CHAPTER ONE
Aspen slams the sheet of paper listing the ridiculous rules required to live here on the white refrigerator door, attaching it with a pink margarita-shaped magnet. I dislike the fact my favorite souvenir from our senior trip to Mexico is used to hold up the stupid agreement. It’s a special magnet with great memories attached to it. Plus, there’s an identical one on Pen’s fridge in her condo across town with Finn. They moved in together earlier this month and subleased this four-hundred and fifty square foot place to me.
“It’s official, Marissa. The apartment is yours,” Aspen says eyeing the page-long list of rules.
I’m blinded by curly brown hair as Pen tugs me into a tight hug. Lost in her infectious happiness, I smile as she pulls away in time for Simone to jostle me with her small jumps as we embrace. The hard work from moving and their excitement messed with my ponytail, so I pull my straight brown hair back adjusting the elastic band.
“Your first day and you’ve already broken a rule. This should be interesting.” Finn leans against my kitchen counter before sipping from the dark glass beer bottle in his hand.
“Huh?” his girlfriend and my best friend asks.
“Rule number four, Aspen. No more than two visitors at a time.” Trey, the tall guy next to Finn comments while shaking his head at her bemused expression. “You lived here how long?”
He’s irritating in the way he does it, but the man makes a good point. All total there are five of us in the cramped kitchen. Six, if you count the fact Finn’s company driver, Jake, left a few minutes ago. He helped move my few boxes from Oakland into the new Pacific Heights apartment.
Designed as a mother-in-law suite, the large condo shares the top floor of the apartment building with a penthouse condo. My little home may be less than five hundred square feet, but it’s on the San Francisco Peninsula for $1,000 a month rent. I’d sleep in a closet for those credentials.
Plus, it’s just plain cute. The small kitchen opens to the living room where one large window faces the street and lets in enough light to brighten the entire space. A short hallway leads to the single bedroom where I plan to spend an extra forty-five minutes sleeping in each morning since I don’t need them for my commute anymore.
I share the key-coded floor access with the large penthouse owned by my landlord. There are two floors of regular condos below and then an additional street level with various businesses. A bookshop slash café and a few clothing stores circle the building.
“Oh those. Don’t worry about those. I broke them constantly. The guy who owns the condo has never been here. You’re fine," Pen tries to reassure me.
Of course she’s not worried. When Pen lived here, she shared the floor with Finnegan McRyan, billionaire video game developer. He swept her off her feet and moved her into his sprawling condo on the top floor of the Raven Digital Arts building. She won over Prince Charming and left me to live in fear of the dragon’s return.
Condo owner, Ryland Bates, is some kind of soccer legend. He left Stanford to play for a team in England at the same time Finn and Trey dropped out to start up RDA. Roomies their first year, they became best friends, but so far Ryland’s been a no-show in San Francisco.
“I’m not so sure. The coach kicked Ryland off the team in December. He hasn’t called any of us yet, but he might end up back here. Keep an eye out."
Simone’s hand flies in Trey’s direction as she hits him on the arm twice. “What! You didn’t tell me?”
Trey shrugs. “Finn knew.”
“Finn!” Aspen sounds as upset at missing out on these new developments.
“He hasn’t returned my calls, Aspen. No one knows where he is.” Finn tries to plead his case, but Pen gives him the squinty eyes and we both know he's about to lose this argument.
“He’s gone off to lick his wounds. Ry’s known for his crazy behavior off the field, but I doubt he expected to be kicked off the team for a bar fight. Let's cut the guy some slack.” Trey jumps to his friend’s defense.
“Hey, after tonight I am all about the rules. Promise.” I tap the sheet of paper on the fridge to bring everyone’s attention my way. "Now let’s open the wine and celebrate.”
There are murmurs of agreement and Aspen opens the fridge to pull out a bottle of white wine.
“I left it here for this exact moment,” she says with a growing smile.
Todayisa time for celebration. It’s a new year, a new apartment, and a new beginning. Let’s be honest, last year sucked. With an exposed cheater for a fiancé and a cancelled wedding, I’m ready for better days ahead. I’m a new woman. No more tears over Cody and a lost future. A new Marissa moved into this apartment. I’m back on the dating wagon and ready to take this city by the balls…or whatever.
An announcer shouts from the living room, and we turn our heads to the television where a presenter screams in victory over a goal in the current hockey game. Trey nudges Finn’s arm and both guys walk to the tan microfiber couch, their eyes never leaving the screen.
“How were the holidays in New York with Trey, Simone?” Aspen asks.
“Good. It took a few days, but Trey grew on my dad. They seemed to get along.”
While the last year sucked for me, it doesn’t hold a candle to the year Simone had. Christmas was her first major holiday after losing her mom. I’m sure Trey being there help distract them.
A heavy knock rattles the room and we turn toward the door.
“I’ve got this,” I announce to the room, but the boys don’t relax.
