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If she wouldn't answer my texts, I'd have to run into her at work, which might cause all sorts of issues, but the only alternative was to go to her new place and try to contact her that way. Which sounded way too stalkerish even to me.
I decided to order some flowers and send them to her office tomorrow.
Maybe I could win her over with yet another apology. She wasn't a lightweight, and probably had developed a strong spine after her own failed engagement.
Whatever the case, I wouldn't give up until she and I sat with her face to face and talked it out.
I checked out an online florist and ordered two dozen violet roses. For the card, I put down the following:
Ella:
I know we got off to a rocky start, with scraped knees and elbows,
and you're worried about who I am, but my offer of the greatest Italian meatballs stands.
Sincerely,
Your Friendly Neighborhood Bicycle Courier Impersonator
There really wasn't anything else appropriate for me to do but make the offer and see if she responded. She had every right to ignore me but I hoped I could convince her that I was sincere. I wanted to give it a good try at least, before either of us wrote off the relationship. I should have probably just put her completely out of my mind, but I couldn't.
Chapter Fifteen
Ella
I left Josh's office and went back to my own, conflicted about everything. It felt really strange to have to pretend that I didn't just almost sleep with Josh and I knew that if we kept it up, it would be very awkward – and potentially very dangerous – for me to become involved with Josh.
I didn't want to be beholden to him and so I went to Sharon when she returned from her meeting with Josh and told her what happened, asking her to get me a cashier check so I could take possession of my apartment on Monday.
I stood in front of Sharon's desk and held my breath, waiting for her reply.
Her mouth dropped open, but she agreed right away, with no hesitation.
"Of course, I'll help you. Sit down sit down," she said and pointed to the chair across from her desk. "You should have come to me right away, you poor thing. How much do you need?"
I sat down and heaved a huge sigh of relief. It was hard working up the guts to go into Sharon's office and ask for her help. I'd sat in the bathroom and scrunched up a tissue, trying to get up the nerve to go in and ask for her help.
All my anxiety was for nothing.
"My first and last month's rent for the studio is $5400.00. I'll transfer you the money as soon as the bank gets my account re-activated," I said and held up my cell, showing her my banking app, and the balance in my account. "Just give me the email you want me to send it to and it'll be in your bank account once the bank lifts the block, which they do when your bank card is stolen."
She told me and I made a note on my calendar to make sure I sent it after the block was lifted.
"I'll go down to my bank during my break and get you the cashier's check," Sharon said, smiling.
"Thank you so much. You can't know how relieved I am. I was afraid I'd lose the apartment and have to stay in this tiny little Airbnb I have now. I wasn't even sure I could do that, because I had to report my credit card stolen and so I wouldn't be able to use it to pay for any extra days."
"I thought you said everything was fine," Sharon asked. "If I had known..."
"I didn't want to be your problem," I said, my fingernails digging a bit too firmly into my palm, thinking of what Josh had said to me in the elevator. "I wanted to be the solution to your problems. If I asked you to get a cashier's check so I could get my apartment, I'd become your problem which is the opposite of the reason you hired me."
"You shouldn't have worried. I'm just sorry you waited so long. You must have been frantic."
"I was at first," I said, nodding. "But I went to my bank and told them what happened. They walked me through the steps to get new ID, but I couldn't get a cashier's check until I had something tangible to prove who I was and my address. But I wouldn't have anything tangible until I got the mail at my new address with my new card -- in ten days."
"The old catch-22."
"Exactly," I said. "I thought I had someone who could help me, but it turned out to be a flop. You were my last hope."
