Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 76984 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76984 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
“Doesn’t he have a spare bedroom?” I figured all the apartments in his building had at least three bedrooms, if not more.
“Not according to Barclay.” Weird. Where in the hell was I going to sleep?
“Should I bring my blowup mattress?” Tessa laughed at my question, then a frown fell across her perfect face.
“Good and scary question.”
“I’m sure it will be fine.” Butterflies started to stir in my stomach. I’d have to deal with this and other issues—after Lucas saw me, the girl named Peaches. It wasn’t like I’d lied to him. If he would have asked for my real name, I would’ve told him. But he never asked, and neither had I.
I put Lucas’s address in my Uber app and waited for a car to select my trip. It would be the shortest Uber I’d ever booked, but I was a bundle of nerves and wanted to get there quickly. My phone pinged with my ride confirmation.
“My car’s four minutes away. Wish me luck.” I threw my bag over my shoulder and was halfway out the door when Tessa came running after me.
“Maggie, wait.” She grabbed the front door to keep it from closing. As if I’d slam it on her. “Barclay’s waiting for you downstairs. He’s taking you there himself.”
“Really? I don’t think that’s necessary.” My hands began to sweat as I let go of the doorknob.
Oh my God. There was no way Lucas would be able to hide his reaction to seeing me on the other side of his apartment door. Barclay would realize we’ve met before. How can I pull this off if I’m the only one in on the secret that Peaches is me?
“Barclay is just watching out for you. Better cancel your ride.”
There was no use trying to talk my way out of Barclay taking me, so I did as Tessa said, not caring that I’d get charged a cancellation fee. It was .001 percent of what I’d be earning over the next three days. Though, I would have done all of this for free had the man I’d known as Herb asked me. It felt wrong taking his money, especially under the circumstances of the baby being abandoned.
Tessa gave me a hug, and I met Barclay in the lobby. Part of my building was an actual hotel, so the traffic by the front desk was busy on a Saturday night. People were shuffling to elevators and the restaurant. Barclay didn’t see me at first. Standing at only five foot two, I blended into the crowd.
I waved at him as I approached, and his eyes almost popped out of his head. I peeked over my shoulder to see if something was going on behind me. When nothing caught my attention, I scrunched my shoulders and kept walking.
“What in the hell do you think you’re wearing?” Barclay whispered under his breath.
“I know I look like a Manhattan hillbilly, but I didn’t think it mattered if I wasn’t all dressed up.”
“But you need to be dressed. Like…covering your legs. And that shirt rides up above your waistline.”
I put a hand on my hip, preparing to give him a reply. His assessment of my outfit made me sound like I was working the corner of Broadway and Get Lucky.
“You’re not my father.” Actually, I had no idea who my father was, but that was a story for a different day. “Quit acting like it.”
I tossed my bag at him, and he caught it before it dropped to the ground. “Pretty quick for an old man,” I teased.
“Wait, Maggie…” Barclay didn’t move as I started for the lobby’s front door. I turned around to face him.
“It’s okay. I get it.” My voice lost all the previous sarcasm. “You think this guy’s a dirty old man. Maybe he is, but I’m not going to wear a nun’s habit.”
Though…maybe a chastity belt wasn’t a bad idea. Admittedly, I daydreamed about Herb pulling me into the coffee shop bathroom and introducing me to his version of wall sex.
On the way to Lucas’s, Barclay repeated what Tessa had told me with one exception. Lucas had promised to keep his hands to himself, and Barclay had leveraged their lifelong friendship on Lucas giving him his word. Even my silly pipe dreams were too much to hope for.
A few minutes later, Barclay and I stood outside Lucas’s building. I glanced up to the top, wondering which floor was his. It was one of the highest residential buildings in the city, according to Wikipedia. I sneaked a look on the way over in the car.
Once inside the lobby, we were greeted by security. The guard knew Barclay by name but scanned over me from head to toe, then back again.
“Is this your sister?” the guard asked, scratching his head. I laughed at the comparison. Barclay and I both had shiny, black hair, but other than that, we were worlds apart.