“Sure. Just let me know and I’ll make it happen.”
Auggie raised a brow. “Yeah, sure. Just as soon as you dump your crappy boss and find a job that lets you live a little.” A one-two punch that hit home.
“Good point.”
“Later.” Auggie left in a rush just as Benji entered the courtyard.
He spotted Justine and froze.
“Hi, Benji. Don’t mind me. I’m just heading upstairs. The fountain’s all yours.” She noted him holding a nylon bag.
“Uh, yeah. Okay.” He glanced around then left.
Odd.
She didn’t run into Sam or his family as the group had gone on their Hawaii trip. She only knew because Sam had left a note by the door Monday morning. Her third floor neighbor, Kai, remained gone, along with Aunt Rosie. So only Justine, Xavier, Benji, and Top remained in the building. She found she missed Sam, who brought youth and fun into the place.
Even Top with his grunts and stern expressions enriched the TCA, because didn’t every building need at least one grumpy guy?
Back upstairs, she decided to pop over to Xavier’s without showering and changing first. He wouldn’t mind.
She knocked, and the door immediately opened.
“Who are you?” asked a drop-dead gorgeous woman. She had rich brown hair, blue eyes, and an hourglass figure. She looked Justine up and down. “What do you want?”
“Christine, stop it,” Xavier said from inside the apartment. He spotted Justine and looked instantly relieved, not the expression one would think to find on man guilty of cheating on her.
Such an odd thought to have, but Justine was so gone on Xavier that she kept waiting for something bad to happen.
Xavier crossed to her and pulled her inside the apartment. “Hi, Justine. Christine, this is my girlfriend. Justine, this is my ex…who was just leaving.”
“Are you serious?” Christine eyes turned shiny. “You’re dating already?”
Justine wanted to feel bad for her, but from all Xavier had said, the woman refused to leave him alone. She held tightly to his hand, standing close. His presence felt so good, something she’d needed for the past few days.
He put an arm around her shoulders. “Christine, I wasn’t lying. Your brother wasn’t lying. Neither was my boss or our receptionist,” he growled. “Pleasedon’t come to my workplace again. Get some help. This obsession isn’t healthy for you.”
“Fine. I’m done with you!” She glared at Justine before leaving, slamming the door in her wake.
“Wow. And I thought my exes were bad.”
Xavier sighed. “I’m sorry. She showed up at my clinic ranting about me. They called me, so I came to get her. The only way to make her leave was to agree to swing back to my place to talk. We started downstairs in the lobby, but she followed me up here because she had to use the bathroom.” He looked abashed. “Ithought she was just using that as an excuse to come inside my place, but I couldn’t tell. And I didn’t want to be rude.”
She hugged him, seeing his anxiety. “I’m sorry. That had to be tough.”
“It was. I just don’t understand. I’m great, but am Ithatgreat?” he asked with a half-laugh.
Yes.
Poor Christine had likely waded back into the dating pool, where finding a gem like Xavier was as rare as finding the back of an earring after dropping it in a mass of shag carpet.
She’d been there. Dating men who didn’t listen or weren’t thoughtful. Dates where the men acted like Mitch or Frank, where a woman was expected to cater to them. And then if she did find a great guy, he only wanted a hookup or had no job and still lived with his parents, who did everything for him.
She studied Xavier, the opposite of so many men she’d dealt with.
“I think you’re pretty great.” She beamed at him. “You listen to me. You even hugged me after I got sweaty on a run.”
“I didn’t want to say anything, but you stink.” He made a face.
