hadn’t had the time to make friends with anyone, but Charlotte made an impression, even from across their team’s open plan work area.
“I won’t be long.”
“What are you looking for?” Charlotte asked, pushing up from her seat a little to peek over the table.
“Somewhere to live,” Poppy said. “Why do you need a car? Do you live far away?”
“It’s a long story,” Charlotte said, sinking into her seat, sipping her coffee. “What kind of place are you looking for?”
“Somewhere cheap,” Poppy said, taking a deep breath. “And close to work… ish. I don’t mind walking so long as I don’t have to worry about getting mugged on the way home.”
She was still reading so missed Charlotte lunging across the table until her hand landed flat in the middle of the page Poppy was reading.
“Look no more,” the young woman declared. “I know the perfect place! Perfect. Perfect.”
Poppy’s brows rose. “You do?” she asked, surprised a colleague would make such an offer.
“Sure,” Charlotte said, grabbing an abandoned pen from the table to jot something down on the corner of the newspaper. “This is the address. Go straight up to the fifth floor. Just ignore the no entry sign and head for the sound of the radio… or power tools.”
Poppy wasn’t sure she followed. “Power tools?”
Charlotte was careful about tearing off the corner of the paper to present her the address. “Trust me. You won’t find a fairer or safer landlord.” Poppy reached for the proffered paper, Charlotte’s fingers flicked back to hold it just out of her reach. “Sometimes he’s grumpy… it’s just his way.” She grinned. “Push past it, don’t let him dismiss you. It’s always better when he knows his mood doesn’t put you off. He likes determined women.”
Taking the piece of paper, Poppy couldn’t deny her curiosity. A fair landlord was something she hadn’t considered. Now that the point had been raised, she liked it.
Fair and safe, she couldn’t ask for more.
Maybe it was curiosity that took her to the address after work. Desperation was an equal motive.
Cashing in most of her and her grandmother’s jewelry gave Poppy a substantial nest egg. More than most people would have starting out. That didn’t mean she enjoyed squandering it.
The more time she spent away from her family’s estate, the more she loved her independence. Poppy didn’t want the break from her family to be a short-term adventure, she was starting to think about her future. About what kind of future she could build for herself away from the Grangers.
The building on the corner was seven floors high. Outwardly, there was nothing spectacular or repellant about it. Everything seemed to be in good repair. The window treatments on most of the windows suggested tenants, or a landlord, cared about the space. Compared to the other places in her preferred price range, the building before her was better than The Ritz.
When she opened the wood framed front door her stomach flipped. The frosted glass panel was etched with a beautiful design around the building number, so she knew she was in the right place… according to Charlotte’s address anyway.
The Art Deco tile flooring was so gorgeous that she almost didn’t want to tread on it. The nook for the matte brass mail slots was pristine. She loved the dark wood accents too. Going forward, Poppy slid her hand up the beautiful smooth wood of the bannister and paused to look down the long hallway that ran along behind the mailboxes. A burst of light at the end of that space intrigued her. Some part of her wanted to explore what lay in every corner before ascending higher, but being caught snooping wouldn’t make for the best first impression, so she kept on going up.
Given how she’d been raised to be polite and follow rules, Poppy had to fight her natural resistance to stepping over the “no entry” barrier when she reached the fifth floor. It was just a notice attached to some red tape that was tied around the bannister at one end and stuck to the wall at the other.
There were no guards or cameras or guns… as far as she could see. Nothing bad would happen just by stepping over the tape. Still, it was there for a reason. The fifth floor could be dangerous for all she knew. Poppy reminded herself of her decision to take risks. Nothing ventured, nothing gained had never been more apt.
On the other floors, she’d noticed five doors on each. The fifth floor was