50 Shades of Hemmings (Part 1&2)

18

With only a few days left before the dorms closed, I was running short on time and options to find a new place to live. I couldn't believe how far behind I'd fallen with this, but life was throwing me curve balls lately so I decided to reach out to Luke's sister and hope for some quick results.
Allison Hemmings was stunning. Her light brown hair curled under into a stylish simple bob. Young, professional, and elegant, she was dressed in a navy blue polka dot dress when we met to begin the quest for my first apartment.
The first few places she showed me were in line with what I expected-on budget, smallish, and fair location, but a decent hike to any public transportation. I quickly realized that I'd either have to make some concessions or come up with a more realistic budget.
We stopped for a quick lunch at a little deli near the public gardens to regroup.
After making some calls to set up a last minute showing, Allison joined me at the table. "So how do you know Luke?"
I choked a little on my lemonade. If she only knew.
"I'm in talks with Angelcom to invest in my business."
"Oh wow, that's great. I hope it works out."
"Me too."
"Luke gets so involved in his investments. I've seen some of those companies really take off."
I nodded and spared her the fact that he had "passed" on me. Well, he'd passed on the business anyway. He was pursuing me physically with a single-minded determination that one might expect from a ruthless businessman.
"What about you? Do you do this full-time?"
"Luke has several real estate holdings, so I mostly stay busy managing those, but I dabble with other listings in town."
"I guess it's good to keep it in the family."
"Definitely. Luke keeps us busy with all his projects."
"I met Heath recently too actually," I said, conveniently leaving out the details of our Las Vegas rendezvous.
"Oh, yeah?"
"He's a character," I continued, hoping to learn a little bit more about her charismatic brother and whatever issues Luke had with him, if only for Alli's sake.
"You could say that. I have no idea how Luke keeps up with him." She looked past me, her face carefully void of emotion. "Do you have any siblings?"
"No, it's just me." For years it had literally been just me. I only imagined what life might be like with a sibling or two. Someone to share the emotional burden with after my mother died or to make light of our hardships with and carry on together. The closest person to know what I'd been through was Elliott, but like me, he'd moved on.
Allison and I finished our lunch and she drove us to the last apartment of the day, which she promised would be more in line with what I was looking for. She pulled in front of a picturesque brownstone on Commonwealth Ave. The street was tree-lined from one end to the other, with walking paths and beautifully manicured commons separating the two sides of the street. The location was address to many of the who's who of the city, and while I enjoyed the change of scenery from the lackluster places I'd seen so far, I worried how far out of the budget this would fall.
Nonetheless, I followed her up a flight of stairs. We entered a light and spacious two-bedroom apartment.
"Wow."
"This just came onto the market," Allison said.
The appliances were new, the walls had a fresh coat of paint, and the dark wood floors were impeccable.
"This is perfect, Allison, but I doubt I could afford something this nice."
"The owner is listing it at the right price for the right renter. It's above your budget, but it's such a great find, I had to show you." She handed me the listing sheet with the asking rent, a figure over budget, but well worth the extra features it offered.
I blew out a slow breath and did some mental math.
"You could always pick up a roommate with the extra room. It won't stay listed long, Ava, so if you think you might want it, I can make a call right now."
I'd have bay windows, a bathtub, and a second room to do with what I wanted. I was flying by the seat of my pants lately, so why stop now?
"Where do I sign?"