Feels Like Heaven (CAMREN)

The Apartment

Lauren's POV

It took my old friend two years to finally convinced me to move from New York to San Francisco. Several therapies and talks has been done and she always insisted that it's time for me to  move-on and rebuild my life. Build the life that I used to have, find inner peace and let go of my past.  So here I am now standing in front of a homeowner's agent, who happened to be a tall dark attractive woman hunting the perfect apartment of my preference. However, finding the right place was surely a burden for her, we were doing this for a week now while I was staying in a hotel room, and still we can't figure out what I want.

"This place is heaven. It's been photographed for magazines!" I heard Normani telling me while we entered a Japanese themed apartment. There was a raking sand garden in the middle of the receiving area. It's vast and well lighted. However, there was no couch, man this was not what I am looking for. I am looking for something homier. Something that will make me feel comfortable, feel at home.

"Yeah", I answered Normani but with an unimpressed look. "I think I told you clearly that I was gonna need something furnished." I glared at her while raising my eyebrow and both my hands inside the pockets of my jacket.

"Well, it is furnished", she answered me back. But I cut her off with a question, "Well if it is, where's the couch?", and with that questioning tone I walked out from the apartment  and she followed me hurriedly outside.

 **********

We move to another location in her list, well she brought me to an apartment which looks like a bachelor's pad in the busy streets of San Francisco. Wide space, high ceilings, black and white theme but no still this wasn't my type.

"Do you believe all of this space?", she was saying in an excited tone while showing me all the features of the whole apartment.

"Yeah, it's great for all those raves I'll be throwing.", I simply answered her on a shrugged manner. 

Meanwhile, I tried sitting on a black couch that I found in front of a wall mounted smart TV. Damn this couch is hard, it was elegant but very uncomfortable for my liking. I know I can't live with this type of seats. On the other hand, Normani was observing  what I was doing and with the tone of my voice and my actions she knew my answer is still a big no for this flat. 

**********

"Wow!" I muttered slowly as we entered a somehow Greek looking flat. With wide windows, good long curtains, I wonder who used to live here maybe this house is for royalties. There are statues of Greek Gods in both ends of the sofa. Paintings, several art forms. I was in trance. However, I didn't noticed that Normani heard my reaction.

"Wow, huh?" She interrupted my thoughts. "I know. This place isn't usually available, but the couple's spending all their time in Palm Springs now." She continued telling me while I made my self comfortable on the venus themed couch. God this couch was swallowing me as I sat down, this one's too soft. Nope this was not what I want and I was shaking my head at Normani indicating her that this apartment was definitely another reject for me so we went outside right away.

"Look Lauren, I'm just not quite sure what you're looking for. Maybe if we could communicate a little more. Maybe if you could let me know a bit more about what's going on with you, with your job, your family situation." She's telling me as we walked on the streets of San Francisco and upon her mentioning my family I cut her off. 

"Normani, I don't wanna talk about that." 

Well honestly I don't want to tell her why I actually move here and that is to move-on from my wife who passed away two years ago. I really don't like talking about her nor myself to anyone.

We're standing now in front of the gate of that Greek house when all of a sudden a sticky note that was blown away by the wind stuck my pants, damn I removed it and thrown it away but once again the wind blew it and not it's in my arm, stupid paper so I throw it once again. I can't hear Normani anymore I was so distracted by the flying paper that keeps on hitting me. She's some what telling me about an idea that I should stop looking for a few weeks again and tell her about what I really wanted, where I really wanted to live so she can find the perfect abode.

However, the sticky note that I removed a few seconds  ago, was now flying in the air and once again landed all the way straight to my face, what the hell! I removed it angrily to checked what was it and there I saw a written address to an apartment that is for lease with all the contact details and it says it "has an access to the rooftop". Well, this must be a lucky paper I guess that address happened to be just right across the street from where we stand at the moment. I started to walk and gave Normani the flyer and she checked it.

"Hey, well... no. Lauren!" She muttered after I gave her the paper. "Lauren, are you kidding?" She was asking me once more  she was struggling to follow me because she was wearing some high heels but I continued to cross the not so busy streets of this neighborhood. "Wait, Lauren. Look, come on. A place like this, it is long gone by now." She continued to talk but I wasn't listening to her. "No, listen!", she continued, "there's 90 vultures and just one carcass.", but this time she notice that I wasn't really interested to what she's saying and she just said, "All right, fine. I'll call them."

*************

We entered the specified apartment on the flyer as soon as the old caretaker opened its doors. Normani was some how talking on the phone talking to the owners asking for the details of the rent I supposed that's what I"m hearing that they are talking about, well those are none of my concerns it's her job anyway. While I continued to observed the interiors of the apartment. It's cozy good lighting not so modern but it was clean well organized as I observed. 

Well after Normani ended the phone call, she told me that the owner told her that there is no one- year lease and that they only allow month-to-month sublet and it's like for family reasons and that they are very closed-mouthed about it. 

"Wow, what a view!" I heard Normani cut herself whatever she's talking about because I know she saw the reason why I was standing in front of a glass window which was overlooking the whole scenery of the city of San Francisco. And when I realized she's in my back I started walking away again.

I leave her there, I heard her calling my name but I continued to walk inside the apartment. I noticed there was a staircase with good sun lighting which some what was leading towards the rooftop so I trail that one as Normani also following at my back.

I was standing in the edge and I saw a single pot of a flower, it has no leaves but based on my background as a landscape architect I know it was a rose so I tried to water it. I know this flower still has a chance to live. But I was interrupted by Mani once again.

"Wow." I heard the voice of Normani again. "This is... sensational. Oh, my God. And it's got the private access?" She sounded so impressed of the view.

"Well who will not, the rooftop view is amazing you can see the whole San Francisco in here as you can observe. Even though the previous tenant may not do much with it, but, I mean, you really could do something with this this is so spacious. In fact isn't it gorgeous?" She asked me again but I was already on my way down as I shrugged her off and with that she clenched her jaw looking irritated and followed me downstairs. I know I am giving her a hard time already.

Here I was sitting on a red long couch, and I heard Normani walking towards me. "Well, there's a few places in Richmond  that we haven't hit yet", she says to me. But then I cut her off.

"I like the couch." I told her. She looked like she didn't heard what I say because she just gave me a questioning look and said, "The couch?"

"Good couch.", I repeated while nodding my head. And I know for sure she hit a realization.

 "Good couch.", she said to her self with a smirked plastered on her face. Now she knows what kind of apartment that I truly wanted and we actually found it.