davenport
noun
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a large sofa, often one convertible into a bed.
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Chiefly British. a small writing desk.
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When the light died down, Vince gazed upon a space he had not seen in years. Well, years from his point of view anyway. To the rest of the world, it was mere minutes. The wonders of otherworld travel never ceased to amaze.
“So this is your home.” Celia said. She looked around and her face furrowed. “It’s…it’s not what I expected.”
“It’s okay, you can say it. It’s a tiny, rundown apartment in the worst part of the city. I know what it is.”
“Well, when you spoke about the wonders of your world, I assumed even a small home would be…more than this.”
Vince gave a half-hearted chuckle. He was glad she had chosen to come on the trip with him, he really was. He was also a bit disappointed that he would no longer amaze her with tales of wonderous technology. At least she would finally be able to try real pizza now.
“Hopefully you’ll see some better parts tomorrow.”
“Why tomorrow?”
“Because today I have to get you clothes so that you don’t stand out too much.”
Celia wore long robes and accessories that would look perfect in a ren faire, but not on a normal sidewalk. She would stand out too much and be on the internet in seconds. He did not want her first experience to be going viral.
“I can’t wear this?” She asked, looking down at her own outfit.
“Not the best idea. I’ll have to change as well, but I already have the clothes to go outside in and not attract attention.”
“Ah, I see. Well, can you show me around this place first?”
“Uh, sure. This is the living room. That’s the kitchen, and that’s the bathroom.” He said, pointing out the areas. The only one with a door between them was the bathroom.
“What about a bedroom?”
“Yeah, we’re in there now.”
“Here? Where’s the bed?”
Vince pointed at the couch. It was fairly large, but not in the best shape. Celia got as worried look on her face.
“That’s…please tell me you don’t sleep on that.”
“I do, but it’s not as bad as it looks. It’s not great, but still. Here, let me show you.”
Vince removed the cushions from the couch, grabbed a small handle, and pulled. The couch unfurled into a small bed. Celia’s eyes opened wide with joy.
“Oh! That’s quite the clever thing. I had no idea a bed could be built into a sofa like this. I’m sure the idea will go over wonderfully when we return.”
Vince was not so sure. “Uh, before we start selling this idea, maybe you should try it first.”
“Why? Is there something wrong?”
Vince did not answer. Celia shrugged and got on the couch-bed. She lay down and immediately started tossing around.
“Yeah.” Vince said. “That lump will never go away. It’s the support bar under the mattress, so it’s pretty much just there.”
“How long did you sleep on this…monstrosity of a bed?”
“A few years. Remember when we first met I had a lot of back problems? Well, this is why. It’s not actually supposed to be a primary bed. It’s meant for an emergency guest accommodation. But this apartment is too small for anything else, so it’s what I have to use.”
Celia slid off the bed and went to Vince, wrapping her arms around him in a sympathetic embrace. “Oh, you poor dear. I had no idea you were suffering so much.”
Vince returned the hug. It did not last long, but it was still nice.
“Well, we only have to put up with it for a month before we go back. Let me tell you, I definitely won’t miss this part. Anyway, see that little white box in the kitchen? That’s called a mini-fridge. It keeps food cold. I should have some things in there. I’m going to go change and get you some things to wear. Then we can go over what we’ll be doing while we’re here.”
She nodded. “Okay. Is there anything else I can do while you’re gone?”
Vince reached into his inventory, glad the magical storage ability still worked, and pulled out his phone. He had not touched it since the battery died years ago, but now he had a way to recharge it. A quick search brought him to the power cord, and the device was still charging.”
“It’ll be a little while, but you can use this while it’s charging. Now that we’re here, it’ll actually work.”
He gave her the code to unlock it and a brief tutorial on how to work it. With that done, he changed from the high class fantasy clothes he had been wearing to the common, non-fantasy variety. Then he headed out to find a clothing store and think about what he would do for the next month.
