I walk out to the front desk to meet Murphy. “Ready?” I ask.
She pulls a folder out of her bag. “I’m ready. We’re seeing three places today.”
“Want to grab a sandwich from that deli on the corner first?” I ask.
“Ugh – sandwiches? What is it with you and sandwiches?” a deep male voice asks.
Murphy and I spin around to see that Brady has snuck up behind us. “What are you doing here?” I ask.
“If you think I’m going to let the two of you go apartment hunting without protection, you’re crazy.”
“I’m not taking her to the slums,” Murphy says defensively.
“Still, are you sure you know what buildings are safe? I mean, you’re from Iowa, Murphy, and Rylee grew up outside the city.”
“We know enough,” I say. “Plus, I told her I wouldn’t live in one without security.”
“They all have doormen and twenty-four-hour security,” Murphy says. “So you can see we’re far ahead of you.”
“I’m coming anyway,” he says, walking to the front door to open it for us.
I stare at him and wonder why he’s doing this. He walked away. Four months ago he walked away from me at the hospital and never looked back. Why is he interested in being around me now? Does he think he has to protect me from guys like Alex? Or does this have anything to do with what he said earlier?
“Want me to get rid of him?” Murphy asks in a whisper.
I shake my head. “No, it’s fine.”
“Maybe he can intimidate the managers into giving you a better deal,” she says.
I laugh. “I wouldn’t doubt it.”
Murphy and I talk on the way to the deli with Brady walking behind us. After we order our dinner, he asks, “So, the sandwiches?”
I shrug. “Stryker likes them, so they are pretty much a staple in my house. I’ve had to get creative to make sure he’s getting enough nutrition, but it’s fun. I make a mean chicken salad avocado hoagie.”
Brady looks like he swallowed a bug. He must not like avocado. Or chicken salad.
“Uh, where is the little tyke?” he asks, running a hand nervously through his hair.
Murphy gives him a sympathetic look.
“I asked my sitter to stay late today. Believe me, you would not want him tagging along. We’d get nothing done but chasing him around the apartment buildings.”
“Oh, okay.”
I don’t miss the relief that pours out of him and I wonder if that’s the whole issue. Maybe my having a child is a deal breaker. The certified bachelor of baseball doesn’t want a girlfriend with a kid. I guess I can’t blame him. I mean, even if he has changed like Murphy said, it’s still a lot to take on. Not that I want him to take anything on. I might have at one point. But I’m over that. I’m over him.
Aren’t I?
As Murphy and Brady talk about scheduling another photo shoot for the gym, I appraise him and wonder what it would be like to be with him. I can’t even imagine it. He has a girl in every city. Every city. How would one reconcile that? Even if he did want to be with me, I’m not sure I could do it knowing there are twenty-something other girls out there who had sex with him on a regular basis? That’s just gross. And wrong.
And entirely hypocritical of me to think considering I was one of those girls.
I let my forehead fall to the table.
“What is it?” Murphy asks.
“Nothing. Don’t mind me. I’m just tired, I guess.”
“Well then, let’s finish up and find you a new place. We won’t keep you any longer than necessary. I’m sure you want to get home to that gorgeous kid.”
Brady looks at Murphy. “You’ve met him?”
“I have. He’s absolutely precious.” She puts her hand on Brady’s arm in a motherly manner. Then she balls up her wrapper and stands up. “Come on, let’s go.”
The first apartment we see is awful. Even in a secure building, it doesn’t look safe. No way is the fire escape up to code. Brady threatens to call a building inspector if I even think twice about signing a lease.
The second one turns out to be in a not-so-desirable school district. But it’s not Murphy’s fault. I didn’t make that a requirement.
The third one, where we are now, is perfect. In fact, it’s better than perfect. It has everything I asked for and more. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a designer kitchen, even an office that I can make into a playroom. And it has a balcony, something I never thought I’d be able to get in my price range.
“How did you even find this, Murphy? It’s a gem. What’s the catch?”
“It is pretty sweet,” Brady says, taking another look at the balcony. “There must be something wrong with it.” He turns to the manager. “Did someone die here or something? Is it haunted?” he jokes. “Why is it so cheap?”
“Really?” the manager asks. “I was thinking it was going for a bit too much.” He looks at his paperwork and quotes us the rent.
My eyes bug out. Even at my generous salary, it’s three times what I can afford.
“What are you talking about?” Murphy asks the guy. “I called your assistant earlier this week and she said it was a third that price. Are you bait-and-switching me?”
The manager flushes. “Wait – you’re the one who talked to Trisha?” He rummages through his folder. “Oh, my. I’m very sorry. I was supposed to show you 3B not 16F.”
My heart sinks as I glance around once more. “Is 3B anything like this one?”
He shrugs. “If you call a smaller apartment without top-of-the-line appliances and a balcony ‘like this one,’ then—yes.”
“Let’s just leave,” Murphy says. “This is ridiculous.” She eyes the manager as if she thinks he did this deliberately.
“No. Let’s see it. I really like the building. It’s the perfect location for me. It’s close to work, it’s in a great school district, and Stryker will love the indoor playground we saw downstairs.”
“You might as well give it a look as long as we’re here. What do you have to lose?” Brady says.
We take the elevator down to the third floor as I mourn the place I was already envisioning Stryker growing up in.
I’m apprehensive as we enter apartment 3B. I know anything I see will be a letdown after the one on the sixteenth floor. We tour the apartment in silence, looking at the two modest-sized bedrooms, the one bathroom, and the nothing-special kitchen.
“Look over here,” the manager says. “There is this alcove off the dining area. Maybe you could make this into a play area for your child. And I can check my records, this unit might be on the list for upgraded appliances. Did you see the bathroom? I know there is only one, but it’s rather large and has both a tub and a shower – that’s hard to find in this price range.”
The manager looks genuinely sorry to have shown me the wrong apartment.
“Do you like it?” Brady asks, pulling me aside.
“I guess.” I look around again. “I mean, if I hadn’t seen the other one, I’d probably be excited about it. He’s right about that alcove – it’s more space than I thought I’d get.”
Brady walks over to the manager and points to his folder. “Why don’t you go check your records and see about those appliances? Then maybe look to make sure you were exactly right on the rent. Ms. Kennedy would be the perfect tenant. You want her here. Keep that in mind before you come back and tell us your final offer.”
“Final offer?” he says. “This is an apartment, not a negotiation to buy a car.”
Brady stares the guy down. “Everything is a negotiation.” He puts his arm around the manager and walks him out of the apartment. “Do you like baseball?” I hear him say before the door shuts.
Murphy laughs. “I told you he might be good to have around.”
We take one more long look at the place, and this time, I try to picture us here. I picture Stryker sitting at the bar watching me cook pancakes. I picture snuggling him in my bed on lazy Saturday mornings. I picture bringing Mom here for Sunday dinners.
“I think I like it,” I tell Murphy. “In fact, I think I love it.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that,” Brady says, coming back in and joining us in the living room. “Because not only will you have new stainless steel appliances, but the guy came down by two hundred dollars a month on your rent. And you can move in on Saturday.”
I stare at him incredulously. “What did you do?”
“Nothing much. I just promised him tickets to a few games and a shitload of signed crap.”
“Brady,” I admonish him.
Murphy puts a hand on my shoulder. “It really isn’t a big deal, Rylee. Caden gives that kind of stuff away all the time.”
“Okay, well, I guess I should thank you then,” I tell Brady. I walk over and jab him in the ribs. “Thank you.”
He jabs me back. “You’re very welcome.”
I smile. I smile big as I twirl around looking at my new home. I’m finally back where I belong.