“Ow.”
“Tell me about your ideal woman.” In return for McMillian’s help today, I’ve agreed to help him set up his dating profile. He’s from Sheffield and doesn’t know anyone in London.
“Um... someone who’s strong, unconventional, witty, crafty, and doesn’t mind putting up with me playing video games in my spare time.”
“That’s a lot, mate,” Sam quips.
“Once again, ignore him.” I twist around from the front seat to look at McMillian. “You know, there’s a gorgeous, single woman I know who meets your criteria. If you’re up for it, I could set you guys up on a date straightaway.”
“Who are you thinking of?” Sam side-eyes me.
“Focus on the road, Sam I Am.”
“I am,” he huffs.
“You haven’t officially met her yet, Sam, but it’s my bestie, Liz.” I turn to McMillian again. “She’s definitely not your cookie-cutter woman. If you want unconventional, she’s perfect for you.”
“I’m afraid to ask what you mean by that,” McMillian muses.
“Liz is a designer, like me. Only she works with men’s clothing. She also comes from a large family that loves spending nights playing video games.”
“Do you have a photo?”
I unlock my phone and open an album of photos of usgoofing around our flat on a day not long after we moved in, when we were attempting to do up our furniture so it looked high end. “Here. There’s about a hundred you can scroll through.” I pass him my phone.
McMillian’s eyes widen, and I think he’s taken by Liz. “She is gorgeous. I’d love to take her out for dinner.”
“Perfect. I’ll text her later.”
Little does he know, McMillian is just Liz’s type. He stands about five foot nine and has dark brown hair and hazel eyes. But more importantly, he’s a soldier who can ride horses. Liz has been dropping hints nonstop for me to ask Sam if he has any friends who are single. I think seeing how happy I am has made her determined to find a steady boyfriend of her own. I know she’s tired of dating apps.
“Looks like we’re here.” Sam stops the car on a residential street packed tightly with a mixture of Edwardian and Victorian flat-fronted brick terrace homes.
“It’s right on the corner, that’s a good start.” I climb out of the car and close the door. “The street looks quiet too. More brownie points.”
“Looks can be deceiving, let’s reserve any judgements until we see the inside of the flat.” Sam clicks the key fob and the alarm sounds. “What number are we looking for?”
“Twelve.” We walk up to a highly polished black door with a gold number twelve on the front. Instead of a door handle, however, there’s a keypad. “Hang on, let me find the code.”
I read off the four-digit number to Sam. He enters it into the device and the door clicks open. We enter into a foyer. There’s a staircase to the right and the door to flat 12B on the left.
“There’s a note taped to the door for you, Fashion Guru.”
He passes mean envelope with swirly writing, and I break open the seal. A key falls into my hands. Unfolding the pages, I begin to read aloud.
“Dear Minerva, sorry I couldn’t be here in person to show you the flat. I had a previous engagement I couldn’t get out of. I thought I’d share a little information with you in hopes it may answer some questions you might have.
“The building you’re standing in is a converted three-story Victorian terrace home. I live on the second floor. The flat you’ll be viewing today is divided over the ground and first floors. The kitchen was fitted out with all new appliances last year; however, the remainder of the flat might need some doing up.
“The garden, foyer, and stairs are the property’s communal areas. Please feel free to inspect the outside. You will find a mature garden and, likely, an English springer spaniel sunbathing near the summer house. Her name is Lillian. She’s friendly and loves belly scratches.
“If you keep a car, there is also plenty of off-street parking. Otherwise, the nearest train links are only a ten-minute walk away. I think that about covers it. Please don’t hesitate to text or ring me if you have any other questions. I hope you enjoy your viewing. Regards, Alice.”
“That was kind of her,” Sam muses.
“Yeah. Every interaction we’ve had so far has been amazing.” I hand him the key. “Although it was a little weird when I initially contacted her about the listing.”
“How so?”
