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“After you,” Mack says, and gestures for me to precede him.
I walk slowly into the corridor, hearing the elevator doors slide closed behind me. He unlocks his apartment door, and I follow Gus in.
The hallway leads into an open-plan living room, dining room, and kitchen. The walls to the left and ahead of me consist mainly of windows, so the room is filled with the deep orange light of the setting sun. To the west is Auckland Domain, the oldest park in the city, and I can see Auckland Museum and the cricket pavilion in the distance.
“Did you know that the domain is actually the remains of the explosion crater and the surrounding tuff ring of Pukekawa volcano?” I ask him, leaving my bag on the sofa.
He bends to stroke Gus and kiss his head. “No, I didn’t know that.”
“It’s a beautiful view.” I walk to the other end of the room and pause at the edge of the main bedroom, seeing other rooms further along the corridor. In the distance, Rangitoto Island is clearly visible out to sea in the fading light.
There’s also a huge bed with a light-blue duvet. I turn away as a flurry of butterflies bursts into life in my stomach.
Mack tosses his keys and wallet onto the countertop and goes through to the kitchen. “Would you like a glass of Champagne? Or something stronger?”
“Champagne would be lovely,” I say, as if I drink it every day of the week.
I walk back through the apartment, taking in the furnishings. In the living room, on top of the light-gray carpet is a plush white rug with uneven gold lines spread across it like the shadows of bare trees. A sumptuous cream sofa and chairs face a ginormous flat-screen TV that’s hooked up to both a PlayStation 5 and one of the latest Xboxes. An unusual, upside-down pyramid-shaped, marble table sits in the middle. There’s so much space everywhere. I hadn’t realized until now how cramped my and my parents’ houses are.
A large dining table sits in front of the window, and there’s another, smaller one outside on the covered patio. An empty glass and an iPad rest on the table, so he must have been sitting out there before he came to pick me up tonight. Mack has opened the door, and Gus is out there now, flaked out on his side on the tiles.
“It’s a beautiful apartment.” I stop to admire an abstract painting that’s filled with what looks like ocean waves, but are all different colors. “It’s not what I expected, though.”
“What do you mean?” He takes a bottle out of the fridge.
“I thought you’d live in a mansion with tennis courts and swimming pools and a hundred servants.”
“I have a housekeeper. Does that count?”
“It’s just very understated.”
He peels the wrapping off the bottle and carefully pops the cork. “That’s because you’re thinking of rockstar millionaires. They’re the ones who have yachts and gold-plated houses and diamonds in their teeth. I’m a businessman. I like luxury, but I’m at work most of the time. When I come home, I just want somewhere comfortable and quiet.”
“And a fuck-off great TV to play video games on.”
“Definitely. It’s my only hobby, and it’s a cool way to relax, because you can’t think of anything else while you’re playing.” He pours the Champagne into two long glasses.
“I’d love a look at the PlayStation 5. Dan’s got a PlayStation 4, but it’s on its last legs.”
“I’ll give you a game ofThe Two of Uslater,” he says. “It’s a game for couples but I’ve not played it yet.”
“None of your exes into gaming?”
He just smiles at me and beckons to me to come and take a glass. “Have a drink, before you pass out.”
“If I do, at least there’s a doctor in the house.”
He snorts and hands me the glass.
“How did you know I was nervous?” I ask.
“You’re breathing as if you’ve just finished the fifteen hundred meters. Do you want a paper bag?”
I give a short laugh and sip the Champagne. “Mmm,” I say. “A lovely vintage. Is it the ’69?”
He chuckles. “You want anything to eat?”
“No, thank you.”
