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“January. For at least a year. Longer, if I can make it work.”
“And when were you going to tell me this?”
“I don’t know. Soon, I guess.”
“Was it always your plan to leave?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you say something back when I offered you the job?”
“Would you have hired me if you knew I was going to quit within a year?”
“No.”
“There’s your answer.”
Neil sighed, the weight of his disappointment palpable. “Perhaps it’s for the best.”
I lifted my chin. “Really?”
“I’m not sure this is working out.”
His words stung like a slap.
“In what way?”
He didn’t answer me.
My mind raced. Why didn’t he think it was working out? I thought we had been getting on tremendously, everything considered. Didn’t he think I was doing a good job? Didn’t he like me?
“Never mind,” Neil said. “I’d be a hypocrite to blame you for acting in self-interest. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything. I’ll raise your salary to cover the lost income from cleaning, and I’ll make a contribution to your student loan upon the end of your employment.”
I struggled to process all he was saying. “That’s… that’s very generous.”
“As for your housing situation, I can help with that too. I know a place where you can stay.”
I gasped. “You do?”
“But I’m afraid there’s a catch.”
“I’m not in a position to be picky. What’s the catch?”
“I’ll be your landlord, and you’ll live in the same building as me.”
My stomach did somersaults as I stood in front of Neil’s apartment building, admiring its jutting form against the dark sky. It was my first time here without the context of cleaning Cat Dad’s apartment, and if everything went well, it wouldn’t be the last time.
The doorman greeted me as I stepped inside. I texted Neil to say I had arrived, then I sat on the bench by the lifts to wait for him to come down.
I jiggled my knee. Viewing the apartment was an intriguing prospect in itself, getting to spend more time with Neil outside our work bubble even more so.
I recalled our conversation on the roof, how he had denied that Veronica was his girlfriend. Not that it meant anything could happen between us. A relationship with my boss would be wildly inappropriate. Not to mention him disliking me—especially since I pulled the rug from under him regarding my move to London. Yet, I couldn’t help fantasising…
Neil would show me to the bedroom in the apartment. He would kiss me and throw me down on the bed. Just the thought of how his lips would feel on mine sent shivers coursing through my body.
The lift door opened, jettisoning me from my fantasy. Neil walked out, giving major dad vibes in dark-wash jeans and a half-zip sweater. My heart fluttered at the rare glimpse of him in casual mode. I got to my feet as he approached. His eyes flicked over me in a way that made me feel self-conscious, even though he wore the same inscrutable expression he always did. “Thanks for coming by so late,” he said. “I had to finish up a few things at work.”
I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “It’s no trouble at all. Thanks for letting me view the apartment.”
