CHAPTER 2
1561 Words
CHAPTER 2
My knuckles are red and swollen by the time I get to my car.
I unlock it, climb inside, and slam the door harder than necessary.
For the first time all day, there is silence.
I rest my forehead against the steering wheel and let out a long breath.
"What a complete jerk."
A knock on the passenger seat window makes me jump.
Linda stands outside with one eyebrow raised.
I unlock the door
"You do realize assault isn't usually how people introduce themselves. Oh and you forgot me"
She angrily climbs into the car
"He deserved it."
"Well I didn’t, and I’m not denying that jerk deserved it." She smiles despite herself. "I'm saying try not to do it again."
"No promises."
She laughs
"I'll have the revised agreement sent over tonight."
"Thanks."
"For what it's worth..."
"What?"
"I think he's just as miserable about this arrangement as you are."
"Oh, good."
She chuckles and I start the engine and drive off.
Tomorrow, tomorrow I would be moving into an apartment I'd dreamed about for months with the world's most insufferable billionaire.
Fantastic.
---
The moving truck pulls up outside the apartment just after nine. I’d gotten there not too long ago and Caroline will be joining later on
Barry hops out of the driver's seat.
"Morning, Miss Shepherds."
"Morning."
He glances toward the building.
"So..."
"Don't."
"I wasn't going to say anything."
"You were."
"Let's just get this over with."
The doorman recognized me immediately.
"Good morning, Miss Shepherds."
"Morning."
He holds the elevator door while the movers wheeled in box after box.
As the elevator climbed, I stare at the black access fob in my hand.
Twenty-four hours ago, it had symbolized freedom.
Today...
It symbolizes compromise.
The elevator doors slid open.
I hand the access fob to Barry and he unlocks the door and I step inside
It is so beautiful
Floor-to-ceiling windows stretch across the living room, flooding the apartment with morning light. Beyond them, Manhattan buzzed to life beneath a cloudless sky.
For a moment, I forget everything else.
I was home.
Well...Half home.
"Where do you want everything?" Barry asked.
I turn around.
"The bedroom on the left is mine."
"You heard the boss!"
The movers spring into action.
Boxes disappear down the hallway while I wander through the apartment.
The kitchen looks like a dream
White marble countertops, matte black cabinets a huge island.
Whoever designed this place clearly believed happiness came in the form of storage space.
I approve.
The study remained untouched.
I figured if Captain Condescending wanted a man cave, he could have one.
I had no interest in seeing it.
"Miss Shepherds?"
Barry's voice pulls me back.
"We're done with the furniture."
"Already?"
He wipes sweat from his forehead.
"Just the boxes left."
I smile.
"Thank you."
"No problem."
Within another thirty minutes, the apartment is quiet again.
The movers wave goodbye as the front door closed behind them.
I look around, boxes everywhere.
The doorbell chimes and I go to answer the door. Caroline walks in balancing two iced mocha lattes and a box of cookies in one hand.
“Wow, y’all started without me.”
I roll my eyes analyzing the boxes while sipping my iced mocha latte
Somewhere beneath the mountain of cardboard was an apartment.
Hopefully.
I roll up my sleeves and turn to Caroline.
“Let’s get to work.”
I start with the kitchen. It’s the easiest, cereal, coffee and a bunch of pots and pans I don’t use.
In less than an hour id successfully labeled the kitchen dividing it into two equal halves
I notice Caroline unpacking a box into the fridge. My skin care stash
“What are you doing? Stop now.”
“I though you always refrigerate your skin care.”
“Yeah but t has its own fridge. It’s in my room.”
She rolls her eyes, puts them back into the box and walks away.
I finish up in the kitchen and go join Caroline in the bedroom.
The bedroom slowly started feeling like mine.
Fresh white bedding.
A cream throw blanket across the foot of the bed.
A vase of dried baby's breath on the nightstand.
My laptop sitting neatly on the desk beneath the window.
The last thing I unpack is a framed photograph.
Cassie.
Me.
A very pregnant belly squeezed between us while we laughed at something neither of us could remember.
I smiled before placing it beside the bed.
"Perfect."
Caroline’s phone buzzes.
“Shoot I gotta go picks up the kids. You good here?”
“Yeah go ahead I’m fine.”
I finish up with my boxes
By late afternoon I am running on pure adrenaline.
I hadn't realized how exhausting moving was until I was the one directing movers, unpacking boxes and deciding where every single spoon belonged.
The apartment looked... better.
Not finished but…. livable.
The kitchen was organized, mostly empty but organized
My bedroom finally looked pinterest-worthy.
The bathroom shelves were stocked.
The living room.....well
The living room looked like cardboard had exploded. Flattened boxes leaned against one wall.
Bubble wrap covered half the floor.
Three unopened boxes sat stubbornly in one corner
I look at them, they look back. I chose to pretend they don’t exist.
My stomach growls and I remember all I’ve had to eat is an iced mocha latte and cookies
I check the time. Six twenty-three. I could cook or I could door dash. So I decide to door dash.
I order KFC. Twenty minutes later I was sitting cross-legged on a sheet of bubble wrap, happily demolishing a box of chicken like I wasn't eating dinner on the floor of a luxury penthouse. The apartment was quiet, and it was annoying.
Maybe sharing an apartment wouldn't be so—
No. I banish the thought and focus on my food
"I'll finish tomorrow."
I kicked off my shoes and stretch out pulling out the new book I just got.
My eyes drift closed and I don’t even fight it
The city hummed softly beyond the windows.
Sunlight spilled across the hardwood floor.
I just let myself float
The soft beep of the electronic lock dragged me out of sleep.
My eyes remained closed.
I frowned.
Another beep.
Followed by the sound of the front door opening.
Right.
Apartment.
New apartment.
Boxes.
Captain Condescending.
My eyes fly open.
Oh no.
I push myself up just as footsteps stop a few feet away.
Slowly, I look up.
Arjun stood in the middle of the living room, one hand still gripping the handle of a black duffel bag.
He looked from me...
To the bubble wrap.
To the boxes scattered around the apartment.
Then back to me.
We stared at each other.
For a very long moment.
"You sleep on the floor?" he finally asks
I blink.
That was his first question?
"I'm tired."
His expression remains perfectly blank.
"It was a yes or no question."
I narrow my eyes.
"Do you always start conversations by being annoying?"
He sets his bag down.
"Do you always answer questions with questions?"
I clean up the mess I made, eying him angrily
"I was unpacking."
His eyes sweeps over the apartment.
The boxes.
The open suitcase near my bedroom door.
"You fell asleep." He states
"No s**t Sherlock."
Another silence.
God, he’s awkward.
His gaze moves toward the hallway.
"Which room is yours?"
"The left."
"I'll take the right."
"Good."
Another pause.
"We should discuss boundaries."
I stare at him.
Of course he wanted a meeting.
"We've been roommates for thirty seconds."
"Exactly."
"Fine."
He pulled out his phone.
My eyes widen.
"Were you waiting for this?"
"No."
His thumbs moves across the screen.
"I just prefer documenting agreements."
"You're taking notes?"
"Yes."
I rub my temples.
"Okay. Rule number one. Stay out of my room."
He typed.
"Agreed."
"Rule number two: don't touch my skincare products."
He looks up.
"I wasn't planning to."
"Good."
He typed again.
"My turn."
I folded my arms.
"No entering my office."
"Office?"
He points toward the room at the end of the hallway.
"That's my office."
"Oh."
"Fine."
He typed.
"No touching anything in my office."
"I'm already not going in there."
I smirked.
"If you eat my food, replace it."
He nodded.
"Reasonable."
"Rule five: leave your work in your office or in the study."
"Agreed."
"Rule six—"
He looks up.
"How many rules do you have?"
"As many as necessary."
His expression doesn't change.
"I should number these."
I stare at him.
"You are unbelievably weird."
"And yet you're the one sleeping on floors."
I point a finger at him.
"Rule seven: don't judge me."
He actually paused typing.
Then he looked directly at me.
"I can agree to that."
"So..."
He slipped his phone back into his pocket.
"So."
He turns to walk away
I clear my throat.
He stops and turns to face me
“As you can see this space looks like a ware house, so tomorrow you and me are going to get furniture and décor to turn this place into a home.”
“I can’t I have work.”
I get closer to him
“You’re the boss, they won’t fire you.”
I walk past him and into my room not waiting for a response
- Writer
