She’d expected Harlow to say no. The two of them had actually been talking about getting a place together off-campus. She’d been struggling with grad school at that point, not leaving her apartment or the library for more than running errands, and Harlow had needed a roommate to save money on rent, so they’d started talking about how it would be nice for Larissa to have her around more and help her have some fun and for Harlow because Larissa could foot most of the bill thanks to her parents. Harlow hadn’t been happy about that because, as she had told Larissa then, she had too much pride for handouts, but Larissa had worked up a spreadsheet showing that she would still be paying her share or paying in different ways, like doing the cooking for them, since Larissa hadn’t ever been good at that.
Instead, Larissa had sat down to watch a movie with her one night, and Harlow had told her that she would be leaving and that she’d already started packing. Larissa had been able to pivot her plans easily enough, but she’d missed her. Harlow had been gone for almost twelve months to the day and hadn’t even come back for the holidays. Yes, they had talked on the phone, but it hadn’t been the same. That had been the longest amount of time they’d ever spent apart. Even when Harlow had been in a relationship and living with someone else, they’d still made time for each other, but with Larissa’s need to finish both a book she couldn’t get out of her mind, her actual dissertationthat mattered for her degree, and Harlow possibly moving over an hour away and likely getting into another relationship soon in addition to being busy with her own job, things would get harder.
“What do you think?” Harlow asked her once they were inside the unit. “Nice, huh?” She hurried into the somewhat spacious kitchen. “Check out the new appliances.”
“All brand-new,” the leasing agent said. “Stainless steel everything. Easy to keep clean. The building is only a year old, and you would be the first tenant in this unit since we just finished with this half of the property. We’ve got a lot of people interested. This area is really booming,” he added to his sales pitch.
“Looks great,” Harlow stated. “There’s a pool, right?”
“Yes, indoor. It’s in the main building, but there’s an indoor walkway that takes you there. It’s open from eight in the morning until ten at night. You can have guests, but the limit is four, and if you want to have a party or something, you can reserve it, but the open times are still the same to respect the other residents’ spaces.”
“I doubt I’ll be having parties, but Larissa here might want to go for a swim with me. Lou, you there?” Harlow asked, looking at her in confusion.
“Yeah, I’m here. Sorry.” She smiled at Harlow. “You’re going to start swimming?”
“Maybe. I don’t know. My last place didn’t have a pool. This one does. And a gym, right?” Harlow asked the guy.
“Yes, I can take you there on the way back to the office. It’s new as well. Tons of equipment, and it’s open a little earlier than the pool. You also have a washer and dryer in-unit here behind that closet door, and a balcony off the bedroom. No grills unless they’re electric, but we have outdoor gas and charcoal grills you can use. They’re a free-for-all, so first come, first served, but wehave six of them in total, and they’re rarely in use all at once. On the holiday weekends, you do want to stake your claim early to be safe.”
“Right. Cool,” Harlow replied. “Want to check out the bedroom with me?” she asked Larissa.
“Okay,” she said, silently calculating the best route to get from her place to this apartment on a day with traffic.
She could take the side streets to avoid a backup where two highways met, and that might save her a little time, but she’d get stuck at lights then. She would have to pull up the options on her computer and see what the best choice would be to use regularly.
“I like it,” Harlow said once they were alone in the bedroom. “I know the bathroom isn’t in the room like a master, technically, but I kind of like that. If someone is staying over and sleeping on my couch, they don’t have to wake me up just to pee in the middle of the night, you know?”
“Yeah,” she replied without offering much else.
“Do you not like it? You’re being weirdly quiet.”
“I like it.”
“B-u-t?” Harlow asked, lengthening the word.
“Nothing.”
“You’re lying,” Harlow said, crossing her arms over her chest.
“It’s just really far away, Harlow. It’s at least an hour on the days when there’s traffic; maybe longer.”
“From your place?”
Larissa nodded.
“I know. But it’s much closer to my office and the city. I’m not saying that I’m going to look for another job anytime soon, but if I do, there are more options for me here than by your place. So, it’s a new building with all the amenities, and it’s closer to work and possibilities. I think I need to at least apply.”
“No, I know. You’re right. It’s very nice.”
“Yeah? You think so?”
“Doesn’t matter whatIthink. You’d be the one living here.”
“But I’d want you to come over and hang out. I don’t want you to hate this place.”
“I don’t think I’ve everhatedan apartment before. It’s just an apartment. As long as it’s not haunted or something, we should be fine.”
She smiled and put on a brave face for her best friend, despite worrying that she’d see Harlow less and less.
