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Chapter Five
“Can I pay cash?” Arianna asked when she and Rafael met the real estate agent in the studio she was renting. “I don’t have a credit card or checks.”
“Of course.” Not betraying any surprise, Greg counted the bills she handed him, but Rafael raised his eyebrows.
“Since you’ve paid the deposit and the first month’s rent, you can move in at anytime. Here are the keys to the studio and storage cabinet, and the fob to access the public areas, garage, pool, gym, library, ballroom…”
“Thank you.” Arianna stared at the keys in her hand, feeling dizzy as reality sank in. It was too wonderful to be true. She surveyed the cozy studio one more time, expecting a bad witch to lift her broom and slam it down on her head.
Would she be allowed to cook in this ultra modern kitchen? Would she be able to sleep without jumping ten times in fear? Did she really belong here?
“Any questions?”Greg asked.
“Huh, how do you operate the coffee maker?” She regretted the silly words the moment she said them.
But Greg didn’t laugh. “Glad you asked. This one is different from the usual. You can make cappuccino, mocha, latte, espresso and of course regular coffee. Let’s see if I can use it correctly.” He explained what he was doing and ended with a big smile. “Here it is with a lot of cream. Better than Starbucks.”
She tasted her coffee and sighed. “Delicious. I’m going to live on coffee and fresh air out on the balcony.”
“Let me show you the washer and dryer. They come as a combo, on top of each other.” He explained each machine’s operation. “The dishwasher is very simple, pour the soap here, and push this button.” He pointed to both places. “You have a microwave in the wall, next to the oven. Before I forget, the garbage chute is hidden in this closet. And one last thing, the safe.”
She almost choked on her coffee. “What safe?”
“There’s a safe built into the wall of the bedroom closet. I’ll show you how to set your own combination.” He had her try different combinations, then open and close the safe several times.
Geez, she wouldn’t have to hide her precious savings in her bra, or under the carpet.
She, Arianna Garcia, the twerp people had pushed around and walked all over for years, would own a safe. It felt like a promotion. But then in the last twenty-four hours, her life had changed so dramatically that she wondered if she was watching a video about someone else.
“Don’t use birthdates or names. Try something unusual. Although we’ve never had a break-in in this building. Not with the security guard at the reception desk monitoring the surveillance cameras and the guards patrolling everywhere in addition to the gate at the front yard entrance. This high-rise is a fortress, practically impossible to breach.”
“A safe place to call home,” she mumbled in a daze. Thank heaven, exactly what she’d wished for in her dreams.
“Mark Lambert left two suitcases under the bed with clothes and items he didn’t need with him. His cleaning lady did the laundry, made the bed, and cleaned the studio three days ago. If you need her, you’ll have to call her.” He showed her a post-it note affixed to the fridge. “You have my phone number. Call me if you need anything.”
“Thank you, Greg. You’ve been very helpful.”
He shook hands with her and Rafael and left. She slid open the glass door leading to the balcony and stepped outside, heaving a deep sigh.
“How does it feel?” Rafael asked from behind her.
“Don’t pinch me. I’m afraid to wake up from my beautiful dream.”
He squeezed her shoulders. “It’s the life you deserve now, the life you’ve worked hard for.”
She dropped onto the armchair, facing the magnificent scenery. “I just want to sit here all day, soak in the sun, and look atmyview.”
“By all means, enjoy it. I’ll get you another coffee, maybe a cappuccino this time.”
She smiled. “Lovely.”
***
Rafael groaned while preparing the cappuccino. If it hadn’t been for the screams he’d heard on the phone last night, he would’ve never visited her old place, never heard about the hardship she’d faced in her young life. Not that she’d told him anything, but now that he’d seen what he had, he would be able to guess things and maybe piece together the problems in her past.
The neighborhood where she’d lived had trained her to cope with scary situations. No wonder she’d faced his acrobatic flying with more calm than he would’ve anticipated from a young nurse. He hoped she would learn to trust him and allow him to help her.
After adding a lot of cream to her cappuccino, he smiled proudly at his creation and set the two cups on a tray, then he joined her on the balcony.
