Dark Obsession

Chapter 11: The Fourth Table

The third table, breakfast table, family table, was still in lobby at noon, crooked legs, all crooked, wood planks not perfect, but stable, eggs cold on it, vanilla lattes half drunk, five cups heart foam gone, but family around it.

We built it in two hours, six hands, plus mine, hammer, drill, doorman Mr. Wilson holding wood, saying "In thirty years on Park Avenue, I never saw billionaires build table in lobby, only buy table, but this is better, this has love in crooked leg."

Mr. Wilson was right, love in crooked leg.

Jaxon was sitting on third table, testing stability, table creaking but holding his weight, "If it holds me, it holds family, we are family, heavy family, but table holds."

Kai was quiet, drawing on napkin, third table sketch, labeling "Breakfast table - 11:47am, Jan 8, built by little mouse + brothers, crooked legs approved."

Luca was on phone, ordering more wood planks, "We need wood for fourth table, future table, need better wood, no crooked leg this time, perfect leg, because future must be perfect."

Ethan was looking at me, in Damien's black t-shirt, jeans, white sneakers, charcoal cheek still faint, holding vanilla latte, heart foam new cup, second latte, because first got cold.

Damien was looking at me too, black sweater, hands still dusty from hammer, from second table and third table, both built with his hands, CEO hands that usually sign $100 million contracts, now hammering.

"What is fourth table?" I asked, small, holding latte, sitting on edge of third table, not chair, table, because we had no chairs yet, only tables.

Silence, lobby, snow outside Park Avenue still falling, doorman smiling, private dining room breakfast now lobby breakfast, because we moved to lobby to build.

"Fourth table," Damien said, low, not CEO, just man who built kiss table, "I said future table in text, but I didn't say what future. Future table could be... many things. Could be wedding table, could be baby table, could be art table for your gallery, could be... could be table where you draw park, not floor, forever."

Wedding table.

My heart stopped, latte almost spilling, black t-shirt, jeans, third table, family.

"Wedding table?" Jaxon repeated, sitting up from testing table, "You mean... you mean like... you propose with table? Not ring? Table proposal? That's new, boss, that's... that's actually good, because she loves tables more than rings."

Kai smiled, quiet, "She sold floor drawings for $2,000 on second table, she drew park, not floor, on second table, she got kissed on second table, she ate breakfast on third table with family, so fourth table should be... should be where she signs contract for gallery, her own gallery, not Met annex, her own, because she deserves gallery, not just table."

Luca said, "Fourth table should be where we all eat together every night, not shifts, not lobby camera, but family dinner table, because family dinner is future, not just breakfast."

Ethan said, "Fourth table should be where my sister decides if she wants to be Blackwood or Rossi or both, because future table is about name, future name."

All looked at me, on third table, black t-shirt, charcoal cheek, latte, white sneakers, 21, NYU art student, who ate on floor three weeks ago and now has three tables.

"I want fourth table to be..." I started, soft, but clear, "I want fourth table to be drawing table for my students, because I want to teach little girls who eat on floor how to draw park, not floor, how to build table with crooked leg, how to get kiss table, how to get breakfast table, how to get future table, because future table is not wedding table, not baby table, not gallery table, future table is table where little girls who were me learn they deserve tables."

Silence, then Mr. Wilson, doorman, clapped, "Bravo, Ms. Rossi, bravo, that is future."

Damien knelt next to third table, not on floor like Chapter 6 red dress, but standing, then kneeling to be at my eye level on table, taking my hand, small, charcoal smudged, cold from latte, his warm, calloused from hammer.

"Elena," he said, using real name, not little mouse, like balcony kiss, "Can we build fourth table tomorrow? Drawing table for your students, future table, I will buy wood, perfect wood, no crooked leg, because students deserve perfect table, not crooked, crooked is for us, for kiss table, for story, but for students, perfect."

"Yes," I said, holding his hand, latte in other hand, "Tomorrow, fourth table, drawing table, for students, but tonight... tonight we need chairs for third table, because family can't sit on table forever, family needs chairs."

Jaxon laughed, "Chairs! We built tables but forgot chairs! Classic billionaire mistake, buy building but forget chairs!"

Kai said, "We have chairs upstairs, art table chairs, but they are too pretty for breakfast table, breakfast table needs crooked chairs to match crooked legs."

Luca ordered chairs on phone, "Ordering 6 chairs, crooked chairs, handmade, to match tables, delivery tomorrow 9am, before fourth table wood."

Ethan said, "I will build chair tonight, one chair, for my sister, perfect chair, no crooked leg, because sister deserves perfect chair for perfect table."

We spent afternoon carrying third table from lobby to penthouse balcony, heavy, crooked, but family carrying, six hands, plus mine, small, helping, snow falling, Park Avenue watching, billionaires carrying table they built in lobby, not bought.

On balcony, we placed third table next to second table, kiss table, now two tables on balcony, second table for dreaming and kissing, third table for family breakfast, both crooked, both stable, both built with love.

At 3pm, we sat on floor around third table, because chairs coming tomorrow, eating cold eggs, drinking new vanilla lattes, heart foam, talking about fourth table, drawing table, future.

Damien texted me even though I sat next to him on floor, because balcony rule says if family sits on floor around table, CEO can text little mouse even if next to her:

Text from D at 3:07pm: "First table I promised, second table I built with crooked leg and you got kissed, third table we built together family, fourth table you will build for students who eat on floor, you are not little mouse who eats on floor anymore, you are woman who builds tables for other little mice - D"

I replied at 3:08pm, on floor, third table, family: "First table for eating, second for kissing, third for family, fourth for future, fifth table?"

Reply in one minute, from D next to me: "Fifth table is secret, you will know when you see it, built with no crooked leg, perfect, for... for something I have wanted since hole in sweater - D"

Fifth table secret.

Group chat "Little Mouse Kiss Table Squad" blew up at 3:10pm:

Jaxon: "He said fifth table secret, what is fifth table? Wedding table? He already said wedding table is fourth but she said drawing table, so fifth must be wedding!"

Kai: "Fifth table could be crib table, baby table"

Luca: "Fifth table could be table where we all sign new pact, new pact says we all love little mouse and we all build tables forever"

Ethan: "If fifth table is wedding table, I need suit, not hoodie, I need to be ready to give speech, I need to write speech now"

I laughed, on floor, third table, balcony, snow, second table kiss table next to us, third table breakfast table under us, fourth table tomorrow drawing table, fifth table secret future.

Damien looked at me, black sweater, dusty hands, and whispered so only I heard over family talking, snow falling, Central Park lights coming on early because snow cloudy:

"Elena, fifth table is where I will ask you to never eat on floor again, forever promise, not just tomorrow, forever, fifth table is forever table."

Forever table.

I touched his face, charcoal from morning still on his cheek, my charcoal cheek matching, both charcoal, both smiling, family around third table on floor, not floor to eat on because poor, floor to sit on because family, different floor.

"Forever table," I whispered back, "I like forever table, but first let me teach little girls to build fourth table, drawing table, because forever starts with teaching others to never eat on floor."

He kissed my forehead, quick, soft, family watching, but approving, because balcony rule says if little mouse talks about teaching other little mice, CEO can kiss forehead, family rule.

Ethan pretended to gag, "Get a room, or get a table, you have two tables, use kiss table!"

We all laughed, snow falling, Park Avenue, third table, family, forever table coming, fifth table secret.

At 5pm, we ordered pizza, ate on third table, on balcony, snow falling on pizza, cold but okay, because family pizza on crooked table is better than alone cereal on floor.

I texted D at 5:30pm, pizza in hand: "Third table pizza tastes better than floor cereal, promise kept - little mouse"

Reply in one minute: "Promise kept, and fifth table pizza will taste even better, because forever table pizza is with family who builds tables with crooked legs - D"

To be continued...