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He grunted. “Don’t go getting sentimental on me, Mara. It’s my job.”
“Don’t get all macho on me, Frank. You go above and beyond, and you know it.”
Frank’s shoulders slipped up in a small shrug as he opened the back door for me to step through, but the ghost of a smile on his face told me the compliment landed. Good. I wanted him to feel appreciated. I wanted all of the staff to feel it.
He looked at me again after his eyes swept over the back lot. “You okay getting home? I’m surprised our new boss isn’t here to walk you himself.”
I gave a high-pitched laugh. I was still so nervous about people finding out about my arrangement with Leo . . . but I couldn’t hide the fact that he’d walked me out of here nearly every night since he’d bought the place. Or that I’d called him my boyfriend in front of the paramedics, though something told me Frank understood I was lying through my teeth to avoid the hospital. “He lives in a building near mine, I guess. I think it makes him feel better.” I hoped that was a safe enough answer. While it was technically true that my building was near his, he wasn’t actually walking me to it.
Frank simply nodded, and the panic in my chest loosened. “All right, you have your pepper spray?”
I pulled the small blue canister out of my belt bag and held it up to him. “Yep.”
“And I suppose you won’t let me drive you?”
Frank offered to drive me home regularly in the years we’d worked together, and I always turned him down. Partly because I didn’t want him to feel obligated—getting me home safe was well outside his job requirement. But also, from the get-go I’d needed to prove to myself that I could keep myself safe. Between the pepper spray and the self-defense training, I was now confident that I could. “I suppose you’d be correct.” I grinned. “Drive safe, Frank. See you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow.” He stalked toward the only parked car in the lot while I moved in the direction of the busy street that would lead me home.
Home. I almost laughed out loud remembering how that word had felt only a few nights ago. Leo’s penthouse was surely not my home . . . but I couldn’t deny I was anxious to get back there, to see how he was doing. I thought about texting him that I was on my way, but it was nearly three in the morning. He was surely asleep by now—I didn’t want to wake him.
I hadn’t brought my hoodie with me to work tonight—in the shuffle of leaving without Leo and worrying about him, I hadn’t thought to grab it. I wrapped my arms around myself as I walked, feeling grateful it wasn’t too cold.
It wasn’t long before I saw Leo’s tall building come into view, just across the street and down a couple buildings from Rudy’s Market. I hadn’t been back since meeting Leo there, and I knew I should stop in one of these nights to say hi to Rudy. But tonight was not that night—I had a man to see. And the closer I got to him, the more anticipation thrummed in my body.
Georgie, of course, was standing just inside the glass doors to Leo’s building. His smile grew wide when he saw me, pushing the heavy door open to let me in. “Good evening, Mara!”
“Hey, Georgie. Having a good night?”
“Always, ma’am. Mr. Callahan isn’t with you?”
I shook my head. “No, he’s upstairs. His parents are still here, so he stayed home to entertain them.”
Georgie smiled again. “I see. Well, I imagine you want to get some rest, ma’am.”
“Mara, please,” I corrected. Georgie’s suit was finer than anything in my closet—he surely didn’t need to “ma’am” me.
“Of course, Mara. My apologies. Have a great night!” His eyes twinkled in the low lighting of the lobby as he smiled.
I returned a warm smile. “You too. Be safe.”
Continuing on through the expansive lobby toward the golden elevator, I pressed the button to go up as soon as I reached it. Thankfully I heard the soft chime within seconds, and the doors opened to let me in. I pressed the access card Leo had given me against the sensor before pushing the PH button, and as the elevator whirred with its ascent to his penthouse I could feel the tension almost burst within my skin. Just a few more seconds—a few more seconds and I could lay my eyes on him.
As the elevator doors opened, I found the penthouse dark, save for a small lamp in the entryway that Leo must have left on for me—a gesture that spread warmth through my defrosting limbs. It was the first time I’d entered the apartment without being greeted by at least one of the cats. They must’ve been curled up in bed with Leo.
I couldn’t wait to slide under his heavy covers and watch him sleep until I, too, succumbed to it. Considering I’d finished that cup of coffee, I might end up watching him for a while. I didn’t mind the thought of it at all—inviting him to share the bed with me last night had been the right call.
I set my bag down on the console table against the wall in the foyer and soundlessly kicked off my Vans before I moved toward the hallway that led to Leo’s bedroom. When I stepped into the narrow hallway, however, I heard a soft melody coming from the room adjacent to his. The door was shut and no light shone from beneath the door, but the sound of music—a piano—was unmistakable.
Was Leo playing?
I padded down the hallway until I was standing in front of the closed door. Listening to the music for a moment, I considered what this could mean.
Had he brought up his dreams of playing music to his parents? Had they finally been supportive?
Hope flared within me as I twisted the doorknob and opened the door. Leo was seated at the black piano, its glossy surface gleaming in the moonlight. He was facing away from the doorway, but if I squinted, I could see that his chestnut hair was tousled more than usual. He was wearing a dress shirt, though the collar was uneven and the sleeves had been pushed up his forearms.
His head hung low to his chest as he played a beautiful, melancholic song. The notes swept over the nocturnal scene with a mournful embrace, and my heart clenched in my chest as soon as I realized it—this wasn’t a celebration.
