Chapter 11 - Luke
Luke
I woke up early Saturday and went for a run to shake off lingering work stress.
The cool air hit my face as I ran through the park.
An hour later, I showered, swapped my usual suit for comfy clothes, and headed out.
On the way to Hazel’s, I stopped at O’Riley’s for coffee. Thomas was already at the counter.
“Hey, man, I’ll take a black coffee with an extra shot and...” I hesitated, realizing I didn’t know how Hazel took hers. “Do you know what Hazel usually drinks?”
Thomas gave me a look of fatherly suspicion.
“I’m helping her move today, and tomorrow we’re off on the trip,” I added. “She said you organized her vacation time. Thanks for that.” I pulled out my credit card.
“I’m not doing this for you, but she needs the time off.
And listen, I’m not trying to be the overprotective big brother here, but don’t mess with her.
Seriously. She’s a great girl, and we all care about her.
Sure, you might win me in a fight, but I could ruin your coffee runs here.
..” he leaned in and whispered, “forever.” I stared at him, momentarily speechless. “Foam or spit—you’ll never know.”
Ruin my coffee? The audacity.
“I get it. Loud and clear. My intentions are pure; we’re just friends.” I raised my hand in defense, doing my best to stay serious.
Thomas squinted at me before nodding and taking my card. “Good. Glad we cleared that up.”
After a moment, he placed two cups on the counter. “One black coffee. And a flat white. For Hazel.”
Hmm, strong but creamy.
Just like Hazel.
When I arrived at her apartment, she greeted me with her signature bright smile and a twinkle in her eyes.
“Come on in,” she said, disappearing back inside.
“Morning,” I replied, stepping in slowly. The apartment was full of boxes, yet despite being nearly empty, it still felt cozy. Sunlight danced on the cream-colored walls, lighting up the space. It was a shame she was leaving. It suited her.
“I brought coffee,” I said, handing her a cup. Hazel laughed.
“Thanks. I made you some, too,” she yawned, pointing to the kitchen table.
“Is there such a thing as too much coffee?” I joked, setting my cup down and shrugging off my leather jacket.
“Not today,” she said with another yawn. “Sorry, I tried to finish packing, but I passed out around 3 AM on a pile of dresses.”
I glanced around to assess what was left.
“That’s fine. I called a buddy with a van. He’ll be here later, so we’ve got time.”
“Great, thank you so much. All that’s left are my books and plants,” she gestured to the packed-up kitchen.
“Do you mind if I order something to eat? You know, since we have some time.”
Technically, that wasn’t a lie. Usually, I didn’t eat much in the mornings, but it seemed like she could use some food. She looked a bit pale. It was probably due to lack of sleep.
“Sure, if you want,” Hazel replied, folding boxes. She wore a plain white T-shirt and gray sweatpants that hung loosely but still shaped her figure nicely.
For the next hour, we packed her books while I filled her in about our company. Surprisingly, Hazel gave some insightful advice on publishing—far more than I expected. Sales isn’t for everyone, but she clearly had the brains for it.
“How do you know so much about books?” I asked, closing the last box. “Just from reading?”
“I’m an English major,” she said casually.
“That explains a lot. If you don’t mind me asking, why work as a barista if you have an English degree?”
She paused briefly before responding. “I needed some time off after graduating. I might use my degree eventually, but for now, I just wanted a normal job without the pressure of advancing in a career.”
I nodded, sensing that there was more to the story, but decided not to press. I thought about how different we were. I couldn’t finish university fast enough—I was determined to go into sales, to be top of my class, to land the best job I could find. And I believed I had succeeded.
She looked at me and gave me that lopsided smile. “That’s okay, I know it sounds weird to other people. It’s just something I need right now.”
“No, no, I’m not judging. I may not be in your place, but I get it. It works for you, I guess, that’s all that matters.” I closed the box with tape and stood up, stretching my back.
“We’re all set here,” I said, checking my phone. “The van’s here. I’ll grab the keys.”
I’d only been gone five minutes, but as I reached the third floor, chaos greeted me.
A parrot was flapping around, screeching, “Whatcha got there? Whatcha got there?” while a tiny kitten darted after it down the hallway.
Amidst the commotion, I heard Hazel’s voice coming from another apartment.
Following the sound, I saw an elderly woman standing next to Hazel, who was bent over a couch, trying to move it.
“Hey, hey! What’s going on here?” I called out, stepping inside.
“Oh, Luke, meet my lovely neighbor Mrs. Green,” Hazel said, standing upright, looking slightly flushed.
“Hello, young man.” A wrinkled hand stretched out to me. I took the hand and kissed it the old-fashioned way.
“Well, hello, Mrs. Green. I’m Luke. Nice to meet you. Would you be so kind as to explain what’s happening in the hall—and here?” I gestured toward Hazel.
Mrs. Green sighed. “It’s all my fault. My cat, Archibald, got stuck behind the couch. I tried moving it, but it wedged between the corner and the wall. When I opened the door to get help, Archibald ran out. And then Carrot got out, too.”
“Carrot?” I asked.
“Yes, my parrot,” she explained, visibly distressed.
“No worries. I’ll handle this. Starting with the couch, which you shouldn’t be moving, Hazel,” I said, giving her a stern look and motioning her aside.
“Hey, I’m no sissy. I can do it. Besides, you were downstairs, and this Archibald-Carrot situation is urgent,” Hazel shot back, her tone distressed but barely hiding a playful smile.
“Of course, you’re not a sissy. I just mean you’ve got enough physical work today.
Let me help.” I bumped her side lightly with my hip, moving her aside.
It took me all of three seconds to put the couch back, but another ten minutes for the three of us to get Archibald and Carrot inside the apartment.
“Thank you, dears. Perhaps I could pay some—?”
“Out of the question, Mrs. Green,” Hazel cut in before she could finish. “Luke and I were happy to help.”
Distracted by the flush on Hazel’s cheeks, I barely registered her words. “Yes, of course. No problem,” I said, smiling.
“Well then, let me treat you both to some fresh cookies from the oven.”
Hazel gave me a mischievous look. “Her cookies are some of the best I’ve had. Hard to say no. Do we have a few minutes?”
“Well, if they’re that good, we have to try them,” I relented.
We were sitting at Mary’s table, and I listened to their conversation while devouring what were indeed some of the best cookies I’d ever tasted—chocolate with caramel filling. If we didn’t climb a ton of stairs today, I’d need an evening cardio session to burn off all the carbs.
“It’s sad you’re leaving the building, dear,” Mary said wistfully.
“I’ll miss you too, Mrs. Green, but you have my number. Call anytime. I’ll be on a trip for two weeks, but after that—I’ll be back,” Hazel laughed, quoting the Terminator as she sipped the last of her cocoa.
“How lovely! Where are you going?”
“Portugal,” I answered for her since her mouth was stuffed with cookies.
“Oh, that’s wonderful. The sun will do you good, dear,” Mary said, smiling as she offered me another cup of cocoa.
“Thank you, Mrs. Green,” Hazel replied, then glanced at me before checking her watch. “I think we should get going. Lots to do.” She stood up. “Would you mind if I used your bathroom?”
“Go ahead, dear.”
As Hazel disappeared around the corner, Mrs. Green leaned closer, whispering.
“As sad as I am to see her go, I’m glad she’s leaving. Hazel says it’s because her lease is up, but I think it’s about that man.”
“What man?” The hair on my neck rose up.
“There was this guy who tried breaking into her apartment and left strange notes. I think she’s running away. Hazel won’t ask anyone for help, so, my boy, you’ve shown up at the right time.”
A rush of anger and frustration hit me, but before I could ask more, Hazel returned.
“Thanks for the lovely cookies, Mrs. Green. We should probably go now.” She hugged Mary and kissed her cheek. “You have my new address and number, so please call me anytime.”
“Have a great vacation. Thank you. For everything.” She gave me a pointed look.
We stepped outside, and I eyed Hazel more worried than I probably should have. Her cheerful, carefree demeanor didn’t fool me at all.
“Ready to go?”
I sighed. “Yeah, let’s move your ass out of here.”
* * *
Hazel’s new apartment was, in fact, two blocks from O’Riley’s.
It was an industrial building with large windows, looking similar to a factory.
The apartment could’ve used a fresh coat of paint and some improvements, but it was pretty nice overall.
Plenty of light poured in through those windows, which would probably come in handy for her jillion plants.
“Who’s taking care of your ferns and figs and ficuses?” I asked, carefully taking them out of the boxes.
“Wow, you do not look like a guy who knows the names of plants,” she laughed, standing on a chair and putting curtains on the windows, revealing a little bit of skin on her lower back.
“Yeah, you can say I’m plant-based,” I said quietly. Stupid pun.
“I have an autonomous irrigation system that takes care of that.”
“Wow, for ALL your plants? You have like dozens of them here. What kind of system is that?” I asked, curious about the tech.
“It’s called Thomas,” she smirked.
“Oh, funny,” I replied, “and unbelievable.”
“What is?”
“That you’d ask anyone for help,” I said, arranging the flower pots in a neat row.
“Well, I kind of offered him to stay here if he needed to.”
“Ah, so you didn’t ask, you made a deal,” I corrected.