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“We’ve never met before,” I pointed out, shaking his hand as I introduced myself.
“I’m David,” he said. “And Mr. Tassater showed me a picture of you and asked me to make sure you have access.”
Stunned, I walked into the elevator, which I noticed was plenty big. I hit the button for the penthouse, and the elevator slowly took me up. When the doors opened, it did so directly to a living room. My mouth fell open when I saw the ten-foot ceiling and the soft orange glow of the setting sun filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
A Banksy painting hung on the wall with its thinker monkey, next to a more peaceful Monet painting of the countryside.
I walked in, my footsteps muffled by the plush beige carpet that covered the large living area.
The room had an open floor plan that led to a gleaming kitchen with shiny stainless steel appliances. Through the window, I could see an expansive view of the New York skyline, its twinkling lights a stark contrast against the darkening sky, and I inhaled sharply. I could never get used to this sight.
The door pushed open behind me, and I turned to see Sean.
55
SEAN
Iwatched her walk through it all, marveling at the open space and the floor-to-ceiling windows. She could see the city through it, and the sight made her stop and stare unabashedly.
“You’re going to love waking up to this view,” she said.
She tried to push the curtains aside and failed until I handed her the remote. She raised her eyebrows but tapped a few buttons on the remote until the screens parted, letting the fiery sunshine in.
“Wow, this room faces west, so you’re going to have plenty of sunshine when you’re back home in the evening. I know how much you like seeing the sun set while having dinner.”
“Someone I know taught me that,” I teased, holding her hand in mine. Warmth spread through me at the touch. “I’ve seen you gaze at the sunset for far longer than can be good for your eyes.”
She nodded. “I love how everything is dusted golden yellow at sunset. Though sunsets are orange and pink too. I never knew those colors were possible in a setting sky.”
Chloe was here, and I was a happy man. My chest felt like it was swelling with joy. She was the only person I’d ever wanted.
Her multihued skirt twirled as she walked round the penthouse, barefoot, but instead of excited, it looked like something troubled her. The delight I’d expected to see didn’t show up in her eyes, and her smile never made an appearance.
I watched her for a minute while she pointed out various buildings in the distance and the sparkle of the ocean before I spoke.
“Move in with me, Chloe.”
“I bet you can even see the Bank of America Tower—” she said before she turned to me, her mouth falling open. Her blue eyes searched mine. “What did you just say?”
I took her hands in mine, looking at her with the sunny sky in the background. For a second, I wished we were at the point in our relationship where I could even go down on my knee. Heck, she deserved that. But we’d been seeing each other for barely six months, and it would be too soon. To be fair, all signs pointed to us going there eventually, but I also wanted to be careful. To take my time and think things through. To evaluate all the outcomes if I ever went down the Helen route with her and make sure I was okay with it. I wasn’t there yet.
Thiswas where I was.
“Let me show you another unit in this building,” I said, leading her back to the elevator and down to the first floor.
When we got out into the lobby, I walked up to the first unit on our right, opening the door slowly.
Chloe’s mouth dropped open as she gazed at the interior.
It was an accessible apartment unit. “Do you see the wide entryways for all the rooms?”
She nodded, registering where I was going with this.
“Ditto for the entrance and the doorways to the individual rooms in the apartment. There are no steps in this unit; everything fits into one floor with an open floor plan. The bathroom has a roll-in shower with grab bars in multiple placesnear the shower and the toilet. It also has tons of space, enabling Henry to maneuver a wheelchair.”
The kitchen countertops were low. Easy for Henry to access. Including the cabinets at the lower level.
She ran her finger over the marble countertop. “Are you serious?” she asked, sounding awed. “You bought this place?”