ADORE ME - H.S.

part XIX

Cassi's POV:

There's nothing I love more than New York City in the fall. The crisp autumn breeze and leaves cover the sidewalk, crunching under your shoes as you hurry down the street. People coming and going from cafés and brownstones still decked out in Halloween decorations makes a smile grow on my face as I walk down the streets of the west village.

Today, I am apartment hunting. It's the day after my interview and acceptance working for Barrow Street Magazine and I am meeting up with Finley to check out the apartment that Eliza suggested I look into. I was supposed to leave this morning to head back home but after meeting up with some old college friends last night, I decided to extend my stay until the end of the weekend, allowing me to look for apartments so that I am not forced to stay in hotels when I eventually move up here in December.

I'm nervous about this apartment, it is in a rather expensive area of the city and while the pay from Barrow Street is far greater than I was expecting, I don't want to overestimate my capabilities. When I think of Chelsea I think of celebrities and rich people, not journalists who got their start by critiquing movies on streaming services.

Turning the corner, my navigation app tells me that I have arrived at my destination through my headphones, interrupting my playlist that was currently playing Billy Joel's It's Still Rock and Roll to Me. Looking up, my eyes nearly pop out of their head at the building I am standing in front of. There is definitely no way I will be able to afford this. I go to take my phone out to tell Finley that this was a mistake but before I can I am interrupted by Finley herself, materializing out of nowhere and pulling me into a hug way too friendly for someone I just met yesterday.

"Cass! How are you?" Her slender arms embrace me, squeezing a bit and then releasing me from the hold.

"Hi! I've been okay. Are you sure this is a good idea? This building is way out of my price range." I take a look at the tall building in front of me, looking back at Finley with wide eyes, only to find that she is practically shaking in excitement.

"Oh my god, yes we have to go in! I need to know what the view is like from up there." We both laugh at her comment as I shake my head, sighing and wrapping my arm around hers while we walk towards the front door. I open the door and Finley and I walk inside, taking in the beauty of the lobby before she spots the elevators and just about drags me over to them.

We press the up button and an elevator behind us opens, so we turn around and enter. I check my phone to see the unit is on floor 12. We arrive fairly quickly and head down the hall until I reach the correct apartment door. By the amount of space between the apartment doors, I can already tell these would be my dream apartments. I take a deep breath and one last look over at Finley before I knock.

Well, here goes nothing.

***

The air outside is even colder than it was before as Finley and I exit the apartment building. As I suspected, the one-bedroom apartment was absolutely gorgeous. Large floor-to-ceiling windows made up the living room and the kitchen was large enough for an island that opened up into a separate dining space. All in all, it was my dream apartment, I just simply could not afford it.

"I don't know about you, but I am absolutely famished," I state, turning to Finley who is checking someone on her phone.

"I could go for some food. I know a pretty good bar a few blocks from here actually, they host karaoke nights every Tuesday and their food is to die for. Wanna check it out?" Not being picky since my stomach is just about screaming at me, I nod and follow her down the street. After just a short five-minute walk we arrive at what looks like a hole-in-the-wall, classic New York dive bar.