I don’t get a chance to respond, because Brittany is already practicallyrunningafter Krystal to keep up. I let out a sharp breath, adjust my pullover, and then climb out. I break into a soft jog to catch up, and have no issue doing so, catching them at the elevator.
“This building is great.” Krystal is babbling away. “There’s a service elevator that’s twice this size. You can use it to move your things. It’s very convenient.”
“Oh, that’s nice.” Brittany hums as we all step onto the elevator.
“I actually lived in this building myself for a few years, so that’s why I’m a little partial to this place.” Krystal gives Brittany this genuine smile, and I can see it instantly works. “I loved it here.”
“Why did you move?” I ask, folding my arms across my chest.
“They moved my office across the city. I didn’t want the long commute.” Krystal answers me, just as the elevator dings on theseventh floor. She gestures for us to exit the elevator first, and then she follows us, guiding us to Apartment 714.
I have to admit, the building is nice. The floors are marbled, and the white doors are actually …white.That’s more than I can say about my own apartment.
Krystal punches a code into the door, and then pushes it in, letting us enter first. “I really think you’re going to love it. It’s a charmer.”
As soon as Brittany steps through the door, I can see the shift in her expression.
She’s in love with this place already.
“This is gorgeous,” she comments, running her hand along the granite countertop of the kitchen. It’s a one bedroom, and it’s decorated nicely. Well, except for…
“What an interesting piece…” Brittany reads my mind.
“The property manager has unique taste when it comes to staging apartments.” Krystal comes to stand beside us, staring at the same picture we are. It’s some sort of abstract painting of a … bear? It’s hard to tell.
“It looks kind of creepy,” Brittany says, placing a red nail against the dimple in her chin. “Are we allowed to change it out?”
“Absolutely. Any piece you don’t want on the wall can be taken down.”
Brittany nods, and then quietly proceeds to comb over the apartment, leaving me to stand there with Krystal, who is pretty much pretending I don’t exist. But I don’t try to make small talk; my attention is on Brittany. I won’t go digging into the place until she’s made up her mind.
And that doesn’t take long.
“I love it,” she says, her eyes bright as she returns to us. “Once Wes looks it over, I’ll take it.”
Chapter Nine
Brittany
Three weeks of living out of a suitcase, and now I’m packing up to leave again. The apartment hunt took less time than I expected, but I’m not complaining.
The sooner I get my own place, the sooner I can start rebuilding my life.
“So, I’ll have movers bring the rest of your things to you later today,” Parker says as I grab my last bag and drop it on the floor by the entryway. “That should give us enough time to move what you have here and get settled.”
“Are you labeling that one ‘Miscellaneous’ or ‘Random Crap’?” I ask Parker, who’s meticulously writing on a box with his perfect block lettering.
“Has it occurred to you that proper organization might help you function better in life?”
“Has it occurred to you that you might be a control freak?” I counter, tossing a throw pillow at him.
He catches it without looking. “You know, for someone who’s lived here less than a month, you’ve somehow managed to get dust everywhere. I didn’t even know I had dust.”
“It’s a gift,” I say. “I bring chaos and particles wherever I go.”
I smooth out my jeans and glance out of Parker’s floor-to-ceiling windows, seeing the overcast skies. “I hope it doesn’t rain on us.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Parker says with a shrug. “It rained on me twice while moving. I almost think Mother Nature enjoys watching me suffer.”
