by Anthology
“Not avoiding—okay, well, maybe just a little. Oh, there’s the doorbell—that’s our dinner.”
She got up and followed behind him. He handed her the bags from the delivery guy and while he paid the man, she took the food to the dining room table and started going through it all.
“How did you know I loved Chinese?”
“Just lucky, I guess.”
Zayn grabbed plates and silverware from the kitchen and they took a few minutes to make their plates. She wasn’t sure if they would eat at the table, so she waited to see what he wanted to do. When he went to sit down in the chair next to the sofa, he put his plate on the coffee table and scooted the chair closer.
“Come on, pull up a couch.”
His laugh was infectious and every time he smiled she could see dimples appear on his tanned cheeks. She sat her plate down but couldn’t move the sofa closer to the coffee table, so she put the plate on her legs and started to eat.
“Oh, wait.”
He put his plate down and stood from the chair to move the table closer to her.
“How’s that? Close enough?”
“Yep, that’s perfect, but you didn’t have to do that.”
“It’s not like you can move the couch—or hey, maybe you can but this was easier.”
He shrugged his shoulders and moved his chair up snug with the table and began eating again.
“Thanks for this.”
“My pleasure. We can’t not eat and if you agree to help me, it’s the least I can do.”
“Yeah, speaking of helping you…are you going to tell me what help you need?”
He was trying to avoid having the actual conversation as long as he could because the banter between them was easy. Zayn was afraid of upsetting the mood if he told her about the tentative plan to tear down the building because he feared it might make her mad. He didn’t want to ruin the friendship he felt like they had started. He also noticed she wasn’t letting him out of it. No matter how many times they had been distracted, by his doing or otherwise, the conversation kept coming back to it. When he’d considered the thought earlier in the day, she wasn’t part of the equation—none of the tenants were—so it was easier to disassociate. She made the situation a little more real.
“Okay, Jenna, I’ll tell you, but first can you promise me something?”
“I’ll try my best.”
“I want you to try to keep an open mind.”
“Gosh, that only sounds a little ominous. I’m not so sure I want to hear what you have going on in your head.”
“Well, it’s not all bad—just hear me out.” He hesitated for seconds to gather his nerve. “I would like to tear down Terrace Gardens.”
“What? Have you gone crazy?” Jenna angrily pushed off the couch and paced around the living room before she ended at the wall of windows looking over the city.
He fought the urge to go to her, but his heart ruled out. He approached and put a hand lightly against her shoulder.
“I’m sorry to shock you with that. I promise it’s not crazy and neither am I. Will you hear me out?”
She turned to face him, their breath mingling.
He’d had other women in his intimately personal space but this one made the air around them pop with electricity. He placed his palms on each of her upper arms and squeezed gently before he let his hormones do the thinking for him and leaned in to kiss her. For fear of getting slapped he pulled away and considered her eyes. He didn’t see anger anymore but passion instead. Zayn hadn’t planned on kissing her in the first place. It wasn’t the professional thing to do, but now he wanted even more and she wasn’t pulling away. His hands squirmed their way into her hair, bringing her head closer and her lips back to his.
He couldn’t get enough of her, couldn’t stop touching as his hands moved from her head down across her shoulders to roam her body. Her skin was silky smooth in all the right places and as his hands moved under her shirt, he felt goosebumps form as her entire body shivered.
“Are you alright?” he whispered against her lips.
Her eyes fluttered open and connected with Zayn.
“I’m okay.” But she took a step away from him.
Zayn was bereft. He wanted her close again. But it was wrong. She was his tenant. There must be some rule somewhere that it was unacceptable or unprofessional. She knew it too. Why else would she have moved away from him?
“Jenna, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have…”
“Don’t be sorry, I’m not.”
Really? Then why did you move? “You’re not?”
She left him where he stood and sat back down on the couch.
“You’re amazing, but I think we’re moving a little fast. I’m also not up for a one-night stand. I’d much rather have someone that’s in it for the long haul, as corny as that sounds.”
“Not corny, quite the contrary, I respect the hell out of that. You might be surprised, but one night stands really aren’t my thing. I know that in my line of work, as one who makes a lot of money at least, there is a stereotype. Money, booze, and fast women. That’s what single billionaire men do with their time outside of the office but that’s never been me, either. I don’t drink much and when I do, it’s usually a beer. I hate champagne, but I stomach it for charitable events. I do have a lot of money, but I try hard not to let it go to my head and I’ve never been one for women that are only after one thing.”
Jenna’s eyes locked with his, a bold statement all on its own. “Your money.”
“Yes. Makes me ill the things some women will do—and trust me, I’ve seen and met my fair share.”
“Well, I know you don’t really know me, but that’s not who I am. I’m not one of those women. I am curious to know what your plan is for all the tenants of Terrace Gardens, though. I like my quiet little apartment but if it’s not safe, I need to start looking for a new place to live.”
“Trust me when I say I would not put any of you out on the streets. Part of my plan was to move everyone to any unoccupied units in my other buildings. The tear down would be quick but the rebuild would take some time.”
“Yeah, but I really doubt any of those people can afford to live anywhere else.”
“I do know that. Like I said, that building is special to me and I’m aware there are a lot of low-income families there. I wouldn’t charge them any different than what they are currently paying, and I am also prepared to cover all moving expenses. This change might even save the tenants money. The other buildings are so much more efficient than Terrace Gardens.”
“Okay, I get what you’re doing and why you want to do it, but what do you need me for?”
Zayn grabbed the pile of files from the table and went to sit beside her on the couch.
“I was hoping you could help me go through these files and compare what tenants need versus what units I have available. I could be at this all night by myself.”
“Ah, I see. You want me to do your dirty work.”
“It sounds so bad when you say it like that. I was just hoping for some help. Obviously, if you hadn’t been here, I would have to do it myself, so I won’t hold you to anything. You are free to go home. At least your air works now.”
She looked at him for a few minutes, presumably thinking over her answer.
“You did buy me dinner so I won’t leave you high and dry. As long as it doesn’t take all night and I can get myself to work tomorrow, I’ll help you.”
“Thank you so much. I really do appreciate the help. I promise it won’t take forever.”
“Okay, give me the stack of tenants and I’ll go through them. You can go through the building paperwork and see how many apartments you have available. That sound okay?”
“I can deal with that. How about a drink? We could be at this for a while.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Jenna woke to the smell of coffee. Except she knew she hadn’t made any because she never makes it the night before, not since she lived at home with her par
ents. She didn’t even have a coffee maker she could program. She forced her eyes open and realized she wasn’t in her own bed, didn’t recognize the room. After a glance around, the furnishings became familiar. She was in the billionaire’s bedroom. What had she gotten herself into?
“Morning, Jenna. I thought I heard you stirring in here.”
“Zayn, why am I in your bed?”
She sat up, only then realizing when the covers fell that she wasn’t dressed. She looked alarmingly at him.
What the hell?
His eyes perked up before he gained his composure.
“Okay, wait. Before you start making accusations, you undressed yourself, but I did offer to help.”
He revealed the hint of a smirk before he was all seriousness.
“So, why don’t I remember doing that?”
She wrapped the blanket firmly around her body so there was no skin showing. While he was talking she glanced around the room looking for a clock, or her phone even. She had no idea what time of the day it was, and she had to be at work.
“Well, you did have a little bit to drink.”
“I don’t ever drink. Or at least hardly ever.” She placed her hand on her forehead and shook her head. “Oh my god, this is so embarrassing.”
“No need to feel that way, I had a little more than usual as well.”
“Okay, but why did I take my clothes off? Did we…?”
“No, we didn’t. I have a little more respect for you than that. I’m not a monster. I don’t take advantage of women like that.”
“Well then, you’re in the minority. Where are my clothes?”
“You spilled wine on yourself, so I washed them.”
“You…washed my clothes?”
“Yeah, I’m not helpless. I do have a washing machine and know how to use it.”
“Well. Alrighty, then. Sorry I underestimated you.”
“Let me go grab them. I’ll shut the door and give you some privacy.”
Zayn disappeared, closing the bedroom door behind him. She couldn’t deny it, he wasn’t like other suits she’d met in the city. He was more real, down to earth, and had a level of respect for others that surprised her. She felt bad grouping him in with all the other stereotypical billionaires—not that she knew many.
She pulled the blanket along with her as she walked into the bathroom. When she heard a knock, she stood behind the door and yelled out into the room.
“Coast is clear, you can come in. I’m in the bathroom.”
“Just leaving your clothes on the bed for you. I’ll be out in the kitchen when you’re ready. Towels are in the closet.”
She waited for the door to click shut again and cautiously emerged. Jenna threw the blanket on the bed, grabbed her clothes, and rushed back to the bathroom. The least she could do was take a shower. If she went in to work in the same clothes as yesterday, it would be like doing the walk of shame only she hadn’t done anything. Her co-workers wouldn’t ask questions or wait for an explanation before the rumor mill would spread through the office like wild fire.
While she stood under the waterfall, she basked in the immense water pressure that her apartment did not have. The hot water didn’t dissipate after three or four minutes, either. It would be a pleasant change to be moved to another apartment while her new one was being built. He was generously offering to move everyone—no questions asked—and not make them pay more. She knew there were one or two elderly couples living solely from their social security and they didn’t have much else. He would be a literal godsend to them.
When Jenna finally came out of the bathroom feeling like a newer version of herself, there was a set of folded clothes on the bed and a note.
Ran down to get the newspaper at the front desk. Thought you could use these. Wouldn’t want you to do the walk of shame into your office.
“Seriously?”
She lifted the shirt, amazed that it was pure silk and her size. The skirt was the same, only a different color and he’d even found matching shoes in her size. Seemed like he’d spared no expense—but that shouldn’t surprise her with his vast amount of money.
“When did he have time to do all this? I wasn’t in the shower that long.”
She went back to the bathroom one more time to change into the clothes he’d left for her, which were a hundred times nicer than the outfit she’d worn to his house. After she buttoned the blouse, she took a minute to look at her new appearance in the mirror.
“Who are you?”
Jenna didn’t recognize the person looking back at her. She never bought those kinds of clothes because she couldn’t afford them, even with her decent-paying job. She could get used to them, though. The silk glided against her skin effortlessly, but she would not like to see the price tag attached. She collected her old clothes from the floor, looked around to make sure she’d grabbed everything, and left his bedroom. She must have left her phone out where they’d been working the night before.
She followed the smell of coffee down the hallway but when she got to the kitchen, Zayn hadn’t returned yet. He’d left an empty cup out on the counter for her, so she filled it and went to stand in front of the windows overlooking the city.
“God, this is such an unbelievable view.”
“It is pretty spectacular, isn’t it?”
“Oh my gosh, you scared me. When did you come in?”
“Sorry to startle you. My front door is super quiet since I oiled the hinges.”
“Don’t you have someone to handle that at this building?”
“Yeah, but I’m not helpless. It was something simple, so I just took care of it myself.”
“I can’t blame you because that’s how I feel about my apartment building, too. Anything to keep Frank from coming to my door for anything. Speaking of creepers, what will you do about him?”
“That’s a good question. He has an apartment in Terrace Gardens, too—but only because he’s the maintenance man for the building. Honestly, I’d rather not keep him on in that position even though I don’t necessarily like to fire people. He just hasn’t been doing his job, so that’s an issue. All my other buildings already have that position filled and it’ll be a while before the new building is ready.”
“I know what I’d do, but it’s not my decision.”
“You’d get rid of him, huh?”
“You bet. I couldn’t in good conscience keep someone like him around when he makes all the female tenants uncomfortable.”
She glanced at the time and realized if she was going to make it to work, she’d need to leave right then. “I’m sorry to drink and run but I need to get to work. It’s a longer transit from here than my building.”
“Oh, I’ll take you, if that’s okay. I need to get going, too. Just let me change and I’ll be ready. You look good in that outfit.”
He smiled as he walked away.
Not one time had Zayn ever had to buy clothes for a woman, except for his foster mom. And even then, there was quite a difference in size and what they each wore so it didn’t really count. Thank god he’d looked at the particulars before he went because he wouldn’t have had any clue about Jenna’s size.
When he walked into the bathroom, her luscious scent assaulted every part of his body, had him melting on the spot. How could she use his shower essentials and make the room smell so much different than when he used them?
It didn’t really matter, he didn’t have time to worry about it. She needed to get to work so he did what he needed to do, then dressed quickly.
“Sorry that took me so long, I hate picking out what to wear every day.”
“Do you have that many suits to choose from?”
“Believe it or not, I do. I used to like having a choice but anymore, it’s just tedious. I wish I could wear jeans and a T-shirt to work.”
“Well, you own the company, right? Why don’t you? There’s nothing wrong with being casual and comfortable. As far as I’m concerned, you would be the one to set the prec
edent in your office and what you say goes. I only wish I didn’t have to dress up so much since I sit at my desk all day.”
“Do you ever see clients in your office?”
“I do occasionally, but they only usually see my top half. My boss just likes us to be two hundred and ten percent professional all the time, so I don’t really have a choice. I’m sure all my other co-workers would love to dress down, but she’d never allow it. If it were my company, I’d definitely change things, including that.”
The phone buzzed, and Zayn picked up the receiver, didn’t say hello but just thanked someone and hung it up.
“Our car is here if you’re ready to go?”
“Let me just grab my purse.”
She folded the clothes she’d laid on the dining room table and placed them in her purse where she’d dug and found her phone.
“I can’t believe I went all night without my cell. That’s unheard of.”
“Guess you didn’t have any crisis to deal with, huh?”
“Guess not.”
She smiled and walked toward the door. He grabbed his wallet and keys from the counter, and his suit jacket from the chair, opened the door and stepped aside for her to go first. While they walked to the elevator, he contemplated telling her the other news he had. When they stepped inside, he pushed the lobby button and moved to rest against the back of the car.
“Ok, what’s wrong?”
“Who says there’s anything wrong?”
His brow wrinkled, and she moved toward him, using her finger to smooth over the skin on his forehead. Her touch sizzled.
“I can tell from your face you’re having a conflict with yourself.”
If she could tell he was conflicted, she’d have to be psychic—or he was just that transparent. The latter, more than likely. He was never able to hide anything from his foster parents and that would also explain why Jerry always knew what he needed before he asked.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about us kissing last night. It’s been on my mind since that very moment. I think I even dreamt about it.”
