Page 13 of Always Been You

“Thanks.”

We arrive at the first place, and he pulls up to the curb outside the building and finds street parking. Getting out, we make our way to the front door, pulling out my phone. I send off a text to the agent we are meeting here. A minute later, a tall blonde girl dressed in a form-fitting navy dress with a square neckline opens the door.

“Olivia?” she asks.

“That’s me,” I smile and gesture to Drew, “and this is my boyfriend, Drew. We will be renting the place together.”

She smiles and lets us in. She reaches a hand out to Drew and me, both shaking it. “Thanks for meeting us,” I say.

“I’m glad to.” She adds, “So this place is on the thirty-forth floor. It’s a two-bed, two-bath with hardwood floors, newappliances in the kitchen, and it has a magnificent view of the water.”

“I am excited to see it.”

We make our way to the elevator and make small talk on the way up to the apartment. When we get up there, she unlocks the door and leads us inside.

It’s an open floor plan. The kitchen is the main focal point when you walk in with a stainless-steel gas stove, a large fridge with ample storage, a double sink, and a dishwasher hidden in the kitchen island. Making our way further into the apartment, we walk into the living room, which has floor to ceiling windows that look over the water and park below. Hardwood floors are in every room of the apartment. Moving from the living room, we head toward the master bedroom.

The master bedroom is large enough to fit a king size bed comfortably with two nightstands. It has a his-and-her walk-in closet, and features the same floor to ceiling windows and view as the living room. The ensuite bathroom has a luxurious tub that I can’t wait to use. I can imagine the lit candles and the bubbles as I lay there with a good book and soft music playing after a long day.

The second bedroom is big enough that we can fit a queen bed to host any guests that we might want to stay with us, and the guest bathroom in the main hallway has a nice walk-in shower. The entire place is functional and is a place that I can see myself living.

Making our way back into the kitchen, I find the realtor looking over some paperwork. Looking at Drew, I say, “I love it. It’s a great location and I love the space in the closet and kitchen.”

“I think it’s perfect for us,” Drew says smiling.

“Okay, well, this sounds great. Let’s go over a couple of things. The rent will be $2,500.00 a month and the deposit is half a month’s rent. You don’t have any pets, do you?” the realtor asks us.

“No, no pets,” I say.

“Okay, that’s good. The owner has looked at the application you filled out online, and your references and credit checks came back positive. So, if you guys want the place, it’s yours. All we need for you to proceed is a check for the deposit.”

“Can you give us just a minute?” I ask her. She nods her head and I grab Drew’s hand and lead him onto the balcony outside the living room.

“So, what do you think?” I ask Drew once we are outside and the door is closed.

“I think it’s great if this is the place you want. I don’t have my checkbook with me, but I can drop a check off tomorrow after work and then we can sign the contract next weekend.”

“That works. Oh my god, I can’t believe we are doing this.” I squeal a little with excitement. “This place is perfect. I love the location, the park is right downstairs, it’s close to work, and this view is amazing. Think in a month this place will be ours.” I squeeze his hand and smile.

Drew pulls me into a hug. “Yup, this will be all ours, and I will get to see you every day, and fall asleep and wake up beside you every day, too.”

Looking up at him, I go onto my tiptoes and kiss the corner of his mouth, “I can’t wait. I love you.”

“Me too.”

Grabbing my hand, we head back inside and set up a time next Saturday afternoon to sign the contract and for Drew to drop off the check tomorrow. We head out of the apartmentand down to the car. When we get downstairs, Drew pulls out his phone.

“Hey Liv, I have something I need to take care of. Can I drop you off at your place? We can pick up some boxes on the way so you can start packing.”

My stomach drops. I was hoping to spend the day with him because I didn’t see him yesterday.

“Yeah, that’s okay.” Even I can hear the blatant disappointment in my voice. “Is everything all good?”

“Yeah, nothing to worry about.”

The drive to get boxes and to my apartment is done in silence.

Drew drops meoff at my place and helps me carry the boxes we grabbed from the store upstairs. Walking into my apartment, I take it all in. Pretty soon, this will no longer be my home. I’ll be living in a nice two-bedroom apartment with Drew. It’s a bittersweet revelation. This was my first place truly on my own and I’m going to miss it, but I’m also looking forward to my future with Drew.

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