Page 11 of Give Me Forever

We left just as two people came in. They looked like a couple and gave us the side-eye.

"Want me to drive you somewhere?" I asked her.

“No, thanks. I like strolling around the city a bit. I’ll give you my answer this week.”

“Okay. Say hi to Alana.”

She was only a few steps away, and I felt her absence immediately. We had a connection after all these years, and that made me happy. Avery was the one who got away.

I was going to take the apartment anyway. The question was would she move in with me?

Chapter Four

Avery

The next evening, Iran through the city at rush hour to see the only other apartment on my list. The second option I told Sam about went off the market this morning. I’d been working all day to rebuild my jewelry business from a coffee shop close to Alana’s apartment, since she worked from home, and her place was too small for both of us to do that. I’d spent most of my time researching platforms that were easy for do-it-yourself websites. That was my starting point.

Up until three months ago, I’d been the proud co-owner of Jewels & Smiles, a cute and quaint shop in San Diego. I did all the designs and coordinated production, and Sophia, my so-called friend and business partner, took care of everything else on the business end. But then she misused our funds, so much so that we couldn’t make payments. I hadn’t been able to pay rent or the factory producing my designs, so I had no choice but to close down the business. Now I was back to square one. Actually, even worse. I was up to my eyeballs in debt. Sophia moved to New York after stealing all the company’s money. I hadn’t heard from her since.

A short, slim man with blond hair waited for me in front of the apartment’s door. Thomas Jenkins was the realtor.

“Thank you for coming on time,” he said.

“Of course.”

"It's a bit stuffy in here," he remarked as we stepped inside.

I cleared my throat. Stuffy was an understatement. Something stank inside here. I looked around, taking it in: carpeted floor, recently painted walls. The wooden frames of the doors were chipped in places, but it was normal wear and tear.

It was in a safe neighborhood. Not a trendy one, like the loft, but it would do.

After meeting Sam, I was convinced that Alana was right. I'd had the same déjà vu feeling with him as I'd had with her, only in his case, that included a severe case of wet panties and flutters in my stomach after sixteen years. Though it could've been a knee-jerk reaction to seeing him after all this time.

Sam hadn’t changed much at all. The man was hot! I couldn't imagine living with him; I didn't think I could control myself. So this had to work out. It was a studio, which was perfect because I planned to buy a sofa bed similar to the one Alana had and call it a day. Still, the smell was persistent, and the longer I was inside, the more terrible it became.

Jenkins went to the window, opening it. The sound of the streets filtered in, and the noise was loud. It was Friday evening, and this was a lively neighborhood.

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