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“Yes. Ah,” she says, giving me her patient smile.
“The apartment is below mine. I keep it empty. It will remain empty if you don’t take it. I currently use it for visitors, but only one person has stayed in it in five years. That was Mark and his wife.” Leah goes to open her mouth, so I add. “They live in Australia. As you can see, the apartment is fully furnished. I hire a cleaner who comes in once a week to ensure it stays in good condition. I’m not renting it out to simply anyone. I never have, but it will solve your immediate problem.”
The words tumble out of me. It’s the truth, and I know Leah appreciates the truth.
“But there’s still rent,” Leah says, although she’s no longer looking at me.
“What are you thinking?” I ask.
Leah looks up, her eyes bleak. “I currently pay...”
“What?” I interrupt. “You currently pay? But I thought Vincent owned the apartment you’re living in.”
She frowns at me. “He does. But I pay him rent.”
I try to school my features. How can someone charge their fiancée rent? I cough, trying to smother my shock. “Sorry, I’m just surprised you pay your fiancé rent.”
“It was like that from the beginning, and we never changed it. Initially, it was to protect him and the apartment, not that I want anything from him. I want a clean break.”
I pull a piece of paper from my jacket pocket. “Here,” I say, handing it over to her. “These are the management fees, which include the building’s heating and my cleaner’s costs. There are no separate bills.” Leah takes the piece of paper from my hand and opens it, her eyes popping out of her head.
Damn, is it too much?
She shakes her head and hands the paper back to me.
“If it’s a problem, you can remove the cleaning cost and do the cleaning yourself. Anita can use the extra hours in my apartment.”
Anita is one of the few people allowed in my space, and that’s only when I’m not there.
“It’s not that,” Leah says. “That’s not nearly enough for this place. This is less than I pay Vince for my portion of the bills.”
Vincent is going down fast, in my estimation. Knowing what traders earn a year and the bank he works for, the fact that he’s been charging his fiancée, the woman he professed to love and wanted to marry, turns my stomach. When Leah smiles at me, I hide the sigh of relief I want to exhale. I was concerned the number which Caleb and I arrived at was too high.
“Why then? This place is empty, plus you haven’t even seen it all yet,” I say, trying to entice her. “Let me show you the rest of the apartment, then you can make up your mind. The rest might disgust you, and I’ll be begging you to take it.”
When Leah quirks her brow, I find myself enjoying our banter. I also know I’ll win in the end.
I always do.
I lead her back out into the main living area. A large open-plan kitchen sits against the back wall. The granite worktops reflect the sunlight streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, giving the room an even brighter, airier feel. The kitchen overlooks the main living and dining area. A large, white, L-shaped sofa sits on a pale, long pile rug.
“The wooden floors all house the underfloor heating throughout the apartment and building,” I say.
Leah nods, her eyes wide as she takes in the room. The room has been divided into zones. A seventy-inch flat-screen television is on the wall in front of the sofa. A glass dining table and chairs occupy the opposite wall. “The balcony sits below mine. It houses an outdoor seating area and heat lamp for nights when the temperature drops.”
I move to the door, sliding it open and allowing her to step outside.
Leah walks forward, her hands gripping the edge of the balcony as she takes in the view. She sighs, closing her eyes for a second. When she reopens them, her eyes meet mine. I motion for her to follow me as I walk her back through the main living area and through another side door. It opens straight into a walk-in wardrobe, banked with a generous supply of enclosed hanging and shelving space.
“To the left is the master suite, and to the right is the ensuite,” I say.
Stepping back I allow Leah to explore. The bathroom houses a claw foot bath, a large walk-in rainfall shower, a toilet and a sink unit. Caleb and I went all out when fitting the apartment out.
Leah squeaks, her hand flying to her mouth when she sees the bathroom, and I bite the inside of my lip to prevent myself from smiling. She then turns towards the bedroom itself. The bedroom holds a king-size bed, a television, and a small seating area. It’s a tranquil area, just as mine is. She remains silent, taking in her surroundings before dropping herself onto the bed. She bounces back up, shooting me an embarrassed glance.
“Well. What do you think?” I ask tightly, clearing my throat.
Leah looks at me, her eyes sparkling. “Just until I find somewhere else,” she states.
