Married With Me: A With Me In Seattle Universe Novel

by Bailie Hantam

  I open the shared calendar I have on the laptop he provided me. “You have a meeting with a new client in the morning. She requested to meet at a coffee shop, I’m busy emailing you the details now. Then after lunch, you’re meeting with Justin to discuss the plans for the Starview building. That’s an onsite meeting.”

  I was excited about that meeting and not just because Justin would be there. Starview was the building we were staying in. Justin planned to do the renovations to the apartment I was staying in last, so as not to disrupt too much. Still, I wanted to see what they planned to do with that place.

  “You’re living in that building, right?”

  I nod. “Yeah, they’re really lovely apartments. I can’t see too many alterations being done.”

  Wyatt smiles, and I’m not sure if he’s patronizing me or just being polite. “You’ll be surprised what Justin can come up with. He has a great imagination.”

  I suppose he would have to. Why don’t I know that about him? “I look forward to seeing what you guys do with it.”

  “Why don’t you join us for that meeting.” I raise a brow at him, and he snaps his fingers as if he’s just gotten an idea. “I could use someone taking notes, and you’ll get out of the office for a bit. In fact, see if you can reschedule it to be later in the afternoon and you won’t need to come back into the office.”

  I’m not sure Justin will appreciate having me around for a business meeting. But this is my job. I can’t very well say no to Wyatt. “I’ll call him now to reschedule.”

  “Why?” His frown is a little comical and he looks up at the wall clock. “He’ll be here in a few minutes to pick you up. It’s nearly five.”

  He’s right. Without fail, Justin showed up at exactly five to pick me up. Trust me, it’s better than the alternative. He offered to buy me a car so that I could get around. A car, for fuck’s sake. I declined and politely accepted the lift to and from work each day.

  Wyatt went back to his own desk and before I shut down my laptop, he sent me his to do list for tomorrow.

  Right on time, Justin texted to let me know he was outside. I gathered my things and said goodbye to Wyatt before leaving for the day.

  “Hey,” he says as he opens the car door for me. I’ve told him he doesn’t need to do it, but he insists. I always get out before he can open for me, though. I know it seems like a little thing, but it’s something.

  I kiss his cheek before stepping into the car. “Hi, handsome.”

  “My grandfather made an appointment to view the available unit at the retirement village, do mind if we pick him up to go and take a look?”

  “Sure.” This is the first thing we’re doing as a couple. Or as a real couple. Something that doesn’t just involve the two of us. “Does he know I’m joining you?”

  Justin nods. “I told him I’m getting you first. He doesn’t know about the marriage, but he does know that we’re dating.”

  I raise a brow at him. “That sounds so weird. We’re married but we’re only dating. I don’t mean in the sense like my parents still have a date night. I mean, we have an end result, but we’re still going through the process of getting there.”

  He looks at me with a barely concealed smile. “That’s an interesting way of looking at it.”

  “I don’t mean that that’s necessarily the end result for us. It’s just…”

  “I know what you mean.” His shoulders sag and he lets out a heavy breath. “What we have is complicated. It’s certainly not the conventional way of going about things.”

  His response sounds automatic. Like, it’s rehearsed and going through the motions but he isn’t buying what he’s saying. Maybe he regrets the marriage now. I’m not sure how I feel about it. It doesn’t matter really. His lawyers are drawing up the divorce papers and said we would have it in the next few days.

  We pull up outside his grandfather’s building. Arthur Ellis is standing outside and waiting for us, hat on head, cane in hand. Justin jumps out of the driver’s seat. Before I can do the same his grandfather waves a hand to me. “You stay where you are, young lady.”

  Justin opens the backseat door and helps his grandfather in. “Hello, Angela.”

  “Hi Mr. Ellis.” I turn in the seat to face him. “I didn’t know you were into hats.”

  He pats the top of his head. “Oh. Well, yes. Sometimes, when I have important meetings. It’s not a big deal.”

  His face turns an adorable shade of pink and I have to wonder if he was dressed up for someone in particular. According to Justin, his grandfather had been spending a lot of time at the retirement village. “Moving in should be easy for you. You already spend so much time there, I’m sure you have many friends.”

  Justin gives me a secret smile as he starts the car and pulls away. Yes, I’m fishing. But I find the fact that Mr. Ellis is still pursuing happiness really adorable.

  Mr. Ellis stays calm, but the blush never leaves his cheek. “I suppose I do. I’m there for most weekday events. I’m looking forward to attending some of the evening socials and weekend events.”

  “Grandpa, you know if you want to attend those, one of us will take you.” Justin darts his eyes to the rearview mirror. “I know you don’t want Andi driving that far at night. But Dylan and I are available as well.”

  I turn further in my seat. “And you know any of my brothers will help out if they’re busy.”

  “You kids have lives. I don’t want to interrupt that.”

  Justin rolls his eyes. “You are not an interruption. We all love doing things for you. Besides, if it will make you feel like less of a burden on our time, I can hire you your own driver.”

  “I told you that won’t be necessary.” His grandfather’s tone is stern. “I don’t need some stranger knowing my comings and goings. It’s bad enough you kids know.”

  Listening to Justin and his grandfather banter is eye opening. I’m so glad he invited me along to share this little piece of him.

  We pull up at the retirement village. It's a beautiful little… estate, is the best way to describe it I suppose. Little matchbox condos line little paved streets. All only one story with a small garden and a garage. Some have cars parked in the driveway. Occasionally, you see a few people gathered around a patio table sharing a giggle. It’s adorable and exactly the kind of place I can see Mr. Ellis enjoying.

  The reception office is small and clean. A young woman in her early twenties sits behind the desk. Her eyes widen when she sees Justin. I fight off the instinct to tell her to keep her hands, and eyes, off him. Instead I take his hand in mine. “Can I help—” As soon as she spots Mr. Ellis her smile brightens. “Hey Arti. Are you here to view that unit?”

  “Yes, please Ronelle.”

  Ronelle gets on the phone calling someone to show us the unit. Minutes later, another man shows up. He’s probably in his forties with thinning dark hair and a little round. He introduces himself as Samuel and shakes our hands. Not far behind him, an older woman steps into the reception area.

  She’s tiny. Smaller than me with gray hair knotted into a bun. She’s wearing shorts and a plain blue T-shirt with sneakers. “Arti. This must be your family.”

  Mr. Ellis takes her hand. “This is my grandson, Justin and his girl, Angela. They’ve known each other since they were pipsqueaks. Finally got their heads out of their asses.” A bit of an exaggeration but whatever. Mr. Ellis looks at us. “This is my good friend, June.”

  We both take her hand and Justin smiles. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  Samuel clears his throat. “Shall we go see that unit?”

  June and Mr. Ellis follow him. Her arm hooks into the crook of his elbow. “Maybe your grandson can make some adjustments to the unit. You know Marty always used to complain how long it took for the hot water to kick in.”

  “June, I told you he doesn’t actually do the work. He just comes up with big ideas then pays other people to do it for him.”

  Justin smiles at his grandfather and swallows
hard. “I think he’s going to be happy here.”

  Chapter 12

  Angela

  I don’t get it. I haven’t eaten anything dodgy, in fact I haven’t eaten anything since the slice of toast I had for breakfast yesterday morning. I have no other flu symptoms. I was fine when I got to work. Then Wyatt left for a meeting and Lia brought in some donuts to share and I’ve spent the last hour bent over the toilet. I didn’t even get to enjoy the donuts. I just got a whiff of the cinnamon goodness and ran for the toilet.

  When I no longer feel like dry heaving — because let’s face it, there is nothing more that can come back out — I wash my face and go back to my desk. Lia had already removed the offending donuts and just left me a cup of black coffee.

  She pops her head in. “Are you okay?”

  “I feel fine now.” And I really do. “I don't know what I could’ve eaten to cause such a violent reaction.”

  “Who knows with stomach bugs.” She sits back down. “It could be a bad burrito you had two days ago, or something in the air. I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

  “Thanks.” I push my laptop forward and rest my forearms on the desk. “The last thing I need is to get sick right now. I’ve only been working for Wyattt for a few weeks. ”

  “How’s it going by the way?” Her blonde hair is tied up in an intricate bun. I think she’s practicing for a tutorial. She doesn’t do hair tutorials, but she will give suggestions sometimes. “I can’t imagine being Wyatt’s assistant can be all that interesting.”

  I smile. She’s right. Organizing the work life of an already organized person can be boring. He needs someone who can take ownership of the administration. Someone who will create their own system and not be too intimidated to do it their way. I don’t have the experience for that. Maybe with time I will, but I don’t see myself doing business admin long term.

  “The more I understand what he does, and you and Justin, the more I see little spots of what I would like to do.”

  Lia frowns. “What do you mean?”

  I take a deep breath. I’ve haven’t given it much thought, so I’m not sure how to articulate myself. “Take Wyatt for instance. His business relies heavily on word-of-mouth. Yeah, he’s on the appropriate listings in the industry, but that’s not the core of his business. His clientele is mostly married couples in their forties and early fifties who got a recommendation from a friend.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “The only issue is those couples are not entirely sure what they want. They have a basic idea in their head. Like they have a picture in their head. But they don’t know the terminology, or even how to create what they want with the space they have. They need an interpreter, so to speak.”

  Lia smiles. “You’re right. Do you think you could do that?”

  “Oh, God no.” I shake my head. “I’ve watched how contractors' eyes glaze over whenever my mother tries to explain her next renovation project. But that’s not the point. My point is I’ve spent less than a week with Wyatt. I’ve identified his target market, and how he can improve his relationship with them.”

  “I see what you mean.”

  “Wyatt’s best marketing tool will be the right assistant. Someone who will stand up to him, yes. But also, someone who can sit in on meetings with his clients. Someone who can relate to them and translate for them. This person will also be better received when something can’t be done.”

  A deep voice to my side startles me. “That’s fucking brilliant.” Wyatt smiles, his arms folded across his chest.

  He isn’t alone though. Justin’s standing alongside him. He doesn’t say anything, but the look in his eyes fills me with warmth. And not in a sexy way. Or, not only in that way. He’s proud of me. That does something for me.

  I lean back in my chair. “What are you doing back here so early? I thought you had that meeting with a client. Aren’t you two only meeting at the building later today?”

  “It’s not soon, it’s after eleven.” Wyatt walks to the corner on the far side of the office. “We’re going to go over the plan for another building before we head out to Starview.”

  Justin raises a brow. “You don’t want me here?”

  I roll my eyes. “I was just surprised.”

  Well, that, and I’m likely to be distracted by his presence for the rest of the day.

  I try to push Justin’s presence out of my head for the next few hours. I email the accountant with the most recent billing information and finish up the minimal amount of filing. I still don’t have a lot of work, so I spend some time looking at the online want ads. I suppose I could temp until I find my niche. But the more I figure out what I want to do, the more it’s dawning on me that I may need to branch out on my own.

  It isn’t until Wyatt’s standing in front of my desk that I realize how much time has passed. “What does my calendar look like, tomorrow?”

  We run through his day which is considerably fuller than what today was. I wait for him to email me his to-do list so I can skim over it before shutting down my laptop.

  A little more than twenty minutes later we’re pulling into the underground parking at Starview. My apartment is on the third floor. Both the other apartments are on the sixth floor.

  They start with my apartment. Instead of using his copy of the key, Justin waits for me to open the door for them.

  As we step inside Wyatt looks around the space. I’m a little embarrassed having my boss look at my sparse apartment. But I’ve just moved in, so there’s not much to expect. He turns to Justin. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  I pull out my notebook, after all, I’m supposed to be taking notes.

  Justin shoves his hands in pockets, pulling his pants tight across his ass. “This apartment is dark. Which means the lights will be switched on earlier.” He points to the door leading to my small balcony. “That door and window makes no sense. I’d like to make it one full glass sliding door. I’ll speak to my contractor about making the most of wind play. But we’re losing a lot of light on that side.”

  Wyatt knocks on the wall and nods. “It’s definitely a supporting wall. It will take some extra work but it’s possible. What else?”

  The two men head to the kitchen. Listening to Justin speak about how to optimize the space between the kitchen and the living area is fascinating. It’s like he can picture the light flowing in, feel the way the breeze will flow through the room. It’s not just his imagination, but also how he listens to what is possible and makes adjustments. When it comes to this, he’s not stubborn.

  He has many of the same ideas about the other two apartments. Though with the last one he wants to make the windows bigger in the bedrooms because of the angle of the sun. Who thinks like that?

  By the time Wyatt leaves, I have pages of notes to transcribe. Together, we take the elevator up to his apartment.

  “So, what do you think?” We step into his apartment and he heads straight to the kitchen.

  “I think your ideas are brilliant.” I can’t believe that he needs, or wants, my opinion on it. He obviously knows what he’s doing.

  “You think so?” He pulls out two bottles of water from the fridge and hands one to me. “I mean it’s a lot of work, but I want the tenants to feel like it’s permanent. Not like it’s a stepping stone to something else.”

  I tilt my head and squint. I’m not sure I agree with him, but I don’t want to take this away from him. “Sure.”

  “Don’t do that.” He flops into the couch. “You have something to say, don’t try to placate me, just say it. What don’t you agree with? I can handle it.”

  “It’s not permanent.” He said not to sugarcoat, so I don't. “These are not the apartments you get when you’re looking to raise a family. You’re not looking at parents with kids who will grow up thinking fondly of their childhood.”

  “Then what am I looking at?”

  “Young adults who will look back fondly at their first or second apartment.” I kick of
f my shoes and make myself comfortable next to him. “You’re not going to advertise these listings in your normal newspapers. This is ideal for singles with low income. Post grad students, entry level employees, that sort of target market.”

  “Does it make much difference?”

  “No. Affordable apartments will go without you needing to advertise. That’s a given. You won’t need to do much marketing. But people will come and view regardless. Capitalize on who they are, not what you think they will want.”

  He looks at me and nods. “Thanks. I’m glad I have someone who can look at things from that perspective.”

  Justin

  “Angel can I take your keys and get my green T-shirt from your apartment?” God, watching her body move behind the frosted glass is getting me hard.

  She pokes her head around the glass wall of the shower. “Yeah, it’s folded in the spare room, with the rest of the clothes you left there. I put it in the washer when I did my laundry.”

  “You know this is ridiculous, right?”

  She rolls her eyes at me. “We’re not having this discussion again. Go get your T-shirt.”

  I’m not entirely sure why we need two apartments. We’ve spent every night together since she moved into the apartment a few floors down from me. Mostly at mine, but since she bought her bed, we’ve spent some nights there. We have all our meals together, and even when I need to work from home, most times Angela is working in my apartment.

  I’ve brought it up a few times, but she insists that we’re not moving in together just because it’s convenient. She may think she’s being reasonable but there’s nothing reasonable about having two people’s belongings spread across two apartments. Especially when you need to go down a few floors to find your lucky T-shirt.

  Yes, I have a lucky T-shirt. I’ve been known to wear it under my formal shirt to important meetings with investors. Which is what I did earlier in the week. It’s the kind of T-shirt you wear when your girlfriend’s parents invite you to Sunday afternoon dessert. I’ve had dessert at her house since I was a kid but this time it’s different. I don’t want to be seen as the kid who used to spend a lot of time there. And certainly not as a friend of the family. I’m going as the man in their daughter’s life. I want it to go well.