Chapter 11

We had just finished moving everything important—and dry—out of the apartment. I still wasn’t sure what to do with them, but maybe Barnett knew of a storage unit nearby with an opening.

I was about to ask him just that when Barnett opened his mouth.

“So, Anna, about the night that Lily…introduced us,” he said.

Heat rose into my cheeks. God, I knew what this was about.

“You acted like you didn’t know me.”

Yup, here it goes, I thought. He’s going to ask if I really didn’t remember that he was my hockey coach.

“Did you really not recog—”

A pounding at the door startled us both.

I looked at the clock. It was nearly 9:30. Who would be visiting at this hour?

“Let me just see who that is,” I told Barnett as I squeezed by him. I tried to avoid touching him, but the heat between us nearly undid my composure.

When I opened the door, my landlord stood on the other side. A portly man with oversized glasses and a tendency to vape, I hadn’t dealt with Mr. Smith much outside of signing the lease. That didn’t mean that I had to like him.

“Hello, Mr. Smith,” I said in my best fake-cheery voice. “What can I do for you?”

“Evenin’,” Mr. Smith grunted. “I’ve come to collect $2,000 for the water damage.”

“Excuse me?” I exclaimed. “What are you talking about?”

“The water damage to the apartment. You owe me $2,000 for the repairs.”

The man had the audacity to hold his hand out to me, as though I would have the money right there waiting for him.

“But Mr. Smith, isn’t this covered by the deposit I paid when I signed the lease? And doesn’t this fall under ‘normal wear and tear’ to the apartment since I did nothing to cause the burst pipe?”

Mr. Smith grunted again. “You and the man upstairs each owe me $2,000 to get this fixed. Actually, he owes me $3,000, so you should consider yourself lucky.”

“This isn’t legal. I don’t want to get lawyers involved.”

Mr. Smith stepped close to me—far too close for my comfort.

“Are threatenin’ me, Ms. Leonard? ‘Cause I’m not afraid to go to court.”

The gremlins ripped at me relentlessly at the thought of a lawsuit on top of the divorce settlement. That would be another lawyer, and lawyers cost money, money that I still did not have quite yet.

“No, Mr. Smith, I’m not threatening you. It’s just…I know the law, and—”

I stopped abruptly as I felt a firm hand land on my shoulder. I looked up to see Barnett staring back at me with kind, reassuring eyes.

“Let me handle this, Anna.” He turned his attention to my landlord. “Pardon me, Mr. Smith, but would you mind having a few words with me, alone?”

Mr. Smith’s eyes roved over Barnett, sizing him up. Reluctantly, he nodded and motioned for Barnett to follow him outside.

Barnett’s hand squeezed my shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll handle this.”

They were gone for about five minutes, but it might as well have been five hours. I paced about my damaged apartment, testing the wetness of different pieces of furniture. I cursed under my breath at the thought of having to replace so much, on top of this unexpected fee.

Finally, they returned. Mr. Smith looked no happier than when they had left, and Barnett was just as encouraging as before. Mr. Smith held out a check to me.

“Here. Your deposit,” he said.

I took the check, nearly speechless. “Why are you giving me this?”

“Just take it. But I want you out of here immediately.”

I nearly choked on my next words. “What? But I have nowhere else to go!”

“Not my problem. Be out by morning.”

Mr. Smith left without another word.

I buried my face in my hands. What was I going to do? It would be impossible to find somewhere to stay on such short notice.

“I-I guess I’ll have to stay at some cheap motel until I can find an apartment,” I managed to string together after a moment. “Do you know of a storage unit nearby where I could put my stuff?”

Barnett hesitated.

“No, but I might have a better idea. A friend of mine has an apartment downtown. You could move there.”

“Doesn’t your friend need the apartment?”

He shook his head.

“He’s rarely ever there. He won’t mind.”

He pulled a business card and pen out of his pocket and wrote something on the back.

“Here’s the address.”

I took a look at it, and my eyes widened in surprise.

“I know this place. It’s right above Stand Up. Close to Arthur’s office, too.”

I bit my lower lip in thought. This seemed like a ridiculously easy choice. But what was the catch?

“What’s the rent?”

“About $800.”

I could have fainted from the shock. This hole cost me about $1,300 a month, and that was considered cheap for where we lived. But $800 a month for something downtown?

I thought for certain that something must be wrong with it, but I was in no position to turn it down.

“If your friend doesn’t mind, then I would love to stay at his apartment,” I said.

Barnett grinned.

“I’m pretty sure he won’t mind. Come on, let’s make sure that you have everything, and I’ll show you there now.”

• * *

Barnett drove the truck with the U-Haul, and I followed him in my 2023 Corolla Hybrid. We got there by 10, and by midnight, we had finished unpacking the U-Haul.

“So, do you want to open these things and get started?” Barnett asked, motioning towards the boxes and bags we had just brought inside.

I laughed, huffing a little.

“No, I think that can wait until tomorrow.”

I paused a moment to take in the apartment.

It was stunning, more art than living arrangements. The living room had been decorated with a plush white carpet, black leather couch and matching recliner, and black walnut coffee table and entertainment center with a smart TV. The kitchen and dining room, which could be seen from the living room due to the open layout, had a complementary black-and-white color scheme and large silver fridge, far too large for just one person.

I abandoned Barnett to check out the bedroom. Thankfully, it had also been furnished with a round queen-sized bed (black-and-white sheets, of course), matching bedside tables, and a dresser. Pushed into one corner was a desk and a wheeled chair.

“Well, is it everything you could ask for?”

I jumped at the sound of Barnett’s voice.

“Barnett! You startled me.”

He laughed. “I’m sorry. That was not my intent…entirely.”

I rolled my eyes and stuck my tongue out at him.

“Seriously, though, do you like it?”

“Like it? It’s more than I could have dreamed for at this price! And you’re certain that your friend doesn’t mind—”

“Yes, I’m sure,” Barnett interrupted with another laugh.

“Well then, thank you. For all of this. It’s far more than I could have asked for.”

“You’re Lily’s best friend. She’d kill me if I left you out on the streets.”

That statement should have warmed my heart or made me laugh, but it stung. Of course he only did this because I was Lily’s best friend. That was all that I was.

I faked a yawn.

“It’s getting a bit late, don’t you think?”

Barnett nodded.

“I suppose it is. We both have early mornings tomorrow. You’re hitting the gym, before work, right?”

I shrugged.

“I really have no excuse not to now that it’s right downstairs.”

“That’s right! Well, maybe I’ll see you there.”

“Maybe.” I headed towards the door. “How about I walk you to your truck?”

“I think I’d rather you walk me to my apartment.”

I arched a brow at him.

“Your apartment?”

Barnett’s grin was so broad that I thought it would split his face in two.

“Well, I do have one right next to this one.”

“What?”

“And, technically, this is my apartment as well.”

“What?” I exclaimed, nearly screeching.

“Actually, the whole apartment building is under my name.”

I just gaped at him in disbelief.

He shrugged.

“It’s so close to the office—” he pointed at the office building, Arthur’s office building, with his thumb—“that it’s just easier to sleep here sometimes. But I don’t mind sharing my home with a friend in need.”

Before I could register what had happened, we were at his apartment right next to mine.

“Goodnight, Anna.”

I just shook my head and said, “Goodnight, Barnett.”

As I walked back into my new apartment, I mumbled to myself, “He owns the whole damn building?”

• * *

As promised, I saw Barnett first thing when I stepped foot in the gym the next morning. He had exchanged his three-piece suit for a black tank top that showed off his sculpted muscles and tight gym shorts that molded to his ass cheeks. I was tempted to stare, but I forcefully tore myself away.

After my usual stretching routine, I looked around to decide on which workout I would tackle that day. My eyes landed on the rowing machine. Several of my followers had asked me to try it the past few sessions, but I had never used such a machine before, so the thought made me nervous.

Well, I thought, there’s a first time for everything, I guess.

I set up the camera on my phone and approached the machine almost timidly. My head swiveled about in the hopes of finding an employee to help me with it. No such luck.

Then I saw Barnett, drenched in sweat, walk towards me.