Page 15 of Pretend I’m Yours
Since I’d spent so much time in the desert over the past decade, I didn’t bother to have a vehicle. So, when the cab dropped me off outside, I was glad I didn’t have to also navigate the parking garage. It was strange enough going in through the front entrance, I couldn’t imagine what it would be like through the back.
I took the elevator up to the right floor, then walked slowly up the hall, checking number by number until I’d reached my destination. With my heart thudding in my chest, I pushed the key into the lock, praying to God it would turn.
The last thing I needed to deal with was this being some sort of elaborate scam. The thought had crossed my mind after leaving the restaurant the night before. But then, she had paid for the eighty-dollar bottle of wine without so much as batting an eye.
When the key turned and I found myself inside the apartment, I nearly fell over.
The place looked like it came straight out of a designer magazine. The decorations were all modern and well-placed, the floor was a dark stone. The cupboards in the kitchen were black and the countertops a grey marbled granite.
There was a large living room with a couch facing the tv on one wall, and chairs behind the couch surrounding a glass coffee table, clearly meant for conversation and time spent with friends. There were rugs spread about the place, along with accent pieces that I’d never seen before, but were beautiful.
There was a note on the counter with my name written across the top, and I eagerly picked it up, skimming the contents.
Drake ~
Sorry I wasn’t able to be there to help you settle in, but I had class this morning and couldn’t get out of it. The room off to the left of the living room is yours, and mine is on the other side.
You’ll have your own bathroom, as well as free run of the place. Help yourself to any of the food in the kitchen, or to the bar, or order food if there’s nothing you like.
Do whatever you need to do to get settled, and I’ll be home later with a few more things to give you. Thanks again for all that you’re doing for me. You have no idea what a real hero you are.
Hannah
I smiled as I shoved the note in my pocket. “If this is what it takes to be a hero, I should have gone into this business a long time ago.”
My words echoed against the high ceiling, and I then noticed the chandelier which hung halfway between the kitchen and living room. It wasn’t where I would have thought to place such a piece, but it somehow made the room look elegant, drawing the entire place together.
There were bar stools lining the high countertops in the kitchen, and I then noticed the extensive bar off to the side of the cabinets. I was blown away with the bottles of liquor I saw on the shelves, many of them open but with only a shot or two taken from the top.
Inside the cabinets I was surprised to find simple foods – nothing at all like I would expect to be in a house that looked like this. It became clear to me Hannah liked the trendy health foods. Crackers made with sesame seeds, protein powder, plenty of granola.
There was a large bowl of fresh fruit on the counter, and the fridge was full of more trendy options. Various nut milks as well as gourmet yogurts were in the fridge, but there were also simple options such as iceberg lettuce and string cheeses.
“Those must be for the cheat days,” I said to myself. I closed the fridge and rummaged through the cupboards until I found a glass, then I poured myself some whiskey.
I didn’t have anything to unpack, really. Just the things that were shoved in my duffle bag and a few things I brought with me from the hotel. I wondered what she’d think when she saw that I’d nabbed the small bar of soap and the tiny shampoo bottles.
Toiletries were something that I’d been intending to get, but I’d not felt like going out of the hotel room enough to get them. I’d used the rest of my cologne the night before and had a running list in the back of my mind of the clothes I’d need to get now that I was out of the service.
I’d definitely need to get something for work. But then, this was my job. I was getting paid to do this, and from the looks of the place, I could imagine the check was going to be pretty sizable. Hannah had emphasized the night before that she was going to make sure I’d be well compensated for my time, and I believed her. I probably wouldn’t need to get a ‘real job’ for quite a while.
