“Yeah. Let’s check out the bedrooms.”
The primary was as large as the one we had now, with the surprise of a walk-in closet. It also had a spacious ensuite bathroom. The second bedroom was a decent size for an office. Hand in hand, we met Madison in the living room and exchanged glances. I nodded, and Bailey spoke.
“We love it.”
She beamed. “Wonderful. It’s been on the market for a month, so there should be some wiggle room with the price. The asking is one point two five so let me know what you’re going to offer.”
Knowing my hesitation from our previous discussions about money, Bailey squeezed my hand. “What are you thinking?”
We’d decided we didn’t want a huge mortgage on our heads and were willing to make a large down payment, made possible by the sales of the apartments. I’d never been in the position to buy real estate and had no idea. “I think one point two?” My stomach took a dive to my knees simply speaking that number.
“Let’s start at one even,” Bailey suggested. “Gives us some wiggle room. Like Madison said, it’s been out there for a while.”
“All right.” Madison took some notes on her phone. “I’ll get this to the owner’s agent and see what they say. We’ll be in touch.” She left us on the sidewalk in front of the building.
I checked my phone, and seeing I still had a few minutes, didn’t feel the need to rush back to the shop.
“I told Ambrose we’d have dinner with him and Carly tonight. I’d like you to meet her and get to know him better. I know you’re all about me getting comfortable in your world, but you need to be the same in mine.”
“Uh, okay.”
His brows pinched together, and sensing his reluctance, I said, “He’s decided to cut loose from Lucas. We had a long talk, and I think he’s finally got it right.”
“Thank God.” Bailey cast his eyes to the sky. “I hope it sticks.”
“Besides, Carly works at Sephora, and she can get you a discount on that fancy body wash you like.” I leaned in and nuzzled his neck. “I like it too. It drives me crazy.”
He kissed me. “I’ll stock up so I’ll never run out.”
**
Later that night, Ambrose and Carly sat across from us at an old-school Italian restaurant in Brooklyn, near their apartment. I was sure Ambrose chose it because he assumed Bailey would feel out of place at a neighborhood pizza joint.
“Me ’n Carly come here all the time. Better and cheaper than anything you can get in the city.”
“You know it. This reminds me of where my dad and I would go if I got a good report card,” Bailey remarked, scanning theplastic menu. “Oooh, mozzarella sticks. I haven’t had them in forever. Let’s get some. And a carafe of the house wine.”
Ambrose stared hard at him, and I took Bailey’s hand under the table and squeezed it. He returned the pressure.
Carly buttered a piece of bread. “I love their chicken parm. Always enough for leftovers.”
“Not if I’m eating it.” Bailey cackled. “But I’m gonna try something else tonight.”
Carly and Bailey had hit it off immediately, talking about their favorite Upper West Side restaurants and her giving him the details on when Sephora would be having their employee special sale.
“Give me a list of what you like, and I’ll make sure you get it.”
“Fancy-pants and Carly are getting along real well,” Ambrose mused.
“Is that what you call him?” I cut into my chicken parm. “I mean, he does look damn good in a suit.”
At that moment, Bailey caught my eye and winked, before taking a big bite of his baked ziti Siciliana. “My favorite. Eggplant.”
My lips twitched. Life was so fucking strange. A year ago I couldn’t have imagined being with a man like Bailey. Like Ambrose, I prejudged him, with his fancy clothes and law-school education, the same way I accused people of looking down their noses at me because of my lack of a college degree and occupation. Now I couldn’t imagine life without his teasing, loving, lighthearted nature that I knew hid a wounded soul. Our broken pieces fit each other’s jagged edges.
“Bailey,” Ambrose said, more serious than I’d ever seen him. “I got something to say.”
“Yes?” As if expecting a confrontation, Bailey set his fork on the plate, and I tensed. With Ambrose, I could never tell what might come out of his mouth.
