Page 39 of My Lucky Charm

My eyes go wide. “You’re going to let me go to your apartment?”

“I will absolutely take that back,” he says.

I snap my face back to neutral.

“Come by tomorrow before we leave.” A pause. “For, uh . . . groceries. And whatever.”

I grin. “You won’t regret it.”

He responds with a grunt and rolls up the window.

I hold the key in my hand like it’s a golden ticket I’ve just unwrapped from a bar of chocolate.

Chapter Ten

Eloise

Iwake up the next morning to a message on my phone.

Gray

650 W. Adams Street

An address. That’s the whole text from Gray. At 4:30 a.m.

He was up at 4:30 a.m.?

I was thinking my workday would start at nine, but if he’s that early of a riser, I may need to reconsider. This thought sends me into a panic.

I rush to get ready, not sure how to dress or what to bring for this job.

I settle on black jeans, a pink sweater, and my favorite cozy boots, hoping that whatever I’m doing today doesn’t require me to look professional.

I drive my own car into the city today, with my foot hovering over the brake pedal and my head on a sore-necked swivel, looking for potential accidents.

Following the GPS to a building in the West Loop district of Chicago, I navigate through the neighborhood to an industrial style building, one of those old warehouses that someone converted to residential spaces, and all at once, I can’t wait to get inside and look around.

I find a close parking garage around the corner, take my ticket, and pray Gray’s building validates. I won’t get a paycheck for a couple of weeks, and I’m basically living on my credit card.

I briskly walk to the front of his building and see a doorman standing outside. He looks up and smiles. “Good morning!”

“Good morning, I’m here to see Grayson Hawke.” I have a key, but it feels like I should check in. Let him know I’m here. Anything other than the familiarity of taking the elevator up to his floor and opening the door like I belong here.

“Ah,” he says. “You must be Eloise.”

I smile, shocked that he’d know my name. “That’s right.”

“Mr. Hawke let us know you were coming, and he asked that you be given this.” He reaches inside his coat and pulls out a card. “It’s an ID badge that will allow you to park in our garage and give you access to and from the building.” He smiles and holds open the door. “You can head right up.”

I look at the card. It’s got my name on it, so clearly Gray had to give them my information in order for them to make and issue it. And that means he had to think about me. And that makes me feel warm on the inside in a way that it really shouldn’t.

This is purely business. He doesn’t even remember the kiss.

I start to head inside, and then turn back. “I just realized I’m not sure where I’m going.”

“Oh!” He points down the hall. “Elevator on the right, all the way to the top floor.”

“And what’s the apartment number?” I double check my phone, realizing Gray didn’t tell me.

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