And everyone seems to be watching us. Staff and guests included. One person even pulls out a cell and takes a picture, for fuck’s sake. How rude. Beck either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care. Guess he’s used to this level of attention. But it kind of makes me grateful for the clothes. They act as armor against all the inquiring eyes. Either that or these people are undermining my sangfroid. I don’t know. The shoes are pretty and the trench is kind of cool. I take comfort in this.
“We have a gift shop, barber shop, cocktail lounge, and a restaurant.” He nods to the people behind the lobby counter and guides me toward a bank of elevators. “I know they look old, but they work.”
“They’re beautiful. This whole place is. And it’s yours now?”
“I’m in charge,” he says as we step into the elevator. He pushes the button for the level before the top floor. Floor fourteen. Guess we’re taking a tour of the place starting at almost the top. Whatever. I’ll follow him anywhere. “But it’s still owned by the company at present. So I have family and other stockholders to answer to until the sale goes through.”
I nod. The elevator kicks off with the subtle clanking that modern money just can’t buy.
“What are you thinking about?” he asks.
“Lots of things.”
“Such as?”
“Well…this place is seriously impressive for starters.”
“You ain’t seen nothing yet.”
I stare at the floor for a moment. Elevators are so awkward. “Did you notice people staring at us downstairs?”
“It happens.” He shrugs. “Just ignore it.”
“Are you at the top of the most eligible bachelor list in this town or what?”
“The state list and I’m number two. Ethan holds the top place.”
Fuck me.
“It’s not who I am, Alice,” he says, tone particularly persuasive. “It’s just a side effect of the money. Ignore it, okay?”
Easy for him to say.
We arrive at the fourteenth floor and he draws a keycard out of his pocket. Whatever he wants to show me is down the end of a hallway lit by more cool old light fixtures. There’s an energy to Beck now that’s been absent since he was in California. Not that I expected him to be ecstatic when his father had just passed. But it’s nice to see him excited about life again.
After opening the door, he looks at me with a smile. “Go ahead. Have a look.”
“Okay.”
I head inside, taking my time checking everything out. If this is a big deal for Beck, then I want to give him his due. And it obviously is, because the man watches me like a hawk the whole time. The walls are painted graphite and the furniture is lush, just like downstairs, and upholstered in different shades of blue. A large open area has a living room, a long wooden dining table, and a galley kitchen with shiny white stone benchtops. There’s also a fireplace, ginormous TV, a bar and wine fridge…basically every luxury you could want. Floor to ceiling windows look out onto LoDo and there’s an outside sitting area with its own fireplace and Jacuzzi. It’s a lot to take in for a basic bitch like me.
“Are these the penthouse apartments?” I ask, heading to one end of the room. A study with a cluttered bookcase is the next thing I find, followed by a bathroom with pristine white tiles.
“No, those are upstairs. They’re double the floor space.”
“Wow.”
“They are nice,” he admits. “But I thought it best to keep those available for guests. This one is just for personal use. Figured we didn’t really need a grand piano or two extra bedrooms at this stage anyway.”
“This one is for the family?”
“If by family you mean you and me.”
I don’t know what to say. I’m starting to get the feeling I’m overusing the word “wow.” There’s every chance I’ll never become acclimatized to his wealth. Or at least, I hope not. Imagine taking this kind of beauty for granted. But on the other hand, Beck and I are finally getting some privacy. This is splendid.
“Actually thought Dad would have evicted me when I left,” he says, voice contemplative. “But he didn’t. Guess the old man was more bark than bite sometimes. At least when it came to his children. The things you learn when it’s too late.”
“This is where you lived before you went wandering?”
A nod as he leans against the closed door. “Lived and worked here. I oversaw the renovations last year. It was my project to prove myself to