Page 106 of Rayna's Daddy

“I did.”

Her phone rang.

“Apparently you didn’t.” She tilted her head.

I flicked my thumb and forefinger back and forth.

“Good afternoon, Pinewood Apartments, this is Gina. How may I help you today?” Her sugary sweet greeting contrasted with the bitch glare she threw in my direction.

I picked up my bag and walked back out into the lobby. Jasper stood by the back of the truck, ready to pull my bags out. What was I going to tell him? I had nowhere else to go. I should have him unload my stuff and let him go, then figure something out. I couldn’t let it get back to Kyler or Tyler that I couldn’t take care of myself.

I placed a smile on my face and opened the door, and stepped out.

“Rayna Smith.” A voice rang out from behind me. “Rayna.”

A tall blonde in a black business suit and heels stepped out and shielded her eyes from the sun. “Are you Rayna Smith?”

“Yes.”

Jasper stepped toward me.

“I’m so sorry.” She was out of breath. “I thought I would be back before you arrived.” She took a big exhale.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“I’m Ella.” She pushed her hair behind her ear. “I manage the building.”

“You rented my apartment out?” I grunted.

“No. Of course not. Never mind Gina, she was supposed to call me when you arrived, but.” She waved her off. “Some of our apartments were damaged this summer with a pipe bursting and the renovations are going slow.”

What little hope I had, faded.

“But” she held her hands clasped in front of her. “We are so fortunate to be able to put you up in our new building on Cooper Street. It just opened for this semester, but it isn’t full, so we were able to secure you a furnished studio.” She took a folder out of the bag slung over her arm. “Here’s the address and all the information.”

She handed me the folder. On the front was a sketch rendering of a high-rise building, morphing into a photo of the actual building. The whole campus talked about this new building going up, but I didn’t realize it would be open for the fall semester.

“I can’t afford this place.”

“Oh, no. The rent will be the same because of the mishap with your apartment here.” She motioned toward the lobby. “When you get to the building, ask for Jules or Daniel and they will get you settled. My card is in the folder. If you have any problems, give me a call.”

I looked up at her, and she nodded. “Okay, thank you.”

“You are welcome.” I took one step toward Jasper. “You’re going to love it there.”

I held the folder up and then went back to the car.

“It seems I’ve moved.”

Jasper looked confused.

“My apartment was damaged, and they put me up at their new property.” I gave Jasper the address and hopped back into the car, and we were off. My old apartment was a good twenty-minute walk to campus. We pulled into the new building in no time, and it was directly across the street from the Liberal Arts Building.

We pulled up into the circular driveway and two people stood outside looking official. A man and woman, both dressed in similar black suits. The guy had blond hair and dark eyes, but the woman had a fiery red hair and a resting bitch face. When I stepped out, her face transformed, and she smiled.

“Rayna Smith.” She approached first. “Hi. I’m Jules, and this is Daniel.”

“Welcome to the Stonegate.” They both said in unison.

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