Sia closed her eyes, humming “We Are The Champions” by Queen, as we waited for the elevator. Her head bobbed in rhythm when she got to the “on and on” part. The crescendo was building. Her hips swayed back and forth, and her shoulders had started to move by the time the elevator arrived.
“Oh.” She quieted, straightening as the doors opened. Smoothing a hand down her hair, she flashed me a grin as we stepped into the empty elevator. “I’m getting all jacked up for the party. I’m going to conquer the shut-in. Mark my words.” She paused. “She knits, right?”
I hit the seventh-floor button, holding a bottle of wine. “Yeah.”
Jake had been true to his word. I’d found an invite in my mail, and we’d chatted more over the last month. Either his swimming time matched when I went through my mail, or he’d rearranged his schedule. Either way, it had become almost a regular thing to meet up in the pool area three times a week. Dawn had sat with us two of those times—in silence the first and grunting a few words the second. Jake assured me she was warming up and my presence at his dinner wouldn’t be an issue, but we both knew Sia would be. The last we talked, the plan had been to wait and see, so that was what I was going to do.
“I need a problem about knitting.”
“You knit?”
“No.” She pulled out her phone. “But she won’t know that.”
“What?”
Sia was busy looking at her phone and waved a hand at me. “Don’t worry. This is what I do. You said Dawn is the building shut-in, right?”
I nodded.
“I’m new. She just started saying hello to you, so she’s going to bolt at the sight of a stranger. That puts pressure on you. I’m your friend, you’re the new resident, and the other people are going to blame you. I don’t want that to happen, so therefore, the shut-in needs to stay put. She knits. She must have a love for it, and little does she know—” Sia flicked her wrist, showcasing her face in a Vanna White wave. “She’s about to meet her knitting soulmate. By the time that elevator door opens, I’ll have enough in my head to bullshit my way through a problem only she can help me with.” She leaned forward and dropped her voice. “Because, you know, us knitters need to stick together. No one else gets the frustration of a—” She checked her phone. “—dropped knot.”
I could only stare at her. “Your powers cannot be challenged by mere mortals.”
“Darn tootin.’ I’m the Athena of networking. A shut-in is a snack before lunch for me. Give me a room of shut-ins, and I’ve got my dinner entree.”
“I have no idea how you do it, but thank you.” My voice softened. “I know you’re doing this for me.”
Her smile softened as well. “I know.” She nudged me with her arm. “Love you, girl.”
“Love you back.”
“Now, shut up. I have to get more info in my head before those doors open.”
But we were already there, and the door opened with Jake standing on the other side, two glasses in his hands. He raised them. “Champagne for my new guests.”
“Well…” Sia stopped, still in the elevator, and looked him up and down. She wasn’t subtle. Tucking her phone away, she exited, keeping her eyes on him the whole time. “You’re a nice surprise. I’m Sia, Addison’s best friend.”
“Jake.” He handed us each a glass and held out his hand.
“Hello.” Sia shook it and moved closer, giving him a good view down her dress.
His eyes widened a bit, and the corner of his mouth lifted. He glanced to me, a question on his face. I lifted a shoulder. I should’ve thought about this. Sia had been searching for Mr. Gorgeous from the restaurant, but she’d come up with nothing. Her frustrations had been expressed over and over…and over again.
Whoever the guy was, he’d escaped certain heartbreak. Sia would’ve run through him like a snowplow and spit him out at the end. That was her way. Always looking for The One, she got a whole lot of hot sex instead, and the guys never lasted long. She had that look right now, still grasping Jake’s hand. Her eyes narrowed like a predator who’d found the prey to beat all other prey. I was surprised she didn’t lick her lips and stalk around him, giving him a good onceover.
“Hello back to you.” Jake said to Sia, but he cast me a look, surprise in his depths.
I pretended to be ignorant. Sia was my best friend, after all. Their hands finally parted, and I handed over the bottle of wine. “I brought this with. I hope it works for dinner.”
Sia continued looking him up and down.
I was a barrier between them, and Jake ducked his head, speaking so only I could hear. “Should I be scared?”
“Oh, yeah.” I grinned. “Be very scared.”
He laughed and squeezed my shoulder before gesturing toward the dining room. “Come on in. Make yourselves at home. I’m—” His eyes found Sia’s again, and he faltered, running into his counter. “Uh, I have to check on some of the food real quick.”
He moved away, and Sia closed in. “You didn’t tell me he was gorgeous.”
Jake? He opened the oven and bent over to pull out a pan. I looked at him thoughtfully. His ass was firm and tight. His pants showed it off perfectly, so why hadn’t I… I shrugged. “Yeah. He’s pretty, but I thought you were obsessed with the other guy. The restaurant guy.”
Her eyes were still trained on Jake’s ass. “I was, but whoever he is, he’s not in my circle. That means he’s either wealthy beyond wealthy, or he’s a criminal.” She sighed. “Goddamn. Why didn’t you warn me about Jake? Wait.” She stiffened. “Do you like him? I’ll back off if you do. You haven’t shown interest in a guy since…” She trailed off, her eyes darkening. “Sorry.”
Liam.
I could sense an apology about to spill from her lips, but held up a hand. “Don’t. I mean it, and yes, I thought Jake was attractive when I first met him. But it’s dwindled since then. He’s just another building resident to me now.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” I glanced around. An older couple stood on the other side of Jake’s place. Both held champagne glasses, and they were talking to another man. I assumed they were the couple from the fifth floor, and the other man was from sixth, the computer guy. I skirted around to take in the rest of the space. Dawn stood in the corner, hostile eyes latched onto Sia. She held an entire bottle of champagne in front of her like it was a shield to ward off evil spirits. Sia looked at her, too, and Dawn’s eyes widened. She jerked. Her back hit the wall. “Um.” My hand closed over Sia’s arm. “You might get hit by a bottle if you go over to see Dawn.”
“That’s the shut-in?”
I nodded. “Let me do the introductions.”
It was pointless. Sia headed right for her. Dawn looked around her—down to the floor, back to the elevator, and then to the windows. Then Sia was in front of her, her hand stretched out. I watched my friend in action. Dawn was a cornered wild animal, but as Sia kept talking, her shoulders relaxed. The weapon lowered. She sagged back into the wall instead of bouncing off it, and she began to nod. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and a smile appeared. Sia had her. Just like that. Whatever lie she was weaving, it worked. Sia took the bottle and placed it on a nearby table. Her phone came out, and the two bent over it as they continued to talk.
“Holy shit.” Jake breathed into my ear, stepping around to my side. “I wouldn’t believe that if I hadn’t seen it for myself.”
“That’s what she does.”
“You’re proud of her.”
I paused, and decided he was right. “I wish I had skills like that. She has the ability to make everyone in this room feel like her best friend. I’m most definitely not that way.”
“You and me both. I’m friendly, but I can’t compare. Took months for Dawn to warm up to me. She’s eating out of your friend’s hand within ten minutes.”
His voice dipped down, and I readied myself. I knew where this was going.
“I have to ask…” He leaned even closer. “Is your friend single?”
“And ready to mingle.”
“Do you mind if I…?” He gestured with his head.
I could see it now. Sia would be at the pool. She’d be in the exercise room. She’d pop in every now and then. That’d be great, until the other shoe dropped. Then she’d pop in to vent, not to chat. She’d want to know if I’d seen Jake that day, if I’d heard laughter from his floor, if I thought another girl was with him. Sia’s love affairs were hot until they got chilly. And if she was here, if she was my friend, and they broke up—that’d be awkward. She wouldn’t want to come over. She’d be tense, wondering whether she was going to run into him or not.
A sense of impending doom slowly slithered all the way down to my feet, but I waved him toward her. “Have at it.”
“Thanks, Addison.”
Jake was smitten.
He couldn’t stop staring at her, and then introductions happened. The couple was Doris and William, sixty-year-old socialites having the time of their life. They loved living so close to the museums, nicest restaurants, and concert halls. They recited all that with a slight nasally sound in their voice, and then Jake came around with more champagne. Their inner hippies came out shortly after that. Their son disapproved of their lifestyle, Doris informed me. They were supposed to volunteer for the nursing home he ran. Their daughter more than shared their love of the scene. She was a third resident on their floor, often staying longer than they wanted when she was in between boyfriends, and her little Shih Tzu too. I didn’t know there was a dog policy, but based on how they suddenly grew hushed, I didn’t ask.
Then Doris whispered loudly, “That’s all on the downlow, though. Be a dear, sweetheart. Mum’s the word. Hmmm?”
I felt like I’d just agreed to be their drug dealer. The next introduction was Derek, who wasn’t just an IT guy, he was a computer genius. He created programs, and the “heads,” he explained with finger quotations, liked to meet at their offices downtown. He was a geek in all the best ways: wrinkled T-shirt, baggy jeans cropped too short at the ankles, and champagne in his favorite coffee mug, which said, Don’t Worry, I Won’t Byte.
All the while, Sia kept Dawn occupied in the corner. Jake veered over at one point, and a dark look, filled with promise, passed between him and Sia. He ended up going back to open my wine. Somehow, a third bottle brought everything up another notch. Conversation flowed more easily. Laughter grew louder, and more frequent. Dawn was nearly bouncing up and down with excitement next to Derek, holding his arm, and Jake and Sia disappeared for a few moments. When they re-emerged, both flushed in the face, hair messed and lips swollen, Sia veered toward Doris and William. Jake joined Derek and Dawn, and I watched the three single residents in action. Jake seemed almost like a mentoring big brother to Derek, or maybe the cool brother Derek wanted to be. Dawn nearly beamed. As Sia predicted, she’d found her knitting soulmate, at long last.
“The Age of Aquarius” blasted from the speakers, and instead of a full meal, Jake arranged the food as a snacking buffet.
“Doris took over the music.” Sia collapsed on the couch next to me. “It’s going to be a Beatles and John Lennon night tonight. Betting you twenty bucks the old couple brings out a joint within the hour. I got a good whiff from William. He just smoked up.”
“Here?”
She waved down the hallway. “In the bathroom. He was coming out at the same time—” And she realized what she’d been about to say.
I gave her a knowing grin. “I saw your entrance. Don’t even try to lie to me.”
She groaned, but couldn’t hide her smile. “I must look silly.” She rolled her eyes. “Addison, I had no idea. I finally found my booty-call soulmate.”
“Booty call?”
“Yeah.” She stilled. One side of her mouth flattened. “What?”
She was in love. At long last, her future husband. She was going to move in with him. Those were her normal responses, what I was used to hearing from her as every steamy affair got started. I shook my head. Calling a new guy a booty call wasn’t her usual approach.
“Nothing.”
“No. What? You had a look,” she pressed.
“It’s just…” I glanced over at Jake. He was watching us—correction, he was watching Sia. I pointed at him. “I know that look. All your new boyfriends have it. It’s going to be hot, intense, and I won’t see you for a month or two until you break up.” I gave her a hard look. “That’s when it will get uncomfortable. I know how you are.”
“What are you talking about?”
“When you two break up, you won’t come here anymore. He’s my neighbor.”
She waved that off. “Oh, phooey. That’s silly. I’ve been over to your place a ton and not run into him. It won’t be a problem.”
But it would be. I could read the writing on the wall from half a mile away.
“Addison.” She touched my arm. “I won’t let it affect you and me.”
My hand went over hers. “Promise?”
She squeezed my arm. “Promise. I need you, too. It’s not just you needing me. You’re my sanity in this crazy life I lead.”
I didn’t believe her, but it meant a lot that she said so. “Thank you.”
“Any time, best friend.”
My arm rubbed against hers. Staring at the group, I couldn’t believe these were my neighbors. This felt weird, but it felt good at the same time. A year ago, I couldn’t remember to give Frankie water, and now I was sitting in someone else’s home at a gathering. I let out a sigh.
“What’s wrong?”
I shook my head, then gestured to the group. “I thought I was going to die a year ago.”
“Ah.” She got it. “You’ve come a long way.”
For a moment, I couldn’t talk. My throat closed up. Then, Simon and Garfunkel filled the room, and Doris started swaying her hips. Her arms raised, and her hands began circling in time with the music. William bopped next to her, and Jake pulled Sia to the dance floor. Derek grabbed my hand, doing an impersonation of a chicken around me, and even Dawn moved her shoulders in her corner.
For my first resident dinner, I’d say it was a success.
Doris and William danced happily off to their floor. Dawn and Derek were both giggling, clutching each other for balance as they caught the elevator right behind them. So it was Jake, Sia, and myself remaining.
I turned around. Nope. The two of them were already in the bedroom.
“So,” I called. “I suppose I’ll see you tomorrow?”
I waited.
Nothing.
“Sia?” I cleared my throat. “My best friend, who came with me as my date tonight?”
Soft laughter and a groan was my answer.
“Okay then.” I hit the button for the elevator. I had a bit of a wait, as it had to drop both Derek and Dawn off before coming back up for me. “I’ll just, uh, turn in.”
A shoe hit the floor. A burst of giggling sounded, and then I heard footsteps rushing down the hall to me. The swishing of Sia’s dress assured she was clothed—I didn’t need to brace myself for a vision of her underwear or straight-up breasts. When she appeared, her hair was a mess and her lipstick faded.
“Addison.” She hurried the rest of the way, her cheeks flushed and glowing. A good whiff of Merlot made my nose twitch when she flung her arms around me. “I love you, baby.” She pulled back, then smacked my cheek with her lips. “I’m staying with Jake for the night.”
“Lunch tomorrow?”
“Oh yeah. I’ll pick you up. We can walk to Gianni’s together.”
“Okay.” I hugged her as the elevator pinged its arrival. “Have a good night. Use protection.”
“I will.” She leaned in close, giving me another hug as the doors opened behind me. “Thank you so much for being the bestest friend ever. Love you, honey bunches.” Her breath tickled my neck, and then she was off, headed back to the bedroom.
I stepped into the elevator, and after putting in my code, my finger paused over the button for three. I remembered I hadn’t gotten my mail that day. I could ask Ken to bring it up, but I hit the lobby button.
I had my mail in hand, and I was about to return to the lobby when I heard the noises. A door burst open, not from the front lobby where I now stood, but behind me somewhere. My feet moved first. I didn’t think as I headed back to the mail area. That back elevator was close by, and as I rounded the exercise room, I saw the men.
Five of them. All tall. They weren’t talking. They reminded me of the men from the restaurant, their hard jawlines set in stone. They were clearly no-nonsense, and as one moved aside, his jacket opened, and I saw a gun in a holster under his arm.
The back elevator opened, and two of the men rushed toward it. I held my breath.
My feet quickened. I clutched my mail in a tight grip, almost squishing it into a ball.
“Clear,” one of the men announced.
Someone else spoke on the other side of the man I could see. They filed one by one into the elevator, leaving only the one with his back to me. He glanced behind him before he joined them, saying the word, “Clea—” But as he saw me, the word died in his throat.
I wanted to see.
The elevator was closing.
I hurried up. Who were they?
The man stepped inside. He moved, trying to block me, but I saw their faces.
It was the men from the restaurant. My feet planted, and my body teetered forward before finding balance again. I could only stare.
There was the leader. He stood against the back wall, holding up another man by the arm.
I was locked in, staring back at Sia’s mystery man. I couldn’t help but note the irony. She’d given up on him—and was now probably writhing underneath my neighbor—just as he appeared.
Once again, he was dressed as the others—black jackets, black shirts, and slacks—but he was different. I’d never heard him speak, but I knew he was the alpha. He was strong, authoritarian, and somehow I knew he was intelligent. A darkness began swirling in me, filling me up. I didn’t know where it came from, and I couldn’t make sense of it, but it was addicting. My blood began to buzz, and my heart picked up its pace. I couldn’t look away. His eyes narrowed, and he stared right back at me as the doors started to close.
I moved forward again. I wanted to see more. Just before the doors closed, I glanced down and saw the pool of blood at his feet.
The doors closed. I stepped back to watch.
The elevator stopped on the floor above Jake’s.