Dark Desires

4...Welcome back

The next morning Isaac was awake hours before the sun, staying there until his room was filled with its light. Usually, he would have gone out on one of his walks in town with a mask of innocence. Today though, he would have a lovely guest returning, so he wanted to make sure he was prepared. The house was dim and the air was a bit stale so he pulled back all of the curtains and left the windows open while he went around cleaning. He lit a candle in each room to give the air a hint of sweetness. He decided to put off the actual cleaning until after breakfast.

A fully stocked fridge and he still had trouble deciding on a meal. Finally, he grabbed out a few eggs along with a loaf of bread. The skillets were, logically, in the cabinet next to the stove. He pulled one out and placed it on a burner, turning it up halfway and pouring in oil. He fried his eggs while his bread was toasting and set the slices side by side after adding a thin layer of butter. The eggs were coaxed precisely in the middle of the slices and then sprinkled confidently with salt, pepper, and garlic. Setting the plate down at the bar, he poured a glass of milk and set it on the right side of his plate. As he sat down he frowned at his plate, noticing it had been set down crooked. He picked it up off the table and set it down so the edge of the toast was parallel with the edge of the bar.

After finishing his plate, Isaac washed the dishes he had used and put them back in their respective places. The clock read 9:30 at this point and he wasn't sure when Alice would be arriving. Wiping down the kitchen only took ten minutes since he had cleaned up breakfast already. Now it was 9:41. He swept the entire house and looked up to the clock again, 9:58. There had to be something that would take up more time. Looking around he noticed his desk had a few things laid on it and that spot of grey paint was still on the floor. He bent down with a towel and cleaner and rubbed at the spot until any evidence was gone. The towel went to the back room to be washed later and Isaac straightened the items on his desk. His paint brushes had been cleaned yesterday so he placed them in their cups and threw a white sheet over the easel. The sheet was decorated with stains from various paint colors. He went through the papers spread out on his desk and dealt with them accordingly. The clock now read 10:46. His heartbeat sped up at the possibility of Alice knocking on his door soon. He walked back into the kitchen to make a salad for her to eat while he cooked. He enjoyed feeling her eyes on him while he cooked, so he wouldn't start anything else until she arrived.

Three or four glances later the clock read 12:34 and there was a soft knock at the door. He stole a few seconds to watch her through the window again. Today she was wearing a light blue dress that stopped just under her knees. The short, white heels matched the trim of the dress. Her hair was tied up, letting her fiery curls float behind her. She turned towards the window and he let the curtain fall from his hand as he stepped back and opened the door. She smiled at him and since she was returning of her own free will Isaac felt it must be real. He wasn't sure why anyone would smile at him like that, even women he attempted to charm gave empty smiles. Hers was full of life and radiated a light that he wasn't completely comfortable around. If her light shown too far it would illuminate his darker side. No one had seen that part of him yet and he was afraid anyone who did would be lost. Alice coughed, alerting him he had stared for too long and his cheeks warmed.

"Welcome back."