Page 11 of Wrecked

I have to admit I’m excited. As I wait in line to check out of the hotel, I marvel at how my life has changed over the past year. I went from lying devastated in a hospital bed to a three-month stay in rehab to crashing at my mom’s house to now having a brand new job in a brand new city.

I hand the guy behind the counter my hotel key cards.

He checks my account. “No charge, sir. Everything’s been paid for.”

McIntyre Security spares no expenses. I could get used to this.

I drive over to the McIntrye apartment building, which isn’t far from where I’m at now. I park in the front lot and walk inside to find a fancy lobby with polished marble floors, stylish modern furniture, and lots of potted trees and flower boxes everywhere. There’s even a fountain.

“Can I help you, sir?” asks a young blonde seated at the security desk.

“Sam Harrison. I’m moving in today.” I show her my key ring.

“Welcome to the building, Mr. Harrison. We’ve been expecting you.” She opens one of her desk drawers and pulls out a keycard and a brochure. “Here you go, sir. Your apartment is on the forty-eighth floor. You can use that card to swipe yourself through the security gate. The brochure lists all the amenities of the building. We have on-site laundry, a convenience store with essentials, a workout room, and an indoor-outdoor pool. And, of course, we have a full-service concierge on duty 24/7 to make any arrangements you might need.”

Fancy.“Thanks.”

As I take an elevator up to my floor, I skim the brochure. There’s a layout of my apartment. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms. It’s nice I’ll have a guest bedroom when my sister or mom comes to visit.

After leaving the elevator, I head left and find my unit all the way at the end of the hall. My first impression of the building is good. The carpet is pristine. The walls are nicely painted and decorated with gorgeous landscape paintings.

I unlock the door to my unit and step inside. It smells good in here, a faint lemony smell. I guess someone cleaned recently. The curtains are open and a lot of natural light is coming through. It’s not big, but it’s classy.

The door opens right into the living room, which looks like something out of a home decorating magazine. The general color scheme is gray and white. There’s a gray sofa, a matching oversize armchair with an ottoman, and a recliner. On top of a long coffee table in front of the sofa is a round woven basket holding the remote control for the TV.

Speaking of the TV… it’s a big one, perched on top of a long, dark wooden console, perfect for watching sports or movies or playing video games. This whole setup would be perfect for inviting friends over, if I had any.

The apartment has an open floor plan, so I can see right into the kitchen, with its fancy gray granite counters, dark wood cabinets, and stainless steel appliances.

There’s just one hallway, and I imagine it leads to the bedrooms and bathrooms.

The medium gray carpet throughout looks new, and I don’t see any scuff marks on the walls or dings in the woodwork.

Thank goodness the apartment comes fully furnished because I own nothing but some clothes, my laptop, phone, and some books. I went straight into the Army out of high school, soI never really acquired any furniture or many belongings besides what I could easily carry with me.

I make a quick sweep of the apartment to check out the appliances. I open the fridge door, and I’m not surprised to find it empty. I guess I’ll need to go grocery shopping this afternoon.

There’s a dishwasher and a microwave, and of course a stove and oven. There are even two different coffee makers—the kind you program overnight and the kind that uses those little pods to make coffee instantly.

A small pantry off the kitchen has a washer and dryer unit, a vacuum cleaner, and lots of shelving for storage.

Hopefully I can talk my sister into coming to visit me this summer. She’s never been to Chicago, and I’m sure she’d love to see it.

All the windows offer great views of the city. From the balcony off the living room, I can see Lake Michigan in the distance, including the crowded public beach and the walking paths.

As I head back out to the living room, I’m thinking this is undoubtedly the nicest place I’ve had to call home since leaving my mom’s house. I plop down on the dark gray sofa—which is very comfortable—and stretch out. It’s long enough that I can lie down, all six feet of me.

But before I can get too comfortable, there’s a knock at the door. I have no idea who it could be since I hardly know a soul in the city.

Before I even make it to the door, there’s a second knock, this one a bit louder and more impatient.

“Hold your horses! I’m coming!”

I glance out the peep hole and see a handsome face with a pair of steely blue eyes and trim, gray hair and beard staring back at me. My heart starts pounding.

My God, that man is ridiculously hot.

Before he can knock again, I open the door. I feel like I should say something, but‘What in the hell are you doing here?’seems a bit harsh considering I hardly know him. I’d hate to get fired for insubordination before I even put in any time on the job.