3. Alexis
Alexis stared at the collapsed body on the floor in horror. What just happened?
She quickly hurried over and knelt beside Levi, leaning her ear to his nose and mouth. Was he breathing?
A tiny puff of air tickled her cheek. So, he wasn’t actually dead—thank God. But something was obviously very wrong.
At least he’d fallen as neatly as someone passing out could fall, and he hadn’t banged his head on any furniture on the way down.
She inspected his limbs for any signs of bleeding or obvious breaks and reached for her phone, ready to call an ambulance.
But just as she was dialling the number, Levi let out a loud snore.
Seriously? The guy was sleeping?
Alexis imagined the hardwood floors wouldn’t be particularly comfortable, so she scanned the room for a cushion or pillow to rest under Levi’s head, but there weren’t any. Not even on his couch. Weird.
There was a doorway behind them and a bed a few feet beyond. That must have been where he came from just now. It was closer than the couch and would be infinitely softer than the floor. Alexis didn’t actually know self-defence, but all the physical labour she’d had to do over the last couple of months meant she’d built up enough body strength to half lift, half drag him into the room. When she reached the bed, she had to adjust her position to lever him onto the mattress.
She giggled inappropriately as she recalled the movie Weekend at Bernie’s and the main characters’ dilemma moving a corpse.
She pulled one of Levi’s arms over her shoulder and stood, her knees almost buckling under the weight. The plan was to let him drop gently onto the mattress, but she somehow remained entangled with his body and fell on top of him.
It took a moment for Alexis to realise her face was now just inches from Levi’s. She could make out each of his long dark lashes, and when her gaze dropped to his mouth, she noted a pair of firm lips, slightly parted. Not in an inviting way, though. More in an I’m-in-an-actual-coma kind of way.
It wasn’t until Levi opened his eyes that Alexis suddenly came to her senses. How long had she been staring at him like that? But somehow, she couldn’t move. Was she still being pinned by one of his arms?
Nope. Apparently not.
Their eyes locked, and time slowed. They watched each other for a few seconds, not saying anything.
Until Levi cleared his throat. ‘You probably don’t want to get that close. I currently have influenza.’
How specific of him. But people always said that, even if they had a sniffle. Or just hayfever. Alexis didn’t immediately move. Those eyes wouldn’t let her.
‘Is that so?’ she murmured. His chest was firm under the shirt he was wearing. Alexis wondered if he worked out.
‘Yes. And if you don’t move in two seconds, I’ll sneeze all over you.’
That broke the spell. Alexis pulled back and stood at the foot of the bed, just as Levi turned his face and sneezed into his shoulder.
‘Do you need a tissue?’ she asked.
‘No, thank you. And you should leave. As a doctor, I can’t bear the thought of making others sick.’
‘You’re a doctor?’
‘Yes. Why?’
‘I don’t know. I guess I don’t think about doctors getting sick. Although now that you mention it, I suppose they’re exposed to lots of patients with who knows what diseases––’
‘I’m actually a skin doctor, but I appreciate what you’re saying.’ He coughed and reached for a glass of water on his bedside table, propping himself up against the bedhead as he took a sip.
‘Do you want me to call anyone for you?’
‘No. I’ll be fine as long as I get some rest. And not have to engage in endless chatter.’
Alexis blushed. ‘Sorry. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I thought you were dead a moment ago.’
‘You clearly have no medical training if you thought I was dead.’
Alexis held her tongue. She wanted to brag about her law qualifications and let him know being a doctor wasn’t the only profession that required a lengthy study commitment, but she wasn’t a lawyer anymore, and she didn’t like associating herself with that world, even in conversation.
‘That snark means you’re obviously alive enough to fend for yourself, so I’ll finish up my work and leave you be.’
He rolled over, pulling the covers over his head. ‘Close the door on your way out.’
Alexis snorted before leaving the room. She slammed the door as she left, making sure Levi knew she was annoyed.
She quickly finished watering the plants and wiping down the kitchen counter. She hadn’t done the bathrooms, but Levi had told her to leave. If he said anything to Margie later, she’d refund the money out of her own pocket.
As she exited the building’s elevator and walked through the lobby, she sighed with relief.
She was glad she wouldn’t have to return to that job or see Levi again. The guy might have been unwell, but he was also a weirdo.
The scent of freshly ground coffee wafted past. She desperately needed a caffeine hit, especially after lifting a body heavier than her.
She followed her nose into the café and took her place at the end of the line. Elegant gold lettering on the wall announced that the cafe was called Spice.
There was a hurried, shuffling sound behind her, and she turned to see a glamorous-looking woman making her way to the cafe. Judging by her Ralph Lauren dress and Louis Vuitton necklace, she was clearly well-off. Alexis could always tell genuine brands from knockoffs, and these were the real thing.
The woman stood impatiently behind Alexis, muttering to herself. ‘What kind of idiot do they take me for? They should be paying me, not the other way around!’
Alexis shot her a sympathetic smile. ‘Rough morning, huh?’
The woman seemed momentarily taken aback but quickly rallied.
‘You can say that again. Can you believe a company wants me to pay them to send one of their underlings to look after my apartment?’
‘Oh. You mean to house-sit?’
‘Yes! Don’t people do that for free?’
‘Maybe sometimes? Did you have any special requirements that would require you to pay a fee?’
‘I just need someone to look after Tofu. And check in via video call every evening so I can say hi to her.’
‘Tofu?’
‘My Khao Manee.’
Alexis furrowed her brow. ‘What’s a Khao Manee?’
‘It’s an extremely rare and expensive breed of cat from Thailand.’
‘Does she have a special diet?’
‘Well, yes. That goes without saying, but I have adequate stock in the cupboard, and I can always order more if it runs low. I wouldn’t trust anyone else to purchase her food.’
‘I could do it,’ Alexis blurted before she had completely thought it through.
The woman stared at her. ‘I’m sorry, but I can’t just go opening up my house to a random stranger.’
Alexis wanted to point out that that was precisely what she was about to do with the agency who had wanted to charge her for house-sitting, but she felt a different approach would be more effective.
She opened her handbag and removed a business card from her purse, handing it to the woman. ‘I run my own concierge business, and have, in fact, just completed a cleaning job in one of the apartments here.’
The woman took her card and studied it carefully. Alexis suddenly realised the barista was patiently waiting for her to order, so she requested a latte and turned back to the woman. ‘What would you like to drink? I can pay today.’
‘Just a flat white, double shot, oat milk, one sugar,’ she replied automatically. She was still studying the business card. Apparently, this woman was used to people offering to pay for her.
Alexis handed the barista some cash and lined up at the end of the counter. The other woman followed.
‘Alexis Hall,’ she mused. ‘I once knew a Jack Hall. Any relation?’
Alexis internally groaned. Her surname was so common that no one ever asked her if she was related to someone. But of course this woman knew her dad.
‘Uh, no, I don’t think so. Maybe a distant one?’
‘Never mind. Do you have time to sit and discuss a proposal that might work for the both of us?’
‘Sure.’ Alexis wondered what she’d gotten herself into. The woman wasn’t willing to pay anything, but if her place was anything like Levi’s, it would be a lovely location to stay for a while. She knew she was starting to outstay her welcome at Sarah’s. ‘Oh, I didn’t catch your name.’
The woman smiled. ‘Evelyn.’ She then pointed to the drinks that had been placed in front of her. ‘Be a dear and grab those.’ She turned and headed for a nearby table.
Alexis obliged, carrying their coffees, and sitting across from Evelyn.
She really hoped she wouldn’t regret this later.