Chapter Thirteen
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“Looks more promising,” Seth says as I pull my truck in front of the fourth apartment building on our list. So far, we’ve been striking out. The first place we saw turned out to be a dump. The second was great until we realized they wouldn’t allow pets. And while the third seemed to check all the necessary boxes, the property manager couldn’t explain its terrible, unidentifiable smell. Both of us are a bit frustrated at this point, but it’s so nice just to have Seth here . If I have to spend the entire weekend house hunting with him to make that permanent, I will.
I open the door of my truck, hoping the fourth time’s the charm. But when I look over, I notice my brother isn’t actually eyeing the building we’re here to see, but a high-rise across the street with a couple of cute girls standing outside.
“Hey, Casanova,” I say, pointing the other way. “ This is the place we’re looking at.”
Seth glances at the dated brick building behind me, sniffs, and turns back around. “What’s wrong with that one?”
I snort, craning to look at the two brand-new, mirrored towers stretching at least thirty stories up. This is one of those neighborhoods dotted with a mix of small, older buildings and immense new luxury residences. As we stand there, a black Porsche Cayenne purrs up to the entrance and a guy in a three-piece suit steps out of the back seat, trailed by a woman taking selfies with a chihuahua dressed in a coordinating outfit.
“A little out of your league.”
Seth raises one brow like I’ve presented him with a challenge, straightens the hem of his T-shirt over his jeans, and strides inside.
“I could see myself here,” he says as I chase him through the automatic doors.
“Sure, great. Maybe as an extra for some influencer. Can we get back across the street so we don’t miss the manager at the other place?”
He ignores me, so I follow helplessly as he enters a lobby that feels like a freaking luxury hotel—complete with plush furniture, pretentious artwork, an enormous fireplace, and a concierge desk.
“Hi there,” Seth says, approaching a curly haired young white woman behind the counter. She does nothing to conceal the fact that she’s scoping him out. “I’m interested in becoming a resident. Can you tell me if cats are allowed?”
“Oh, of course.” Her face brightens. “Pets are always welcome at the Washington Park Towers. We actually have an in-house pet spa.”
“You’re kidding,” I say, though I’m the last person who should be surprised. Lydia built her businesses on exactly this sort of demand.
“Are you familiar with our brand of living?” she asks. “Our residents expect the best, and that includes furry family members.” She waves to someone over my shoulder, and I glance back to see a well-groomed lady entering the lobby with an equally well-coiffed poodle. “Do you have an appointment with our relocation specialist?”
Seth opens his mouth to answer, but I jump in. “We don’t. We’ll have to make one and come back. Thanks for your time.”
With that, I try to steer my brother out the doors. Seth’s been working with some hot-shot real estate investors in Dallas, and while he’s apparently done well flipping houses, there’s no way he can afford this place.
“Whoa, hang on a sec.” He places a hand on my chest and makes doe eyes at the girl. “Would it be possible to take a tour without an appointment? Actually, would you be available to take us on one?” He glances at the name tag on her blazer. “Eden?”
He gives her his best panty-melting smile, and when she giggles, my shoulders slump.
“Seth,” I mutter. “I doubt this place is going to be in your price range.”
He regards me with a patient smile. “Why don’t you let me be the judge of that?”
I shoot Lydia a text to say we’ll likely be late for dinner while Seth hands over his driver’s license. The woman briefly disappears, and then we’re off on an unofficial tour of the most ridiculously luxe living in Denver.
“As you can see, every resident of the Washington Park Towers can expect a level of luxury and service you won’t find elsewhere,” she says, leading us through the swank lobby toward the elevators. “The towers are joined up to the fifth floor pool deck and include a co-working space, lounge and game space, and a full-service bar.” We exit the elevator onto what could only be the aforementioned pool deck. “In addition to our salt water pool and hot tub, we have a complete fitness center and offer an array of health and wellness services.”
Seth strolls out onto the pool deck, hands clasped behind him like he’s a man of leisure and isn’t sleeping on my couch tonight after living in our mom’s two-bedroom ranch the last five years. The pristine turquoise pool stretches between the two buildings with a row of loungers resting on a shallow shelf in the water, the entirety of its rectangle shape lined with cabanas and fire pits. There is an admittedly stunning view to the west—capturing the sweeping purple snow-capped mountains that bring to mind the lyrics of America The Beautiful, which is framed exquisitely between the two mirrored towers. Though I remind myself, everyone in Denver gets to enjoy that view without the price tag on this place.
The day has been hot, and Seth’s gaze lingers on a young Black woman and a blonde stretched out in bikinis on the loungers. He turns to the concierge in her dress pants and blazer, looking her over like she’s one of them. “So, do you ever get to come enjoy the pool yourself? ”
She giggles again, twisting one finger through her curls. “Well, I haven’t really had the chance to...”
I roll my eyes, stepping away to text Lydia.
Seth is descending into hedonism. Send help.
Lydia
LOL, where are you guys?
This double tower place by Wash Park. It’s ridiculous.
Lydia
Oh, that’s near Caprice’s building! We went inside once. It’s next level.
Is he really looking there?
I glance over my shoulder at my brother touring the deck like a Rockefeller, and while the whole scenario he’s dragged me into is truly ridiculous, I can’t help smiling. I’ve missed him. We’ve seen each other off and on the last several years, but almost all of our interactions have been limited to phone calls and visits related to our mom’s decline. It feels good, having him here, doing something... well, maybe not normal, but one hundred percent Seth .
He’s having fun. But we’ll prob need to look at some more reasonable places tomorrow.
Lydia
If you guys want to stay out later, go ahead. You know I can always find reasons to work late.
I thought the goal was for you NOT to work so late.
Lydia
Yes. But I’ve been at Ooh La Pooch all day anyway, and Seth’s only here for the weekend.. .
My brother leans casually against a wall, hovering over the concierge, who bats her eyelashes up at him.
Seth might have other plans tonight.
Do I need to come bend you over one of your grooming tables and remind you about work-life balance?
She doesn’t reply right away, and I allow myself a wicked smile, taking a moment to imagine her face turning a deep shade of red at my text. Hopefully in front of a customer. I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting Lydia to do a one-eighty on starting a family. But since I was already determined to reconnect no matter what, the fact that she did kind of opened a floodgate. I’d listened to a whole podcast on dirty talk before we went out the other night, and I have realized what a useful tool it is to help Lydia focus. It doesn’t take much at all to make her squirm.
Finally, my phone buzzes again.
Lydia
I’m not sure our therapist would agree with your strategy.
But did I get you wet thinking about it?
Someone clears their throat behind me, and I glance back to find Seth holding the elevator, waiting for me.
“If you’d like to join us, there is a one-bedroom condo I can show you on the eighteenth floor,” the concierge says beside him.
My brother gives me a look as we enter the elevator and rise through the floors, and for a second I’m certain he knows I’ve been sexting my wife.
Then I realize he’d probably approve.
Eden leads us down a plush hallway once we reach eighteen and opens up a door all the way at the end. “This unit has been freshly vacated, but it will give you an idea of what we have available.”
Even my jaw drops when we walk into the residence. It’s an open concept where the kitchen, living, and dining areas all flow into one another, giving it a spacious feel. The floors are gleaming polished concrete, and while all the fixtures and appliances are sleek and modern, the space still feels warm and inviting. Very much like a home. Seth wanders toward the wall of windows across the room, and I duck through a door leading to a bedroom and bath off to the left. Which, as I expect at this point, is just as expansive and fully appointed, with high-end brass fixtures, a free-standing tub, and separate rain shower. I turn to ask Seth a question when I realize he hasn’t made it in here yet. I give Eden a polite nod as I walk back out to the living area, then join my brother standing by the wall of floor-to-ceiling windows.
“The view here isn’t one of the best or most private since it directly faces the other tower,” Eden says with a note of apology. “But you can still see the mountains if you look off to the southwest. And other units will be coming available.”
“I like the view just fine,” Seth mutters. He’s staring fixedly across the way toward the windows of the matching building, and though I catch a flash of movement, I can’t tell exactly what he’s focused on.
“Are you done playing?” I whisper to him under my breath. “This has been fun, but... maybe tomorrow we can find a more reasonable spot?”
“Bruno would sure appreciate these windows.” Seth works his jaw, gaze still focused on the opposite building. Finally, he straightens and turns to Eden. “I’ll take it.”
“You—wait, what? ” I can’t help myself. Pretending was one thing, but this is a step too far.
“Yeah. I’ll take it.” Seth pulls his gaze from the window, looking somewhat annoyed. But he doesn’t speak to me. He just turns to the eager woman behind us. “I don’t mind the view at all.”
By the time my brother comes out of the real estate office, I have paced the entirety of the common floors, past the fitness center, in-house spa, multiple lounges and outdoor fire pits. But I still can’t understand what Seth is up to or why. I know he’s excited to get out of Dallas and start his life in Denver. Maybe this is a reaction to newfound freedom after essentially being a caregiver to our mom his entire adult life. I’m just worried about him getting in over his head, or at the very least, ruining his credit.
“All right. Should we grab Lydia and get dinner? I’m starved,” Seth says when he finds me in the lobby.
“What the hell were you doing in there?” I ask, rising from one of the buttery soft leather couches.
“Credit application, deposit, all the normal stuff.” He shrugs. “Turns out cute little Eden has a boyfriend. Probably for the best.”
“They let you put down a deposit? How? You don’t have a job here yet. You’ve never even rented before. And even if Mom’s house sells above asking price, it will never cover the price tag of even a studio here.”
“I guess my account balance was enough for them. Can we eat?”
I follow him out the doors, my throat dry as a desert. “Okay, so I guess they have no issues taking advantage of people. Fine. But I’m here to look out for you, and Mom would totally flip if I let you?—”
“Anton. I can afford it.”
He’s stopped on the sidewalk, looking me straight in the eye. My brother might be ninety percent showman, but we’ve never lied to one another.
“How?”
“Real estate’s been good.” He shoves his hands in his pockets. “I haven’t had to pay rent living at Mom’s the last four years, so I’ve been able to save up, and I made some smart investments. I’ve learned a lot. But this place isn’t an investment; it’s for me .”
I close my eyes. “I just... I don’t want you to do something you’ll regret.”
“I’ll regret not living here,” he says with a pointed look back up at the high-rise. “But you’ve got to trust me. The price tag isn’t an issue.”
We walk in silence back to my truck, and I try to wrap my head around all of this. I’m not sure what bothers me more. That my brother, who majored in philosophy at the University of Texas has apparently been killing it flipping houses. Or that I didn’t know.
“Let’s just pick something up,” he says, glancing at the clock. “Lydia must be starving by now.”
I glance at my texts and something curls in my gut. She never replied to my last one and I wonder if she thought it was hot, or if I pushed her too far. “Text her for me. Ask what she wants... and find out if she went home,” I say, starting the car.
Seth chuckles, fingers tapping over his screen, then blithely asks, “How are things with you guys?”
My grip immediately tenses on the wheel. Apparently Seth knows more about the ups and downs of my marriage than I know about his whole life. But I quickly exhale, guiding the truck in the general direction of our house.
“Uh, it’s been pretty good.”
He waits patiently as I navigate through a busy intersection.
“I mean, guess I can’t lie, things felt a bit dark right after Mom’s service.”
“Sucks being a couple of orphans.” He nods.
“Yeah...” I hadn’t thought of it that way. And for just a second that awful, vacant feeling starts creeping back into my chest, shortening my breaths. But then I look over at my brother and think about spending the evening with him. With Lydia. Once he moves here, we’ll get to see each other all the time. And, I realize with sudden warmth, he’ll be such a fun uncle to our kid. “I’m glad you’re coming to Denver.”
Seth grins. “I like it here. And I definitely need a change of scene.”
His phone buzzes, and he snorts, fingers flying in response. “Lydia suggests we pick up from Little Anita’s. She also says you took too long and she went home, but she’ll consider a rain check.”
I suck in a breath. At least that question’s answered.
Seth’s phone buzzes again, and this time he laughs out loud. “She says to tell you: Love is not just something you feel, it’s something you do. ” He looks at me sideways. “Did she just one-up me while flirting with you? I feel used.”
I turn toward Little Anita’s, my mood steadily improving.
My brother continues his back and forth with my wife, or so I assume, as he types wildly, pauses, then types some more. But when he doesn’t share any more with me, a distinctly suspicious feeling creeps in. Which is validated when I pull into a parking space in front of the restaurant and Seth clears his throat. “Things are okay with you guys though, right? ”
“You already asked that.”
“Uh, I’m just being thorough,” he says, fidgeting with my phone charger. “And um... you feel okay?”
“My wife just used you to insinuate she wants to have sex with me.” I gesture toward his phone. “I’m fucking great, Seth.”
“Can’t argue with that.” He laughs, but it sounds hollow. “I just—you’ve been through a lot this year with each other, and then Mom?—”
“We’re better than ever,” I say quickly, and before I can think it through, “Actually, we’re going to try for a kid.”
The words hang in the air a surprising amount of time before Seth finally says, “Really?”
My shoulders tense at the surprise in his tone. “What? She didn’t already tell you?” I snap, looking pointedly at his phone. Though part of me kind of wishes she had.
“Hey, don’t get mad at Lydia.” He holds up his hands. “I was the one who?—”
“I know.” I draw my hand over my face. “You two aren’t exactly subtle. Whispering to each other, organizing this visit, comparing notes. I appreciate the concern, I really do, but Mom just died. It’s going to take some time.”
“I’m sorry, man.” Seth exhales, then meets my gaze. “You’re right. I need to back off. I just... want things to feel right again.”
My pulse pounds in my temple. “Believe me. I do too.”
“So... a baby, huh?” he says after a minute, in a forced tone. “You two sure you’re ready for that?”
“You’re the one who told me to make our own family .”
He hesitates a long moment. “Not sure I meant?—”
I open my door, forcing him out of the car. “Seth, let’s get the food and get home. Celebrate Mom’s house going under contract, and your cat’s ridiculous new bachelor pad. But after that, you may remember my previously frigid wife is waiting to have sex with me, so... you can borrow my car keys. Or if you prefer, I have earplugs.”
Seth follows me into the restaurant with a huff. “That’s supposed to be my line.”