Chapter 9 No.9

"No, no, no!"

Aisha smacked Dominic's hand lightly with a ruler.

"That's the fish knife," she said. "You use it for the sole. Not the steak."

Dominic rubbed his hand, feigning injury. "They look the same."

"They are shaped differently! Look at the curve!"

They were sitting at her tiny kitchen table. Aisha had set up a mock place setting using plastic cutlery.

"Okay," Dominic said. "Fish knife. Got it."

"Now," she said, pacing the small kitchen. "Wine. If they serve a Pinot Noir, what do you say?"

"Pass the beer?"

"Dominic!"

He laughed, grabbing her hand as she walked by and pulling her to a stop.

"Aisha. Breathe."

She looked down at him. He was sitting in her rickety chair, filling the room with his presence. He smelled of rain and that mysterious, expensive sandalwood scent.

"I can't breathe," she whispered. "If we fail..."

"We won't." He stood up. He was so close. She had to crane her neck to look at him.

"Why are you helping me?" she asked. "Really? It's not just the money. You could make money doing... easier things."

Dominic looked at her. He wanted to tell her. He wanted to tell her that she was the first real thing he had found in a world of plastic. That her fire made him feel alive.

Instead, he shrugged. "I like the food."

He leaned in. For a second, Aisha thought he was going to kiss her. Her heart hammered a frantic rhythm against her ribs. She didn't pull away.

He reached past her and grabbed a grape from the fruit bowl.

"Homework done," he said, popping the grape into his mouth. "I'm going to shower."

He walked into the bathroom.

Aisha let out a shaky breath. She touched her cheek. It was burning.

She heard the shower turn on. She imagined him in there. The water running over those broad shoulders...

She shook her head violently. Clause One. No intimacy.

She sat down at the table and opened her banking app. She transferred his weekly allowance. $1,500.

It left her with exactly $400 for the month.

She stared at the balance. She would have to skip lunch for a few weeks. But it was worth it.

In the bathroom, Dominic looked at his phone. The notification popped up.

You received $1,500.

He felt a knot in his stomach. He looked at his other account balance. $2.4 Billion.

He felt like the biggest fraud on the planet.

"I'll make it up to you," he whispered to the mirror. "I promise."