Page 5 of Zimyra

We step off and I ask, “Why are you grinning? I must know.”

“I’m amazed at how dedicated you are to your job. You know where the company’s headquarters are located.”

“I mean, I have to be dedicated, right? I dowantto keep the job. I have bills to pay. Plus, they have their corporate address stamped all over the lease documents, so there’s that.”

“Ah…makes sense.”

I unlock the door to unit 332-B and allow Axel to pass ahead of me. He steps inside and says, “Wow. This is amazing.”

“Yeah, they have good units here.”

“I mean the décor. Who staged this?”

“I did.”

“Of course you did.”

“What does that supposed to mean?”

“Don’t take offense—I meant it as a compliment. I should’ve known you did it seeing how dedicated you are to the job.”

He looks up at the skylights.

I proceed to say, “So, as you can see, it’s an open-concept style that everybody wants these days. You can sit in the living room and watch TV while your girlfriend is in the kitchen cooking chicken wings.”

“That’s oddly specific.”

“How so? I know you like chicken wings.”

“I do, but there’s no girlfriend.”

No girlfriend—yeah, okay. Like I’m supposed to believe that. Ain’t no man this fine walking the earth without somebody after him.

I say, “Okay, so you can be reclined on the sofa while you have dinner cooking in the crockpot.”

“In the what?”

“Oh, jeez. Nevermind.” I shake my head. Why would men know anything about a crockpot? He probably survives off DoorDash, Uber Eats, and five-dollar bags like the majority of America.

“The kitchen has all stainless steel appliances,” I continued.

“Is there a washer and dryer?”

“Yes. That’s another feature. This complex does not have one of those inconvenient washrooms. I hate those things. Your washer and dryer are right here in your own place.”

“Where is it located?”

“Oh,” I say, laughing at myself. “That would be good to know, huh?”

I walk to the back wall in the kitchen and open the wooden, Venetian door. “Ta-da! This is where the stackable unit is kept. Isn’t it neat?”

“Very much so. I like that.”

“Yeah, people usually like it. It’s tucked out of the way and it saves space to have a stackable.”

“Is there a balcony to this place?”

“Yes, it is. It’s off the main bedroom. FYI, all units have balconies. I guess the ones on the first floor would be considered a patio, though.”

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