Determined to stay professional, she cleared her throat and asked pointedly, “How about a quick tour and then we can get to work.” She motioned to her briefcase still hanging on her shoulder.
HAVING HEATHER OVER was messing with his brain. The scent of her perfume had already taken over, and it excited him a little too much. His body was reacting even as his brain was telling it to ignore the scent. Her presence in his apartment was going to take some getting used to. Especially if she was going to insist on wearing a tight blouse that clung to her and a denim skirt that drew his eyes to her long legs.
Seeing her out of her work clothes was making him think dirty thoughts. And catching her looking at the old photo of them was unnerving him. He didn’t want to have to explain that the night of their prom had been one of the most memorable nights of his life. Which was why he still had the photo. “Yes. The tour,” he forced out. “Let me show you around.”
He led her around his apartment, showing off his state-of-the-art kitchen, his office, the view from his balcony. He made it a point to not show her his bedroom. Best to keep that part of his apartment off limits in light of the scandal looming over everything. Keep it professional, right?
Finally, he stopped at his front door and opened it.
“Oh, are we going to see the pool?” she asked.
He nodded. “Sure. I also figured you might like to see some of the stuff I’ve been working on in the apartment across the hall.”
Her hazel eyes widened. “You work in a separate apartment?”
“Yes, if the project is big,” he replied. “I’ve got a ton of servers in there and the temperature is better regulated.”
“Wait...you own the other apartment?” she asked.
“Of course.” he laughed. “I own the whole building.”
“Your tenants must love having you for a landlord.” She smiled, her eyes lighting up.
He raised a single eyebrow. “What tenants? Nobody lives in this building but me.” Was he bragging? Trying to impress her, or just playing the fool? He had no idea what he was doing.
Her mouth fell open. “Are you serious? You own this entire building, and nobody lives here but you?”
“Yep.”
“Simon, that’s crazy,” she said. “Why would you do that?”
He shrugged. “I need peace and quiet to work. Neighbors are loud and distracting. This way I have this place all to myself without any interruptions.”
“But this entire building must have cost you a fortune,” she said.
“You can’t put a price on peace of mind.” He arched an eyebrow. “You know, for someone who wants me to spend more money on clothes, you seem really concerned about how much I spend on my living arrangements.”
“It’s just....” She bit her lip. “Aren’t you lonely here all by yourself?”
Yes. Dammit, yes, he was. Lonely didn’t even begin to describe it. But people were generally a bother, even the ones he got along with. Most tried too hard to befriend him for whatever reason. The rest didn’t really know him and spent most of their time trying to dissect the Simon Diesel mystique that the press had built up. Ever since high school, most people only seemed interested in him when they could get something out of it. Heather was different. Which was why he was already enjoying her company.
He trusted her. Even after the lies she had told. Even after Josh had insinuated that she might be setting him up. Spying on him for a rival company. No. He knew her. They had been apart for years, but Heather would never do something like that. She was suffering through the same media circus that he was.
Without a word, he motioned for her to follow him. He crossed to the opposite apartment and unlocked the door. The apartment was dimly lit and at a cooler temperature for the huge servers that had been crammed into the space.
“It can be isolating to live like this,” he finally admitted when they both stepped inside. “But, I don’t have time for small talk, or potlucks, or whatever it is people are doing these days.”
She laughed. “Oh, Simon. You have such a strange way of looking at people. And potluck? Really?”
“Good strange or bad strange?”