Page 5 of Ms Perfectly Fine
“You come into my home at seven in the morning, remove my belongings without permission and start drilling with no warning, andI’mcomplicating things?”
“Boss? Where do you want these installed?” A young man walked past her with tech she didn’t recognise, looking startled by her presence.
“With the computers, front room,” Elijah told him, and the guy looked between them before disappearing into the other room.
“What’s with all the tech? What are you, a hacker?”
“No, they tend to stick to books and movies. I run a game development company. We have one game so far and another in the works, hence why I am here in your delightful company.”
Autumn knew what it was like to make sacrifices for a dream. She could respect him a little for that. “You think you can run it from one room?”
“How I run my business is none of your concern.” He smiled, exposing his white teeth.
Did he step out of a damn romance novel with that smile? If only he had the personality to match it!She pushed the thought from her mind. She was growing tired of the back-and-forth, though it seemed like he was enjoying the argument. “I don’t care how you run it so long as you don’t run it from here. So long as it doesn’t involve you taking my furniture and putting it God knows where. That’s my property, not Tim’s! Don’t think about removing another item without my permission.”I’ve never lived with anyone before, and I’m certainly not going to start with him.
Her phone vibrated in her hand. It was a text from Nina; she was on her way. Autumn needed to get ready to leave. She didn’t want Elijah to answer the door. Another glance at her phone showed her all the messages from the orchestra group chat ordering their coffee; she’d forgotten it was her turn to pick up the orders. She quickly texted Nina, asking her to pick them up.
“I have to leave, but”—she silenced her phone—“don’t get too comfortable. We’ll continue this discussion later.”
“You’re leaving? We haven’t finished! And don’t worry, your furniture and belongings are safe in my storage unit. They’ll be returned once we go our separate ways—in mint condition,” Elijah said, raising an eyebrow.
“Feel free to converse with yourself. I have rehearsals,” she said, not offering any more information. “Keep to your own floor. Don’t move my stuffanywhere—not until I talk to Tim—and while I’m out, no major changes at all until this is sorted. Otherwise, you’re wasting everyone’s time, including your own, if we come up with a different solution.” The morning’s confrontation had caused her shoulders to tense. The last thing she needed was a tension headache to round out her already aching back from her fitful sleep. She liked her life calm and predictable; he was a threat to that.
“I’m sure we can figure this out! I’ll be here when you get back,” Elijah called as she left him to get ready, almost running into his movers.
“Please get your plants off my piano!” she yelled back. He dared to laugh, apparently finding her temper entertaining. His positive outlook on their current predicament only furthered her irritation. It had taken a lot of careful consideration to arrange her furnishing just how she liked it. Everything was easily accessible and in its rightful place, so she never had to think or worry about where her things were when she was having a bad pain day.
Before she’d even reached the stairs, the drilling was vibrating through her once again.
Chapter Two
Autumn
AUTUMN RETURNED UPSTAIRS and dressed in a simple black wrap dress.Why the hell didn’t Tim talk to me before inviting astrangerinto my house? Did he think I was overstaying my welcome? The last time I dropped off my rent to his office, he seemed a little off, distracted… Maybe there’s more to this than I know.She swept her hair up in a gold claw clip, the morning sun illuminating the golden highlights in her auburn hair.I pay my rent on time; I’ve never had a noise complaint…She stared into the circular mirror on her dresser, applying her favourite fire-engine red lipstick. Checking out her window, she decided it was still too chilly to go without tights, so she grabbed them from her dresser and yanked them up over her thighs and full hips.
Once she was ready, she checked her May schedule taped to her mirror and groaned in frustration. With today’s rehearsal schedule, she wouldn’t have time to stop by Tim’s office today; she’d have to call him after practice.She picked up her sheet music with the corrections from the day before from her unmade bed, fighting the desire to stop and make it neatly. Elijah’s sudden appearance had thrown her careful morning routine into chaos. She hastily turned off the fairy lights on her headboard and the bookshelves above it.
If Tim wanted me out, surely he would have warned me so I could have found other arrangements. I could have moved in with Nina for a time…but what would I do with my piano?She wondered if her day could get any worse.
Downstairs, the drilling enveloped her once again. All she wanted to do was get back into her pyjamas and throw everyone out of the house, but she had to get to rehearsals. There were only four weeks left until the showcase, and she couldn’t miss it just because some stubborn wall of muscle decided to bulldoze her morning.
“Do you mind?” she hissed, dodging a mover who passed her in the hallway as she attempted to put on her boots and long black coat. The worker merely grunted in response and left the door open. Cherry blossom petals wafted in through the open door. Autumn was excited for the warmer months, looking forward to getting out of dark colours and into her favourite pastels. Today, however, black was most fitting. She was in mourning for her privacy.
In the kitchen, Elijah was nowhere in sight when she grabbed her painkillers and a heat pack from the kitchen medicine cabinet. She hesitated upon closing the pastel pink cabinet door, afraid he would discover her prescriptions, supplements, and adhesive heat strips.How much has Tim told him about me? I doubt he would have told him about my accident.She shook away the worry of him knowing more about her than she did about him. There wasn’t time to move her medicines to the upstairs bathroom—she kept everything so well stocked that her supply would carry anyone through the apocalypse.He’ll probably be too busy organising his own things to notice mine. If he’s still here when I get back, I’ll move them.
She walked down the steps to the stone path dividing her front garden, which was in awful need of care. Then again, Autumn liked the wild look and how everything was covered in cherry blossom petals. Beyond the garden gate, she noticed a slick black motorcycle in the small parking space she had never used.Makes sense, considering the number of motorcycle helmets.There was always something a little sexy about a motorbike,she admitted mentally, only to have it ruined by the sound of the door opening behind her.
“Autumn!” Elijah called out. He stood at the top of the steps with his arms folded.
She gripped the small iron gate at the end of the pathway.What could he possibly want now? Maybe he wants my bedroom while he’s at it!
“You don’t need to wake the neighbours,” she hissed. She really didn’t want them poking their noses in. The older women who lived next door were always trying to set her up with their son. Then again, if they saw her with Elijah, they might stop asking about that.
“You weren’t planning on leaving without saying goodbye, were you?” he said, and any thought of using him to her advantage was eclipsed by her desire for him to disappear.
“That’s exactly what I was planning to do,” she retorted, pulling her tote bag higher on her shoulder.
“Before you make your escape, what’s your alarm code? Tim didn’t know, and I have to go out for a meeting,” Elijah explained, following her down the path.
