Page 51 of Crossing the Line
Girl Code
Paisley Grove
Covered in sweat, with my legs tight from running too fast, I enter my parents’ penthouse. I stop in the massive foyer and press my palm over my rapidly beating heart. Suddenly I feel as though I’m existing outside my body, which makes me look down at my feet. Yes. I’m inside of myself and standing on the fourteen-carat gold honeycomb mosaic pattern etched into the marble floor. I look up at the crystal-encrusted chandelier above me. There’s so much opulence surrounding me. The Grove family billions are all on display in this apartment in the sky. I always feel out of sorts when I walk inside this apartment. And I think I know why. It’s my parents. Their residual energy is all over this place. Even though I live here alone, as long as I’m here, I reside under their watchful eye.
I start walking again, smiling from ear to ear. I’m on the verge of owning my own apartment, my first real piece of property that belongs totally to me. I make it to the office, fire up my iMac, and commence doing whatever needs to be done to complete the purchase so that I can get the hell out of here as fast as I can.
* * *
The restof my day is a nail-biter. Fortunately, the deal between Davey Yee and me is crisp and clean. He paid cash for the apartment. And since I pay cash, too, things go fast. Now we’re waiting for licensing, but as far as Davey is concerned, the place is mine. Lake had extra keys to his place, and he called her and told her to give them to me.
I call Treasure to ask what I should do next. She says she would come straight over and help me out herself, but she’s on her way to Iceland because this morning she was offered a part in her fiancé’s newGame of Thrones-style television show. She’s playing a tribal princess.
I so very much want to voice my objection to that plan. She’s already stretched thin with the restaurant, her clothing line, and her makeup brand, and now she’s added acting to that. I’m worried about her. But I get it. Her dad has intercepted all payments from her grandfather’s trust to her until she straightens up and flies right. Well, that’s never going to happen. Since he cut her off, she hasn’t been the same. Treasure misses the ease of having all that money. She won’t take a loan from me because her pride gets in the way. She would rather run herself ragged than let me help her. She won’t let Lynx, her older brother by one year, who’s also cut off from his inheritance but doesn’t need a dime of it because he owns a professional sports team, help her either. Basically, it’s her pride that’s sending her all the way to Iceland.
“But can you act?” I ask and then close my eyes to scold myself. I know that almost sounds like a criticism.
“Who gives a damn? Can Simon act? No,” she replies curtly.
I remain silent until the best thing to say is, “Well, I’m going to miss you while you’re gone.” And then I tell her that I love her.
Regardless of not being here, she has told her “team” to handle whatever I need. By four in the afternoon, I’m in place along with Reginald—an electrician—and his team, Ramsey from the alarm company, and Kelly, Treasure’s interior designer, who is here to make suggestions. If I like her ideas, she’ll make the changes. Apparently, Treasure doesn’t like the fact that I’ve chosen to keep Davey’s furnishings, but I wanted to move in quick. And I need furniture. But frankly, I like Davey’s taste. Each piece of furniture has an artistic twist to it, and the bachelor-pad quality of the decor reminds me of Hercules’s penthouse.
As the sky purples and then darkens, I realize that I’ve been so busy that I haven’t thought much about Hercules. And since the new beds Kelly had ordered for me won’t be in until Tuesday, and the cleaning services won’t make the place spotless until Monday, I decide not to spend the night there. I head back to my parents’ place.
I’ve stripped off my sticky clothes and showered and am sitting in bed with a big bowl of popcorn on my lap, getting ready to catch up on season one of the show Treasure has a new role in, when my phone rings.
“Yes,” I say pumping my fist victoriously.
It’s Hercules—finally. He’s waiting for me at the rear of my building, at the loading dock.
* * *
And now I’mwith Hercules. A privacy shield between the front and back seats separates us from James, the driver, who’s taking us down city streets, weaving effortlessly through traffic. James is a skilled driver, as good as Greg, if not better.
I just finished telling Hercules I bought the apartment in Lake’s building, and his frown hasn’t yet eased. I thought he’d be happy for me because at least now we can see each other without the threat of my parents or Max ever catching us. But apparently, I was wrong.
“How much did you pay?” he asks.
I tell him.
“For that building? And it’s really far, PG. Why didn’t you tell me you were looking for a place to live?”
I frown, feeling as if I’m defending my purchase to Max and not my new friend Hercules Lord. “I did tell you.”Didn’t I?
“I don’t remember.”
I shake my head. “Maybe I didn’t.” I just feel like I’ve shared more with him in the last few days than I have with any person other than Treasure.
He sighs briskly. “It’s just that you’ll be way down in Hudson Yards. I thought you wanted to keep this going.”
Then I can relax because I comprehend the source of his disappointment. “I do, but if I didn’t buy the apartment today, then I would’ve lost it.”
“I doubt it,” he grouses. “For eight million? I wish you’d talked to me first.”
I lean away from him, shocked by how angry he is about me buying my first home ever.
Hercules studies my grimace for a few beats and then rubs his hand over his mouth, effectively wiping away his frown. “Sorry. I’m overreacting, PG.” My heart does a pirouette when he shows me my favorite lopsided smile. “We’ll just have to get more creative about how and where we’ll meet.”
