Chapter Nine
It’s not very big, but it works,” Drew said as he opened the door to his apartment. He let Bethany go first. “If I’d have known I was having company, I would have cleaned.”
Mentally, he gave a wince at the current state it was in. Dishes were in the sink. He knew his fridge was nearly empty. His bathroom hadn’t fared well with three guys using the place.
Drew didn’t like cleaning much. However, he disliked Bethany seeing his place like this even less. Drew remembered her rich condo and how expensive everything had looked. His garage sale find furniture wasn’t exactly measuring up.
The couch hadn’t even come from a garage sale. It’d been sitting out abandoned for garbage day when Drew had spotted it and dragged it home.
Thank goodness it didn’t smell like racoon pee anymore.
“Everything is in one room,” Bethany looked around curiously, setting her overnight bag on the small table.
“Except for the bathroom, yes,” Drew put her luggage case beside the bed. “I’ll clear a couple of drawers and change the sheets.”
“Where am I going to sleep?” Bethany frowned. “There’s no guest room.”
“I’ll take the couch,” Drew said. It was going to be uncomfortable. He wasn’t looking forward to it. Drew quickly cleared some space in the tall boy dresser, so she would have somewhere to put her stuff. It was a good thing he didn’t have much of a wardrobe. Drew managed to condense four drawers into two. The fifth drawer was empty anyways. There was more than enough room in the small closet beside his shelf as well.
“I’m smaller. I should sleep on the couch,” Bethany eyed it with a small measure of caution. There was a pretty and colorful afghan over the sofa yet that didn’t hide the fact that some stuffing was coming through on one end.
“That’s not how I treat ladies in this apartment,” Drew said calmly. He grabbed the only other set of sheets that he owned thanks to Jana. At the time, he’d thought it was an odd thing to need two sets of sheets when you could just throw them through on laundry day. Now he blessed his sister’s foresight as he stripped the bed.
“Do you have company here often?” Bethany said lightly as she looked out the window. Her condo had floor to ceiling glass with a view of the river. He had two small and outdated windows that looked onto a narrow alley, the view being the brick building beside them. At least there weren’t other windows peering back at them.
“I prefer not to. I’ve always seen this as my own personal sanctuary,” Drew stuffed a pillow into a pillowcase.
“And I’m invading it,” Bethany fiddled with her purse strap.
“No,” Drew paused as he pulled the sheet over the bed. “I invited you here. You are more than welcome to stay until you feel safe enough to return home.”
“My father pays the bills on the condo,” Bethany frowned. “What happens if he doesn’t pay them? Can he pay them from jail?”
“I’m sure the bills will keep getting paid,” Drew said. At least, they would until the FBI came in and froze the accounts during their investigation. “However, just to be on the safe side, if you want anything specifically from the condo, we could pick it up or have it put in storage.”
“I know you probably think I’m spoiled,” Bethany had a self-depreciating smile. “He pays all my bills. I have some excess money from my position with the orchestra that I generally give to charities.”
“He’s in a position to be able to be generous with you. It must be nice,” Drew shrugged. It wasn’t for him to judge.
“It was,” she frowned as she thought about the fact that he had been willing to stand by and let her die. “I can’t rely on him anymore. I’m going to have to figure out how to get by on my income from the orchestra.”
“That can wait for another day,” Drew put the covers on the bed. “You’re tired. While you’re napping, I’ll get a little cleaning done. You can put your stuff away later.”
She was fatigued, Bethany admitted. She picked up her overnight bag. “I’ll just change.”
Drew nodded and decided to get the dishes done. They could airdry while she slept. Then he’d just have to do the bathroom as quietly as he could so that she could sleep. That was all he would be able to manage without disturbing her.
Bethany stepped into the small bathroom. There was no bathtub, just a single shower stall. Everything was small and utilitarian. She looked at her pale reflection in the mirror. She had rings under her eyes from the past few days.
With a good sleep they should disappear. At least she hoped so.
Bethany changed into her pajamas. She’d managed a shower at the hospital with assistance. She’d been too tired to protest when the nurse had ushered her into the bathroom. Now she was glad she had taken it. This way Bethany wouldn’t look entirely disgusting to Drew.
Not that she should care what he thought of her. All he was doing was keeping her safe. It was part of his job, she told herself. He probably just saw her as an assignment. Just because she found him attractive and liked him, didn’t mean that he felt the same way towards her. It was all temporary.
Bethany gathered her things. She had a rueful glance at the novel she’d elected to grab and stuff into her overnight bag. Bethany hadn’t finished it yet. It was a romance. She had to admit, she was addicted to them. Heroic guys were always her favorite. Drew was certainly the heroic type. The way he had taken off after the criminals when she was on the boat… It was his job, but he hadn’t hesitated at all. Bethany believed him when he said he would protect her. Drew was the type of guy who would go all out.
He was also tender and kind. He’d been more than understanding when she’d had her breakdown on the boat. Drew had been skeptical of her memories, but he’d still investigated. He had still come and saved her life.
