Chapter 3
S hit shit shit.
I can feel my face heat up with embarrassment as I hold the vase in front of my body, praying it’s covering up literally any part of it. I bend down to pick up my towel and wrap it around my torso, hoping no one was able to get a good look through all the commotion.
“Who the hell is this?” the woman demands, rage taking over her face as she jabs a finger into the man’s shoulder. “Is this your girlfriend?”
“What?” I nearly snort, just as the man replies, “I don’t even know who that is!”
We exchange dumbfounded looks and I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming up this ridiculous scenario. Even though something about his face does ring a bell, I’m fairly sure I’d remember if I’d met him before. Or if he was my boyfriend.
“Then why is she naked in your apartment?”
I look down to make sure I’m still covered up by my towel, relieved to find that I am, in fact, not naked. Anymore.
The man’s eyes dart rapidly between me and her while he remains completely speechless, no doubt just as confused as I am. What did she mean by ‘his apartment’? And then it hits me: a flash of recognition of where I’ve seen that face before. Is he the guy I crashed into outside the building yesterday?
“That’s what I thought. I don’t do cheating, and I don’t do threesomes,” she sneers.
“Can someone please tell me what’s going on here?” I plead.
“I’m leaving, that’s what’s going on. Whatever this is,” she gestures vaguely between me and the man. “I don’t want any part of it.”
I look to him for any kind of explanation, but he’s already chasing after her as she briskly makes her way back to the elevator.
“Wait, don’t go! I swear we’re not together!” he insists, but it’s too late.
Despite his many objections, the doors ping closed in his face a second later and she disappears from view. I feel like I’m in a soap opera as I watch everything unfold before me, and if it weren’t for my complete confusion and lingering fear about having a stranger in the penthouse, I’d be incredibly entertained.
He turns back over to me with a look that tells me I’m probably his least favorite person in the world right about now, and I realize that I’m alone in the middle of the night with a complete stranger, basically half-naked.
“Thanks a lot,” he huffs.
“ Excuse me? Who even are you? And how did you get in here? You should know the police are on their way!”
They’re so not, but he doesn’t need to know that. I’m starting to freak out, wondering if he really is the guy I ran into yesterday. Because if he is, this would be way too big of a coincidence. Is he following me? Did he pick the lock in the elevator just to get up here? Did he bribe Robert to take him up?
I give him a very stern look to let him know that I’m not backing down and that I’d still hit him on the head with my trusty vase if I have to. But instead of quivering fear, all I get in return is an eye roll.
“This is my brother’s place, I have an extra key,” he says, digging it out of his pocket and holding it up for me to see. “I’m Elias Kaplan?”
Ohhh.
Shit.
I instantly recognize him as the best man in the wedding photo on the mantel, though he looks older and slightly more pissed off in real life. It takes about two seconds before the reality of the situation sets in, making me feel like a total idiot. I make a silent prayer that he doesn’t remember me snapping it at him yesterday (if it really was him) since the last thing I need is for him to complain about me to his brother and get me fired.
I set down the vase and shuffle over to him, my hand extended and pride woefully swallowed. “Gemma DeLuca, I’m the dog sitter.”
He gives me the most half-hearted smile but doesn’t take my hand, instead opting to look me up and down. He doesn’t seem to recognize me given that the only expression on his face is that of mild judgment, and I get the feeling this guy rarely smiles.
Then, as if on command, the sound of Princess’ little footsteps emerges from the staircase. We turn our heads as she bounces down the steps and scurries over to him, jumping up excitedly on his legs with her tail wagging.
Oh sure, now you wake up . Traitor.
He bends down and gives her a few quick head scratches to appease her, then straightens and stares back at me.
“So, are you going to call them off now?”
“Huh?”
He rolls his eyes again. “ The police . You said they were on their way.”
“Oh… About that.”
He raises his eyebrow at me and all of my earlier toughness immediately disappears. “I was lying before, I never called them. I— I just said that because I thought you were here to steal or something.”
“Mhm.”
I fiddle with my towel as he stares me down, and I can really see the family resemblance from this close-up. The Kaplan men have the same strong jaw and prominent nose, their faces all sharp edges and harsh lines. They both have dark hair, though where his brother’s is peppered with gray strands, Elias’ is so dark that it’s almost black. They also bear the same golden brown eyes, the kind that remind me of a ray of sun shining through a curtain, even if his are much more intense-looking when he scowls at me.
“Wait a minute,” I probe, coming to a sudden realization. “Your parents named you and your brother Tobias and Elias ?”
He seems taken aback by this, and I wonder if my habit of speaking before I think has just made the situation worse. “Yeah, our dad’s name is Osias… Guess they thought they were being clever or something. ”
I can’t help but stifle a laugh at the thought of this ultra-powerful family having rhyming names. Somehow it humanizes them, and makes me about one percent less intimidated by Elias. He doesn’t seem offended by my laughter though, and actually manages to crack a smile through his sour face.
“Listen, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he adds after a beat, seeming to realize I am, in fact, not a threat—just a girl with a big mouth. “I didn’t know you’d be here. I knew my brother was away on vacation and I needed a place to crash, but I probably should have called them first.”
A place to crash? Or a place to hook up?
“Don’t sweat it, I’m sorry I scared off your… lady friend.”
The smallest laugh tugs at the corner of his mouth, and I wish I had said any combination of words other than lady friend .
“I’ll survive,” he replies, a dimple appearing on his cheek. “Well, it was… interesting to meet you, Gemma. Guess I’ll be going, then.”
He promptly turns around to leave the way he came, and I frown. It must be nearly three in the morning, there’s no way he’s actually going back out to roam the streets alone at this time, is there?
Princess starts to whimper beside me the closer he gets to the elevator, and I know I have to do something. Damn my weakness for sad puppies. I let out a big sigh, knowing what I’m about to say is incredibly stupid.
“Wait,” I call out. “It’s the middle of the night, I’m not going to throw you out on the street. You said you need somewhere to stay, right?”
He turns back around, hesitating for a moment. “Yeah, I do.”
“There’s, like, a gazillion rooms in this place, I’m sure we can figure something out.”
“Really..?”
I shrug. “I mean, you have more of a right to be here than I do— he is your brother. Plus, I kind of don’t want to risk losing this job for kicking out a family member.”
A relieved smile paints his face and even in my sleep-deprived and adrenaline-ridden state, it’s hard not to notice how much more handsome he looks when he’s not scowling.
“That would be great, thanks. You’re really saving my ass here.”
“You and your ass are welcome,” I say as he strolls back over to me, and pray I won’t regret this decision. I put my hand out right before he reaches me, stopping him dead in his tracks. “On two conditions.”
“Name them.”
“One, no more surprise visitors. I’ve had enough scares for one night. And two, you promise not to murder me in my sleep.”
“Done and done,” he beams, shooting me a thousand-watt smile as grabs my extended hand and shakes it.
Flutters shoot straight into my stomach the moment our hands touch, and I have to mentally slap myself to keep it together. This man was literally just tongue-deep in someone else’s mouth; not exactly a viable option. If I was even looking for one, which I’m not.
“Alrighty then, after you,” I say, moving out of the way and gesturing for him to go up the staircase first. Just in case.
We make our way up with Princess happily trotting behind us, and when we arrive in the hallway, I stop outside my room.
“This is me, but I think the second and third doors on the right are also guest bedrooms. ”
He nods, pointing to one of the aforementioned doors. “I normally stay in that one.”
He has his own room here?
I’m trying to find a way to end this conversation and go to bed without sounding totally awkward when I notice his complete lack of overnight bags. “Um, are you going to need a toothbrush or something?”
As if I would even know where to find them if he did need one.
“I keep a spare and some extra clothes here for when I visit.”
Suddenly it feels more like he’s the guest and I’m the intruder. Makes me wonder why Gigi never thought to mention this person who basically lives here with them.
We stand in uncomfortable silence for a moment, neither of us sure how to leave this odd conversation, before I clear my throat and put an end to it.
“So, I’ll call Gigi in the morning and we’ll just figure everything out then. Sound good?”
He nods and abruptly says goodnight before heading for his room, and it feels like a small victory when Princess opts to follow me into mine.
Once inside, I ditch the damp towel and change back into my pajamas, crawling into bed for the night. My eyes are heavy and my brain is tired, and I tell myself not to overthink this entire situation as the pup cuddles up next to me. Everything will be sorted out in the morning, and soon the handsome stranger will be out of my hair.
Princess’ fluffy tail tickles my nose as I reach for my phone on my bedside table, and I can’t help but spend the last of my dwindling energy Googling Elias Kaplan until I fall asleep.