Page 50 of Degrees of Innocence
“So, what does Gaby usually make for breakfast?” I ask hoping to lighten the conversation.
He grins sheepishly. “Bread pudding, egg and hash brown casseroles, strawberry cream cheese, french toast or blueberry pancakes,” he says with a large smile.
“I think someone is completely and thoroughly spoiled,” I say, laughing as we enter the dining room just as Gaby is placing a plate of blueberry pancakes and fresh fruit on the table.
“Breakfast looks amazing. We had some of your potato soup and fresh bread last night and it was excellent,” I say.
“A woman with such good taste in men and food,” she exclaims. Her slightly broken european accent is hard to place, but her smile is warm and beaming as we sit down to eat.
“Gaby, Katarina and I have an appointment in the city and won’t be back for lunch. We should be home for supper, though, but I’ll let you know by this afternoon if not,” he says before she heads into the kitchen and his phone vibrates.
“Chase here,” he says, sipping his coffee while listening to the person on the other end of the call. I take a few bites of pancake and fruit. “Soo good, taste this while it’s warm,” I mouth to him, putting a generous forkful of warm blueberry pancake to his lips. He slides the entire forkful into his mouth and nods his agreement.
The voice on the other end seems to go up an octave or two. “Let’s hold tight and see if they accept the contract by the deadline. We’ll know more about intent once we get to that point. Until then, stay firm on the offers we’ve made, and thanks for the update, Sid,” he says before disconnecting.
“I am going to have to run more than an hour to wear her cooking off,” I say.
Chase looks around and Gaby is coming back into the dining room to clear the table. “Baby, I’ll give you all the extra exercise you need later,” he says, leaning towards me and whispering so as not to be overheard.”
“Gaby, thanks for breakfast. I’ll give you a call this afternoon and let you know what the plans are for tonight,” he says, guiding me through the great room, into the large open foyer and outside.
A silver Jaguar XJL has been brought around to us and Chase helps me into the back seat before joining me. Jay navigates the mid-morning traffic with relative ease and the forty-five-minute drive into the city passes quickly. “There are a couple vacant properties that I’d like you to look at,” Chase says, taking my hand.
“I’m still torn about the expense, Chase, but it won’t hurt to look at them,” I say.
The driver drops us off at the front entrance of a tall sky-rise and the doorman greets Chase by name. “My condo is upstairs,” he says in response to my surprise. The one just below mine was recently vacated and I am hoping you will like the location. It’s a quick walk to Prestian Corp, and the views are great,” he says, watching me warily as we get out of the elevator and I see it’s the only condo on the floor. The realtor arrives right behind us and I hold my tongue about the expense as Chase introduces us.
“Penny has other properties we can look at, but I am partial to the ones in this building for obvious reasons,” he says as she unlocks the door for us. The living room and dining space have spectacular views of the city and Lake Michigan. A brick fireplace in the corner gives the room a warm and inviting feel. The kitchen has a Viking stainless steel range, dishwasher, and Sub-Zero double refrigerator, although nothing as grand as Gaby’s kitchen.
“How many bedrooms does it have, Penny?” Chase asks.
“This unit comes with four where I believe yours has five, but it does have a gym area and office space in addition to the bedrooms. I’ve taken the liberty of speaking to the owners and if you decide to purchase, the same contract related to modifications could be assumed with this property and alterations can be made before moving in. The list is seventeen million, but as you know, there’s room for negotiation given the sellers’ situation.”
I inwardly gasp at the price and he takes my hand, following Penny as she leads us through the living room into a large office area. The master bedroom is as big as my last apartment and includes a corner whirlpool. The accompanying oversized bathroom includes a walk-in shower and smaller whirlpool bathtub. The farthest room down the hall overlooks the water and is equipped with an elliptical, treadmill, and a fifty-two inch flat screen hangs on the wall.
“All areas of the home have in-room speakers with the newest digital technology,” Penny explains.
“How do you like it, Katarina?” he asks.
“It’s beautiful, Chase, it’s just a lot more than what I was looking for,” I say.
“Penny, Katarina and I will need to discuss the condo and we’ll let you know what we decide. Thanks for taking the time to show us around,” he says.
“Kate, let me know if you would like any more information. It’s one of the most coveted in the area,” she says as Chase guides me toward the elevator. Penny stays behind to secure the door and I wait until we are out of earshot and safely into the elevator before I speak.
“I can’t let you buy another condo just to have me live in it. I had no idea they were that expensive. It’s absolute craziness.”
“Katarina, it would be yours. I would not want you to be obligated to me for anything,” he says.
“You are definitely not going to purchase a condo for me. It’s an incredible amount of money.”
“We haven’t even looked at the other options,” he says.
“Why do you want to see the others, you obviously like this one.”
“The condo we just looked at would be my second choice, Katarina. I’ll show you my first, as I find it has quite a few more advantages,” he says, entering a passcode to the thirtieth floor. I immediately know where we are going and he has barely gotten me through the door of his own condo before he pulls me close to him, capturing my eyes with the intensity of his own.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
