Chapter 111

• MARY-BETH
• As I put a second coat of dusky rose pink paint on the wall in Apartment 2, my mind wandered back to the day before, and my day with Alex. I was seeing him again in a short while, and my stomach was getting that intense, full, sexy energy feeling, even as I tried to ignore it and get on with my work. I was also feeling a bit shaky and my heart kept pounding – with nerves and caffeine probably. (I’d tried to compensate for lying awake last night thinking about Alex with two strong macchiatos this morning.) We were holding a photo shoot for my online magazine in this apartment in a little while, and everything had to be ready – for one thing, the paint had to be dry. Luckily, it was a beautiful June day and I had all the sash windows open and a powerful breeze blowing in.
• As I pushed the roller, on a long stick, right to the top of the wall, my mind wandered back to its favorite topics. Yesterday, Alex and the kiss. So, we got the ottoman, and for a really good price too (thanks to Alex letting me take the lead and do the talking, that is). Luckily, the dealer wasn’t into football, or she would have recognized him and blown our cover. We also picked up a fantastic bureau which would look perfect in the grand hallway, and a couple more pieces that will really bring the flagship apartment to life.