Page 39 of OneTime Lovers
“Great, I really appreciate the effort. Now I probably should be going. I guess I’ll speak to you soon.”
As I turn to go, I remember I don’t have her number, so I spin back toward her, making her jump at the suddenness. “Sorry I forgot to ask––can I have your cell number? You know, in case I think of anything else I might need to add to the list of requirements.”
I quickly type in the number as she recites it, then send her a text, so she has my number too.
“All sorted. We now have each other’s numbers so you can contact me any time day or night. I’ll see you soon.”
Leaning in close to her body, I place my hand on the small of her back as I give her cheek a quick kiss, wishing I could capture her lips instead. Then turning away again, I say goodbye to the rest of our friends and leave with the promise of meeting Blake and Luke later in the week for a beer.
On the short walk back to my hotel, I congratulate myself on a job well done. I managed to add Jasmine’s name as the newest contact in my phone and secure another chance to see her.
Chapter 19
Jasmine
WhenScottleavestheapartment, I feel for the first time that I can finally relax. Ever since Cassie warned me yesterday that Scott was coming to New York and would be at the dinner, I’ve been on edge.
His arrival in Manhattan yesterday was a lot sooner than I thought. I figured I had at least a few months before we would have to face each other again.
As I finish off my glass of champagne, which is now flat and too warm, I catch Cassie’s eye from across the room. She mouths the wordsare you okay,and I nod in response. Well, at least for the moment I’m okay.
Till I next have to see Scott, and show him around Manhattan apartments, pretending that I don’t want to sleep with him again.
More sex with Scott would be dangerous to my heart. I don’t need another playboy type messing up my life. The next guy I date seriously, is going to be stable, sensitive, attentive, and not someone who collects women like trophies on a mantelpiece. Not that Scott said anything along those lines, but when I finally got around to googling him, it was obvious he has an active social life in Florida. Lots of beautiful women, no two pictures showing the same woman.
Cassie joins me at the window with a fresh glass of chilled champagne.
I smile gratefully then taking the glass, I drink it down in one delicious series of bubbly gulps. “Thanks, I needed that and maybe even something stronger.”
“What happened with Scotty? If he has said something to upset you, this will be the last dinner party of mine he’ll ever be invited to.”
My friends are the best, and I feel a wave of gratitude wash over me.
“It’s okay, Cass, he didn’t say anything to upset me. Honestly, he was really nice to me all night, nicer than I was to him.”
I look out the window at the city beyond, feeling guilty about how snappy I was with him over dinner and when he asked me to help him find an apartment.
“So why do you look upset?” she asks.
A good question that I don’t really have an answer to at this point. So instead of answering, I begin to tell her about Scott wanting to buy an apartment in Manhattan and how he wants me to show him around. It’s obvious this is exciting news to her as she calls Luke over and tells him.
From the look on Luke and Blake’s faces, this is a surprise to them too. That’s interesting as I would have thought Scott would have discussed this with his two best friends before asking me to help him.
Two Days Later
Everything is organized for Scott’s property viewings today. Now I just wish we were done already.
I think my team has come up with a good selection of two-bedroom apartments for him. Normally this search would take at least a week to prepare for viewings, but Scott was adamant he was only here for five days this visit and needed to move quickly.
His list of requirements wasn’t huge but made the search a little more challenging and narrowed down the possibilities. I texted him a few times to confirm the must-haves and as he promised he was quick to respond, almost as if he was waiting for my text.
I flick back through the four listings I plan to show Scott today, and one more time run through the pros and cons of each. There is the two-bedroom high-rise condo on the west side with expansive views of the Hudson River. I think Scott will love the pool and gym in the building and the view from the apartment as on paper it sounds a bit like his condo in Florida, but I think it’s probably too far from his friends.
The second apartment in a thirty-five-story Upper east side residential tower is close to Luke’s place, but all the rooms are a bit on the small side. In particular, the kitchen is tight. I don’t know if Scott likes to cook or not, but either way, he’s a big guy who needs space.
Number three is in a Midtown modern building. A large, beautiful apartment handy to everything, including Blake’s place, but there’s no green space nearby. It’s probably a bit too industrial for Scott, who loves being outdoors and isn’t really used to living in big cities. Something he mentioned to me in the Bahamas.
Apartment number four is my favorite, but then I’m biased as it’s only a couple of blocks from my place in the Village. Of course, this is the biggest negative for me as I don’t really want Scott living in the same neighborhood. However, my professionalism prevents me from leaving it off the viewing list. As Dad always tells me, don’t mix business with pleasure. The apartment is a block from Washington Square Park and is spacious and light. But the thing I think he’ll love the most is it comes with outdoor space. In fact, this was the only apartment I could find with outdoor space, and my team spent a couple of hours checking. I can only hope Scott will like one of the first three apartments and I won’t even have to show him this one.
