AllFreeNovel
Share Us
5
A Proposal
Packingup my apartment was exciting. The future was bright. The thought of what was ahead made the process seem less daunting.
Unpacking was another story.
As the movers unloaded my things at Adam's apartment, it became clear, quite quickly, that there wasn't enough room for all my stuff. Not that I was surprised. My apartment in Denver was almost fifteen hundred square feet, two bedrooms, fully furnished, and decorated. Adam's place is much smaller, only one bedroom and, in my opinion, barely enough space for one person to live comfortably.
The search for a house began that first night. Our options were limited. We could buy a small house that was nicer, a gigantic house that came with more land that we needed, or something in the middle that was in need of more than a little TLC.
The thought of living in a tiny house was checked off the list immediately. My laptop was sitting on a box in front of me as we searched. There were boxes everywhere, stacked floor to ceiling, including in Wyatt's office downstairs.
We looked at a few houses that were bigger than we needed. Four and five bedrooms. Not to mention the price tag that gave me heart palpitations.
So the fixer-upper was our best bet, meaning we had one house we could buy.
Adam was excited. It was in the same neighborhood he grew up in.
Three weeks later, after a little back and forth with the seller, it was ours. All our stuff was loaded into the back of a U-Haul truck and moved the short ten-minute drive across town.
My excitement of not living above a bar was short lived. Demo started before the first mortgage payment was due, and it's been going on ever since.
New carpeting and fresh paint in the bedrooms.
The stairs were torn out and replaced last week.
The lack of a working kitchen is the worst part.
Sure, we can eat at the bar or have family dinner with Chloe, Wyatt, and Lola. It's not the same. I want to be able to cook us a meal. One we can sit down to and eat alone. In the comfort ofourhome.
By the looks of things, that won't be happening for another few weeks. We're still waiting on the countertop and cabinets to arrive.
Once the kitchen is put back together, the bathroom is next on the list. It's more of an issue for Adam than it is for me. This house only came with a bathtub. Before we moved in, I'm not sure Adam had taken a bath since he was a kid. Me on the other hand, I love to soak in the tub. I prefer it.
Right now, I need to focus on getting ready for work. Chloe will be here soon to pick me up, and I'm standing in the middle of our bedroom in only a towel. My hair is soaking wet and dripping down my back.
The problem is, I feel like I'm going to be sick if I move. Standing still, waiting for the nausea to pass, is my plan at the moment. If that doesn't work—
Bolting into the bathroom, I expel the contents of my stomach.
Once I'm empty, I sit back against the wall and contemplate calling Chloe and canceling. It’s something I'd rather not do, knowing how excited she is about us working together. We still have a few weeks before we open, but this is the beginning of the next chapter. For both of us.
When she first approached me about being her partner, I couldn't say no. I know nothing about marketing and event planning. That's not what she needs help with, though. She needs someone to make sense of the financial aspect of things. Someone to run the numbers and help her stay out of the red.
So, I'm her silent partner. Her bookkeeper. It's enough to keep me busy and bring in a little income. It helps fill in the gap between my previous salary and my new one.
June wasn't kidding when she said being a consultant would be a pay cut. I almost shit my pants when I saw my new contract. The only thing that saved me from changing my mind was the addendum attached.
Because I was still working with the company and signed a non-compete clause, I was able to keep my seat on the board. A position I'm also paid for, thankfully.
Pushing myself off the floor, I head back to my room and rush to get dressed, pulling the first thing I find from my closet and slipping it on. Rushing back to the bathroom, I blow out my hair until it's mostly dry and pull it high on my head.
I hear Chloe come in as I grab my shoes from the bottom of the closet and slip them on.
"Hurry up, Addy. We're going to be late. Again," Chloe hollers up the stairs.
"I'm coming," I call, snagging my earrings off the tray on my dresser and putting them in as I leave the room. "Ready," I say, motioning to my outfit as I reach the landing at the top of the stairs.
