“You look nice. What’s the occasion?”
She rolled up my window. “Because today, if we play our cards right, we’ll have a new home.”
I chuckled. “I take it you’re excited.”
“I’m more than excited. I’m ready to get this party started.”
The second I had my seatbelt buckled, she took off, zooming out of the cul-de-sac in front of the school and careening down the road. She had the music blasting with classic rock as she bobbed her head to the beat. Driving barefoot, of all things, as we raced down the road. I rolled my window down and let my arm rest out in the sun. I couldn't stop stealing looks over at her. How happy she looked. How carefree her hair was tossed on top of her head. It looked as if her own bonds had fallen away. Her face was barely covered in makeup. Her ears displayed simple stud earrings instead of the expensive, glistening diamonds I was used to seeing on her.
Simple suited her.
We drove in silence, but by no means was it empty. We jammed out to music and she played air guitar behind the wheel of the car at stoplights. I laughed at her as she yelled the words to her favorite songs. I’d never seen this side of her. Hell, I would have never guessed it existed. If she was nervous, the only thing that gave it away was how hard she gripped her steering wheel.
Her knuckles were practically white with tension.
We drove for maybe four miles before she turned on her blinker. Got into the left-hand lane. I looked over and saw the sprawling complex scattered with trees and greenery. It looked so different from the other places in Riverbend. The apartment buildings were brightly colored on the outside with stone work peppered in that felt pleasing to the eye. It looked like each apartment had its own private balcony. Beautiful white-washed wrought iron. This place screamed ‘Cecilia’. It was definitely the kind of place I’d find someone like her in.
I hoped, for her sake, we qualified for something like this.
We pulled up to the parking lot in front of the lobby and got out. She slipped her heels on and stood up, smoothing her hands over her dress. She looked over at me and smiled. I held my hand out, ushering her toward the front door. And as we walked inside, a man dressed in a pale pink button-front shirt stood up, holding his arms out for her.
“Cecilia. You look amazing.”
She hugged him softly. “Matthew, it’s really nice to meet you in person. Finally.”
I waved. “Hey there.”
The man grinned. “And you must be Clinton. Cecilia called me and told me you were coming with her today. Nice to meet you.”
He held his hand out to me and I shook it.
“Yeah, I wanted to come along with her and check out the place for myself.”
He quirked an eyebrow. “Oh? Cecilia made it sound like you were moving with her.”
I grinned. “If that’s the best course of action for everyone, yes. But I’d like to see the apartment before either of us make a decision on anything.”
He nodded. “Of course. I’ve got the golf cart cranked up and ready to go, if you guys would like a tour of the complex?”
Cecilia nodded. “We’d love one, thank you.”
We followed Matthew out back and hopped onto the cart. Me in the back and Cecilia up front with him. We drove around the massive grounds, racing by the tennis courts, the beautiful blue pool that housed a deck, a small cobblestone pathway to the enclosed hot tub, as well as grills for the people living in the complex to use. It really was a nice place, tucked back away among lush trees and rich, green grass.
It felt more and more like home as we continued pressing onward.
“So, are we seeing a model room? Or the actual apartment you’re wanting to rent to us?” I asked.
Matthew pulled into a parking space. “Oh, no. This is the actual apartment. And it’s a good one, too. First floor, back right corner. Only one side of the apartment gets the harshness of the sun, so your energy bills won’t skyrocket during the summer.”
I nodded. “And all the appliances come with it?”
Cecilia snickered. “Why don’t we get inside and see?”
Matthew smiled. “He’s okay. It’s good that he’s asking questions. It means he cares about where you end up. Remember that.”
I liked this guy.
We walked down the small hallway before he pulled out some keys. And the second the door to the apartment opened, Cecilia drew in a soft breath of air. Even I stood there, shocked. In all the best ways.