His Naughty Lessons

** Harper **

Harper wondered if her jaw was hitting the ground. "J-Just you and me?" she gasped. "What do you mean? You didn't … buy out the entire venue, did you?"

Well, according to their website, there were only ten seats at this theater to begin with. But judging from how exclusive and mysterious this place appears, simply one of those tickets must cost quite a bit.

Eli chuckled. "Sorry to disappoint. I didn't. Quite the contrary, I bought only one seat for the two of us." Flashing an elusive smile at her, he strode toward an unmarked entrance and held the door open, revealing a tiny elevator inside. "After you, my lady. You'll see what I mean soon enough."

Harper shot him an amused glance. "Saving more surprises from me, I see." She eased her way into the small metal cage. "Are you trying to keep me in a constant state of shock the whole time you're in town?"

Eli arched an eyebrow as he followed her and clicked the elevator door shut. "That would be difficult to achieve. I'm moving back for a new job, and I expect it to last quite a while. It wouldn't be healthy for you to stay shocked so permanently."

Harper was caught off guard by that. When she first found out Eli was in town, she had simply assumed that he was here for a business trip or vacation. But he was actually moving back to Davenshire permanently? They were going to be neighbors living in the same city again?

"Oh … Congratulations?" she offered as she let the implication of the news sink in. "That's a big change. Do you like the new job so far? Which company is it?"

"A bank in the Golden District, similar kind of work as my previous job. It's good for paying the bills, but honestly, I'd say I like my side projects a lot more. Especially when it gives me interesting stories like yours to read."

The elevator dinged their arrival, saving Harper the effort to come up with a not-too-embarrassed response about her book. The door opened, leading them into an open space that looked like a lobby.

This was the theater? Harper glanced around curiously. The lobby was long and narrow, almost like a hallway, the entire length of its back wall draped in red curtains. She didn't see anyone around, though she could hear a few occasional muffled laughs coming from behind those curtains.

"This way." Eli gestured for her to follow him to their left. He lifted the first curtain down the hall, revealing a room hidden behind it.

The Balconies — Harper understood the name of the theater immediately then. The space in front of her was like an opera box on the balcony level, hanging right across from the center of an IMAX screen. Judging from the perfect distance and angle, this must be the seat with the best view, and the sitting area was much more spacious than a typical opera box, equipped with a Victorian style tufted-leather loveseat trimmed in carved wood and a mini bar laden with wines and cookies.

"This is … a private viewing suite?" she marveled.

"Semi-private. Interestingly, a lot of people prefer that way to a completely exclusive space." Eli nodded at the red velvet lining the walls. "Each balcony is separated by curtains only. It blocks out just enough light and sound, but not all."

Harper wasn't sure if she understood the strange preference over semi-privacy, but she did like the vibe of velvet walls. Her eyes made a full circle around the suite before landing on the loveseat. "So this is considered one seat?" No wonder there were only ten seats in this entire theater. "Are there ten balconies like this here?"

"Ten balconies, yes, but each one is different. Some are larger, some are smaller." Eli moved behind the bar and started picking through the mini bottles. "One of my college friends introduced me to this place with his bachelor's party. He got all ten rooms at the time, and I was with the main group in the largest one. It easily fits over a dozen people."

Harper wondered what kind of movies one would watch for a bachelor's party, though she thought better of asking. She ventured a few steps forward, the click of her heels soundless over the woven carpet, and she found a tablet on the small end table next to the loveseat.

"You can order food and drinks through the tablet. They'll leave it at the entry table over there without coming into the room." Eli handed her a glass. "I'd try to woo you with this first, but feel free to get anything else you like."

Harper blinked as she fetched the cosmo from his hand. They'd leave the orders at the entry table without coming in? Why? So they did try to keep this suite pretty private after all?

Eli took his seat while she contemplated. "Care to join me?" He patted the cushion next to him. "The show is about to start."

As if on cue, the dark IMAX screen across from them brightened up, and an intro clip leaped into view.

Harper blinked again. She had almost forgotten the true nature of this meeting tonight … Subconsciously, she took a big gulp of her drink. A flush of heat shot to her cheeks, and she knew it wasn't from the alcohol.