Chapter 5 #2
He lowered his arms and stepped back. She could see his face lit from the interior of the building with its wide panels of glass along the front wall. He looked so good.
Definitely dream worthy.
She nodded. "You, too."
He held the door open for her to step inside and took a step back as she made her way down the steps to the first floor.
Just as she reached her door her phone pinged with a message.
She fished it out of her pocket and looked at the screen.
HOTTNESS:
She felt her cheeks flame at the nickname she'd given Kaleo in her phone.
HOTTNESS: Let me know how the test goes for you. If we have some downtime at the station, maybe we can talk
Lexie looked up and saw him standing by the front door of the building.
He lifted a hand and waved at her.
She knew her face had to be red hot, but she really didn't care.
Looking down at the phone in her hands, she typed out a message in reply.
LILRN:
She was working toward her goal after all, why not put it out there in the world?
LILRN: I'll let you know! Be safe on your way home.
She deleted the last part. She worried that it would be a sensitive topic since he was still looking for a place to rent.
LILRN: I'll let you know! Be safe!
She sent the message and nodded.
'Be safe' worked both about his job and going back to his Airbnb.
She stepped inside her apartment and saw him walking away from the front door toward the street.
Taking in a deep breath and letting it out, she locked her door and put her keys on the hook beside the door.
There was a little lift in her steps as she walked across the concrete floor. She bypassed the living area and headed straight into her bedroom.
She turned on the little nightlight just inside the door and dropped her clothes in the hamper so she could get into the shower.
The water heater was one of her favorite things about her apartment.
When she wanted a hot shower, it took a few seconds, and she was living in bliss!
Eager to get into bed, she made quick work of her shower and just as she reached for the knob to turn off the water, she heard a chime from her phone.
Lexie turned off the shower and grabbed her bath towel off the hook and wrapped it around her before she stepped out.
The room wasn't heated but the steam from the water would be enough for her to look at the screen.
It opened her eyes wider when she realized it was a group text to all of the renters in the building.
APT MGR: Hope this didn't disturb anyone's sleep.
APT MGR: Apartment 2A is going to be vacant at the beginning of next month.
APT MGR: If anyone knows of someone looking for an apartment, have them contact me.
APT MGR: Thanks! Oh, and goodnight if you're still up reading this.
Lexie took a screenshot of the messages and forwarded it to Kaleo.
Then she leaned up against the counter in the bathroom to copy and paste the phone number for the apartment manager into another text to Kaleo.
The last message she typed out was to the manager himself.
LILRN: Mister Crenshaw - I know a firefighter who just moved to Center City
She smiled at the thought. She remembered when she'd applied to rent an apartment in the building that the manager had a soft spot for first responders, especially firefighters.
The Crenshaw family's house had burned down when he was a little kid, and he still remembered how the firefighters put them in touch with a disaster relief charity and the police officers on scene had given him and his little sister while they were waiting with the rest of their family for the fire to be extinguished.
This might be just the thing.
LILRN: He's currently staying at an Airbnb in town and looking for an apartment to rent. I sent him your cell number. He starts at the firehouse tomorrow, but he might text you tonight. Please let me know when you hear from him.
She sent the message and set her phone down to grab up another towel to dry her hair.
Her phone pinged again and she looked down.
APT MGR: What's his name and cell phone number? I can send him a message and a link to the rental contract.
As she started to type out her response, her phone pinged again.
This time it was Kaleo.
HOTTNESS: I just messaged him! MAHALO!
She smiled and had a little laugh.
If everything worked out, Kaleo was going to be her neighbor upstairs.
LILRN: Crossing fingers! Night!
The bathroom was starting to cool so she made quick work of drying off her hair and skin and practically dove into her PJs.
Setting her phone down on the charger she wrapped herself up in her blanket and closed her eyes.
She fell asleep with a smile on her face.
KALEO
Back at his rented room, he hurried inside.
He'd been warm when he was with Lexie, but as soon as he'd walked away from her apartment building, he'd started to feel the cold.
He'd started jogging on the way back just to get his blood flowing, but once he was within sight of his rental, he felt the cold in his bones.
He wasn't used to the weather in Center City yet and the last thing he needed was to get sick on the day he started work.
Pulling on the sweatshirt that his sister had given him as a gag gift and pulled on over his head as he kicked off his sneakers. A moment later he was in bed, under the covers, glad he hadn't turned on the AC before he left the rental.
Otherwise, his teeth might be chattering at the moment.
A few seconds later as his limbs started to warm up, he remembered that he still had his cell phone in his back pocket.
Kaleo groaned and shifted around under the covers to pull out his cellphone.
He set it on the nightstand beside the bed and plugged it into the charger before yanking his hands back under the covers.
He had an appointment to meet with the Apartment Manager, Mister Crenshaw, as soon as he'd finished his first shift at the firehouse.
It was a bit of a time crunch as he couldn't expect the man to hold the apartment indefinitely, but he knew that between that moment and the end of his first shift there was a chance that anything could happen.
Still, he grinned as he fought off the cold, he had a good feeling about the apartment.
He had an even better feeling about Lexie.
Sometimes it took him a little while to fall asleep, but finally warm, wrapped up in the blankets, he was out in what felt like seconds.
His life in Center City was coming together.