Rich Girl Poor Girl

Chapter 3

It took a moment for Lex to realise what he’d said, what he was holding, and when her brain finally caught up, her mouth was still miles behind.  “Oh!  My bag!  What – How did you, what happened?”

Otis passed it to her, proud like a dog with the biggest stick in the yard.  “I ran that guy down - it took me ages, but I got him on the ground and sat on him.  I used your phone to call the police, hope that’s okay, but they said it would be about an hour, so I just chatted with him while we waited.  His name is Ethan, a pretty cool guy actually, but he’s fallen in with a bad crowd, and they’ve got him doing stuff he doesn’t really want to be involved with.”

“Spare me,” she muttered under her breath; the guy stole my bag – his motivation isn’t really a big interest of mine.  Lex sorted through her bag, checking for the phone, her wallet and credit cards.  Not that there was much room on any of them; two were maxed out and the other had a balance of about one hundred dollars available, but still.  “So, did the police arrest him?”

He nodded, his face empathetic.  “Yeah, but I actually think it was the best thing for him.  His mum was on her way to bail him out, and she’s going to send him to live with his dad in Victoria for a while, get him out of the city.”

Lex shook her head, incredulous that Otis could be so concerned about a common thief.  “Okay, good then.”  Reaching her hand out, she said, “Thank you.  This is very much appreciated.”

He shook her fingers, and the instant their skin connected, heat flooded up her arm, electrifying her nerves.  Perhaps it was his luminous eyes, or his random act of kindness, or his scruffy appearance, but there was something so foreign and exciting about him, Lex found herself fascinated.  Besides the crush she’d developed on her Year 12 maths teacher, she hadn’t felt such girlish butterflies before, a sensation of being tugged out of her own body towards his.

She made up her mind: I want you.  And what Lex wanted, she pursued and obtained, from promotions to auctions to conquests.  Dropping her weight onto her left hip, she pursed her lips and sent a wave of feminine wiles his way, squeezing his fingers sensuously.

Otis seemed completely unaware.  Seeing him up closer, she guessed he was a few years younger than her, but his blitheness and innocence made him all the more appealing.  He dropped his hand and said, “Well, it was nice meeting you, Lex-”

“Come in,” she interrupted.  Lex realised her invite sounded more like a command, so she tried to soften it by adding, “If you want to.  I’d like to thank you properly.  Do you want a drink?”

He hesitated, analysing her face to see if she was serious.  “Well, okay.  I could use a glass of water, if you don’t mind.”

She ushered him inside.  “I think I can do better than water.  I’m drinking Shiraz, do you want a glass?”

He picked his way into her house, staring around at the elegantly placed vases and landscape paintings.  “No, thanks, I don’t drink.  Just water.”

She closed the door behind him, and said, “You don’t drink?”

“Nah.  Never been able to afford it since I was old enough to drink it, then I just figured I didn’t need to start doing something that’s such a bad habit for so many people.  Besides, I’ve never needed to be drunk to have a good time.”

“Right…”  Alcohol was about her only indulgence, the one way she could actually relax.  Brushing the topic aside, she said, “Water it is.”

In the seldom used kitchen, Lex pulled down a glass, then opened her refrigerator, looking for the Waterford crystal water pitcher.

Otis grinned at her, his cheeks lifting upwards adorably.  “So, waiting for pay day, hey?”