Ignite

Wine Tastes Better When It's Drowning Out Your Problems

"I know you're the owner of a successful company, but I didn't think your house would be so... posh. Talk about living the bougie lifestyle."

"It's not that big."

"Yeah? How many rooms does it have?"

"Not counting the living room, bathrooms, or basement- three."

"Like I said. Bougie."

Lance got out of the car, looking around with an inquisitive expression on his face. His attention was pulled to the lit up pool that could be seen in the distance. Glowing ripples were reflected off of long glass panels enclosing a spacious balcony.

With the Bale household being so far from the city, crowded buildings were revealed via a bundle of lights in the jungle of dying trees that surrounded the property. Small specks of orange and yellow enhanced a bleak view of spindly branches.

Dim landscape fixtures lit up the stone pathway leading to the front door. Dark cracks marred a few of the pale rocks, and it immediately made Lance realize that this was the one place where Mr. Bale didn't exist.

He was a people pleaser. An extrovert. Someone who wanted to be included. Someone who presented themselves as perfect.

But this place—it was lonely.

Isolated.

Cracked stones took away a certain picturesque facade. It left behind a semblance of the real Alessandro.

Someone who couldn't truly hide a smudged foundation that lingered beneath all of the sparkling glitz and glamor.

Lance saw the metaphorical and physical shedding of Mr. Bale when Alessandro ran his hands through his hair. It was done quickly and in a wild fashion; and the action caused brunet curls to fall over his forehead. Somehow, letting his hair down made him look younger.

It also put a spotlight on the clear fatigue that befell his features.

"Just be careful on your way in. The cat might get a little excited because she doesn't really see other people."

That type of warning wasn't unexpected—because unlike Mr. Bale, Alessandro liked to be by himself.

*

As soon as he moved to unlock the door, raspy meows could be heard on the other side. Once it was opened, the murky eyed Calico was spotted sitting by the coat rack. Her tail swished around lazily, and her head was tilted to the side. One of her black and orange ears twitched.

She was openly curious about a familiar face which didn't belong to her owner.

"Is that..." Lance parted his lips in astonishment. "Rain?"

"In all of her glory."

"I'm surprised you actually kept her." He reached down to pet the feline.

A pink nose sniffed at the pale skin of his fingers before Rain offered a few licks. She nudged Lance's hand as a means of asking for pets. He obliged with a fond smile.

"Whether or not we were still together, she was still our baby." Alessandro turned to close the door. "I've been taking care of her as best as I can. She kind of does the same for me."

After hanging up their coats, both men walked further inside. Rain trailed behind them.

Since the house was still a bit dark, aquatic blue could be seen dancing along the walls. The vibrant color was brought in from the glass wall down the hall.

Overhead lights were flicked on. Sudden illumination revealed the simple layout of his living room.

A long flat screen television sat atop a wooden entertainment center. A matching bookcase stood at its left. A skinny display case for video games was at its right. Two navy colored couches were facing the recently cleaned coffee table. A warm box of pizza was placed down on the pristine surface.