Change With Me (With Me in Seattle 17.5)

“Sure. I’ll have whatever you’re having.”

He nods. “I’ll be right back.”

So, he’s hot, rich, and thoughtful?

It’s a shame I’m not his type. Because having someone like Zane around all the time wouldn’t be a hardship.

Right now, I’m just grateful that things are going well. If this condo had to be double-booked, at least I’m not living with a big jerk. Besides, I’ll only really be here in the evenings. I work long days.

The neighborhood slowly comes to life as the sun rises higher in the sky. There’s more dog walking, some runners, even a cyclist or two.

I’ve just finished my last sip of coffee when Zane pushes open the door once more and passes me a brown paper bag.

“Here you go.”

“Thanks.”

He starts to leave, but I gesture to the seat next to me.

“You can join me, if you want.”

“I don’t want to butt into your private space.”

“It’s a balcony, not my bed.” I gesture for him to sit again and pull the burrito out of the bag. “Holy crap, this is a monster. I’ll be eating it for days.”

“It’s worth it,” he says with a wink and takes a big bite of his burrito.

We sit in silence, eating our breakfast and watching the neighborhood below. Zane wads up his empty wrapper and tosses it into the bag.

I fold the paper around the second half of my burrito and set it aside.

“I’m so full.” I pat my belly and sigh in happiness. “I wish I could go back to sleep, but I can’t. I have a full day of getting ready for school. What are you up to today? Not that you have to tell me, I’m just making conversation.”

“I know.” He smiles. “I have a meeting in downtown Seattle in a couple of hours.”

“Oh, is it fun downtown?”

“You’ve never been?”

“No.” I shake my head and wish for another cup of coffee. “I’ve never been to the Pacific Northwest before.”

“Wait.” He holds up his hand, and a frown creases that handsome forehead. “You moved to a new city without ever having been here before? Why didn’t you at least come out to see if you like it?”

“I couldn’t afford to. I used all of my savings to rent this place. A trip here ahead of time wasn’t possible. When Granddad died, I had to pay for his burial and stuff.”

“He didn’t have life insurance?” Zane asks.

“No. I found out scammers swindled him out of a lot of money. He was old and an easy mark. I feel guilty for that.” I swallow hard at the memory of finding out that my grandfather had been taken advantage of. “He never told me. And I didn’t live with him, so there was no way for me to know. Anyway, he was pretty much broke when he passed.”

“I’m sorry, Aubrey.”

I look over at him. He watches me with blue eyes full of…empathy?

“It could have been worse.”

“Really? How so?”

“Are you kidding? He could have been in debt, too. Then I would have been responsible for everything. As it was, I just had to make sure he was taken care of, which was my job. He raised me.”

“Where are your parents?” he asks.

“Dead.” I shrug. “I don’t remember them. Do you have your parents?”

“They’re living, but I don’t speak with them,” he replies. “My best friend, Sabrina, is my family. She lives here in Seattle with her husband.”

“Oh, nice. So, they’re close by then. Are you filming a movie here?”

His lips twitch. “No.”

I nod and look away, determined to mind my own damn business.

“I’m hiding,” he says, surprising me.

“From what?”

Zane clears his throat and shifts in his chair. “Do you not keep up on pop culture?”

“Not really. I don’t even have social media.”

“Well, there was a scandal. There always is, really. But, this time, it was bad. My manager told me to get lost for a little while until it blows over.”

“And your family is here.” I nod. “That makes sense. But can I be honest?”

He sends me a wary look. “Sure.”

“You’re like…Zane Cooper. I picture you living in a big house with open spaces, a pool, and servants.”

He smirks and then laughs. “I have that in LA. And I like it. There weren’t any houses for lease in the area I want to be in. Rina and Ben live just down the way, so I can walk to their place. I like the area. And this condo is new, nicely furnished, and came with a surprise roommate.”

I grimace. “I should have bowed out gracefully and found something else.”

His eyes narrow. “Why?”

“Because you paid in advance for the whole time. And you got here first.”

“So, finder’s keepers?” He cocks a brow. “I don’t think that works on homes, Aubrey.”

I laugh. “Probably not. I’m grateful that you let me stay. At least, until the landlord refunds me the money I paid him. I told him that I knew he’d been double paid. He wasn’t thrilled that I figured that out.”