In Ecstasy by Kate McCaffrey Page B

it as he showed me through the rest of the house. They had a theatre room like a small cinema, with twinkling lights recessed into the ceiling and walls draped in heavy velvet curtains. The screen filled an entire wall.
    I followed Lewis, making the right noises, but truthfully I was completely overwhelmed. I knew people lived like this, but I’d never experienced it before. His bedroom was massive, with its own bathroom of course. I sat on his double bed and smelled his aftershave. The walls were covered with pictures of half-dressed women wrapped in gleaming pythons or straddling motorbikes, and there was a huge black entertainment system. Everything was so sophisticated.
    â€˜I’ll make you dinner,’ he said, draining the last of his drink. I perched on a stool in the kitchen trying to find things to say. I hated the awkwardness. After everything we’d done together I couldn’t believe I still found it so difficult just to sit and talk to him.
    He pulled his plastic bag of pills out and I felt a rush of relief. Call it psychological, but knowing I’d have a little assistance helped me drop the anxiety that had been building from the minute he unlocked the front door. We each took an E and I propped my elbows on the bench and watched him cook. He was unbelievable! Not only a sex god but a chef too. He made a pasta sauce and passed me things to chop as he stirred the pot.
    â€˜So, where are your parents?’ I asked, sipping my bourbon and giving him what I hoped was a sexy look.
    â€˜China,’ he said, throwing a handful of basil into the pot and turning the heat down. ‘They export Aussie timber there and have the locals make it into furniture, which they import back in. Saves heaps of money in labour and increases their profit margin. They left two weeks ago and won’t be back for months.’
    â€˜Really?’ I said, following him out the back to an enormous swimming pool that glowed iridescent blue in the night. Across its surface fingers of steam danced upwards into the light. I kicked my shoes off and stuck a toe in. The water was hot. ‘Do you often stay on your own?’
    â€˜Yeah,’ he pulled out a chair for me and we sat opposite each other. ‘For the last couple of years I’ve basically been here by myself. Before that I had a nanny. A short, hairy Polish woman who barely spoke English and gave me lots of lollies. When I was ten she used to warn me my tits would fall out.’
    â€˜Your tits?’ I said incredulously.
    â€˜Yeah. It was a while before I figured out she meant my teeth. When I turned fourteen they figured I was old enough to look after myself.’
    â€˜You’ve been doing this since you were fourteen?’
    â€˜Yeah. It’s good. There’s a woman who comes in and cleans and stuff.’ He stood up. ‘Let’s have dinner and then a swim.’
    Even though his cooking smelled fantastic, I didn’t really want to eat. Sucking up pasta and flicking red sauce over my face would be a complete turn-off. Also, I think maybe the E suppressed my appetite. He dished me up a huge bowlful, which I pushed around with my fork. I didn’t want to offend him, but I didn’t want to look bloated in my bathers either.
    â€˜Not hungry?’ he asked.
    â€˜It’s fantastic,’ I said enthusiastically, ‘but no, not really.’
    â€˜That’s okay. Leave it. Maybe we’ll have it for breakfast.’
    He was inviting me to stay the night.
    While he mixed more drinks I phoned Mum. I stood out on the balcony, the sea and sky now blended together into a wall of inky blackness streaked by glittering shards of stars. I listened to the invisible surf as her mobile rang.
    â€˜Hello?’ She was out with Damon. There was the sound of tinkling glasses, muted chatter and piano music. My guess was she was at the Mint Leaf. ‘Everything all right?’
    â€˜Yeah, fine,’ I said quickly.