Breathe

by Lila Kane

  He looked confused. “Of course. Where were you planning on staying tonight?”

  “A hotel.”

  His breath released in a sigh. “I have something more comfortable than that.”

  I indulged him by riding up to one of the nicest suites in Housing, but once we walked in the door, I stopped and shook my head. “No.”

  Finn swiveled, his silhouette shadowed by the light coming from a large bank of windows. “No? It’s one of our nicest—”

  “No.”

  Finn returned to my side, propping his shoulder on the door frame. His lips curved. Any trace of the hurt I’d inflicted had vanished. “Is it because I live up another floor. Almost like…neighbors?”

  Because I felt bad about what I’d said earlier, I gave an exaggerated shudder. “Don’t remind me.”

  He laughed. “Please don’t tell me that’s the only reason. You’re saying ‘no’ to 2,500 square feet. Four bedrooms. Five—”

  “Don’t say anything else,” I said, holding up my hand. “First of all, that’s ridiculous. And who would want to clean all that—”

  “A maid.”

  “Finn,” I said, exasperated.

  He grinned when I said his name. “Does this mean we’re friends?”

  Shit. I hadn’t meant to do that. Calmly, I continued, “We’re not at work now. Things don’t have to be so formal.”

  “Then let me take you to dinner.”

  “More formal than that,” I argued, stepping out the door. “I’ll stay at the hotel tonight and figure out an apartment tomorrow.”

  “Charlotte.”

  He followed me to the elevator. I turned and lifted my eyebrows.

  “Tell me the problem,” he said.

  So he could fix it. That was how it worked, right? Even in college, his family had money, and it was always, “Tell me the problem and I’ll fix it.”

  “I’m the eyes and ears of this place now,” I said. “I need to be experiencing Oasis like everyone else. I’d like an apartment that allows me to do that. Something…right in the middle, I think. An average apartment is plenty for me.”

  Finn scratched his chin. He had a short spray of dark stubble developing, and it took off the edge. He looked more approachable this way. Reachable. Like those lazy Saturday mornings in his apartment when nothing else had mattered.

  “It makes sense,” I continued, shaking the thought.

  “All right, give me a minute.”

  Before I could answer, he paced away, entering the suite again and talking into his cell phone. He spoke in a rush of words, most of which I couldn’t make out. I checked my own phone and was relieved to find no messages or texts. I’d wrapped up my life fairly securely back home in Portland. Fewer and fewer texts came in and fewer and fewer phone calls. I liked living low-key, even keeping to myself. The last several months had taught me the less I had going on in my life, the easier it was to manage.

  The easier it was to wind down at the end of the day and believe I’d moved past everything that had gone on with Mark. For once in my life, I felt almost…safe.

  “Tenth floor,” Finn announced when he stepped out of the apartment again.

  We rode the elevator in silence, but when we got out, it already looked less high-scale. There were doors to a few other apartments. Finn led us to the second one on the right as the elevator dinged behind us.

  A young man dressed in a suit and tie walked over with a plastic card and passed it to Finn. “Sir,” he said.

  “Thank you.” Finn nodded at him. “I’ll let you know about that other thing.”

  The man smiled at me, his eyes lighting. “No problem.”

  What other thing? I didn’t get the chance to ask before the man returned to the elevator, leaving me alone in the hallway with Finn again.

  Finn blew out a breath of laughter. “Some things never change.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “He was checking you out. You still turn heads.”

  I chuckled, turning away so he didn’t see the flush on my cheeks. “You sound like you’re eighty. He was just being polite. I’m sure it’s his job.”

  “To be polite? Yes. To check you out? No.”

  I gestured to the door. “Come on, my feet are killing me.”

  Still smiling, he slid the key into the slot and the door opened. It smelled fresh inside, like someone had just cleaned. “There are five layouts in the apartments in both towers,” Finn said. He stood aside so I could enter. “I’m sure you read about that and discussed it during the interview. This model has two bedrooms, two bathrooms—and I couldn’t let you go without a balcony. For the view.”

  I wandered inside, took in the modern furniture in the living room, gas fireplace, flat panel television set, all tied together in cool beige tones. Nothing over the top, but enough of a neutral foundation to make it my home.

  Finn followed me to the kitchen, talking as we went. “Granite countertops, double oven—in case you picked up baking or cooking somewhere along the way.”

  “Didn’t happen.”

  He nodded. “No problem. Two restaurants in the hotel as well as several in the Entertainment Community. There’s a market in Main as well—and I imagine you already spoke with them about deliveries.”

  I allowed my lips to curve in a smile. Of course I had. Details were my thing. Main was in the third community and housed essentials like the grocery store, a post office, and pharmacy, among other things.

  Finn propped his arm on the counter. He looked as comfortable here as he had in his office. As he had in the gigantic suite upstairs. “How do you like it? Need to see the bedrooms, too?”

  My smile slipped. “Not with you.”

  He touched a hand to his chest. “I swear that wasn’t meant suggestively at all.”

  “Then why are you smiling?”

  “You bring it out in me.”

  His words settled in. He brought it out in me too, even in the short time I’d been around him. It was inevitable. I’d even prepared for it because I knew that charm well. He had that special personality, the kind that drew everyone else in. It was the main reason I’d fallen so hard for him so fast.

  But now, I couldn’t tell if he was being himself or flirting. Maybe he couldn’t do one independent of the other.

  “I’m being as professional as I can,” he murmured as if reading my mind.

  But when he stepped closer, I shook my head and stepped back. “Try harder.”

  “We’re going to have to talk about this sooner or later.”

  I swallowed and turned, feigning interest in the view. It was stunning. It would have been more stunning from ten floors up, but I was sticking to my guns—at least for now. This was the best place for me. My voice was painfully even when I said, “There’s nothing to talk about.”

  He was silent long enough I glanced over my shoulder. He hadn’t come any closer, and I was grateful. He let the comment drop and instead pulled out his phone. “So, will this apartment be suitable to your needs?”

  “It’s perfect.”

  He typed in a message, hit send, and tucked his phone away. “Then I should let you get settled. I’m assuming you have a bag in your car.”

  I nodded.

  “I’ll have it sent up and have them pull your car around to the Housing garage. Would you like me to make arrangements for movers to bring the rest of your things?”

  “No,” I said too quickly. “No, I don’t have much. Just a car full—and I....”

  I didn’t finish. I didn’t want Finn to know how I’d been living the last several months. That I’d pared down my life to a car full of items to make the moves simpler. Things didn’t mean much to me anymore. Safety was more important. Feeling comfortable in my own home was more important. The rest would come eventually.

  Finn’s eyebrows were knit together. He licked his lower lip, clearly prepared to question what I’d said. But he let that go, too, much to my surprise. “Well, let me know what
else we can do to help. The company is glad to have you.” He walked to the door. “Welcome to Oasis, Charlotte.”

  I offered him another brief smile, ignoring the flutter in my chest. I wasn’t sure whether it was Finn, the idea of starting over, or a little of both. “Thank you.”

  He left without another word or another look, closing the door softly behind him. But when I heard a knock a moment later, I narrowed my eyes. I was not going to talk to him about this. No more work for tonight. And definitely nothing personal.

  When I pulled open the door, I froze. Then angled my head. “Hey.”

  The same man who’d brought us my key held an oversized basket. “Compliments of Moore Inc. Shall I bring it in?”

  I let him into the apartment, following him to the kitchen. “Thank you.”

  “My pleasure,” he said. He had to be at least three or four years younger than me. Maybe just out of college, with that fresh, optimistic look about him. “There’s a list of numbers in the basket as well, for your convenience. Whoever you need to reach in the office as well as the desk downstairs if you need anything. Don’t hesitate.”

  I walked him back to the door, thanked him, and then dove into the basket. I found the list of numbers someone had typed up on Moore Inc. letterhead. Attached to it was a note from Finn.

  Welcome to the family. Indulge in your favorite champagne tonight; we’ve got work to do tomorrow.

  Finn

  I pulled out the champagne, already chilled, and shook my head at the label. It was my favorite. Trust him to remember.

  With a sigh, I removed my shoes and opened the bottle. Just what I needed.

  My phone rang in the middle of the night, jolting me out of sleep with a gasp. I fumbled for my phone, nearly knocking it off the end table while registering at the same time it was 3:30 am.

  Heart racing, I blinked at the screen. Unknown caller. I swallowed an irrational lump of fear. Mark didn’t even know where I was. But then…maybe that’s why he was calling.

  Or it could be someone from home. An emergency.

  I answered the call with a breathless, “Hello?”

  Silence.

  Nerves skittered through my stomach. “Hello?” I asked again.

  The call disconnected.

  I stared at the screen until it went to sleep. My heart still raced, and I closed my eyes, taking several calming breaths. It was just a wrong number. Just a…coincidence.

  When I opened my eyes again, they didn’t feel tired. I wished I could go back to sleep, but I was wide awake now. I eased up in bed, leaning against the headboard. In the dark, I could only see a few shapes, the outline of furniture in my unfamiliar bedroom. A dresser, a chair, two end tables, and the shadowed doorway to my bathroom. I needed to familiarize myself with the place, get comfortable with where everything was located. I needed to feel like this was home.

  This was my chance to start over.

  I sighed. Wrong number. That’s all. It had to be.

  The phone rang again and I dropped it on the comforter. I scrambled for the lamp, and light flooded the room.

  The screen had the same read-out. Unknown caller.

  Snatching the phone, I turned it off and got out of bed. I flipped on light switches as I walked through the apartment. Down the short hallway and to the living room. Phone still in hand, I yanked open the closet by the front door and drew down a box off the upper shelf. One I’d brought with me.

  I set it on the counter that separated the kitchen from the dining area and tossed open the lid. It was the kit that usually sat in my car, filled with tools and other items I thought I might need. I took out a flat head screwdriver and a hammer.

  Prying the cover off the phone, I tossed it on the counter and then pulled the back off the phone. Inside, the battery and SIM card looked brand new. It was. I’d only had the phone for a few months after I’d changed my number again.

  Mark had been able to trace me that way. Somehow.

  Had he traced me here? Did he know where I was or only that I’d left town?

  I couldn’t be too careful. I took the hammer to the phone. Who knew what kind of secret bugs or tracing devices people could use these days? The phone made a satisfying crack when I took the first swing.

  Worried about the counter, I set a few towels under the phone and continued swinging. Once, twice, then two more times just to be sure. The phone sat in pieces on the towel, and a few plastic parts had escaped and littered the floor.

  I dropped the hammer and rubbed my hands over my face.

  I would not let Mark take this away from me. I’d just have to be more careful.

  And I’d definitely need a new phone.

  Leaving the mess on the counter, I turned off the lights as I returned to my bedroom. Sinking under the covers again, I left the light by the bed on and closed my eyes.

  Maybe I was being paranoid. Maybe…maybe I worried too much.

  Turning on my side, I tried to relax. I’d take precautions anyway.

  And when I got up again, I’d be too busy with my new job to be distracted by Mark anymore.

  CHAPTER THREE

  I put extra concealer under my eyes as I got ready for work. There was no way I was going to look anything less than perfect on my first day. I felt naked without my cell phone, but I’d take care of that today.

  Steps. That was I was doing. Taking steps, one by one, to get my life back.

  The pieces of my old phone still sat on the counter, and I scooped them into a trash bag. I took it out the door and to the trash chute I’d spied yesterday after stepping off the elevator. Walking back to my apartment, my neighbor from the door just around the corner stepped out. When she spotted me, her eyes widened.

  “Please tell me you’re my neighbor,” she said, brushing blond bangs from her eyes. “Please tell me I’m not alone on the floor anymore.”

  I laughed and nodded, already charmed by her. “You’re not alone anymore.”

  “Good. Because it can get kind of creepy how quiet it is around here. I mean, I’ve only been here two weeks but I’m used to noise—I work in a daycare so of course I’m used to noise. And before this, I lived with a roommate and there was noise all the time.”

  “Are you in Main? At the daycare there?” Another genius idea. A nearby daycare for employees of Oasis. Just another way to make life easier. Finn really had thought of everything, and I was kind of jealous I hadn’t been in on the planning.

  She nodded. “Little Tots. Though we’re just getting up and running. I’m Paige.”

  “Charlotte. I work in Business.”

  Paige smiled. “I noticed those offices were starting to fill up. There are moving trucks outside all the time now, but it’s still been pretty quiet over here. I bet those fancy suites on the upper levels are filled up, though.”

  I thought about the place Finn had arranged for me to live, and then about his own penthouse several floors above where we were right now. I wasn’t going to be able to avoid him outside of work forever. It was only a matter of time before we ran into each other in the elevator, or at the gym, or dining in the restaurant downstairs.

  But I’d handle it. Just like Mark and my phone and a dozen other things. I’d handle it.

  “I’ve got to get going,” Paige said, checking her watch. “I’ll be around tonight if you want to stop by, compare apartments and notes on this place. I still haven’t seen it all.”

  “Me either. I’ll stop by when I have a chance,” I assured her.

  As she walked off, I made a mental note about laundry. I’d have to check to see if there was a laundry service. Since I’d thrown away my phone, I went back inside my apartment to make a note on a pad of paper sitting by the house phone. I’d also need to check to see who had access to the key cards for each room and how one went about making extras or who was allowed to use them.

  With an extra ten minutes to spare, I rode the elevator down to the lobby, smiled at the desk clerk, and then forewent the tram to the Bus
iness Community. I took the closest path in the Commons and made another note on my pad. Kiosk, coffee, pastry.

  I hadn’t eaten breakfast, so my mind was on food. But for those in a hurry or just needing something small on their way out to work or shopping, a kiosk near the entrance to the Housing towers, or on the path to Business would be a good idea. In fact…it looked there was already a structure for that particular purpose.

  I had to grin. Finn really had thought of everything. Couldn’t help but admire his mind. And his efficiency. In fact, there were a lot of things to admire about Finn.

  I grumbled. I couldn’t get distracted by that line of thought. We worked together, so I just had to keep it to professional admiration, even if his sculpted cheekbones and rock-hard abs begged for adoration.

  I watched the trees as I walked, remembering the phone calls last night. I hadn’t slept well afterward despite being tired. Maybe the champagne had had something to do with it as well. I’d had two glasses right before bed. If I’d known I was going to get those calls, I probably would have had one more.

  Or not. It made sense to stay on my toes. Just in case.

  The same security guard manned the Business lobby. I made a note to get his name when I came down next time.

  On the twenty-second floor, Leslie was already at her desk. She stood when I exited the elevator and smiled. “Coffee?”

  “You read my mind.” I glanced around, looking for the coffee maker, and then followed her to a room in between the offices. It was a cozy, with a table and counter for the appliances, as well as a stainless-steel refrigerator standing next to a wall of cabinets.

  “Ms. Evans, I’m happy to bring it to your office,” Leslie said.

  See? I wasn’t the only one with the itch to stay professional. “Please call me Charlotte. And please tell me those are banana nut muffins.”

  The entire counter was filled with food, mostly breakfast items, but also small snacks for later in the day.

  “Banana nut or blueberry today,” Leslie said. “I picked them up from Crumbles—it just opened up in the Entertainment Community. If you have any requests in the future, just let me know. Or your assistant.”