What could go wrong that already hasn't? She feels safe with Owen, anyway.
They arrive at a high-rise building. The surroundings are familiar, Lucy judged the distance from the hospital to be around 15 minutes by foot. She is relieved knowing it is really near the hospital just like what Owen said.
Owen stopped at the front and got down. Lucy removed her own seatbelt and followed suit. A man, probably a staff from the building walked around to get in the driver's seat and the car was gone.
Is this normal? Well, he did say this was his building. Lucy looked up and sucked in the size of the structure. She doesn't know much about construction but it's one fancy establishment for sure.
"Good morning, sir." The doorman greeted Owen warmly at the entrance. Owen simply nodded.
"Good morning, miss." She was greeted with the same enthusiasm. She returned the greeting with fervor.
They continued inside, the vastness of the lobby overwhelmed Lucy she almost forgot she was not alone. Her eyes hurriedly looked for Owen. She found him standing at the start of another entranceway. As soon as their eyes met Owen turned around.
Lucy didn't mind the attitude and simply hurried her steps, afraid to get lost in the unfamiliar place.
They arrived at the foot of an elevator which opened as soon as Owen pushed the button. They got in, still in silence.
"Sorry, Owen, is this alright?" Lucy can't take it anymore. Owen didn't speak or give her explicit instructions. She's been following the man since they got out of the car and she feels lost.
Are they just gonna enter his home like this, is this whole building his home? Is his family inside? So many questions but the elevator dings open even before Lucy got to ask at least another one.
She brushes her hair with her fingers to make herself more presentable to anyone she might meet unexpectedly.
They arrived in front of a large and luxurious door. Owen pressed a few digits on the doorlock and opened it, holding it without looking back like he did in the cafe. Lucy understood to come in but held the door herself this time. Owen let go when he felt the door's pressure lighten.
Owen clapped twice and the curtains opened.
Wow — Lucy can't help but be in awe by the change in the atmosphere. The light enveloped every nook and cranny of the large space, another lobby, she initially presumed.
She later learned that it was a living room and this was Owen's home. He owns the building but only used one floor for himself. The rest is rented or leased for residential use.
Lucy is left standing while Owen disappears to one of the doors visible from the living room.
She was alone for a brief time. Owen emerged in more casual, comfortable clothes. He sat on the couch. "Why are you standing there." What he meant to say was she should have sat and made herself comfortable.
"I know you're just trying to help, and I do appreciate it. Truly." Lucy finally let out a frustrated sigh without moving where she stands. Her hands clenched on the bag handle in front of her thighs. "But, talking rudely when you left me here without much to work with makes me feel I don't know… small."
Owen felt a jab but didn't say a word. He doesn't know how to respond. He offended a lot of people, even people whom the average person wouldn't dream of offending, but he did anyway. Sometimes he means it, sometimes he doesn't. It didn't bother him the slightest and he didn't have to suffer any repercussions for the offense either. He settles any complication that might arise, more specifically, his people do. But this woman, telling her point blank that he's rude and he felt the need to pretend not to care, instead of actually not caring at all.
His eyes widened as if he was the one offended by Lucy's words.
Lucy shook her head before speaking again. "Thank you for bringing me here. You've been a great help… since the beginning. I think I can handle it from here." She took a step back, aiming to leave where they entered.
Owen stood up abruptly. "Wait." He's squeezing his temples with his thumb and middle finger. 'Sit down, I have matters to discuss." The lack of response forced him to remove his hands from covering his eyes and take a look at the woman in front of her.
Lucy's eyes are apologetic telling Owen that she still had to go.
"Please." It was not the first time Owen said those words but it's been a long time and he couldn't even remember the last.
Lucy maintained her sorry eyes but her lips uncurled and her mind was now seriously contemplating what she should say. It was not the last word that made her change her mind, but the expression Owen was wearing, the same one she saw when she rejected his offer to go to the police station together.
She nodded and walked towards the man, sitting at an adjacent seat, leaning back, letting herself sink into the soft furniture, her head tilted back. And there she felt again, her confidence that wherever or however she placed herself, Owen would accept, without objection.
She stayed like that for a few minutes until she felt her neck strain. She almost forgot where she was and whose house this was. Lucy sat back up, properly this time, knowing she should be more polite.
"Are you living alone?" Lucy assumed in the lack of diversity of the interior that its a bachelor pad.
"Yes, don't worry. You're safe here." Safe. That word again.
Owen picked up his phone, swiped quickly, and pressed call.
"Hello, Yes." The conversation ended with just those two words. Lucy had a moment of discomposure before finally finding the humor in it. She smiled and let out a laughing sigh.
"You always do that."
"What?"
"You scoff when I say something...sometimes" Lucy didn't notice it herself but looking back she really did it a lot. Even at the hospital, at the gym. She doesn't remember when she started not caring whether Owen heard her or not.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. I'll try not to do it again." She was afraid she had offended the man. She's not aware herself why she didn't consider that before.
"No, it's fine if you tell me why." It would have sounded like a joke or a friendly invitation but Owen was dead serious.
Lucy was not expecting the response but tried to answer as truthfully as possible. She just realized the consequences of her actions and their implications so she didn't want to add more damage now that she's been called out.
"Just now I found your phone call amusing. It started and ended with just two words. I don't mean anything of it."
Owen nodded.
The doorbell rang and the stud stood up towards the entranceway.
She heard a click. She turned around and saw a mature man in a suit come in, walking behind Owen.
"Good morning, miss. It's been so long since Sir Owen had a visitor. It's nice to meet you, I'm Victor, the building manager."