“It’s nineteen hundred a month.”
“That’s it?” I ask, surprised.
Her eyes sparkle with humor. “Yes, it’s a much smaller floor plan than the usual layout, and to be honest, the receptionist who took Ms. Johnson’s call for the tour held this asideespecially for her." She lowers her voice further. "Apparently, her niece saw Ms. Johnson for counseling for a year after some family issues, and Ms. Johnson workedmiraclesfor their family. She turned down overfifteentours of this apartment to give Ms. Johnson first bid on it. If she wants it, that is.”
A miracle. There’s that word again.
I nod, rubbing my hand on the sleeve of my t-shirt absentmindedly, thinking about my religious father who made sure that Aurora and I grew up in church and became decent people—by his standards anyways.
“Does the place come furnished?” I ask.
“Yes,” Shelly says, “We can add that to the monthly rent, or she can buy the package outright and take it with her when she goes."
I rub my tongue on the side of my teeth, working my jaw and thinking.
“Hm," I hum. "If she chooses this apartment, I’d like to buy it for her. Separately, though... and I don’t want her to know. If she signs a lease, draw up another document for me, and I’ll sign it separately and pay for it. Here’s my email.” I dig into my pocket and pull out a business card.
Shelly's eyes widen. “Don’t you want to know how much it is before committing?” she asks.
Shelly looks down at my card before her eyes widen somehow even further, barely even hearing my response of, “Not really.”
“Dr. Richardson?"
I wince, becauseheerree we go.I can't even go to a regular apartment tour without someone knowing who I am. Maybe I should go out of the country, give myself a break. I plaster what I hope is a nice smile on my face and give her a small nod.
"Oh my gosh,I saw you speak at a conference a few years ago! I was far away in the audience, but I remember your face now.I should have recognized that bone structure! Oh my goodness!This is so cool!”she gushes, even breaking out into a blush.
Just then Sarah’s heels click across the hardwood floor towards us, thankfully saving me from having to respond. Appearing around the corner, I see she has her arms folded and her cardigan pulled tight against her. Her hair flows across her shoulder and down her breasts, tickling her navel. I want to run my fingers through it, touch her belly, feel her skin against mine.
To feel like she desires me.
I feel myself melting as she slowly approaches.
“Well,”she says rather breathlessly, with a small smile, “I like the bathrooma lot. And the back grounds are beautiful, and I wouldkillfor this kitchen set up." She glances at Shelly with a hopeful look. "How much is it again?”
“Nineteen hundred dollars a month.” Shelly answers, slipping my business card in her back pocket. “But that includes security in the lobby, all the amenities like a gym, sauna, pool, and we even have a small grocery store and a coffee shop downstairs.Andwe provide internet. We can sign a six-month lease. We do offer that, too,” Shelly adds quickly, reaching over to place her hand gently on Sarah’s forearm, making her smile.
She turns her head away for a second, and I can tell she's doing some mental calculations. We both wait patiently while she taps her fingers against her arm, and I can almost feel when she comes to a decision. “What are the requirements?” she asks, keeping her gaze on Shelly.
“You need a two-thousand-dollar deposit and first month’s rent due up front. And if you have any pets, it’s a five hundred dollar deposit fee plus an extra sixty dollars a month.”
“Okay…can I fill out an application?” Sarah asks hesitantly.
"Absolutely! Just come with me."
We make our way downstairs, and Shelly shows us to a quaint coffee shop area for us to sit while she fills out the paperwork.
I quickly excuse myself while Sarah sits and scribbles quietly.
Perusing the glass case, I grab us a scone each, a cup of coffee for me, and a chai tea for her, just taking a wild guess as to what she’d like. Then I order a raspberry flavored tea, along with a regular tea and one with lemon just in case, so she can have options.
I bring it all back to the table, watching as she efficiently flips through the pages, looking up at the items I brought over; she smiles before she sees the scone and then frowns.
I push it to her, ignoring her brows lifting.
“I know you don’t expect me to eat that. I just had pancakes two hours ago,” she whispers rather loudly.
"I can hear you," I whisper back.
