Anastasia went to stand in front of one of them. She stared out. “This view is amazing, Reign. It has to be incredible at night.”
“It is. You’ll see. But I have even better ones.”
She shook her head. “That’s not possible.”
“Come see,” I urged.
Taking her hand, I showed her my laundry room, then the guest bedroom with a full bath next to it. The final reveal was my bedroom with its ensuite bathroom. Like the guest bedroom, it had a wall of those windows. The difference in my room was the balcony, accessible only to me. I had a small patio set out there. I liked to enjoy my coffee out there sometimes. Her breath caught as she saw it.
“Oh my God, you’re right. It is better.”
I unlocked the door and led her outside. She stood at the railing, looking down, then from end to end.
“I could live out here. But you know what it needs, don’t you?”
“What?” I asked.
“Plants. You need greenery,” she winked.
I chuckled. “I do, but that means you’ll have to take care of them. Black thumb, remember.”
She smiled but said nothing. My bathroom was huge, with a rainfall shower big enough for three, a separate deep soaking tub, and dual vanities. She exclaimed over it. When I got her back to the kitchen, she was smiling.
“You’re stronger than me,” she said.
“What makes you say that?” I asked as I took out a pitcher of the strawberry lemonade we were both addicted to. She’d shown me how to make it. I was about to test how well I did. Next came the glasses and ice.
“If I lived here, I’d be hard-pressed ever to leave. Oh, you made it. I can’t wait to taste it.”
“It’s hard to leave sometimes. I’m making no promises, but I wanted to get us a drink before I show you where we’re eating.”
“I thought we were eating here,” Anastasia said.
“Technically, yeah, but not exactly right here.” I handed her a glass. I waited and let her take a sip first.
Anastasia closed her eyes and held it in her mouth for a few seconds before swallowing. When she opened her eyes, she smiled.
“I’ll give you an A-. It needs a smidge less syrup, like maybe a sixteenth of a cup less, and you have it. But I won’t say no to it.”
“Good. Now, let me show you the best part.”
I took her hand and led her to a door I hadn’t opened. When I did, she saw a set of stairs going upward. I took her up them and opened the top door. We stepped out onto the roof. Except it was more than a roof. It had an outdoor kitchen with seating. There were two lounge chairs and a patio set for four. Separating my private area from the other three penthouse owners’ areas were eight-foot walls on two sides.
“Reign, are you kidding me!? This paradise is just yours?” She exclaimed in awe.
“It is. There are three more penthouse apartments, and they each have a quarter of the roof set up like this. I want to make dinner up here so we can enjoy the evening, and then you can get the full feel of nighttime. As you can see, it has room for more. I’ve been debating putting a hot tub up here. It’s plumbed for it.”
“God, I’m really jealous now. You could have a small planter garden up here to grow tomatoes, herbs, and a few other things. Man, I won’t ask how much this cost, but I know it was a lot, and it’s amazing.”
“It was, but I had a good down payment. I sold the family home when Rowan was older, and we split the proceeds. It helped me to get my company started, and it grew from there. I hope you’re hungry because I have a hearty meal planned. You said before that you like steak.”
“I do, which horrifies my family. You know that many Indians don’t eat beef because cows are considered sacred. My family hates that I do. But I don’t care. How can I help? And before you say relax, I can’t. I’ve done enough of that. Please, put me to work,” she begged.
From there, I took her to my outdoor kitchen, and we got to work. As we worked together, we talked, laughed, and had a ball. The meal consisted of grilled steak wrapped in bacon. The sides were grilled asparagus, a side salad, and foil-wrapped cowboy potatoes to round out the meal. I’d helped make dinners at her place, but it was nice to do it here. By the time it was ready to eat, the sun was sinking.
“If you get cold, there are blankets in that basket by the loungers. Or I can get you one of my hoodies,” I offered as we placed the final touches on our meal. I was salivating.
“I feel fine right now, but I’ll let you know. God, this smells so good. Are we eating here or at the table? I have no preference,” Anastasia stated.
