by Ivy Jordan
I handed him a ten and a five, opened the door, and stepped out onto the cobblestone sidewalk. The tall, red-brick building was scrunched between two others that looked just like it. A wide set of stairs led to a pristine white door with a majestic gold, curved handle. Thick, gold numbers hung on the brick, slanted to read 582. “This can’t be right,” I whispered to myself, taking a deep breath before ringing the doorbell.
The chimes sounded, echoing a tune that was familiar. Stairway to Heaven?
I stood there for what felt like an eternity, waiting for someone to come to the door. I was certain it was the wrong address, or that Lark had misunderstood the rent amount.
I heard shuffling on the other side of the door, and then it opened. Theo was sliding a t-shirt over his head, and my eyes couldn’t help but notice the rippled abs as the material fell over them. Holy shit!
“I’m sorry. I was getting in a quick workout,” he boasted.
Yeah, perfectly timed to show off his body to me.
I tried to act unimpressed, even though the tingle between my legs was stating otherwise. “That’s cool. I thought I had the wrong place. Was that Stairway to Heaven?” I was rattling.
“Right place, and yes. I had it custom made,” he smiled. “I’m sorry. Come in,” he said, moving from the doorway and motioning me inside.
I hoped my nerves weren’t visible, but the heat on my cheeks told me they most likely were. “Thank you,” I said softly, walking past him and taking in the scent of his testosterone and whatever cologne he was wearing before he started his workout.
The place was impressive, too impressive for what he was asking. I must’ve gotten bad information from Lark. I stood on white granite at the entry, staring out at the large main room. A spiral staircase swirled with curves so unique they made me dizzy to follow, and a large hall opened into what looked to be the kitchen. The only thing that seemed properly in place was the pool table in a room to the right that had large French doors, most likely an office or den. Everything else in the home looked too stylish for a bartender, a man, a musician. “This place is amazing,” I stammered, my mouth still hanging open in awe. “I’m not sure I can afford the rent here,” I admitted, feeling stupid for wasting his time.
“Didn’t Benny tell you the amount?” he asked.
“Benny told Lark, but I think she may have forgotten a zero at the end,” I laughed.
“What did she tell you?” he asked.
“Eight-hundred,” I said softly, feeling the number was offensive.
It wasn’t the best neighborhood. I mean, it wasn’t Madison Avenue, but it was still the Upper West Side. I’d priced studio apartments in the city, ones that were not even large enough for a full-size bed, that were triple that amount.
“That’s what I’m asking. Is that too much?” he asked.
I shook my head, unable to speak. I swallowed hard, realizing it was loud enough that he probably heard.
“Good,” he smiled.
“That just seems really low,” I said, looking around the large home.
“Well, that’s what it is,” he grinned.
My shoulders loosened staring at him. His smile was amazing, too amazing. He had to know what effect he had on women, on me. Of course he did; he was a musician, a conceited rocker, a womanizer, just like my ex. I could see it in his beautiful blue eyes.
“Let me show you around,” he said, clearing his throat.
I followed him around the place, starting with the main room. “I’m never in here,” he admitted. The large sectional looked like a pile of clouds that you could get lost in while watching movies on Lifetime. “I could live in here,” I laughed.
Next, he showed me the den, where his pool table was the focal point of the room. There were a couple rock band posters on the wall, but not much else. “This is where I have a beer and cool off after a show,” he smiled.
He led me through the large hall and past the spiral staircase, showing me a closet, a half bath, and a pantry on the way to the kitchen. “Another room I’m never in,” he laughed.
I stared at the granite countertops, the beautiful crystal light fixtures that dangled like diamonds from the tall ceilings, and the island complete with sink, stove top, and two cute bar stools next to the counter space. “Do you cook?” he asked.
I shook my head. I wished I did.
He showed me the laundry room, which was piled with dirty clothes, and then opened a door off the kitchen that led to a small gym. This must be where he worked up that deliciously dangerous scent that oozed from his body.
“You would be welcome to use the gym anytime you wanted. Benny never did, the fat, lazy bastard,” he laughed, obviously being playful about his friend’s lack of interest in fitness.
“Out here, there’s a small patio, and a narrow ladder to the roof. I don’t recommend using it, though. Safer to get to it from upstairs,” he said.
I peeked out the kitchen door to a small brick patio. A worn table with a missing glass top sat in between two less-than-impressive chairs. “That’s cool,” I said, trying not to show my excitement. A patio, the roof? Eight-hundred dollars? I was beaming inside.
“Okay, I know it’s only the second time we’ve met, but would you like to see the bedrooms?” he asked with a smirk so hot it burnt my cheeks.
“I usually don’t move so quickly, but sure,” I laughed.
Oh my God, was I flirting? Stop it, Willow.
He walked to the staircase and then stopped, motioning for me to go first. I took the first step, and then the next, until finally realizing that he was probably only wanting to check out my ass. My steps started to move quicker, making it to the top of the stairs in what felt like record time. “Okay. Straight down the hall is my room,” he said softly.
That tingle between my legs returned, and my panties started to cling to my skin. “That is a bathroom,” he said, pointing to the door on the left.
As I walked by, I peeked inside. It wasn’t very big, but it was clean. “There’s no tub, but the shower has some amazing jets,” he informed me, lifting his eyebrows high on his forehead as he spoke.
I missed having a tub, but the jets did have me intrigued. Were we sharing a bathroom? I wondered.
“Your room would be right here,” he said, taking a step ahead of me and opening the door just past the bathroom and across the hall.
The room was larger than I expected it to be, and had a window that overlooked the sidewalk. “At night, you can see the city light up,” he said.
There were boxes everywhere, and clothes strewn all over the king-sized bed. I was excited to finally sleep in a real bed, and not the worn, itchy couch that poked springs into my sides where I lived in estrogen hell.
“Benny will be getting the rest of his stuff this week. I have to help him move the bed,” he said, crushing my dream of sleeping on what looked to be the softest bed in the entire world.
“Okay,” I said softly, masking my disappointment with a smile.
It’s okay. I’ll buy my own bed. I have some money saved.
I walked deeper into the room, staring out the window and imagining what it’d be like to see the city lights while I edited my photos at night. Heaven. It would be like heaven. Theo’s doorbell sounded in my head. This truly was the stairway to heaven.
“Holy shit!” I said, quickly slapping my hand over my mouth in shame.
Theo moved towards me, smiling, and his eyes dancing as they pushed into me. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing’s wrong. It’s this closet. It’s larger than most apartments’ I’ve looked at,” I exclaimed.
Yes, I was exaggerating, but it was huge.
“It’s not that big. But, hey, good to know you’re easily impressed,” he chuckled, letting his tongue slide to his top lip and linger just long enough for my tingle to return.
“Okay, last room,” he said, moving towards the bedroom door.
I followed him out, and then down the hall towards the door
he said led to his room. “I don’t need to see your room,” I said, hesitating.
“There are two things you may find useful in there,” he said with a smirk.
I stared at him, struggling to figure out if he was teasing, being serious, or coming on to me. “Maybe three, but from your face, I’m gonna stick with two,” he laughed.
His eyes narrowed, creating a cat-eye shape that only made them sexier. “Lighten up. I’m just teasing,” he assured me.
I smiled nervously and followed him to his bedroom. As he opened the door, my heart raced, fearful, maybe excited, about why he wanted me in there, and what would happen next.
“Don’t mind the mess,” he said, picking up clothes from the floor, and tossing them into a basket as he walked inside.
My eyes lingered on his bed, unmade, messy, huge, and plush. The thick mattress stopped at my hip. “Wow. If you date short girls, they’d need a step stool to come to bed,” I laughed.
His laugh echoed through the room, somewhat nervous, possibly just surprised by my candor. “I like my women tall enough to get into bed without help, but not so tall that they don’t have to tiptoe to kiss me. That’s fuckin’ hot,” he sighed.
I could feel myself lifting to my toes to kiss Theo. He was tall, maybe six-foot-five, and I was only five-foot-six. Yes, I would have to tiptoe to kiss Theo. Stop it, Willow. You’re doing it again.
“So, what is it I would find useful in here?” I asked, quickly changing the subject.
“First,” he said, moving towards the back of the room.
His arm stretched outward, motioning me to check out whatever was behind the door he just pushed open. I moved towards him, peeking into the door. We were close, so close. His strong, manly scent was oozing with pheromones.
My eyes shifted around the bathroom, noticing first the messy sink with hair product, cologne bottles, and an assortment of creams all over the counter. I quickly glanced past the toilet, happy that I didn’t have to share with Theo, and then noticed what it was he wanted to show me. “A tub,” I sighed pleasantly.
“Yes. I know how you girls like to take bubble baths. So, you can use it anytime you want,” he said.
I noticed his language was changing from could use, would be able to use, to can use. Was he ready to offer me the place? If he did, was I ready to accept?
“That’s one thing; what’s the second?” I asked, almost afraid he would pull out his cock. That would be something Mac would do. The asshole.
Theo moved to his back wall, pulling open a thick set of curtains that instantly allowed the sun to blast into the room. “I like it dark when I sleep, especially since it’s usually during the day. Blackout curtains are amazing,” he smirked.
A French door was situated in the center of a large window that opened to a small metal platform that looked like a fire escape. “This is the only way to get to the roof in one piece,” he said playfully, flinging open the door and stepping outside.
The metal platform he stood on shook as his weight shifted, causing me to let out a squeal. “It’s safe,” he said, extending his hand for me to take.
“I dunno,” I shuddered.
“Trust me,” he said sweetly.
I took a deep breath, took his hand, and stepped out onto the rickety platform. There was barely enough room for us both. His hands rested on my hips, steadying me as he laughed softly, letting his warm breath hit the back of my neck. “You go first,” he insisted.
I wasn’t afraid of heights, but I’d never been a big fan of them, either. This shaky platform seemed more of a threat than the two metal stairs that led to what appeared to be solid concrete. “Okay,” I sighed, taking the first step.
The stairs rocked a little, or the platform did; either way, it made me squeal. I quickly made the steps, stopping on the concrete platform and taking in a deep breath.
Theo was laughing. His eyes turned almost gray in the sunlight, hypnotizing me the longer I stared into them. “It’s not funny,” I whined playfully.
“I know. It’s just, well, you squeal a lot,” he chuckled.
I rolled my eyes, not pleased with his amusement. “This isn’t safe,” I scorned.
“Sure it is,” he said, taking the two steps without hesitation.
“Go on up,” he said, motioning me towards the final set of stairs. At least these were brick, non-shaky, and offered a railing to hold onto.
At the top, my breath was taken away. We were on the roof, and not just any roof. We were on a roof that overlooked the city. “I bet it’s amazing at night up here,” I sighed.
“It’s spectacular,” he boasted, walking towards me.
There was an outdoor sectional in one corner, the cushions tucked underneath and wrapped in plastic. “What’s that?” I asked, pointing towards a round tub.
“Hot tub,” he smiled.
“Are you serious?” I squealed again, catching it too late to stop it. He laughed.
“Yeah. It’s a great place to just hang out,” he said.
“Yeah. You mean, it’s a great place to seduce the ladies,” I replied with a smirk.
His face told me that was his main intention for the space. I imagined it’d been used dozens of times, hell, maybe even hundreds.
Theo’s smooth charm, bedroom eyes, and intoxicating good looks were enough to get him nearly any woman he wanted, adding the fact he was a bartender, and a musician, well, that took care of the rest. Except this girl. I’d been down that road before, and I wasn’t willing to travel it again.
“I’m not like that. I told you, not all musicians are bad guys. I’ll prove that to you, Willow,” he smiled. There was that smooth charm again, just oozing from his perfect, plump, kissable lips. God, how I wanted to kiss him.
“Sure,” I laughed nervously, fearing that he may, in fact, prove me wrong. Then what?
“Well, it’s a little chilly up here, and you aren’t dressed for the wind. Let’s get you down from here,” he said sweetly.
My arms had started to grow goosebumps from the wind. It was almost spring. I could smell it in the air, see it on the trees, but the sun just wasn’t quite warm enough today for the short sleeves I wore. Another week, maybe two, and I’d be breaking out the shorts.
I let Theo lower to the metal platform first, and then extend his hand to help me. The stairs shook, and then the platform, sending me quickly into his arms to safety. He didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around me, and he didn’t seem too eager to let go once he had me against his chest. “You okay?” he asked. I could hear the laughter fighting to be heard in his voice.
I pulled away, stared up into his eyes, and thought about what he’d said about a woman’s height. If I tiptoed, I could reach his mouth, just barely. Ugh, why did he have to be so damn hot?
Chapter Three
I hated to pull away from the safety of Theo’s strong arms, but I hated myself even more for wanting so desperately to stay snug within them. His demeanor changed as he pulled away, softened somehow, became a bit nervous, even.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
I shrugged, not sure if I wanted to admit I was starving. “Have you eaten lunch?” he asked.
It was already close to three o’clock, but my nerves about our meeting had my stomach twisted, and I was unable to eat. “No,” I said softly.
“Well, since neither of us can cook, you wanna grab a bite at the bar?” he asked.
Now my stomach was really in knots. “I can grab something on my way home,” I stammered.
“C’mon. It’ll give us a chance to get to know one another. Besides, I do have some ground rules if we decide we’re a fit,” he said sternly.
Listening to his voice take the tone of an authority made me giggle. “What?” he asked, his lips curling into a sexy crooked smile.
“Ground rules?” I asked playfully.
“Of course. Ya know, stuff like, you can’t fall in love with me,” he chuckled, then winked.
I smirked, scrunching my nose u
p as I rolled my eyes. “Whatever,” I sighed.
“Let’s go,” he said, almost whining.
“Okay,” I agreed.
Theo pointed to houses as we walked the three blocks to the bar, telling me who lived inside. He knew nearly all his neighbors, which for New York was oddly delightful. “Have you lived here your entire life?” I asked.
“Yes. With my grandma,” he said softly.
I didn’t ask where she was, assuming she’d passed on and left him the home. That at least explained why the rent was so cheap. But he could get a ton more, he had to know that.
“A lot of the people have moved on, but there are still some of the original ones left on the block,” he said, raising his hand to wave to an elderly man on a stoop we passed.
The bar was close to empty, with only a couple sitting in a booth, and three men at the bar arguing over the game on the TV. “Hey, Sal,” he greeted the bartender.
“You workin’ today?” the man asked.
Theo shook his head and smiled. “No, sir,” he said, heading behind the bar to serve himself.
“Light beer, right?” he asked, gripping a pitcher in one hand.
I nodded.
Sal smiled at me, with that kind of smile that insinuated I was a hook-up. I turned away, staring around the large bar, reading the funny signs, glancing at the couple in the booth, and then my eyes landed on the stage. I could picture Theo up there, playing, singing, whatever it was he did in the band. It made the tingle between my legs return, but also made my skin crawl at the thought of him eating up all the attention the groupies threw at him.
“Let’s grab this booth,” he said, moving past me with a pitcher full of beer and two large pilsners in his hands.
He slid into the booth, setting the beer and glasses on the table. I slid in across from him, immediately taking the role of server and pouring our beers.
“Wow, you’ve never poured beer before, have you?” he teased as the head rolled quickly to, and then over, the top of the glass.
I smiled, blushed, and then gripped my glass, quickly pulling it to my lips. “I ordered us a large extreme nacho and basket of chicken wings to share. That’s all they have worth eating here,” he explained.
