Big Apple Dreams Page 5

  “That’s fine,” I said, rising as well.

  “Great! I’ll see you at work tomorrow then, roomie!”

  She hugged me once more and then waved as she walked out the door, her curls bouncing as she pulled it shut.

  I shook my head and walked back to the couch, turning my movie back on. Lizzy was definitely not what I’d expected. When we first met, she was very business-like and taught me how to do my job very well. It seemed that was not who she really was, though.

  I wonder if she has any theatre experience, I mused, not really paying attention to the show.

  The day came for my new roommate to arrive and I waited with excitement. We’d seen each other at work the past two days, visiting and getting to know each other a little better. Luckily, we both had today off.

  As it turned out, Lizzy wanted to open her own restaurant someday. She’d told me how excited she was to have money for some real food, because she knew how to make some tasty things. My stomach practically growled at the thought of it. I wasn’t a bad cook, but having someone who was practically a chef in the house? I was going to have to work out more to stay in shape, I just knew it.

  Right on time, there was a knock at the door, and I hurried to open it. Lizzy was standing on the other side, bags lining her arms and a giant smile on her face. Someone holding boxes that blocked their face was behind her.

  “Hey!” I said, a huge smile of my own shining through. “Come in. Do you need help with anything?”

  I moved out of the way, holding the door open as they came in.

  “You don’t have to help if you don’t want to,” Lizzy said, setting her stuff down on the couch.

  “It would be nice if you did, though,” a baritone voice said from behind the packages as he set them down on the counter.

  “Oh yeah! Mara, this is my brother, Evan.”

  Her brother turned around, and I almost forgot to keep my mouth from gaping. He was extremely fit, his black shirt stretching across his muscles and showing them off perfectly. A chiseled jaw and light green eyes drew me in, making me instantly positive that Lizzy had put up with most of her friends crushing on him her whole life. His brown hair was short and somewhat spikey. He definitely knew how to style himself.

  “Hey,” he said, holding his hand out to me.

  “Mara,” I said, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

  “Evan.”

  A look at Lizzy confirmed my previous thoughts. She looked like she was trying to hide a snicker of her own.

  “There’s a couple more boxes in the truck,” he said, not noticing. “I’ll probably need both of your help to get the bed up here, too.”

  “No problem,” I said with a smile, walking out the door. “Just tell me what to do.”

  We walked down to the curb, Lizzy chattering on about how thankful she was, and Evan remaining silent. We were able to get the rest of her things that trip, leaving only the bed to finish up.

  “You each take a corner,” Evan instructed, sliding it towards the opening of the van. “I can handle this side on my own.”

  Lizzy and I did as instructed, trying with all our might to keep a grip on the heavy piece of furniture.

  It was slow going. I could hardly speak, concentrating on not dropping my side. Evan seemed a little annoyed it was taking so long, but didn’t say anything.

  We were halfway up the stairs when I heard a voice behind me, coming from the next floor.

  “Is that you, Mara?”

  “Chris?” I said, tightening my grip as the bed slipped in my sweaty palms.

  “Whoa, let me help you out there!”

  I could see him out of the corner of my eye, coming between Lizzy and I and lifting the burden from us. A breath escaped me as my hands thanked him profusely.

  “Thank you,” I said, moving out of the way and up to the next floor with Lizzy.

  “No problem,” Chris said, looking back at me with a smile.

  The men moved the bulky bed the rest of the way with ease, Lizzy and I leading the way and making sure there was nothing in their path.

  “Thank you so much,” I said again as they sat it down in the spot we’d cleared for it before going back down.

  “It was my pleasure,” Chris said, smoothing his suit jacket. “I was in the area and thought I’d stop by and see you. I was more than happy to help.”

  “Thanks,” Lizzy’s brother said, holding out his hand. “Evan.”

  “Chris.”

  They shook and a silence filled the room.

  “Evan, let me walk you out,” Lizzy said loudly, walking over to her brother and taking his arm.

  I was positive she winked at me as they went into the hall, the door closing behind them.

  “New roommate?”

  “Yeah,” I said, blushing. “Thank you again, really.”

  “It was nothing,” he said, waving it off.

  “So you wanted to see me, huh?” I said, my tone flirtatious.

  “I did,” he laughed, stepping closer. “I wanted to see if you’d like to go to the fireworks show with me tonight, maybe get a little something to eat.”

  “That sounds nice,” I said, my heart skipping a beat at his smile.

  He continued to smile at me, making my stomach go crazy with butterflies.

  “I’ll pick you up. Sound good?” He slid his hands into his pockets, his gaze locked on mine.

  “Yeah, that sounds great,” I said breathlessly.

  “All right, let’s go.”

  “Right now?” I asked in shock.

  “As long as you don’t mind coming back to my place, so I can change,” he laughed.

  “I guess that’s okay,” I said, flustered. “Let me run a brush through my hair real quick.”

  I practically ran to the bathroom, trying to remember where my deodorant got left that morning. Helping with the bed had made me a little sweaty. Thankfully, my makeup wasn’t messed up and my hair was still holding a curl. In a few minutes and once more check in the mirror later, I was ready to go.

  “Do I need to bring anything?” I asked as I came back out into the living room.

  “No, I’ll take care of everything.”

  His smile made my knees go weak and my heart thud in my chest. If tonight was anything like our last date, he was definitely someone I wanted to keep around.

  I opened the door and Lizzy jumped back in alarm on the other side, an embarrassed grin on her face.

  “I didn’t want to interrupt,” she said sheepishly.

  “I’m going out for the night. I hope that’s okay?” I said to her.

  “It’s fine!” she said enthusiastically.

  Chris passed by me, waiting in the hall as I grabbed my phone of the desk and slid it into the pocket of my jeans.

  “I’ll see you later,” I said.

  Lizzy’s head nodded furiously, a huge grin on her face as she shut the door behind me.

  “She seems nice,” Chris laughed.

  “She is,” I said confidently. “We work together, so I know her better than I would have a complete stranger.”

  “You should have told me you were serious about the roommate, I could have helped.”

  “I didn’t even think about it,” I said honestly.

  “Maybe next time,” he said smoothly, holding the building door open for me.

  “Maybe,” I said with a smile.

  He waved a cab down for us and soon we were darting through the streets towards his house.

  “So, I was thinking of something more intimate than last time, if you don’t mind,” he said casually.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I have a really nice penthouse I’m working with right now that’s completely vacant. It will be the perfect spot to watch the fireworks. I thought we could have dinner on the terrace. It’d be just the two of us.”

  “That’s fine with me,” I said with a smile.

  My phone buzzed and I looked down to a message from Lizzy. She was gushing ov
er how cute Chris was. I laughed and put the device back in my pocket. It seemed certain that she would want to know everything as soon as I got home.

  We pulled up to a majestic high rise and a doorman opened the car door for us, greeting Chris by name.

  I looked around in awe as we entered the building, feeling underdressed for such a fancy lobby.

  Chris led me to an elevator and we rode several floors up before finally stepping off.

  “It’s down the hall,” he said, stepping out onto the velvet red carpet.

  I followed behind him as he pulled his keys out, looking at the art on the wall in awe. Because I wasn’t paying attention, I ran right into him when he stopped in front of his door, causing him to drop his keys on the floor.

  “I’m sorry,” I laughed.

  “It’s fine,” he said, bending and picking them up.

  He fiddled with the lock for a second before cracking the door open and turning to smile at me.

  “Welcome to my humble abode.”

  Chapter Six

  I gasped as I walked through the entryway into an apartment that was anything but humble. The white pallet made me feel like I was about to be in a carpet shampoo commercial.

  Chris’s one bedroom apartment was probably four times as large as mine. I couldn’t even imagine how much it cost. The living room, with its pristine couches, was where I stood now. In front of me was a very nice, upgraded kitchen with all chrome appliances, a dining area off to the right. A small wall with a fireplace separated the two areas, open on both sides. To my left was the open door to the bedroom, and what I assumed was a coat closet. The wall on the other side of me was made entirely of glass, New York smiling through from outside. Fantastic paintings hung everywhere there was space.

  “I’ll only be a minute,” Chris said, brushing past me. “Please, have a seat.”

  “I’m afraid I’ll stain something,” I laughed, looking at the snowy seats with their black pillows.

  He laughed as he went into the bedroom, tossing his jacket over the corner of the comfy looking, dark bed I could see.

  Instead of sitting, I walked over to the window, thinking of how nice it would be to wake up to a view like this every morning. I wanted a place like this in the future, where I could feel like I had space, but remained in the city.

  “So, what do you want to eat?” Chris called.

  “Uh,” I said, turning and catching a glimpse of his bare back as he crossed in front of the door again. “I’m good for anything, I guess.”

  I moved my attention back to the outside, blushing slightly. Even just a second of looking was enough for me to tell that he was very well taken care of under his designer clothes.

  “I’ll see what’s close and ask if they deliver,” he said.

  “Sounds good.”

  I stared out at the skyline for a few moments before he joined me.

  “What do you think?” he asked with a smile.

  “You look nice,” I said, appraising his jeans and white polo shirt.

  “I meant the view,” he laughed. “But thank you for the compliment.”

  “That one is a given,” I said, my face still burning red. “It’s fantastic.”

  “I bought this place because of it,” he said, nodding.

  “Did you ever think of moving somewhere else?” I asked, curious.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You grew up here. Did you ever want to go somewhere else?”

  “No,” he said firmly. “I know this isn’t the place for everyone, but it’s my home. I don’t think I’d be happy anywhere else.”

  “I wish I would have grown up here,” I said with a smile of my own. “I’d probably already be working as an actress. I wasted so much time trying to get here.”

  “It will happen,” he said reassuringly.

  “When?” I laughed, turning back to the glass.

  “That I don’t know,” he chuckled. “Perhaps it will come to me on the way to the loft.”

  “If you say so.”

  He tipped his head towards the door and we went to it, leaving his beautiful home behind.

  I remained silent through our cab ride, listening to him call around to a few restaurants and ask what they served and if they delivered. By the time we pulled up to another high rise, he’d placed an order and given instructions on where to deliver it.

  “Will we get in trouble for being here?” I asked, feeling like we were about to break into someone’s house.

  “No,” he said, grinning. “The owner lives in Spain now. He told me to take good care of it until it was bought. I take that to mean I can lounge around and enjoy it before someone else snatches it up.”

  “Do you think it will sell quickly?” I wanted to know more about how he worked. He seemed to really enjoy it, which was a good enough reason for me to familiarize myself.

  “Absolutely,” he said with a nod. “I’m showing it to someone tomorrow, actually. I imagine it will be taken by the end of next week.”

  “How long has it been on the market?” I asked in surprise.

  “About two days,” he laughed. “No one’s lived here for several months. The owner finally decided he wanted to let it go.”

  “Don’t places like these cost millions of dollars?”

  “They do. That’s why he held onto it. If they ever decide to come back, they’ll have to pay for another apartment.”

  “So if he’s selling then he’s probably decided not to come back,” I mused.

  “Exactly.”

  By that time we were already riding in the elevator to almost the top floor. I was excited to see this piece of prime, New York real estate. It was unlikely I’d ever get to again, unless I miraculously became a multi-millionaire.

  The elevator doors finally dinged and opened, revealing a hall with only three doors. We walked down the royal blue carpet to the farthest one, Chris pulling a key out of his pocket.

  He opened the entry and I gasped, looking into a true beauty of a living space. I walked through, almost able to see my face in the pristine wooden floors. There were no interior walls except for the one we’d just come though, the rest of them showing panoramic views of the city.

  “I can see the Statue of Liberty!” I laughed, making a beeline for the glass. “This is amazing.”

  “The upstairs is where all the bedroom and kitchen are. I think this floor was used for parties and general meetings, or relaxing.”

  I turned around and saw a staircase next to him and the door he leaned on.

  “I can’t even imagine living somewhere like this.” I looked out the window again, the sunset shining gloriously.

  “The terrace is upstairs as well,” Chris laughed.

  “Right,” I said, blushing and turning to him again. “Lead the way.”

  I returned to his side, and he took my hand, pulling me in the right direction. Butterflies erupted once more at his touch and I bit my lip, lowering my head so he wouldn’t see.

  “There’s a living area up here as well,” he said as we reached the pinnacle. “This was probably two separate apartments that were redone.”

  There was more wood flooring and huge windows, but I noticed the door to the outside like he’d mentioned. There was also a hall leading away to the rest of the house.

  “Whoever gets this place is lucky,” I said appreciatively. “I understand why you think it will sell so fast.”

  Chris tightened his grip on my hand, pulling me towards the glass door on the right. I could see a wrought iron table and chairs through it, several overgrown plants creating a closed in effect.

  Within seconds, I was seated across from him, wishing he was still holding my hand.

  “So I take it you like the place,” he said with a grin.

  “I do, I laughed.

  “I’ll be sad when I don’t get to come look at it anymore,” he said, leaning back and folding his arms.

  The phone in his pocket rang and he excused himself to answer it,
stepping back inside. I pulled my own out of my pocket, snapping a quick picture and sending it to Lizzy.

  A picture of her and Evan returned. It looked like they had gone out for pizza and were smashed in with lots of tourists.

  “Our food will be up momentarily,” Chris said, coming back outside.

  “What are we having?” I asked as I slid the device back into my pocket.

  “I didn’t get anything too fancy,” he said defensively.

  “That’s fine,” I giggled, blushing as he scooted his chair right next to mine and took my hand.

  “There’s a burger joint a few blocks away. I figured, what’s more American than a good burger and soda?”

  “A hot dog and a baseball game,” I laughed. “But I’ll take it.”

  The doorbell sounded inside. Chris rose again, squeezing my hand quickly before letting go. I could smell the food before he returned, my mouth watering over the delectable fumes wafting through the house.

  “So, the fireworks should start a little after the sun has finished setting,” he said, setting the bag on the table and sitting down again. “I actually thought we’d watch those from inside. The view is better, if you ask me.”

  “I agree.” I couldn’t get the smile off my face. It was nice to feel like I’d finally met someone who knew how to treat a lady.

  A carton was pulled out of the bag and set in front of me. Chris smiled huge as he opened it and watched my eyes bug out of my head.

  “It’s huge! I won’t even be able to fit my mouth around it!”

  “That’s part of the fun,” he laughed.

  “I can’t eat all of that,” I laughed. “I couldn’t do it even if I wanted to.”

  The burger looked delectable and like it could feed a village for a week. My mouth watered just thinking about how yummy it probably tasted. I was positive I would be taking leftovers home. Maybe Lizzy liked burgers, too?

  Chris pulled his own carton out of the bag and popped it open, making the delicious fumes even stronger. In the time it took me to figure out how to pick up my food without it falling apart, he had already devoured half of what was in front of him.