Six Numbers

Chapter 1-4

The following month was one of the busiest Benjamin had ever experienced. First, he left his job. It wasn’t difficult to do. He’d only ever worked at Exclusive Menswear to pay the bills. He consulted two financial advisors, who more or less told him the same thing. Invest. He looked at nine luxury houses and decided on number eight—a two-storey, turn-of-the-century character home in the leafy suburb of Mount Lawley. He then had it painted and spent most of the rest of his time furnishing it. No more 'Made in China' crap. He went to the most exclusive stores in Claremont and Mount Lawley, and purchased only locally made or European pieces.

Six weeks later, after he’d reached an agreement about breaking his lease with the real estate company and given away all the furniture in his old apartment (which he’d advertised as 'Free to anyone who can take it away' in the local paper), he moved into his new home with only a few favourite clothes, his CDs, his laptop, and a photo album.

He opened the front door for the first time as an owner-occupier, wiped his feet. and stepped onto the marble floor. His nostrils were filled with the smell of fresh paint and new furniture. He paused to savour the aroma then walked into the living room, to his right. It was a large room, which he’d had decorated in white and shades of palest grey, with a fireplace. Crystal ornaments, such as Waterford candlesticks and Baccarat figurines, added a touch of cold class to the room. From there, he wandered through to the dining room with its large black lacquered table and matching black chairs in the centre and an antique, dark-wood sideboard by a window draped with deep blue velvet curtains. He made his way back to the hallway and walked the short distance to the kitchen, which was all white with a stainless steel bench top, stainless steel appliances, and frosted glass cupboard doors. A bit clichéd, but he liked the look. Clean, neat and minimalist.

Next to the kitchen was a small conservatory with a black and white tiled floor, and potted plants in shiny white porcelain pots. He’d placed a white wicker chair and coffee table set with blue and white striped cushions in the centre. A row of French doors opened out onto the pool area, which was lined with white sun loungers with dark blue and white striped cushions, and white outdoor furniture. After visiting the lounge, the study, the laundry, and downstairs bathroom, he climbed the stairs to the second floor and visited each of the four bedrooms - one of which he’d had turned into a home gym, the upstairs bathroom, and even the linen closet, which he’d filled with thousand-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets and pillowcases, and large, white bath blankets.

When the inspection was over, Benjamin returned downstairs and went to the fridge. He opened it, taking care not to leave any marks on the stainless steel finish, took out the bottle of Perrier-Jouet champagne he’d bought especially for the occasion, popped the cork, and poured some into a crystal flute.

“Here’s to me,” he said, toasting himself.

For dinner that evening, he ordered a catered meal to be delivered. What arrived was more than he could hope to consume in one sitting and included many things he’d always wanted to try—Beluga caviar, Peking duck, pate foie gras, truffles and escargot. He tried a little of everything and what he couldn’t manage, he refrigerated. He watched a little television then retired for the evening, feeling bloated and uncomfortable.