A/N: Sorry about the typos in the last chapter, I was just really excited to put another chapter up. I’m having a little problem adjusting my English, I’m starting to absorb Supreme Court syntax from stacks of case readings. Arrrgh. This is short, but enjoy it nonetheless.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The next two days bustled by as Mrs. Leaf opened the Maple Street apartment. It was a little more than three blocks away from the hotel where we stayed. It was located in a fashionable part of town and the building itself was gorgeous; and I got the idea that those who had apartments here were sleeping in money.

We moved in on the third day, later than the Beast had anticipated, but he didn’t seem pissed. In fact, he didn’t seem to mind it at all. He was still focused on the new magazine. I know this because he was working, once again, like a man possessed. I, in turn, was working like a woman doubly possessed to keep up with his pace.

I called Leese and begged her to supervise my move into the new apartment in New York.

“We’ll only be here three more months, tops,” I said in my sweetest voice. “I know I already owe you so much, but please, consider the alternative. If I can’t get that apartment, you’ll have to deal with my grouchy mornings until I can find another one…”

“You’re never here in the morning,” Leese shot back. “Either that or I’m not here in the morning.”

“Sure. But you’ll have to deal with my messy habits,” I said, grasping at straws.

“You’re not messy,” she said, which was entirely the truth. “I’m the messy one.”

“Oh, I get it,” I said, “you want to live with me.”

“No!” she replied quickly. “Fine, I’ll get you that apartment. But you owe me ten dinners when you get back.”

“I love you!” I said happily as I hung up.

The Maple Street apartment, as the Beast said, was pretty big. It occupied two floors. Upon entering there was a hallway, on the left side of which was a closet, and on the right was a big, roomy office. The hallway leads to living room-slash-dining-kitchen area with a two-story ceiling, spread out in a wise use of a wide space. The big wall with the fireplace on the far side of the room leading up to the second floor was made of redbrick, and the rest was painted white. The wooden floors contrasted beautifully with the redbrick. My eyes were immediately drawn to the kitchen, which was equipped admirably with electric kitchen appliances. I imagine Rachael Ray would die happy in there.

The furniture looked comfortable, straight out of a rich bachelor’s pad, which, haha, it actually is. The real treat was the red three-piece sofa set in front of the huge fireplace, above which was a plasma TV. I decided would hang out there if I ever get through the next two or three months alive. At the rate we were going, my work was going to kill me before I even sat on that sofa.

Against the wall was a flight of cherry wood and steel stairs leading up to the bedrooms. As far as I could tell they were all of the same size, with big blurry glass doors. There were three in all: the one on the rightmost corner belonged to the Beast. I chose the leftmost bedroom because I didn’t think I could take the agony of sleeping in the bedroom next to the Beast’s.

I had misgivings about sharing an apartment with the Beast. It seemed very inappropriate. When I called Mrs. Leaf, I found out that the Beast has a mansion in Forest Hill, but that’s where his mother lives so I figured he didn’t want to stay there for a reason. I decided I didn’t either.

My room was something you would typically see in a hotel: white walls, white sheets, slightly off-white carpet. There was a huge bed with two nightstands flanking it on both sides, a vanity table set opposite the bed and a small, empty bookshelf next to it. On the far side of the room was a window and on the further corner, the bathroom. A huge wooden closet stood right next to it. All in all, the room was quite devoid of character, which is what a guest room usually is.

Our first night there wasn’t all that bad. The Beast immediately stormed up to his room while I headed straight to the kitchen to put away the groceries Mrs. Leaf left on the table. I specifically asked to do this chore. For some reason, I have a thing for grocery shopping and groceries in general. I decided to unpack later before bedtime to keep myself busy. I was sure I was going to have one hell of a night with a notoriously hot man sleeping two doors away. Did I mention I hadn’t had any since before I got dumped at the altar?

Maybe I should get a vibrator. Leese swears by them because they’re convenient for when a real man isn’t around. And it should stop me from grabbing the first man I see to compensate for the man down the hall. Okay, I must check out addresses for kinky sex shops when I have the time… When the Beast isn’t around, of course.

I was thinking of cooking when the Beast bounded down the stairs. He was fresh out of the shower and was looking utterly delectable. Thoughts of vibrators flew straight out the window.

I don’t want a vibrator. I want him.

I groaned.

He stopped by the counter, leaned slightly forwards and looked at me with concern. “What’s wrong? You okay?”

I glued my eyes to the grocery bag I was going through so I wouldn’t have to endure another stab of lust that usually comes when I look at him. “Yeah, yeah. I totally forgot to tell Mrs. Leaf to, uh, get some OJ.”

“But it’s right here,” he said, reaching behind the cereal boxes and plopping one down in front of me.

Oh.

“Uh, yeah, that’s the wrong brand,” I said, even though it was the right one. Geez, Andrea. Keep your head on for a minute, will you?

“Want me to get the right one?” he asked, as he reached into his pockets, checking for something. It was then that I noticed that he was dressed for going out.

“No, it’s fine,” I said quickly before I could say more stupid things. “We could try this. And anyway, it’s not proper. I’m the PA, for god’s sake.”

“Well believe it or not, I do sometimes pick up the OJ,” he said dryly. “Sometimes, I’m an ordinary guy and sometimes, I think that your existence doesn’t revolve around being my PA.”

“Sometimes.” I smiled.

“Yeah, sometimes,” he replied, smiling back. “I’m going out tonight. I have some visiting to do.” He began heading walking to the door and I was thankful he didn’t see the relieved expression on my face. I was thankful I didn’t have to deal with the whole two-doors-away thing tonight. If I unpack quickly, I thought, I have lots of time to force myself to sleep before he gets back.

In nanoseconds, my mind flashed and I called out to him right before he closed the door behind him.

“What?” he asked, popping his head back into view.

“Youforgotyourcondoms,” I said quickly, pulling the box of condoms out of the grocery bag and holding it up for him to see.

“I’m going to visit my mother,” he said with a frown. “I don’t think I’ll be getting some there.”

“Nonetheless, you should be safe,” I said, walking over to him by door, “In case you meet a pretty girl if you take it in your head to go somewhere else tonight.” I was thankful skin tones don’t come in green shades.

“Thanks, mom,” he said, holding out his hand. “Well, give me some.”

I tore open the plastic seal and handed him a several packets.

He laughed. “Well this is a compliment, indeed.” He counted the packets, and then looked at me, a sly grin forming on his lips. “Eight?”

“Try not to grin too much,” I snapped, shooting him with a stern look. He laughed as he closed the door and left me in silence.

Oh God. So we were making sex jokes now? Shoot.

Maybe I should get a vibrator. I sighed and resumed putting away the groceries.

The night passed relatively uneventfully. I didn’t hear the Beast get in last night because as soon as I finished unpacking, I got in bed and slept like the dead as soon as my head hit the pillows. I guess I was more tired than I thought.

It was 7 am on Saturday morning. I figured the Beast wasn’t up yet so I had to rush to cook us breakfast. I grabbed my towel and took a quick shower. I pulled on casual jeans and a shirt and went downstairs in my flipflops. I was surprised when just as I was about to take out some eggs and bacon, the front door opened and the Beast entered, all sweaty in work-out clothes.

“I come bearing gifts,” he said, smiling brightly as he set a paper tray from Starbucks down on the kitchen counter. “You must reciprocate by making – “ he looked at what I had pulled out – “bacon and eggs.”

“Well, your gifts are kind of redundant,” I said, pointing to the coffee maker next to the refrigerator, “but they’re much appreciated. What did you get me?”

“It’s black,” he answered just as he turned to head upstairs. “So you can do anything you want with it.” He went inside his room, presumably to shower and change.

I finished cooking breakfast. When he came back downstairs, his plate was ready and I was getting ready to dig into mine. He was wearing clothes very much like mine, jeans and a shirt, only his was a different color. He dragged a stool out from under the counter and sat down to eat.

I like eating on the counter. The enormous eight-seat dining table is depressing to eat on without company. And this way, I can sit in face to face with the Beast.

He took a bite of the eggs and I sat back nervously, waiting for his approval. This was the first time he had eaten anything I cooked. I felt a bit deflated when he didn’t say anything, so I took it as a compliment when he looked up and asked, “any bacon and eggs left?”

“Nope. I can cook more if you want,” I said.

“No, it’s fine.” He stood up and walked around the counter and took a loaf of bread out of the pantry. I watched as he tore open the plastic and took out two slices and began to eat them just as he sat back down. I wouldn’t say he shoved them into his mouth, since he has refined table manners practically drilled into his bones, but he devoured them as fast as etiquette would allow.

“Hungry, are you?” I asked as he took another bite.

“Exercise usually works up an appetite,” he answered. “It happens.” And then he was finished, and I was finishing up as well. I stood up and began collecting the dishes just as he picked up his coffee and headed for the office.

“When you finish, get in here,” his disembodied voice floated back to me as he disappeared from view. “We have emails to send.”

“But it’s Saturday!” I yelled back.

“Exactly. Not Sunday. Get in here, will you?”

I sighed. He’d snapped back from being a friendly flatmate to being my boss. I sauntered into the office a moment later and stopped dead in my tracks. I’d never been in the office before.

There were no windows in the room, just white walls and carpet softened by the yellow light of the small chandelier and the tall lamps. A huge mahogany table with matching chair was set on the left half of the room, piled high with papers. Long tables were pushed against the right wall and on them were three huge computer screens the size of a small plasma TV.

The Beast was sitting on the terminal near the door, so I walked over to him and saw that he was opening his company email. He turned to me and ordered me to send emails to the names he’d printed out on the paper in front of him.

“They’re potential editors-in-chief for the new magazine. I want to see them all as soon as possible. Take care of it.”

Okay. How about I roll over and play dead?

I sat down and began typing out the email as he went to the huge desk when he asked, “So, have you found her yet?”

I tensed. What with all the lying I’ve done to cover my sorry ass, I was getting confused. What did I say the last time? Let’s see…

I forced myself not to turn around to look at him. “Well, I’ve been trying to get in contact with the party planner, and I found out that the official guest list was with the hotel management,” I said, forcing myself to go slowly so I wouldn’t stumble over the words and trip over my lies. And then I had a brilliant idea to kill this thing once and for all.

“I’ll have to spoken with hotel management and asked for the person who could possibly identify her. Would you like to speak to her?”

“Okay.” He said from somewhere behind me and even though I couldn’t see him, I heard the smile in his voice.

“Wait a minute. I’ll get my mobile.” I left the room and dashed up the stairs and into my room.

As soon as I grabbed my phone I dialed Leese’s number.

“Leese, how about we make it twenty dinners, and all you have to do is this…”