Scarred

Chapter 11: History

Another extra long chapter and early too! :) 

Also bit of good news/bad news. Good news is that chapter 12 will have the beginnings of some mature content, bad news is that it might take me a bit longer than usual to finish as I've got a major event happening this weekend that's going to suck up a lot of time. 

Anywho - enjoy and please don't forget to vote!

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"You astound me," he said after a moment of shock, still trying to fully process her words. "There is much more to discuss about turning but I suggest we wait for another time as we have arrived at my home."

Lucienne had been so intent on their conversation, she'd missed them driving up to a gate which was currently opening for them. When they passed through she got a good look at the house and grounds and gasped in amazement. It was magnificent. As old fashioned as Michael sometimes appeared, his home was anything but. Concrete and steel with patterned glass showed the marriage of modern clean lines and elegance that she knew made his work so sought after.

Sitting on the edge of a small lake, the water reflected off one side of the structure, giving it a harder edged feel, while the greenery of the open lawn and trees softened the other. Interestingly, the house didn't tower or dominate over its surroundings, rather it integrated with the landscape, becoming part of it while still maintaining its own presence.

"Wow, Michael, it's gorgeous!" She shook her head slightly in amazement. "I don't even have the words, just wow!"

He smiled taking pride in both his home and her reaction to his creation. Admittedly he'd heard countless compliments before, but coming from her, it brought him a deeper sense of satisfaction and pleasure than he'd ever expected.

Moments later they'd parked and he'd brought her inside. Once again he thrilled in the fact she'd been rendered speechless, her face openly showing her admiration.

"And I thought it was amazing from the outside, this is just stunning!" she finally exclaimed as he led her through the open floor plan set off by subtle but striking architectural accents. The entire place showed an incredibly deft hand for balancing practicality and artistry, and she was simply blown away by the whole thing.

"This is one of my favorite spaces," he told her, leading her to a set of opaque glass doors and opening them with a bit of a flourish to reveal the room inside.

Once again she'd been rendered speechless. Clear glass panels framed by elaborate patterned glass revealed a room overhanging the lake, almost making it feel like you were floating over the water. On one side slatted greenery walls grew outside a couple feet away from the glass, bringing the marriage of hard and soft again. The light filtering through the greenery and patterned glass created an incredible mosaic of light rays and marbled shadows that almost looked sculptural in the white room. Normally she would find a room like this sterile and uninviting, but she loved the way the absence of color allowed the light patterns to decorate without interference.

He kicked off his shoes by the door and stepped in while she wandered around and looked out the windows. Finally she seemed to find her voice again. "Michael, this is so incredible. It's like an artist's painting. I've never seen anything like it and I can't even imagine how you planned this. You're brilliant," Lucienne almost half whispered, her awe overwhelming her.