“No, thank you,” he says, scanning the room. “Two bedrooms?”
“Yes. We share a bathroom, but it’s big. Laundry downstairs. Backyard access. Patio. It’s a great location.”
He nods. And then he says, “Olivia…” He sounds exasperated all of a sudden. “How can you live like this?”
“Excuse me? This is an amazing apartment. It’s $3,695 a month—that’s less than most two-bedrooms in the area, and there are only two units in the building.”
He shakes his head. “You don’t have to get defensive. I don’t mean to insult your home. It’s just that you’re a beautiful, intelligent, talented woman—why have you deliberately chosen to live as mediocre a life as possible?”
Welp. That didn’t take long. One minute, and I already regret inviting him up. “Excuse me? I’m doing exactly what I’ve always wanted to do. My life is not mediocre.”
“Yes, I’m sure you don’t see it this way, but you’re resisting greatness. I want you to have the life that you deserve. Why does that bother you?”
“Because I have ears, and I can hear what you’re saying to me. You do realize you said all that out loud, right?”
“Olivia, I’d like to have my housekeeper come to clean this place up—at no cost to you, of course.”
What the what?!“No way!”
“Why not?”
“I don’t— It’s just so— Why would you even?” I sputter because I’m not exactly sure why not. “Just no. We can’t wait around for a housekeeper to come by.”
“You don’t have to be here. I’ll give her a copy of my key.”
“You don’t have a key to my apartment.”
“Well, obviously I’ll need you to give me one. Here. This is the key to my house in Palo Alto.” He puts his beautiful slim leather briefcase down and then removes a fancy key from a classy key ring and holds it out to me.
I don’t take it. “Why are you giving me your house key?”
“So no one has to wait around for you whenever you want to come over. Your personalized six-digit guest code for thesecurity system is your birth date. I’ve already programmed it in.”
“You remember my birth date?”
He grins. “We’ll see if I got it right when you enter it into the keypad, won’t we?”
I do not understand this person. “I’ve lived here for over a year. Why am I seeing you now?”
“I told you. Your brother asked me to check in on you.”
“It never occurred to you to check in on me before?”
“I apologize. It’s not that I haven’t thought about you, believe me—I’m very busy. When you see my schedule, you’ll understand. Let me now explain to you why I’m here.”
He takes my hand and presses the house key into my palm. Then he closes my fingers around it. I look up into his eyes and suddenly remember hearing him calling me “beautiful, intelligent, and talented” a minute ago. I was so defensive, it didn’t sink in until now. He’s never complimented me like that before. That was, I believe, as close to a compliment as Johnny B. Nerdballs is capable of giving me.
I clear off the detritus from the armchair and gesture for him to sit in it, while I take a seat on the sofa. “So? Proceed to explain to me why you’re here.”
He places his briefcase on the floor next to the armchair. Then he adjusts the briefcase in such a way that he won’t trip on it—in the event that I should throw something at him or lunge at him and he has to make a run for it, I suppose.
I lean back, resting my elbows on the back of the sofa, my ankle on my knee. Spreading out. Body language. I’m taking up as much space as possible to show him I’m in charge. He’s inmymediocre house. I’m the boss. He needs to impress me, or he’s out.
John rests his elbows on his knees, which are spread apart. He clasps his hands together and leans forward.That is also agood power posture. Well played, Nerdballs. Well played.I try not to stare at the dark swirls of exposed, sexy chest hair.Jesus, you grew up good, JB. Goddammit.
He begins. “As I said, I maintain a busy schedule and travel much of the time, but I have some significant events coming up in the coming weeks—an important business trip to England, followed by a gala event in New York, and then a fundraiser for my new charity in Cleveland. I usually travel alone because it’s easier, but due to the nature of my new initiative… We aim to encourage more women in the Midwest to get involved in the tech industry. And we’re going to establish fellowships for women at Midwest colleges in those departments…”
He pauses, probably waiting for me to roll my eyes or guffaw at the outrageous concept of him attempting to advance the careers of women, but I don’t. Because I literally cannot wait to hear the part about me. AndthenI’ll roll my eyes and snort-laugh in his obnoxiously handsome face.
