Page 45 of Finding Lexie
She couldn’t stop smiling as they headed toward downtown Honolulu. The wind whipped around her head and face, the sun beat down on them, and even though she was tired from traveling, Lexie felt buzzed.
Together, they figured out how to get to the building where her small studio apartment was located downtown. It wasn’t anything special to look at, and the area around the building wasn’t the best part of town, but Lexie had lived in worse. Much worse. Nothing could disappoint her right now.
They checked in with the building manager and, after he’d looked at her identification and she signed some paperwork, he gave her a key to her new place. Midas came up with her to check it out. She was on the twentieth floor and luckily not too near the elevator. Lexie eagerly unlocked the door and stepped inside.
The décor was probably from the seventies, and there was a slight mildew smell in the air, but she wasn’t too concerned. The kitchen was to the immediate left when they walked in. There was a small sink, a microwave, a two-burner stove top and what looked like a tiny oven. A small refrigerator was against the wall and a bar long enough to seat two people comfortably separated the kitchen area from the rest of the small space. There was what looked like a double-size bed in the middle of the living area, a small dresser against the far wall, a tiny desk, and that was about it.
But Lexie didn’t care about any of that. She immediately went to the window and threw back the curtains, eager to see the view.
For a second, she just stared at what she saw. Then she chuckled. And that turned into a giggle. Then she was flat-out laughing.
“Um…wow,” Midas said as he came up next to her.
Lexie was laughing too hard to respond immediately. She looked out the window again, and instead of the ocean in the distance, or even the mountains from the interior of the island, all she saw was the building next to hers. Her room was right across from another apartment in that building.
Where an elderly man was walking around his living room in nothing but a pair of tighty-whities.
She immediately shut the curtains and turned to Midas. He was staring at her with a mixture of amusement and pity.
Lexie got herself under control and shrugged. “Well, the view isn’t what I’d hoped, but I’m still here in Hawaii,” she told him.
“Always optimistic, aren’t you?”
“How can I be anything but?” she asked seriously. “I’m healthy, I have a roof over my head, a job, and I’m in freaking Hawaii. If I want to see the beach, I can get there in minutes. And…you’re here,” she finished shyly.
“I am,” he agreed, stepping toward her.
Lexie’s heart rate increased as she stared up at Midas.
He reached for the scrunchie she’d put in her hair and gently pulled it out, being careful not to pull on her hair. Then he fluffed the curls and smiled. “Fuck, I love your hair,” he muttered before leaning down and kissing her. But instead of the long make-out session that Lexie craved, he ended the kiss all too soon.
“I’m gonna head out. You probably want to unpack, and I know you’re tired. I’ll call you later, if that’s all right.”
Lexie nodded eagerly. “Yes, it’s more than all right,” she told him. “I’ll check in with my new boss and see what my schedule will be like so I can let you know about Saturday.”
“Sounds good. What do you want to do first, now that you’re in Hawaii?” Midas asked.
“Eat a shave ice,” she said immediately
Midas laughed, and the sound echoed throughout the small space. “Out of everything you can do, that’s what you pick?”
“Well…yeah. I’ve heard they’re awesome.”
“They’re overrated,” Midas countered. “But if that’s what you want, that’s what we’ll do.”
“Thanks,” she said, overwhelmed with this man’s generosity.
“I’m looking forward to showing you around,” he told her. Then he leaned down, kissed her forehead sweetly, and headed for the door. Before he left, he turned and said, “First things first, we’ll go shopping for some blinds that’ll still let in some light, but won’t allow anyone to see in. Okay?”
“Okay,” Lexie agreed.
The door shut behind Midas with a small click, and Lexie realized that she was still smiling like a crazy person.
Every time she came to a new city or country, she was apprehensive about everything. This was the first time she didn’t feel that apprehension as sharply. And Lexie knew it was because of Midas.
She was looking forward to spending more time with him and seeing his friends again. She’d liked them from the little she’d spoken to them, and she couldn’t deny she was interested in meeting Elodie. It was a bit intimidating, thinking about how strong the other woman was. She’d been through some pretty harrowing stuff, and on top of everything, she was apparently a renowned chef. Lexie had barely graduated high school, and she didn’t have any skills she could boast about. But after everything she’d heard about Mustang’s wife, she hoped they might still be friends.
Lexie headed for her suitcases that had been left by the door. She should go to the grocery store she’d seen outside her apartment building, but for the moment, she needed a nap more than she wanted to eat. She’d unpack, take a shower, then a long nap. Then she could begin her life here in Hawaii.
