I land at about nine the next morning. An hour later, I have finally gotten through customs. I hail a cab and head to the apartment. Another hour later, and I'm finally home. I won't stay for another day. I look at my phone to see that the movers are half an hour away. I go inside to meet the manager. He is with a lady whom I assume is a tenant here. I grab my suitcase and wheel it to one of the benches; she is tall and slender, somehow still managing to have a perfect hourglass figure. Her hair is blonde, cut short, and curly. I sit on the bench waiting for my turn. Her gaze moves toward me, and her face lights up like I'm a long-lost relative. She grabs the manager's hand and makes her way toward me. I stand up to greet them.
"Hi, my name is Christina Maverick. I stay in apartment 3A; if you ever need anything, it is nice to meet you finally. Mrs. Smith has told me a lot about you." She reaches out an eager hand, she's a little colorful for me, but I take her hand anyway.
"I'm Shadow Heart, the pleasure is mine." She beams.
"I'm the building manager, and please call me Chris. I'll give you the tour. This is the lobby; that far wall over there is where your letters and small mail will come, we will your packages will be delivered to your home." I follow him across the lobby and around the corner. Here's the elevator and the stairs are at the end of the hallway to your right." We get in the elevator and he pushes the three. I take a moment to check and see how far out the movers are, twenty minutes. The elevator dings, and we climb out. Mrs. Smith said your movers were allowed to use the elevator for large furniture and she told me to tell you a surprise." I frown as he hands me the keys, the key, a spare, and to the garage.
"Why would I be surprised?" I question.
"She wouldn't tell me in case you asked sorry." My phone buzzes. It's the movers.
"It's ok; you can tell the movers to start bringing everything up," I say, sliding the key in the door.
"Yes, ma'am." He says headed towards the elevator.
"Thank you!" I shout before the elevator shuts, I turn my key and enter my new home. My jaw drops to the floor when I see what she meant. It's done, completely furnished, I walkthrough. The hallway I enter leads to the living room. I turn to my left to see the kitchen, and there's actually a dining room. I turn right out of the dining room and find myself in a laundry room. Mrs. Smith said that I wouldn't be disappointed. I exit the laundry room on the right of the living room. There is a hallway at the end of it. There is a bathroom at the very back and a bedroom in the room to the left. There is a staircase to the right; the master bed and bath are at the end of the hallway; there are two more rooms and another bathroom. This place is perfect. There's a knock at the door I guess I won't make it to see my bed or bathroom till later. I run downstairs and open the door.
"Good afternoon ma'am." We thought we'd start with the boxes in case you haven't figured out where you want the big stuff." I step back, and the four men pile in with trollies full of boxes; my drivers hand me the keys to my cars.
"You guys can stack them all on the far corner on the other side of the couch. You guys don't have to, but if you grab the boxes out of the cars, they are fragile." They nod and head back down the hall to the elevator—my phone rings. I start unpacking as I answer. "Hello."
"Hi honey just wanted to see how you were settling in?"
"Just fine mom, I really just got here and the movers even later than me."
"So I suppose you're busy?" I blow in frustration as I take the few boxes I had for the kitchen, which I had bought and boxed up when I started planning the move.
"Just a little mom." I hear her sigh. "What is it?" I say, still unpacking.
"Your dad came and picked up his things last night."
"And you sound sad. Why?"
"He also gave me the papers." She begins to cry.
"Mom, you wanted this correct?"
"Yes but, I didn't think it'd hurt this much."
"It doesn't hurt that's guilt eating at you now. In few weeks, you'll be over it, if not before then, with your unlimited supply of manly comforts."
"I - I just feel so bad." I sigh heavily.
"You did it. There's nothing that you can do now; you stopped loving him years ago. So why do you feel bad."
"I don't know."
"Mom we're done here I have things to do. Love you." I hang up and continue putting things away. I do call and cancel the reservation.
"Ma'am, we are all done with the boxes."
"Follow me, the stuff you guys took out the little room goes in here. Just put in anywhere." I point to the room downstairs. I lead them to the master bedroom, and the stuff from the bedroom goes here." We head back downstairs.
"Ma'am?" One of the men who drove my car says.
"Yes."
"If you don't mind I'd like to get the stuff out of your cars for you."
"Yes you can, thank you."
He blushes. "Not a problem." I get back busy with unpacking; when the guy who's taking the stuff out of my cars comes back, I tell him to put the boxes in my bedroom. Once I've finished unpacking the things from home, I go upstairs and grab the boxes of kitchen appliances I had delivered here. Once I get downstairs and set the boxes down, I re-tip the men for being so caring with my things and go back to work. Three hours later I finally have everything unboxed and mostly put away, I have my office completed there are only the bedroom and the bathroom left so I head upstairs to finish up, another two hours later I have finally finished with everything. I told myself I'd wait till the morning, but I'm hungry to the market I go. Once I return, I fix something to eat, shower, and call dad.
"Hey, honey."
"Hi, daddy."
"How are you settling in?"
"Pretty good actually I love the apartment it is absolutely beautiful. The neighbors are nice so far."
"That's wonderful when do you start work?" He questions. Here we go.
"Not for a few weeks at least, could be longer depending on how long it takes my last job to send my credentials."
"So what are you planning on doing until then? I hope you plan on safely going out and having a good time for once."
"Dad for the millionth time I do go out."
"So, what do you plan on doing?"
"Making the apartment home and spending some of that money you've been giving me all these years."
"So still not a chance you'll get a boyfriend, huh?"
"Jeez, dad I don't know I doubt it."
"I want lots of grandbabies, and you are my only heir, so what are you waiting for? How bout a friend at least?"
"I don't know, a guy who thinks about more than getting his dick wet. Friends require a certain ingredient that I seem to lack."
"Now I remember why I stopped asking you to get married. You make friends sound like marriage."
"Friendship preps you for marriage. You'll always have that person; it's the same in marriage with one big thing in common they most likely fail in the end. Don't even start I have had enough experiences of both to know we're not compatible, for whatever reason."
"Honey, I have a beep. Can I call tomorrow?"
"Anytime, dad night."
YOU ARE READING
The Bad Boy across the hall
Romance"You know what I have enough of you two acting like children and I'm stuck acting like the parent. You guys are always down each others throats and I have had enough of it, I'm moving out!" I shout and storm up to my room. Shadow Heart is an twenty...
