Page 133 of Soul So Dark

“It’s my pleasure! How was your flight?” she asks as she leads me across the marble lobby toward the black elevators.

“Long.”

The security guard near the front desk doesn’t bother stopping me, I assume because I already texted them a picture of my ID from the plane. As soon as I follow her through the doors, she swipes her key card and presses the button for the top floor.

She whips her meticulously curled hair over her shoulder. “You have impeccable timing, this unit just opened up today and you’re the first person to view it. We also just completed renovations on our gym.”

Olivia goes on about the swimming pool, the basketball and tennis courts, the spa, the golf simulators, the rooftop decks, the unmatched proximity to the trendy neighborhoods just blocks away, and how their 24-hour security staff keep this place like Fort Knox.

For my purposes, they’d better…

I follow her off the elevator and down the hallway to the last penthouse on the left. Just as described, the foyer reveals into an open floor plan with high ceilings and a wall of windows that look out onto the cityscape across the river.

Crown molding, stone countertops, stainless steel appliances, polished concrete floors,blah, blah, blah…

When we get to the bedroom, I wander over to the walk-in closet. It’s almost as big as the bathroom, also impressive with its double vanity and black tile shower with five shower heads that can blast you from all directions. I take my time, slowly scanning every inch of the closet, examining every rack and every drawer as I make mental notes. Ultimately, I’m satisfied there’s enough space for what I intend to do with it.

I can sense when people are within a certain radius, when they’re lingering without even having to see them. It’s not lost on me that Olivia is doing the same, and I know the exact moment she steps into the closet even with my back turned.

“Is there enough space for your liking?” she asks from the doorway. “Technically, it’s considered aboudoir.It’s more than enough for two people, if your wife or girlfriend will be joining you,” she adds with a smirk.

“Not at this time,” I reply with a flash of my eyes. “Your security staff—do they do regular rounds through the building?”

“They do,” she replies after a heavy pause. Then she saunters toward me, her heels clicking on the floor and her long brown hair bouncing with the cadence of her steps. “We run extensive background checks, beyond the usual requirements. Each member of our current staff has been with us for over two years.”

Low turnover is a good sign.

“Does the same guard patrol this floor or does it change?”

She comes to a halt no more than a foot from my chest. “They’re assigned specific areas. That way, residents are familiar with them and vice versa.”

“Do they patrol at the same times or does it vary?”

This is important.

“Their routes are randomized by the director of security each day, so they cover every square inch of the building at different times. Nothing happens here without them knowing. Well—” she pauses with a roll of her eyes, “except for what happens inside your residence.”

“Of course,” I hold her gaze for another moment before giving the closet one last glance. “I’ll take it.”

“Fabulous!” Her voice returns to its original bubbly tone. “We can go down and finalize your lease.”

It’s perfect, and it’ll be even more perfect once I move in and start doing what I came back here to do.

Once in the elevator, Olivia pushes the button for the lobby. “You know,” she studies me out of the corner of her eye, “that’s a nice color on you. Is it your favorite?”

I look good in a lot of colors, thanks to my black hair and a tan complexion, but I can’t help but notice that Olivia’s jade green eyes are a very similar shade to my polo.

She glances down at her phone. “I’m usually out of here by now,” she continues before I can answer, “do you want to finalize this over a drink at Henley’s? It’s only a couple blocks from here.”

“That’s tempting, it really is,” I feign disappointment, “but you’ll have to excuse me, I’m afraid I’m already late for a prior commitment.”

“Maybe another time,” she sighs as the door opens and I follow her out into the lobby. “Just make sure to wear that shade of green again,” she adds with a glint in her eye.

“As a matter of fact,” I spin around, backtracking across the marble, “my favorite color is blue.”

There’s also not enough dump in your truck for me, sister.

If I told her the truth, she’d only be disappointed anyway. I’d also move in right now if I could, but I still need furniture, and that’s a task for tomorrow.