Chapter 1
HANNAH
Welcome to my humble abode!
Thank you soooo much for taking care of my new home – happy to know that the place will be in safe hands without me. Sorry that some rooms are not quite ready yet, but still lots of space to enjoy (no parties though, please – leave that to me!).
Know Sara’s filled you in on everything already, but just another quick reminder that the marble guys are coming on the 15th (before they install it, just make absolutely sure it’s Calacatta and bookmarked as ordered), and a couple of Peacock chairs (sooo retro, just WAIT ’til you see them!!!!) and an Eames lounger are scheduled to arrive at the end of the month, along with some A/W collab drops (but not too many, I promise) that I so appreciate you taking care of.
The refrigerator is packed with the good stuff and you’re welcome to borrow whatever you like from my closet while you’re here so go nuts (though maybe not my shoes and def not my top-shelf purses, ’K?). Or anything that takes your fancy from the PR drops, go right ahead too (our little secret).
Just Snap or message Sara if you need anything or have any questions, though idk the time difference in Europe mightmake things tricky but hey … hope you settle in OK and enjoy being back in NYC!
Courtney XOXO
PS Ignore the crazy old dinosaur next door – guy was so peeved that the co-op let me buy into the building that he spent the ENTIRE YEAR complaining about construction noise! No doubt Sara’s told you all about the stupid lawsuit already. So much for friendly neighbours, huh?)
Hannah Ryan looked up from the note, still trying to take in her new surroundings and couldn’t help but seriously question her life choices. Here she was, mid-thirties and having to start her life over in another city, and a girl a decade her junior outrightowneda newly refurbished Classic Six, one of two penthouse floor apartments in a landmark building on NYC’s Upper East Side.
She knew that ‘classic’ referred to the pre-war era when apartments of this ilk were built, and ‘six’ to the total number of rooms; a living room, formal dining room, separate kitchen, two full bedrooms and what would have once been servants’ quarters located near the kitchen and with its own bathroom facilities.
These homes were also famed for the architectural touches popular during the same period: hardwood floors, spacious rooms, high ceilings, eye-catching mouldings, grand entrance galleries and hallways to separate the spaces.
In short, Hannah was standing in a piece of New York history.
And while she might be leaving her LA life behind to start over on the East Coast, thanks to her client’s magnanimous offer at least she wasn’t homeless.
New York-based social media superstar Courtney Wilde was a priority client of Hannah’s employer Lotus PR, and whom sheherself handled as West Coast liaison. The influencer had recently departed for a three-month-long tour promoting her latest book,Empower.
A few weeks ago, not long after Hannah’s world had been upended, prompting her transfer to the company’s New York office, she was meeting with Courtney at the Beverly Hills Hotel when she received an urgent call from her realtor informing her that the Brooklyn shoebox she’d initially set her sights on had fallen through.
‘And there’s nothing else?’ Hannah cried, crestfallen. Couldn’tanythinggo right for her these days? ‘No, no Manhattan is way out of my budget.’
Courtney had obviously been eavesdropping and when Hannah hung up, she said, ‘I’m gonna be nosy, OK?’
‘Sure.’
‘You need somewhere to stay in NYC?’
‘You might say that,’ Hannah admitted, biting her lip, unwilling to get into the specifics of her personal life. ‘It’s a little awkward because my ex … well, let’s just say I needed to get out of Dodge, so I asked for a transfer. And a change is as good as a holiday, yes?’ she finished brightly, hoping Courtney wouldn’t push for specifics. ‘But I’m not having much luck with finding somewhere.’
Thanks to her recent out-of-the-blue relationship implosion, Hannah had jumped at the chance of a fresh start at the company’s New York arm. But not so much at the prospect of wading into the city’s real estate market.
Courtney wrinkled her nose sympathetically, which managed to make her look even more adorable. ‘That sucks. Tell you what – why don’t you crash at my new place while I’m in Europe? I’ll be gone for a few months and it’s pretty much ready to go, save for some last-minute construction tweaks, furniture deliveries and stuff. AndIhatethe idea that no one’s lived there for so long. Coming back to a space that’s been vacant for a while … the vibes are usually so wonky, you know?’
Hannah paused, unsure how to answer. On the one hand, a temporary place to stay while she got settled would be a lifesaver, but finances were an issue and there was no way she could afford the rent in that part of town.
‘Naturally,’ Courtney continued, ‘I’ll be payingyouto house-sit – or apartment-sit, I guess,’ she grinned.
Which was how Hannah currently found herself (temporarily) living the dream in one of two top-floor apartments in a salubrious building on the Upper East Side. She let out a low whistle, impressed afresh at her surroundings. To be fair, the apartment’s original state must surely have been magnificent in itself – but soon after Courtney bought into the 72nd Street property, her manager had pronounced it ‘criminally unsuitable for his client’s aesthetic’.
From what little Hannah knew of the period, it seemed the interior designer had stayed true to the original pre-war architecture while giving it a glamorous mid-century modern flair. The original beams and columns were kept along with the solid floors, creating a nice sense of continuity between the old and the new. The walls were also painted white to provide a neutral backdrop for the newly installed fixtures.
Custom-built storage units meant there was ample space for the influencer’s quirky travel artefacts, art sculptures and photographs, but they also provided a warm, inviting touch. The wood grain blended seamlessly with the classic mouldings, columns and zig-zag walnut parquet flooring, creating a sense of subtle harmony between contemporary and traditional.
The bedroom Hannah would be using was also updated withmodern features while still honouring the original period’s charm. A tufted headboard complete with LED lighting was installed to give the bed that luxurious boutique hotel feel, while the walls were painted in a muted shade of blue to create a tranquil atmosphere. A plush neutral carpet provided a soft, cosy touch.
This room alone was about the same size as her very first box-room apartment in Greenwich fifteen years ago when she’d first emigrated from then-recessionary Ireland as an unemployed young woman hoping to find a career path in the US. And now, after almost a decade in LA, she was once again starting over in New York. Notquiteback at square one (at least she’d managed to hold onto her career, if not her reputation), though right now it sort of felt like it.
