His steady gaze met hers. “And I’ve decided to take you up on it.”
“You did? I mean, that’s great.” She hoped.
“The reason it took me so long to get back to you was that I had to push the agreement through legal.”
Legal? He had his lawyers weigh in on their arrangement? Just then he withdrew some folded papers from his inner jacket pocket. Why was she surprised? Everything to him came down to looking out for what was best for his company.
Graham held out the papers. “They’re just waiting for your signature.”
She accepted the papers and stared at them. When she’d proposed the arrangement, she never thought he would take it this seriously.
He leaned back in the chair. “If you want your attorney to look over it, that’s fine. But I can promise you it’s straightforward.”
As she looked at the agreement, she found it was only two pages long and on the second page was Graham’s signature.
“Alina, it’s okay—”
She held up her finger for him to pause. She started to read it, line by line. And she was surprised to find the language was indeed straightforward, so much so that she could easily understand it. There was nothing in it they hadn’t discussed. And the agreement ran from tomorrow through Christmas Eve.
Alina reached for a pen on her coffee table. She signed her name and handed it over. “So you’ll be here tomorrow morning?”
He nodded.
“But you realize you’ll need to stay here.” When his eyes widened in surprise, heat infused her cheeks. “Not here. Not in my apartment. I… I meant here at the Stirling.”
He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs. “Where exactly do you envision me staying?”
She couldn’t let him back out now. Sure, they signed a formal agreement, but she was certain Graham’s legal team could get him out of it. “All of the units are currently occupied. But there’s the building manager’s office. It has a bed in the back as well as a small bathroom.”
He leaned back in the chair as though her words had knocked him off balance. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Well, you live too far away with the congestion of city traffic. If a pipe bursts or there’s a real emergency, you should be close by.” And she needed him to spend some serious time here so he would get to know the residents and learn how special Stirling and its inhabitants were to her.
He hesitated. Was he trying to figure out how to back out of this unusual arrangement? Her body tensed as she waited for his next words.
“Fine. I’ll be back in the morning.” He got to his feet to leave.
The morning? That didn’t give her long to make the manager’s office presentable, but then again it was small, so there wasn’t much to clean.
She glanced up in time to see Graham headed for the door. “Wait.” She rushed after him. “Before you go, I should take you around to meet everyone.”
“Everyone?”
“Sure. There’s sweet Mrs. Hanasey in 504 with her little dog, Louie. And then there is Mr. Jones down in 306. He’s always asking for help with his crossword puzzle. Come on. They’re anxious to meet you.”
“Now?”
“Sure. In the morning, everyone will be rushing around getting ready for work and getting their kids off to school. And we don’t want anyone mistaking you for a burglar, do we?”
He hesitated. “I suppose not.”
And so they set off to all five floors, knocking on door after door. Most people were hesitant but no one was hostile. Thankfully her stepmother and stepsisters had departed on vacation. Hopefully they wouldn’t return before Christmas, but then again, they never checked in with her.
When they stopped outside the building manager’s office, Graham turned to her. “Are you going to show me my new home?”
She resisted the urge to worry her bottom lip. If she were to show him that office in its current disheveled state, she was certain he’d bolt for the door. And she wouldn’t blame him.
“I… I don’t have the key on me.” It was the honest truth.
“Well, it is getting late. It can wait until the morning.”
“Sounds like a plan.” She smiled at him. “You should go. After all, you having packing to do.” And she had to make the office homey or at least as welcoming as possible. Was that even possible?
“You’re right.” Standing in front of her, his gaze met hers. It lingered a moment longer than necessary, making her heart race. “Good night.”
Alina swallowed hard. “Night.”
It was the only word she trusted herself to say. She worried her voice would betray the way his nearness caused her body to heat up with desire. Not that she was planning to act on those urges. After all, he was the enemy. She couldn’t forget that fact.
CHAPTER SIX
AGAINST HIS BETTER JUDGMENT, he’d agreed to Alina’s outlandish request.
And ever since, Graham had been working to streamline his business interactions using Mary as his point person in the office. In the end, he’d had to tell his key people the truth about negotiating an early vacancy of the Stirling—just not the whole truth about being the building janitor. His pride refused to divulge it.
Still, people were impressed he was willing to take this important project on himself and not assign it to an underling. He was certain if they knew the details of his agreement with Alina, they wouldn’t be impressed at all.
With his earpiece in place, ready to pick up all of his office calls, Graham’s chauffeur-driven sedan pulled to a stop outside the Stirling. It was Friday morning at precisely seven a.m. Exactly on time. This was a good way to start things.
On his way in the door, he got precisely three suspicious looks, one hello and one so you really came back comment. He stopped at the building manager’s door. He tried the doorknob but it was locked. Time to visit Alina. There was an added bounce to his step as he headed for the elevator.
However, when he found the elevator was stopped on the top floor, he headed back down the hall and took the steps to the third floor. With his luggage in hand, he paused in front of Alina’s door. He couldn’t help wondering if he’d made the right decision to go along with her plan. Not giving himself time to answer the question, he knocked on the door.
A moment passed before Alina answered, surprise written all over her pretty face. He glanced down, making sure in his rush he hadn’t put on mismatched shoes. Nope. They matched. And he had on pants, a shirt and a coat. He’d remembered everything, even though he’d been distracted all morning with thoughts of seeing her again. Although not in a romantic way, of course.
He raised his gaze. “You look surprised to see me. I did get the time right, didn’t I?”
“You did. I… I guess I’m just surprised you’re really going through with this.”
His brows scrunched together. “Have you changed your mind? Because we have a signed agreement.”
She shook her head. “We’re good. Come in.”
He entered her apartment, dropping his bag by the door. With the morning sun streaming in through her living room windows, the rays bounced off the Christmas decorations, from a snowman wearing a red scarf that was situated on an end table to a crystal bowl in the center of the coffee table filled with shiny red ornaments. The more he looked around, the more he realized the whole room was decked out for the holidays.
“I’ve done a little decorating,” she said.
“A little?” The words popped out of his mouth before he could stop them. It looked like a lot of decorations to him. What else could she possibly add?
As though reading his thoughts, she said, “It’s still missing the Christmas tree, but with trying to balance two jobs, I haven’t had time to get one.” She gestured for him to wait a moment. “Let me grab my shoes and I’ll show you where you’ll be staying.”
Whi
le she finished getting ready, he continued to glance around the apartment. The furniture was old but it was well cared for. The modest living room and kitchen were a bit crowded but otherwise orderly. He wondered if they were always this way or had she gone to the extra effort because she knew he’d be showing up. No, of course she wouldn’t. She didn’t seem to care what he thought of her—and maybe that was what held his interest.
“I’m ready.” Alina approached the door.
He joined her there. When he drew near her, he inhaled a light scent of berries and champagne. It was an interesting combination. Before he could breathe in that intoxicating scent again, she exited the apartment. Disappointment assailed him.
He followed her to the elevator. She was quieter than she’d been in the past, but then again, she’d gotten what she’d wanted—him agreeing to play along with her plan—but if she expected this arrangement to change his mind about tearing down the Stirling, it wasn’t going to happen. The tower and all it implied was just too important.
She pressed the down button and immediately the door slid open. He stepped inside, noticing just how small the elevator was compared to the bank of elevators at the Diamond Building where the Toliver offices were located.
Though rumor said that the Tolivers owned the Diamond Building, they didn’t. And with the building fully occupied, there was no space for the company to expand. As it was, they had employees doubling and tripling in offices. It was getting bad. They needed the new building up and operational as soon as possible.
As the silence dragged on, Graham grew uncomfortable. He said the first thing that came to mind. “I wonder if there’s enough work around here to necessitate me living here.”
A knowing smile lit up her face. “You’ll see.”
Before he could respond, the elevator stopped, the door squeaked open and Alina was on the move again. She paused outside the building manager’s office and inserted the door key. And then she swung open the door.
“Home sweet home.” She stepped aside, letting him enter first.
He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t this. There were no windows in this room. Just one solitary light fixture overhead, which didn’t illuminate the room all that well.
The gray walls were bare. There was an old metal desk with a few dings on the side. Though it had been cleaned off, probably by Alina, it was still not welcoming. It was about half the size of his sleek new desk at his office. There would definitely have to be some adjustments made if he were to work here, and he most definitely needed to work while he was here.
“I know it’s not much,” Alina said, “but I’ve moved most of the clutter to this big walk-in closet.”
He turned around to find a door behind him. He followed Alina inside. A single light bulb hung overhead, illuminating two stepladders, a hot water tank, a couple of shelving units with some home improvement items and an assortment of other items.
“You weren’t kidding about me being the building janitor—”
“Building manager,” she corrected. “Most everything you’ll need should be here. If not, let me know and we can work something out.”
“I think I can manage.”
“There’s one more room to show you.” Alina moved to the back of the unit and opened the door. “This is your bedroom.”
As he stepped into the room, he noticed the minimal furnishings. Beneath a window was a twin bed and next to it was a nightstand with a lamp. Wait. A twin bed?
He hadn’t slept in a bed that small since he was a kid. And to make matters worse, there was a pink comforter with large white polka dots. The pillow propped up against the headboard had a pink pillowcase with a unicorn. He inwardly groaned. He felt like he’d just stepped into a girl’s dormitory.
“I know it’s not fancy like what you’re accustomed to, but I can assure you the entire place is clean. When some of the residents found out what I was doing, they offered to help.”
He drew in a deep breath, smelling a fresh lemony scent. That should have made him feel better, but he still was having a very hard time adjusting to the accommodations. This wasn’t going to do. Not at all. Not for a few weeks. Not even for a few days.
Yet he kept his thoughts to himself. He didn’t want to insult Alina after the trouble she’d gone to. But hopefully she wouldn’t mind him making this unit his own. After all, he did own the building. And he wasn’t accustomed to asking anyone’s permission to do as he pleased. He didn’t plan to start now.
He stepped toward the small bed, barely big enough for his six-foot-three frame. He settled his bag on the end of the bed, causing the comforter to become disheveled. When he went to straighten it, he noticed it was double-sided. The bottom side was gray. Thank goodness. He’d flip it over, problem solved.
Ring-ring-ring.
Graham turned to Alina.
“It’s the phone on the desk,” she said. “I can get it for you.”
He was tempted to take her up on her offer, but he said he would do this and he refused to break his word. “I’m on it.”
He didn’t even want to imagine what problem awaited him. He picked up the phone with a friendly hello. The conversation was short and straight to the point. There was no small talk, just the problem laid out. Was this how his next few weeks were going to be?
“Yes, Mr. Merryweather. I’ll be right there.” Graham hung up the apartment phone.
“What did he want?” Alina asked.
“It appears there’s a leak in his bathroom.”
A smile came over Alina’s face and though Graham already thought she was beautiful, when she smiled, it took his breath away. There was something about this woman that was very special.
“What are you smiling about?” He wondered if he had some breakfast stuck in his teeth.
“Nothing.”
“It’s something.”
“It’s just that I never imagined a big CEO like you would be willing to fill in as the building maintenance guy.” She glanced at her fitness tracker. “I don’t have much time before I have to leave for work, but I can go with you.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got this.”
He hoped. He wasn’t going to mention that he’d been guided to YouTube videos by his assistant. When he’d checked it out, he’d found they had how-to videos on most every subject. He just hoped the tutorials were enough.
“Okay. If you don’t need anything else, I should be going.” She started for the door before turning back. “Oh, I forgot. You’ll need this.”
When she handed over the key, their fingers touched. Her skin was warm and soft. His gaze met hers. There was a spark of emotion in her blue eyes—cornflower blue like the flowers in the sunny field, a place where you could lose track of time—and he could easily get lost in her beautiful eyes. She withdrew her hand and the connection was broken.
As she walked away, he stood in the doorway staring at her retreating form as though hypnotized by the gentle sway of her hips. It wasn’t until she stepped out of sight that he snapped out of his trance. He gave himself a mental jerk. He couldn’t let himself get distracted—no matter how sweet the distraction.
CHAPTER SEVEN
WHAT HAD HE been thinking?
He shouldn’t be here. Being a building manager was way outside of his skill set. How Alina managed it all plus her work at the café was truly impressive. Thankfully his very first job was really quite easy and no YouTube video was necessary. All it took was a few turns of the wrench.
Graham carried the red toolbox into the living room. “All fixed.”
“Thanks,” Mr. Merryweather said from his spot on his brown recliner, a sports station playing on the television while he held a book in his hands. “I used to be able to do those things but I can’t get down on my knees the way I used to.”
“No problem.”
Mr. M
erryweather gazed at him over his reading glasses. “You taking over the maintenance job from Alina?”
“Only temporarily. She’s busy working holiday parties at the restaurant.”
Mr. Merryweather nodded. “Glad to hear she’ll be back.”
“Why’s that?”
“She always has time to talk.” Wasn’t that what he was doing now? Mr. Merryweather continued. “And she usually brings a treat?”
“A treat?”
Mr. Merryweather nodded again. “She makes the best cookies.”
The man really thought he was going to take time out of his busy day to bake? Not a chance. “Sorry. I don’t bake.”
Mr. Merryweather’s face grew serious as his bushy white brows drew together. “Because you’re too busy kicking people out of their homes.”
Ouch. This man certainly wasn’t worried about pulling his punches. Was that why Alina had smiled when he’d told her who was on the phone?
Regardless, he still needed to get through to the man. “Mr. Merryweather, wouldn’t it be nice to get a new place? Maybe one where the plumbing is updated?”
Hmph! “The plumbing here is just fine. And the name is Merryweather.”
“That’s what I said, Mr. Merryweather.”
The man sighed. “There’s no mister. It’s just Merryweather.”
“Okay, Merryweather. I’m no expert but even I can see that the building needs some work.”
Right then Graham’s earpiece buzzed, signaling an incoming call. But whoever it was would have to wait. This conversation was important.
Merryweather frowned at him. “Just because things get old doesn’t mean they should be disregarded.”
Graham opened his mouth and then promptly closed it. He wondered what it’d take to get the man on board with the sale. Because Graham was beginning to realize he was going to have to win over the tenants one at a time.
“You could pick out wherever you want to move.” Graham’s gaze moved to the television. “Maybe somewhere close to sporting events so you could see them in person instead of having to watch them on television.”
Harlequin Romance December 2020 Box Set Page 52
