included her and Javier in a tangled web of arms and legs on his bed in heated passion.

“I would bring those thoughts to life right now but I know you're not ready” came his husky tone.

She turned to look at him and saw the pure lust on his face. She had to hold herself back from running into his arms and begging him to take her here and now. She gulped when he slowly walked over to her.

“Put this on”

She looked down and took the shirt from his outstretched hand before hurrying through the door her was pointing at.

She leaned against the door and took a deep breath. Her eyes caught a painting by the bathroom window. There was something very familiar about it. She stepped closer and realized it resembled the painting in the gallery.

Oh my God, he's the one that painted them.

She quickly stripped and put on his shirt and walked back to his room.

“Why didn't you tell me?” She asked

He turned from the balcony door to look at her confused.

“Tell you what?” he asked

“The painting in the gallery, you're the artist that did it”

“I would hardly call myself an artist” he replied with a light shrug.

“Why don't you want people to know?”

“Persons don't get me, I doubt they would get my art”

“I do”

“I know”

He walked out to his balcony and she followed him. She knew it was getting late but it was like an unspoken agreement that she would stay the night and right now she didn't want to question it. He pulled her unto his lap from where he sat on a chair.

“Have you done any more?”

“A few”

“How long have you been painting?”

“For as long as I can remember”

“Expressionism is one of my favorite. The different emotions that can be display on a single piece of canvas is amazing, its like the artist just…”

“Lose them self in the painting” he finished

“Yeah”

“I feel like we have so much in common yet we're so different?”

“What do you mean?” She asked turning to look at him.

“Like we've both seen our fair share of hard times, hurt, loss, betrayal.”

“I have”

“Tell me”

“Javier I…”

“Please?”

Its been so long since someone genuinely wanted to get to know her. Know about her. She found herself telling him everything.

“I was so afraid to date, all the girls my age use to always complain about how bad the guys in our generation is. But there was this guy, he's tried to ask me out since the seventh grade but I always turned him down. I would give him the nastiest looks but he never gave up. By the time we were in the ninth grade he was still trying and so I finally said yes. I dated him right through highschool and college. He cheated on me my second year with a freshman, I was devastated, he was my first for everything, what made it worst was he didn't seem to care. I was so naive that when he came back weeks later begging for a chance I took him back. We were good but then months later I got pregnant immediately he said he would take care of it. I trust him, he was my life so I'd do anything he told me to, he made me get an abortion.

That's not something you ever get over but I learned to move pass it. Things weren't the same after that, he was gappy but I wasn't, I felt trapped, stifled almost, I wrote it off as nerves. He proposed my second year of college and I was so happy, but then summer came and we both went away on exchange programs. He went to another state and I went on vacation with my family. Things were off when we got back to school. One day a guy told me that he was with them during the summer…”

“Them who?” asked Javier when she paused.

“My fiancé and my best friend” she replied looking into his eyes.

“Cristo. Don't, you don't have to tell me”

“I want to”

She leaned into him as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer.

“He told me they all rented a house together. He came home one day and heard my fiancé and my best friend having sex. I confronted both of them separately and they couldn't get their stories straight. Right away I knew they guy didn't lie, I took off the ring and threw it over a wall and walked away. I never looked back”

“That along with loosing your parents made you even more cautious around people”

“Yeah. Took time off school and came back this year to finish up”

“I'm glad you did”

Translation I'm glad I met you.

She smiled against his chest as she snuggled closer to him.

“I'm glad I did too”