Page 74 of Eastern Lights

Aaliyah

I knew wealthy people existed.I wasn’t naïve about that fact. I’d seen enough episodes ofKeeping Up with the Kardashiansto know some people live a very different type of lifestyle than I had. Plus, for the past few weeks, I’d lived in Jason’s penthouse. Still, I’d never seen anything like the property I was standing in.

I’d never seen so much luxury in one place, so much…money. When the people began arriving for the showing, I could tell they were the types who could afford a home like that. They moved like wealth, as if they belonged in said home. The level of confidence they oozed inspired me.

Marie always said I had to act more confident in situations, but it was hard for me.

“Fake it till you make it, darling,” she’d say.

I was going to miss her knowledge. I was going to miss her.

Connor handed the reins of the showing off to Damian, who turned into the most well-spoken individual when interacting with potential buyers. That was the first time I’d seen him smile, which was a very nice look on him. He should’ve done it more often.

Yet the moment the buyers turned away from Damian, his smirk would drop and he’d return to his normal somber personality. It was funny how different he and Connor were. Damian was shadows while Connor was light. They balanced one another out nicely, it seemed.

“He’s nervous, but you can’t tell, can you?” Connor whispered as we stood off to the side, taking everything in.

“No. He’s so well-spoken.”

“He can turn it on and charm the life out of anyone. This is the biggest property he’s had to pitch. I have no doubt he’ll have an offer by the end of the day.”

“I think it’s sweet how much you believe in him.”

“He’s a good kid who was given a shitty hand. He deserves a shot at life, and he shows up daily, demonstrating exactly why he is going to take over the world one day.” He brushed his thumb against his nose. “So, shifting gears—how is this whole interview process going to go?”

“Right. I was thinking about the interview and the next steps. I came up with three different topics I’d love to explore for the article. I think it would be great if you took me to three places that reminded me of your past, your present, and your future. For example, today is great for seeing your present. That way, I can see your complete story and where it is leading you.”

“My beginning, middle, and end.”

“The perfect novel.”

“What if the ending sucks?”

I smiled. “There’s no way Captain’s ending would ever suck.”

“I like that,” he commented, nodding toward me. “That you still call me Captain.”

“I like when you call me Red.”

He grinned and looked away for a second as if he had something to say, but he shook it off before saying, “Anything else I need to be aware of?”

“Yes. I have some dates to shoot over to you for the photo shoot. We can always shift the date because I know you’re a very busy guy, but I pulled at least five dates. Once we choose, we can set up a photographer and a shoot location.”

“I’m not much of a model,” he warned.

“Trust me, you don’t have to do much of anything to look good.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Did you just call me handsome?”

My cheeks flushed a bit, and I moved my stare from his blue eyes to a couple roaming the kitchen, opening cabinets. “Don’t act surprised. You know you’re good-looking. That’s why people are calling you the hottest bachelor in NYC.”

“Is that what they are calling me?”

“That is definitely what they are calling you. Don’t be surprised if ABC calls you to audition for their show.”

“Hard pass for me. Back in my hometown, my closest friend, Jax, used to watch that show with an older neighbor. I stopped by once and couldn’t stand it. I could never survive being on that show.”

“Why’s that?”

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