“It’s four floors.”
“Yeah.”
“What could you have possibly found to do with all of that space?”
“Two floors are the actual living space. Got three bedrooms. Sometimes Lincoln crashes if he’s between girls. Bellamy and Ranger will stay if they are in town.”
“What about the other two floors?”
“Well…” he said, hitting a clicker on his visor, making a giant door slowly groan open, allowing him to drive inside. To a giant garage space.
“Wait… is that Lincoln’s…”
“Corvette? Yes,” Kai told me, nodding toward the cherry red car in the far corner. “He ran out of room, and claimed it could never sit outside in the weather. Despite being, you know, a car and meant to sit outside. I am under strict orders not to touch it. Or breathe on it. And my car is not allowed to blow exhaust on it. Whatever that means. Come on, let’s get upstairs,” he said, jumping out, going around the back to load his arms down with my luggage, leaving me with nothing but my pillows to grab.
We climbed up steep cement stairs to a door, pausing to let Kai punch in a code, then moving into the dark space.
“Ready?”
“I don’t know.”
But then the light flicked on.
And I got to see Kai’s place for the first time.
“Wow.”
“Good wow? Bad wow?”
“Surprised good wow?”
It wasn’t what I was expecting. Piles of stuff all over with a clean trail leading to the kitchen.
The room itself was open concept. We stepped into the living room with windows lining both sides. The living room was set up in a square of couches. They were somewhat low, black, and minimalistic. Very modern. On the center was a coffee table was a set of work files. But not strewn about, just tucked all together nicely. There was a large flatscreen across from the seating area, likely where he and the guys – or Miller – hung out and watched games or movies or… whatever people did when they hung out as adults.
Behind the living room was a simple four-chair black table set before the oversized L-shaped kitchen cut off from the rest of the space with a giant, oversized island. The counters were cement. The appliances were stainless steel. The cabinets were a deep gray.
The whole area was cool, but not cold. Streamlined and clean. There were no curtains or throw pillows, no decor accents.
It was the ultimate bachelor’s pad.
Because Kai was single.
Kai was single, and not a monk.
He was good-looking, sweet, interesting.
Women had to be drawn to him.
Irrationally, I felt a sour taste flood my mouth, recognizing it for what it was. Jealousy.
Even though I had no right at all to feel that way.
“Do you have a housekeeper?”
Kai’s neck went a little red, a surefire sign of guilt. “Yeah.”
“But you won’t let me clean your office.”
“It’s not your job.”
“I straighten up for some of the others.”
“It’s not your job,” he insisted before moving away from me. “As you can see, this is the main living area. Help yourself to what’s in the fridge. I’ll pick up some healthy stuff later for you. The main floor bathroom is… here,” he declared when I caught up with him, finding a door behind the kitchen. “And back here is just the gaming room,” he told me, waving before taking up another flight of wide cement stairs. I hung back, sneaking a look to see what a game room could be. It was exactly what it sounded like. A room full of old school arcade games. And a little section with a giant TV and collection of gaming consoles.
Kai liked games.
How did I never know that about him?
“I’d wipe the floor with you,” he declared, having come back down to stand beside me. “At skeeball,” he told me, jerking his chin toward where I was looking.
“I don’t know. I used to be pretty good.”
“We’ll play later. Winner gets to pick dinner.”
“Sounds like fun.”
And it did.
Fun.
What a novel concept.
“You get to choose your room,” he told me as we got to the second floor. “This is me,” he told me, waving a hand toward a room with a king-sized bed with steel blue comforter. And another TV. One guy. Three TVs. So far.
“This is the first one. It’s the one the guys usually pick,” he informed me, flicking on the light.
“I can see why.”
It was bare walls and a simple bed with a slate comforter. And, you guessed it, another TV.
“This one no one has ever picked,” he told me, leading me into the last room where the walls were a soft sage green. The queen-sized bed had a lush white comforter. There was a white headboard, white nightstands, and a white and sage carpet so thick I was sure my feet would simply sink into it.
“I like that look. I guess we have a winner?”
“Oh, yes. And no TV. You know you have four TVs?”