I mull it over for a minute. “I’ll agree on one condition,” I say, and take another drink of wine.
His lips twist into a small yet victorious smile. “What’s that?”
“We put a library in the office.”
“Deal. This is just the beginning of great things, Gracie.” He slides out of his chair and pulls me from mine before pulling me into a caring embrace.
“I hope so,” I say, pressing a kiss to his lips. “But I’m not getting rid of my apartment yet,” I remind him.
“Yet.” He winks at me.
* * *
Everything is happening so fast. I walk into the office at seven thirty in the morning and Aaron is setting up a makeshift office in one of the empty offices next door to Drew, and by eight o’clock, a man shows up asking for my apartment keys.
Of course, Drew is nowhere to be found. He dropped me at the curb, left with his cell phone pressed to his ear, and barely a kiss to my cheek. I’m hesitant to give a stranger my key and, therefore, access to the few possessions I actually own, but the man stands, impatiently tapping his work boot on the carpet and showing me a work order that states he’s to pick up my key and move my stuff today.
You’ve got be fucking kidding me, I growl internally.
“Just give him the damn key, G,” Jamie says with an eye roll. “If anything goes missing, you know your boyfriend will gut him.” The man suddenly stops tapping his toe and looks at Jamie.
“He mob or something?” His thick New York accent is on full display.
“Something like that,” Jamie says, flicking her long hair over her shoulder.
I roll my eyes and pull the small keyring from my purse and toss it into the man’s calloused hand, mumbling a prayer under my breath that he doesn’t steal anything from me. Not that anything is worth a dime, but it’s mine.
He winks at me. “Don’t worry, doll. No one is going to take shit. Work order says to box all clothes, toiletries, and two bookshelves.”
“Bookshelves?” I reach for the paper in the man’s hand and rudely take it from him. “No. Those stay.”
“Says it right here.” He points to the bulleted list of items Drew told him to move.
“Ignore what it says,” I bark at him. “Bookshelves stay.”
He eyes me hesitantly. “Yes, ma’am.” He twirls my keyring around his finger and takes a step back. “Anything else you can think of that needs to be moved?”
“Just the clothes. That’ll be all.”
He nods. “We’ll be out of your place by three o’clock. The key will be delivered to the address in Chelsea.” With that, he spins, his heavy booted feet making all kinds of noise as he leaves.
“This is too fast,” I grumble under my breath and rub my temples.
“Roll with it,” Jamie responds, spinning around in her chair. “It’s just clothes, and you’re with him all the time anyway.”
“It just seems so. . .”
“Serious?” She answers my thought.
“Yeah. We went from zero to sixty in a week. A week, Jamie.”
“Oh, please.” She waves her hand dismissively. “You’re dating and moved some clothes to his place. Zero to sixty would be a one-night stand to pregnant.” She winks at me and laughs, although that doesn’t make me feel any better. “Look,” she says with more sincerity. “Enjoy this. I haven’t seen you this happy in a long time.”
“I’m not happy.”
“Pfft,” she snorts. “You have a permanent smile on your face, so either you’re happy or he fucks like a God.”
I blush at her remark and bury my face in my hands.
“Oh, I see. It’s both.” Now we’re both giggling. “Just have fun, G. Don’t overthink this.”
I let out a long sigh. “It’s hard not to.”
She offers me a tight, sympathetic smile. “I know. You’re always the responsible one. The one who takes care of everything, fixes everything. The one who figures shit out, the one who makes one hundred lists on paper and in your head every day. Just roll with this, okay? Let things happens without overanalyzing everything. You deserve to be happy, you deserve to have fun, and you deserve to have someone take care of you once in a while.”
She’s right. Jamie is always right, just like Drew is always right. It’s just that I need to be in control, and with Drew, I have zero control. He calls the shots, he fixes things, and he takes care of me. This is out of my comfort zone, but I need to heed Jamie’s advice.
“I’ll try,” I say.
A wide smile spreads across Jamie’s face. “Atta girl! Now finish up work so you can go home to your new condo.”
“It’s still his condo,” I mutter defiantly.
Now she’s the one who sighs. “You just said you’ll try. You’re already failing,” she points out.
Now it’s me who’s laughing. “Okay, I’ll try harder.”
I slide back into my desk chair and send off some ad concepts a client has been waiting for and schedule a meeting with the art director for another client. Thank goodness I have a busy day of meetings ahead of me to distract me.
* * *
At six o’clock sharp, Tony is waiting for me at the curb, just like he waits for Drew every day. The man is never late and always in the exact same spot. How he does that in Midtown Manhattan on a daily basis is an act of God.
“Ms. Morgan,” he greets me with the door open.
“Hey, Tony.” I slide into the backseat and sink into the soft leather seat. This is definitely a luxury. Normally, I’m shouldering my way onto packed trains and buses, and here I am getting a ride a few short blocks to Chelsea.
“Ready to see your new place?” he asks as he buckles his seatbelt and eases into the bumper-to-bumper traffic. I won’t correct his error because, like I promised Jamie, I’m trying harder.
“I am,” I answer, looking out the window. I wonder how long it’d take me to walk from the office to the condo. Sometimes I appreciate the fresh air and a walk after work, and this seems like it’d be the perfect distance. Another plus to living with Drew.
“Should have you there in twenty to twenty-five minutes, depending on traffic.”
I close my eyes and take in how crazy all of this is. Two weeks ago, I would have never imagined this might be my life, but here I am in the back of a Town Car heading to what is very likely my new home.
A short twenty minutes later, Tony turns onto the tree-lined street and pulls up to the nine-story building. I can’t help but pause and look out the window at the top floor condo, taking it all in. My stomach flutters as the reality of all this hits me. I inhale sharply just as Tony opens the door.
“Ready?” he asks, reaching for my hand.
“As I’ll ever be.” I smile and he helps me out from the seat. I adjust my purse on my shoulder and wave goodbye to Tony. Excitement continues to flutter in my belly as I approach the entrance.
The doorman opens the door and greets me, “Evening, ma’am.”
“Hello.” I smile at him warmly. Just inside the doors, I find Drew standing in the lobby, leaning all casually against the concierge desk. He greets me with a giant smile and tight hug.
“Why are you down here?” I ask him when he finally releases me.
“I’ve been waiting for you. I want us to go in together.” He wraps an arm around my shoulders and we walk together to the elevator.
“Wait, you haven’t been here all day?”
He shakes his head. “I’ve been with lawyers all day, finalizing the acquisition.” I assumed he was here micromanaging the hell out of the movers.
“Is everything okay with that?” I thought everything had been finalized.
We step into the elevator and the doors close slowly behind us. He swings a keyring with a single key around his finger and rocks back on his heels. “Everything’s great, just some final documents that needed to be signed.”
I nod, letting my curiosity go. Everything about this building is exquisite and luxurious, even the tra
vertine tiled floors of the elevator. The elevator doors suddenly open and I hadn’t even realized we moved.
“Ready?” he asks with a giant smile as we approach the door. A nervous energy rolls through me and I nod my head quickly. “Let’s do it,” he says. He inserts the key he was just swinging and his hand twists the lever handle while he pushes the door open.
I gasp when I step inside the foyer. The last time I saw the condo, it was stunning. Now there are no words to describe it. Shannon did an exceptional job.
“Oh my god.” My shaky hand covers my mouth as I take it all in. The furniture, the window coverings, and even the kitchen. I drop my purse on the console table in the foyer and kick off my heels.
“Where do we even start?” I ask, my eyes jumping from one thing to the other. Drew laughs and holds out his arm in a gesture telling me to take my pick. I move to the kitchen and start opening drawers. Nothing was left untouched. Shannon has drawers filled with silverware, towels, pot holders, and utensils. The cupboards are stocked with plates and cups and everything you could imagine needing in a home. Even the pantry has been stocked. The small butler’s pantry has a state-of-the-art coffee machine and a mixer.
“It’s too much,” I say softly, overwhelmed and feeling a bit emotional all of a sudden. I’ve never seen anything this luxurious and beautiful.
“It’s not,” Drew says, pulling me into an embrace. “It’s perfect and I can’t wait to share it with you.”
Seventeen
Seeing Gracie get emotional stirs something inside me. “Why are you crying?” I pull her into a hug and she buries her face in my chest.
“It’s just too much,” she says, sniffling.
“It’s not. You deserve this.”
She shakes her head and pulls out of my embrace. Wiping her tearstained cheeks, she walks into the living room. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful,” she says reverently, running her hand along the soft fabric of the oversized sectional. “Everything is stunning and perfectly matched,” she snorts. She’s comparing this condo to her Red Hook apartment that she pieced together on her own.
“Come here.” I reach for her hand and lace my fingers through hers. We walk through the living room and down the hallway. When we get to the office, I open the double doors and flip on the light. She gasps again when she sees the office.
“That desk!” she says, running her hand over the generously sized wood desk. A large slab of reclaimed wood sits atop metal legs, giving this desk an edgy, modern feel with a touch of old world charm.
Her fingernails trace the rough edges and she turns to look at me. “Did Shannon pick this out?”
I nod. “She picked out everything except the colors of the fabric. You and I did that. And that’s not what I wanted to show you.” I place my hands on her shoulders and turn her around. Along the back wall, nestled around an oversized chair, sits the two bookshelves from Gracie’s apartment.
Tears roll down her cheeks and her chin quivers.
I stand behind her and squeeze her shoulders tenderly. “I know you told the mover to leave them, but I wanted a piece of you here.”
She wraps her arms around her waist. Shannon filled the shelves with books from Gracie’s apartment and then finished off the shelves with other accessories and plants.
“They’re perfect in here,” I remark, and she nods her head but doesn’t say anything. I swallow hard, hoping I haven’t overstepped. “Are you upset?”
She turns to me and wipes her eyes. “I’m not. I’m just surprised.”
“Why?” I asked, perplexed.
“Because those were bargain finds; they don’t really work in a place like this.”
My jaw tightens. This hurts me. Gracie feels like her belongings aren’t good enough.
“They’re exactly what this office needed,” I tell her, “just like you’re what I needed. Those bookshelves fit into this place, like you fit with me.”
“Drew.” She whispers my name and reaches for me.
Before anything can happen, I say, “There’s one more thing I want to show you.” I shut the lights off in the office. “Tomorrow, you can spend all day going through all the nooks and crannies of this place.”
We take a right down the hallway all the way to the end. The lights in the master bedroom are already on and she steps inside. This time, she doesn’t gasp, she doesn’t cry, she doesn’t move. At all.
Her eyes shift from the bed to the dresser, to the patio doors that lead outside. Shannon decorated the bedroom in a light grey. The walls have a grey textured wallpaper and she used white, cream, and natural woods sparingly in here, with a light-colored burnt orange for accent pillows and throw. I would have never picked this color, but it’s stunning. It amazes me how she mixed colors and textures and how everything just seems to flow perfectly.
“Do you like it?” I ask.
Gracie turns to me, a stunned expression on her face. “It’s so…” She pauses. “Simple and elegant.”
Just like my Gracie. I grin, tucking her hair behind her ear.
“I would have never imagined all of this together like this.” Then she tips her head back and looks up at the coffered ceilings. “And then to have a chandelier like that in here.” She points to the crystals hanging in the center of the room. “It’s remarkable.”
That’s the perfect word for this. Remarkable. “The closet is through the bathroom.” I gesture toward the open door off the other side of the room. “Your clothes are in there and all your toiletries are in the bathroom.”
She nods in understanding and pads over to the French doors that lead out to the terrace. Twisting the lock, she opens the door, the sound of honking horns and New York City traffic suddenly filling the room. She steps outside and turns around, a large smile spread across her face. Fucking perfect. She’s fucking perfect. There is nothing better than seeing Gracie happy, and there is nothing I won’t do to make her happy.
“Drew!” she says, her hand over her heart. “Look at this!” I follow her out the doors and I’m taken aback at the beauty that is the terrace. Plush outdoor furniture fills the space, along with rope lights and large planters full of plants and small trees. Shannon more than outdid herself.
“I could live out here.” She sighs, walking over and throwing herself down on the outdoor chaise. I take a seat next to her, and suddenly, life feels perfect…content. Like this is what I’ve always been missing. Not the luxury condo, but Gracie.
She loops her arm through mine and rests her hand on my shoulder. We sit on the terrace, listening to the cars nine stories below, but there isn’t another place in this world I’d rather be right now than on this terrace with Gracie.
* * *
We must have sat outside for hours because there’s suddenly a chill in the air. “Pretty soon we can use the gas fire pit,” she says, and clasps her hands together in excitement.
“We can make s’mores—”
“And wrap ourselves in blankets and lie out here for hours,” she finishes, a soft curve touching her lips.
I imagine us lying out here under blankets and staring at the sky. “Maybe even on really clear nights, we can see the stars.”
She tilts her head. “The sky in New York City isn’t as clear as Montana, but maybe.” She tucks her feet under my leg to keep her toes warm and I chuckle.
“I’d love for you to take me to Montana someday,” I tell her.
She looks at me out of the corner of her eye. I see hesitation there, but she doesn’t outright shut me down.
“Maybe someday,” she comments vaguely.
“I’d love to meet your mom.” With this, she tenses. Maybe I’m pushing for too much too soon. She doesn’t respond to that admission, and I don’t push it further.
“Let’s go inside,” she says, rubbing her hands over her arms. “It’s getting cold.”
I slide off the chaise and help her up.
Once we’re inside, she slips into the bathroom and I hear the bath running.
I feel myself relax when I realize Gracie feels comfortable here. She’s making herself at home and there is no better feeling.
I fix a tea kettle of water on the stove and pull mugs down from the cabinet that Shannon has fully stocked. I’m still in awe of her. There wasn’t a detail or item she missed. I shoot her a quick email, thanking her for her work while the water boils in the kettle. I also send her a tip I believe she’ll be most grateful for.
Walking into this place and knowing I didn’t have to lift a finger or purchase anything so I could focus on making Gracie comfortable meant the world to me. The tea kettle starts hissing and I fill the mugs with the steaming water. Shannon purchased an assortment of teas and I choose a peppermint lavender tea for us.
Carrying the mugs down the hallway to the bathroom, excitement flutters in my stomach. I can’t believe this is my home and Gracie is here with me. I set the mugs on the nightstand and knock on the bathroom door before opening it.
Peeking my head around the door, I find Gracie neck deep in the tub, soaking in bubbles. “I can barely see you in there,” I say with a chuckle.
She raises her head up to see over the mountain of bubbles on her chest. “This tub is the greatest thing I’ve ever experienced,” she says.
I can’t help but laugh. “I made us tea.” I walk back into the room and grab her mug, carrying it over to her. “Caffeine-free peppermint lavender,” I tell her as she reaches for the mug.
She takes a sip and hands the mug back to me. “Set it on the bathroom counter. I’m almost done.” The bathroom is almost all white, with Carrara gold marble counters, floors, and shower tile with grey counters. It’s sleek and modern, yet warm with gold accents. Shannon finished off this space with plush throw rugs and gold accessories. There is not a space in this house that isn’t perfect. Even the damn laundry room is welcoming as well as functional.
Gracie has set a large bath towel on the edge of the counter and I set her tea next to it. “Take your time and relax,” I tell her as she slinks back down into the bubbles and I laugh. “I’m going to go explore some more.”
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