“Understood. We’ll try our best to stay away…healthy and accident-free.” For a moment, she wondered if she could bribe the nurse to buy her silence. She shook her head. She’d been watching too many thriller movies lately. She just had to worry about what happened on the job. As long as no one got suspicious, nothing would come of this.
She walked to the elevator at the end of the long corridor. The linoleum seemed to go on forever. She pressed the button and it opened nearly immediately. Two nurses filtered out, followed by a man in a wheelchair.
Nicole rode down to the ground floor and saw Amy in line for food. She made her way through the sea of tables and sat down next to her.
“Hey, how come you didn’t come to my room?”
Amy frowned. “They wouldn’t let me. Protocol and all. That breakfast left me hungry. Listen, they have pancakes. You know that’s my weakness. I want some. What about you?”
“Yeah, I guess.” Nicole shook her head, still working to rattle the cobwebs loose from last night. A part of her still couldn’t believe it had happened, but every time she opened her eyes and saw the stark walls of the hospital around her, reality came rushing back.
There was an entire row of different types of butter and syrups for their sweet desserts. For a place all about health, it seemed to want to kill them in calories on the back end. They looked absolutely scrumptious though, making Nicole think they had two kitchens—one to serve the patients, and the other for the cafeteria.
They sat down and opened their paper-cup coffees. “I’m glad you’re all right,” Nicole said. “I’m so sorry about your car.”
Amy looked down at the table. “Yeah. It’s too bad about that. I’m sure the insurance company will give me a rental, but it’ll be a pain to look for another car. I moved here with that thing.”
“Maybe this isn’t the right time to say, but do you really need a car here? This is New York City, after all.”
“I know. Parking costs are so expensive. I bought the thing with my dad, years ago, and I kept it partly for him. I really should just keep the insurance money and not buy another one.”
“That’s up to you, but I think that would be smart.”
“I didn’t see the cat coming either.”
Nicole winced. “Tell me about it. I should’ve reacted better, though. Saving the cat’s life was important, but not at the cost of yours.”
Amy tapped the table. “Neither of our lives were in danger.”
“Weren’t they, though?”
“We weren’t going that fast.”
“Fast enough to wreck your car.”
Amy placed her hand over Nicole’s. “I probably would’ve done the exact same thing you did. You just happened to be in the driver’s seat. It could’ve happened to anyone.”
But it didn’t, Nicole thought.
“It’s probably a good idea not to talk about what happened last night, especially not at work.”
Now it was Amy’s turn to grimace. “No kidding. They wouldn’t take kindly to stories like this.”
“Especially the big boss.”
“I thought you were my new boss.”
“Not your main one, though. I’d be your project leader, but that’s it. The point is, I don’t want to lose my promotion because of this. It’s already bad enough that I put you in harm’s way.”
Amy framed her hands in the air as if reading a headline. “Newly promoted executive runs into a lamp post on her way to the club to celebrate with drunk friend.” She lowered her hands slowly. “I can see what you mean. Don’t worry. I won’t say a thing.”
“Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me. It’s in my best interest too. I was drunk last night.”
“Tipsy.”
“Still. It looks bad. People might think you drank too.”
“But I didn’t. You know that.”
Amy shook her head. “Of course I do, but they won’t. The average Joe won’t. Most people like a juicy bit of gossip and will think the worst of others. Even with me to back up your story.”
Nicole stabbed her pancake. “People are the worst.”
“Same.”
“Well, you know I have your back, and I know you have mine.”
“Right. Let’s just hope it doesn’t come down to that.”
They shared a cab back home. Commuting together was easy considering they lived in the same apartment building. When Nicole had moved in, she’d put in a good word for Amy, who had followed soon after. It didn’t have many amenities, but the place looked nice and kept the rent reasonable.
When they reached home, Amy made her way to her apartment, and Nicole struggled to find her key. She searched high and low in her bag, but it didn’t seem to be there. She bit her lip. This was turning into the worst week ever.
Amy had a spare key, but she was probably on her way to the shower or heading to bed for rest. For all Nicole knew, she had a headache. She’d never been one to handle her alcohol all that well. It wasn’t like back in college when they could shake it off the next morning.
“Hello,” a voice said behind her.
She turned and saw an athletic-looking man standing at the door across the hall, wearing a T-shirt that said “Miami” across the front. His eyes were green, and he had short, cropped brown hair.
“Hi there.”
“You must be my neighbor,” he said. “Moved in last night. My name’s Branson.”
She felt her whole body tingle as she looked at him. His eyes were piercing, and his smile was subtle yet handsome. She felt like she was in a dream as she stood there and stared for a moment.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Right. Yes. Sorry. I was miles away. I’ve had a rough day.” She slipped her hand to her neck to lift up the edge of her collar to cover more skin. “My friend and I were just out having breakfast this morning. We were talking about work, and I guess I was still turning over ideas in my head.”
As soon as she’d said it, she wished for it back. There was no reason to lie to the guy. She could’ve just left it with her being miles away. That’s it. At least it was practice for when she’d likely have to spin stories at work.
“Don’t worry about it. Sometimes, work follows you home.”
“Yeah.” Her work had never before spilled over into her personal life in such a reaching way. These are unusual circumstances. Once the bruises go away, everything will be fine.
“So…everything else okay? You’ve just been standing here a while. I don’t mean to pry, but I walked downstairs and back, and you’re still here.”
“Oh, I just can’t seem to find my key. It’s nothing. I’m sure I’ll find it soon.”
“Ah. Well, I might be able to help with that. The key guy is on his way to see me in about fifteen minutes. You can wait in my apartment if you want. I’ve got tea and coffee.”
It was better than standing in front of her door. Besides, the last thing she wanted to do was bother Amy. Nicole had done enough by wrecking her car. Amy had more than her share of troubles without adding “Where did you put my spare key” to the list.
“Okay. If you’re sure it won’t be too much trouble.”
“No problem. What are neighbors for?”
She lifted her bag up and over her shoulder, careful not to brush against any bruises. She had on a long-sleeved sweater over her clubbing dress, but she knew she had to look like a mess, with hardly any makeup on and bedhead hair from the hospital. She also wore some sweatpants that Tiffany just happened to have in her car and had loaned her. Nicole didn’t care at this point. Anything to cover up.
He wore jeans and a pair of white sneakers, his jeans following the shape of his body and showing off his lean, athletic frame. Even though he was dressed casually, he was overdressed compared to her. She reminded herself that he was just a guy who lived in her building. Nobody to impress.
“There are boxes everywhere,” he said, “but take a seat on the couch. I’ll bring coffee. Unless you want
tea?”
“No, coffee would be great.”
“Sugar and cream?”
“Yes, please.”
He made his way to the kitchen, and she waited, perching herself on the couch with her knees up to her chest. She reminded herself to relax and let her feet sink down to the floor. Her nerves were still on edge.
Next to her was a lamp swathed in bubble wrap. Her eyes moved to the wall. A surround-sound TV was there already set up—clearly certain items had priority when it came to getting things unpacked. There were also a few pictures on the wall. One was of dolphins under the water, and the other showed whales coming up for air, their wet sides gleaming in the sun.
“You like the ocean?” she asked.
“I’m from Florida, so it’s pretty much a requirement.”
“Having visited there, I believe it. What brings you to New York City?”
“Work. I landed a job trading. The whole Wall Street thing…financial accounts, stocks, securities. All that.”
“That sounds impressive. Are you on the floor? Or the pit? Whatever it’s called.”
“No, I don’t work there, although I’ve visited a few times. I work for a company that deals in stocks, but offsite.”
“Is it exciting?”
“It can be pretty high stress if you let it. I’ve had to schedule in relaxing activities, just to make sure it doesn’t swallow up my life.”
She’d never heard of someone scheduling in their hobbies, but it sounded like a good idea. “So, what do you find works?”
“All kinds of things. I used to surf, but that’s out, so I write in my spare time. Mostly blogs and article stuff. I’m into cryptocurrency too.”
“A lot of that sounds awfully close to work to be considered fun.”
He chuckled. “Okay, so writing about financial transactions over the internet is oddly relaxing to me. I never said I was normal.” He placed the cups down and sat on a nearby recliner. She was surprised to find herself so comfortable around him, mostly because he was fairly down-to-earth for the big city. Probably because he wasn’t from around there. He was casual and seemed to be a genuine guy.
She returned to their conversation just to keep her mind on track. “So, aside from the surfing, what do you miss about Florida?”
“The sun. A bunch of friends down there.” He smiled. “And the commute to the beach is awful here.”
“We have beaches.”
He shook his head. “I mean real beaches, not ones where they bring in truck loads of sand and the water is freezing.”
She paused, not entirely sure if the sand at the beaches around here were fake or not. At least, the sand was real, but might not be native sand.
“You’ve got me about the temperature. They are pretty chilly, even in the summer.”
“Probably something to do with the cross-currents. I’m no expert on it, but I do know when I have to wear a wetsuit.”
“Was moving here hard for you?”
“The flight over was the worst part.” He went into the rest of the story of his trip. There had been multiple mix-ups, and they had almost lost his luggage. Having accidentally double-booked his seat, he had to get moved to another part of the plane next to a mother and a crying baby. The first few minutes, his ears had been ringing from all the wailing, so he’d dug in his bag and found his stuffed alligator—something he kept on his desk at work. The alligator brought a smile to the baby, and he and the mother finally got some peace and quiet. When he arrived back home to his apartment, the first thing he did was drop it into the sink. “I left it soaking for over an hour in soapy water. I figure I owed it that much for saving my hearing.”
They laughed, and she realized she’d forgotten all about her keys for the moment. It felt good to relax for the first time in a while. Even though she was in a stranger’s apartment, she no longer was in any rush to get into hers. The key guy could’ve taken longer and she wouldn’t have minded. Talking to Branson was like chatting with someone she’d known for a while. There were no weird pauses, no awkward feelings. They just seemed to flow.
She also shared her moving experience. An older woman with gold teeth, shocking perfume, and lots of jewelry had been her neighbor on the plane.
“No joke, she brought out a pack of tarot cards and began telling me my future. I couldn’t have stopped her if I wanted to.”
“No way,” he said.
“She even grabbed my palm and read that too. Apparently, I’m going to have a wild adventure with someone mysterious.” She didn’t mention the part about how she’d be getting married within three years—which would put her about a year out at that point—and have four kids. That would be enough to scare any guy off. She shifted her position on the couch. Why am I worried about that with Branson? I just met him. He was a nice guy and all, but still.
He seemed surprised. “Why not?”
“Well, I think I need to find a guy. You know, first thing first.”
“Makes sense.”
She had the feeling he wanted kids eventually. After his story about the baby on the plane, he sounded like he’d be a great dad.
Then there was a knock at the door. “Who is it?” he asked, even as he stood up.
“It’s Charlie. I’m here with keys.”
Branson opened the door, and Nicole joined him. “We’re going to need one for her too,” he said. “She’s in nine hundred, across the hall.”
“That’s not like you to misplace your key,” Charlie said. “I’ll need you to sign for it, and the charge will be added onto next month’s rent. It’s highway robbery, but it’s not my call.”
“Thank you, Charlie,” she said. “That’s fine.”
Charlie handed out two keys to Branson, and after a trip to the office, gave a new key to her too. Apparently, they had a line of spares at the office for this very reason. The steady influx of key fees must be a tidy side business for them. After Charlie collected the signatures, he whistled his way down the hallway. He was the guy who did everything. Electrical work, plumbing, keys, and anything else that was needed by the large apartment building.
Nicole turned her key over in her hand. “Thank you for having me over while we waited. It was nice of you.”
“Maybe you could come over again sometime. Maybe for dinner. What about Wednesday night?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I don’t want to impose.”
“No imposition at all.” He made it all sound casual and relaxed, but there was something in his eyes that made her think he really hoped she’d say yes.
It made her look at him in a different light. She enjoyed spending that short amount of time with him. Maybe dinner wouldn’t be so bad, after all. It had been forever since she’d been on a date with a guy, and she wouldn’t even have to step outside her building.
“Sure, that sounds nice. What time?”
“Let’s say seven. I get home at five-thirty, so that’ll give me enough time to get organized. Just bring yourself. I’ll have everything else covered.
“Are you sure? I could always…”
He waved his hand in the air. “Consider it done.”
“Okay, then…until Wednesday. See you then.”
Then she turned and walked the few steps to her apartment. She needed to recover and think about everything that had happened in the last two days. Maybe she’d binge-watch a TV series or read an interesting novel. Though she suspected she’d end up thinking about her new neighbor instead. It’s just dinner at this point. No need to get too excited about it.
Chapter Three
Moving to the sixth floor of her company was a big event for Nicole. Although she’d miss her usual colleagues, the money was going to create new levels of freedom for her. She’d also finally be in charge of her own team. She had great ideas, and she wanted to see how her new team could perform.
She surveyed her new office. There was a big desk and modern furniture, so clean and sleek and new. She was in awe of it all. It looked professional—ev
en the fake plant along the wall looked elegant. She wasn’t used to being an executive yet, but it was certainly growing on her.
The phone rang, and she pressed the button to open the line. “Nicole Robbins speaking,” she said, adjusting the scarf she wore around her neck. No one could see the bruising on her arms thanks to her jacket, and she’d worn a scarf too, just in case there was an angle that let others see the one on her neck. Needlessly to say, she was sweating underneath. The air conditioning couldn’t keep up with all those layers.
“Hi, Nicole. Carl Garner. How are you?”
“Oh, doing fine, Carl. What can I do for you?”
“I’m impressed with the advertisement you created for my firm recently. You did that one where the guy runs out of shampoo and his girlfriend puts our product in the shower for him.”
“Of course I remember. That was a fun one to put together.”
“Well, we’ve developed a new line of conditioner, so I was hoping you’d create something for that. Maybe the girlfriend puts that in there too.”
“I could work with that. Maybe the girlfriend hands him the conditioner, even though he’s already done and dressed.”
“Oh, I like that better. And then he has to get back in the shower again.”
“And he comes out looking like a Greek god.”
“See, I knew you were perfect for this. Can you get the same actors so it’ll flow well?”
“I’ll look into it and call you back this afternoon. Will that work? I’m sure I have your number in my contacts list.”
“Absolutely. Thanks so much. After a month of running it our sales have doubled for the quarter. It’s like magic for our bottom line, and my boss is thrilled.”
“That’s great news, Carl. I’ll get right on it. Talk to you soon.”
Sure that nobody could see her, she did a little happy dance in her office and then flicked through the contact list for a very different number.
The receptionist at the modeling agency answered with their usual greeting. “How may I help you?”
“It’s Nicole Robbins. Can I speak with Suzette?”
“Yes, she’s right here. One moment please.”
Cover Up Page 2
