Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78016 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78016 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
While I’m waiting for him to respond, Kaylee comes out dressed, wearing a knowing smile. Her ass heard everything I said.
“If you’re okay with it, I am too. I mean, I don’t want you to think I’m trying to—”
“Stop,” I say, cutting him off. Too many times, he’s mentioned not wanting to take advantage or use me. I practically had to beg the kid to let me help him with his homework. Sure, there’s a chance he has a hidden agenda, but if I thought that about everyone, I’d drive myself insane. “It’s all good. Just don’t be surprised if you get people trying to talk to you who normally wouldn’t.”
“What are you saying? I’m not cool enough without my famous big bro?”
“Uh...”
“I’m kidding, man,” he says with a laugh. “I know I’m plenty cool without you.”
I snort out a laugh. “Yeah, okay, cool guy. I gotta go. Kaylee is making me go apartment hunting with her but won’t let me move in.” I jokingly glare her way, and she rolls her eyes.
Adam laughs. “Good luck with that.”
We hang up, and I call Bailey next, letting her know how we’re going to move forward. She tells me she’ll speak to our in-house PR team and type up something for me to post.
Since the paps have been acting like fools lately, I have Justin join us. We spend the morning checking out several apartments in Kaylee’s price range. When I see the places she can afford to rent based on her salary, it damn near kills me not to beg her to let me help her, but I keep my mouth shut—while I text Easton and tell him he needs to give my woman a fucking raise, even if he needs to take it out of my earnings.
Easton: What’s wrong?
Me: Kaylee’s looking for a place to rent. It’s all shit, and she won’t let me help.
Easton: Give me a few minutes.
I was only joking, but hell, I’m not going to stop him if he can make something happen.
“What do you think about this one?” Kaylee asks, standing in the kitchen of the fifth, maybe sixth place we’ve seen. The place is small, everything is outdated, and it smells like fucking mothballs.
“It only matters what you think.”
She frowns, hating that answer, but in my defense, I’m not going to lie to her, and there’s nothing I can do to help.
“I’m going to look around.” While she does that, my phone goes off again.
Easton: Who’s the real estate agent?
I give him the info, and he gives me a thumbs-up—if he weren’t my boss, I’d send him a middle finger. Everyone knows you don’t thumbs-up people unless you want to piss them off.
Kaylee is checking out the kitchen for the fourth time—I’d bet trying to convince herself it’s not as bad of a shithole as it is—when the real estate agent says, “I actually found another place that’s in your price range. It just became available.”
“Oh, really?” Kaylee asks, hopeful.
“Yeah, let’s go check it out.”
As we’re walking out, Easton sends me another text: It’s been handled.
I don’t know what he means by that, but ten minutes later, when we walk into a luxury apartment building, complete with a guard on duty, I figure it out.
We step inside the place, and it’s not big—two bedrooms, two and a half baths, with a kitchen, living room, dining room, and a nice-size loft upstairs that can be used as an office—but everything is up to date with hardwood floors, stainless-steel appliances, and a balcony where you can put a couple of chairs and a table and enjoy the view.
“Are you sure this is in my price range?” Kaylee asks, sounding unsure. I don’t blame her, especially not after seeing the places we’ve seen all morning.
“It is. The owner bought it as a write-off and just wants to get it rented.”
While they talk, I text Easton: What did you do?
Easton: Do you really want to know?
No, I don’t. Because if I know, I’m an accomplice, but if I know nothing, then I can honestly say I have no idea.
Me: Nope.
Easton: Didn’t think so.
After Kaylee asks a dozen times if the real estate agent is sure the rent is what it is, and the real estate agent assures her it is, Kaylee has no choice but to say she wants it. There’s no way in hell she’s going to find anything half as nice as this place on her budget. I don’t know if Easton owns this place, knows someone who knows someone, or if he paid the difference, but I’m thankful as fuck to him because with my hands tied, I couldn’t do shit, and the thought of her living in some of those places had me considering kidnapping her ass and locking her in my bedroom so I’d know she’s safe.