Making a left onto 82nd street, I peek at the apartment building numbers to find Roman’s address. Just a couple blocks down I reach his apartment and step inside the building. Scanning the intercom buttons for his apartment, I find it and buzz apartment #6B.
His voice answers through the intercom, “Yea?”
I smirk and respond, “Chinese delivery.”
“Uh, I didn’t order Chinese. I’m waiting for a beautiful woman to come save me from my loneliness.”
Laughing out loud, I bush the button again. I notice the smile in his voice. “Yes?”
“Come on, let me up. I know you know it’s me.”
The door buzzes as I push it open and walk toward the elevator. As I wait for it to pick me up, I practically dance in place with so much excitement just to see him. Seconds later, the elevator door opens up and I step inside, pushing for the sixth floor. As it lifts me to his floor, I check my reflection in my cellphone’s screen, making sure I don’t have anything in my teeth. I spray a quick squirt of body spray and fluff up my hair, making sure I look my best. The elevator stops on his floor and I glance around the hall as I step off.
“Hey.”
His voice echoes from behind me, startling me as I turn around to see him. He’s perched against the doorframe of his apartment, wearing those hip-hugging jeans again and a black V-neck shirt. As I step closer to him, he reaches out to grab my hand and welcomes me with a kiss. Our lips lock as we stand in the doorway, not giving a shit if anyone sees us. His hands wrap around my body, pushing me harder against his. My hand touches his scars, soothing them with the soft flesh of my palm. After a couple minutes, he steps back into the door, gasping for air.
Chuckling as he adjusts, I step inside and gasp at how big his apartment is. “Holy shit, this place is huge!”
He closes the door behind me and squats back into his wheelchair, rolling up beside me. He takes my coat and tosses it on the sofa. “Come, let’s have a tour, shall we?”
Melanie
I FOLLOW HIM as we walk through the foyer, into the living room, past the kitchen, and glance down the hall toward the bedroom. “How did you find this place? I bet it must cost a fortune.”
We make our way back to the living room and I take a seat on the sofa. He parks next to me in his chair. “My uncle and I know the super so he gave me a deal. It’s still pretty expensive but not what you’d expect.”
“No wonder you didn’t want to give this place up. It’s a treasure.”
He laughs at my awe and asks, “Want something to drink?”
Standing up, I turn toward the kitchen. “Oh sure, I can get it.”
His palm stops me in place. “No, I’ll get it. Stay here. What do you want? I have soda, beer, or red wine.”
Insisting on getting it myself, I say, “Roman, I can get my own drink. It’s okay.”
He shakes his head and pleads, “Melanie please, let me do it.”
I nod and sit back down on the couch. “I’ll just have a soda. Thank you.”
He winks at me as he turns toward the kitchen. I check out his pictures on display and see photos of his mother and father along with a few photos of Aunt Maggie and Uncle Vinny. Roman told me earlier this month that he also has a cousin, but they aren’t very close. It’s such a shame. I hear the wheelchair creek up behind me and I spin around to see him handing me a glass of soda.
I smile and bend down to kiss his cheek. “Thank you.”
“Welcome. You want to stand outside for a bit while dinner’s cooking?”
I glance around. “You have a balcony?”
He nods and turns toward the bedroom. “It’s a small one, but it’s another reason why I stay.”
As I follow him toward the bedroom, the aroma of garlic and melted cheese fills the kitchen. My stomach grumbles as the sweet smell fills my nose. “What are you making?”
Entering the room, he answers, “Homemade penne vodka.”
I secretly jump for joy, as it’s one of my favorites. “I’m so lucky to find someone who can cook.”
He snarls in front of me. “Ah, so that’s why you stick around.”