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I wasn’t sure how this potential arrangement would work out. An apartment in such a high-end building was going to be way out of my budget. Did Neil have something up his sleeve? I tried to keep my expectations tempered.
He showed me to an apartment on the fourth floor. He typed the code into the digital lock, and the door clicked open. I stared with wide eyes as the interior came into view. The open-plan living area was spacious and modern, furnished with pieces that looked like they came straight from the pages of a glossy catalogue. The kitchen was small but fully equipped with stainless-steel appliances. White marble countertops complemented the light oak cabinetry, and the kitchen island doubled as a dining table, with leather-upholstered bar stools tucked underneath.
The view of the harbour called to me. I rushed over to look out the window. The view was less magnificent than the one from Neil’s apartment, but it surpassed the blank concrete wall visible from my current residence. I watched the sea gently churn, dappled with reflected light sparkling on its choppy surface.
I felt Neil come up behind me, then his smooth, deep voice over my shoulder, so alluring that I shuddered. “What do you think?”
I turned to him, hands clasped together in excitement. “It’s perfect!”
He lifted an eyebrow. “That’s strong praise when you’ve yet to see everything.”
“R-right.”
I was so overwhelmed, I had forgotten there were more rooms to explore.
Neil gestured to the open door which led to the bedroom, and my recent fantasy flooded back to me in vivid detail. His hands gripping my hips. My back on the mattress. Those dark eyes burning with desire…
Neil flicked the light switch on. The sudden brightness chased my illicit thoughts away and revealed the comfy bedroom in front of me. A king-sized bed was the centrepiece, framed by two bedside tables and wall lamps. An armchair and a bookcase in the corner formed a little reading nook. I could imagine myself curling up with a book there before bed each night.
Neil kept his distance as I looked around. He observed me from the doorway, leaning against the frame with his arms folded and a faint smile on his lips. I dared to test the firmness of the bed in front of him, sitting on the edge, then lying back with a sigh of contentment as the mattress yielded to me. When I snapped back onto my feet a few seconds later, I saw Neil averting his eyes, a hint of redness inching up his neck. I savoured the endearing little crack in his confident facade before it quickly disappeared without a trace.
Returning to the task at hand, I opened a door off the bedroom and discovered a large closet. The second door led to a small but luxurious bathroom with grey and white tiles on the walls and floors, a glass-encased shower, and a vanity made of shiny white porcelain. From the bathroom, another door led back to the living room.
The final room was a laundry and utility space, functional yet beautiful. The big washer and dryer had me excited for the prospect of laundry, and the shelves had tons of space to store my collection of cleaning supplies.
Will I actually get to live here?
I regrouped with Neil in the living room, buzzing with hope, yet nervous that it was too good to be true.
“Well?” he asked. “If it’s unsuitable, I might be able to find another option?—”
“I stand by my original opinion.”
“I figured you’d want something furnished so you can sell your current furniture before you leave, and this is the best furnished apartment I have available for your size requirements, but I’m sure I could rustle up an alternative if need be?—”
“I already told you, it’s perfect. How many apartments in this building do you own, anyway?”
“All of them.”
I just about choked on my breath. “Excuse me?”
“I own all of them. I own this building.”
I gawped at him. “The entire building? But this place must be worth tens of millions of dollars!”
“One hundred million, give or take.”
I knew Neil was rich, but I didn’t know just how rich. The income he earned from the rent alone must be insane. I was speechless.
“Most of the apartments are already tenanted,” Neil said. “I think this is the best one I can offer you. It’s yours if you want it for short-term accommodation until you leave, but I understand if you don’t. It might be uncomfortable living in the same building as me, and having me as your landlord as well as your boss. I know it’s far from ideal.”
I shook my head. “It is ideal. The thing is… how much are you expecting for rent? I don’t think I’ll be able to afford it.”
“How much are you paying now?”
“Four hundred a week. Utilities extra.”
“You can have this place for the same.”
