her building. Maybe the quick elevator ride, nobody in the lobby, and the string of green lights were coincidences. It was as if the planets had aligned to give her a perfect day.
She paid the driver, adding a hefty tip to keep the good karma flowing, and entered her building. Energy pulsed through her so she decided to take the stairs to her seventh-floor apartment. She sprinted up the steps and with a little too much exuberance, let the metal stairwell door slam behind her. She cringed. Most of her neighbors were probably still asleep.
Her hand dove to the bottom of her purse, feeling for the keys to her apartment. The metal jangled and slipped just out of reach. She really needed to clean out her bag. Oftentimes it served triple duty. Purse, lunchbox, travel carrier. There was no telling what toxic waste lurked in the deep recesses of her bag.
She stopped in front of her door, still searching, when a deadbolt clicked behind her. Nikki frantically groped for her keys.
“Aha!” The familiar voice of her neighbor and best friend, Stacey, pinned her in place. “Thought you could escape the walk of shame, did you?”
Nikki slowly turned and gave Stacey a tight grin. “No, but I was hoping.”
“I have the hearing of a bat.” Thick, chocolate-brown waves of hair that kept Nikki in a state of constant envy cascaded around Stacey’s face and shoulders. She was a hot Latina, Bronx born and raised, and was cleverer than every other attorney at the firm she worked at. She leaned her shoulder against the doorjamb. “Okay, spill. Who was he?”
As much as she tried, Nikki couldn’t keep her sudden grin from spreading into a satisfied smile.
“No.” Stacey popped upright. “No way.”
Her friend was the only person who knew about her obsession with Tor. Nikki nodded. “Yes way.”
“Oh my freakin’ goddess of sex!” She shuffled across the hall in her panda slippers and hugged Nikki. “I want details.”
A man Nikki had never seen before stepped from Stacey’s apartment. He slipped a wrinkled T-shirt over his head and closed the three feet between them to lean in and kiss Stacey on the cheek. “I’ll call you later.”
“Uh-huh.” She didn’t bother looking at him and absently waved good-bye, which looked more like she was shooing him away.
Nikki’s mouth dropped opened, and she pointed to the stranger’s retreating back. “Who’s that?”
“Oh him?” Stacey waved her hand in the air again. “He’s just an intern at my firm and is going back to Ohio or Idaho or Iowa in a week. Sweet, but not my type.”
“Nice.” Nikki turned and shoved her key into the lock, pushing her apartment door open. Though she wouldn’t call Stacey a slut, her friend was freer with her affections than Nikki ever dreamed of being. “What’s his name?”
“You ask too many questions.” Stacey followed her into the apartment.
“Really, asking his name is too many questions? Do you even know his name?”
“Of course I know his name. Brad.” She closed one eye in concentration. “Or maybe Chad.” She shook her head. “Who cares? We had sex, not mingled at a meet and greet.” Stacey headed for the coffeepot. “Besides, you were going to tell me about bumpin’ uglies with Mr. Gorgeous.”
“Was I? I don’t recall agreeing to that.” She dropped her purse on the hallway’s wood floor and walked to her bedroom. Though not nearly as posh as Tor’s penthouse, her apartment was spacious by city standards and reasonably priced—by city standards. The warm yellow walls always had a welcoming feel when she came home. “I need to shower.”
“Fine, you shower. I’ll bring you coffee when it’s ready.”
Nikki undressed and tossed her clothes into the growing pile in the corner of her bedroom. She grabbed her green velour robe and shuffled into her bathroom. Sprays of hot water massaged her back and neck, washing away all traces of her glorious night with Tor.
A hand holding a cup of coffee appeared
She paid the driver, adding a hefty tip to keep the good karma flowing, and entered her building. Energy pulsed through her so she decided to take the stairs to her seventh-floor apartment. She sprinted up the steps and with a little too much exuberance, let the metal stairwell door slam behind her. She cringed. Most of her neighbors were probably still asleep.
Her hand dove to the bottom of her purse, feeling for the keys to her apartment. The metal jangled and slipped just out of reach. She really needed to clean out her bag. Oftentimes it served triple duty. Purse, lunchbox, travel carrier. There was no telling what toxic waste lurked in the deep recesses of her bag.
She stopped in front of her door, still searching, when a deadbolt clicked behind her. Nikki frantically groped for her keys.
“Aha!” The familiar voice of her neighbor and best friend, Stacey, pinned her in place. “Thought you could escape the walk of shame, did you?”
Nikki slowly turned and gave Stacey a tight grin. “No, but I was hoping.”
“I have the hearing of a bat.” Thick, chocolate-brown waves of hair that kept Nikki in a state of constant envy cascaded around Stacey’s face and shoulders. She was a hot Latina, Bronx born and raised, and was cleverer than every other attorney at the firm she worked at. She leaned her shoulder against the doorjamb. “Okay, spill. Who was he?”
As much as she tried, Nikki couldn’t keep her sudden grin from spreading into a satisfied smile.
“No.” Stacey popped upright. “No way.”
Her friend was the only person who knew about her obsession with Tor. Nikki nodded. “Yes way.”
“Oh my freakin’ goddess of sex!” She shuffled across the hall in her panda slippers and hugged Nikki. “I want details.”
A man Nikki had never seen before stepped from Stacey’s apartment. He slipped a wrinkled T-shirt over his head and closed the three feet between them to lean in and kiss Stacey on the cheek. “I’ll call you later.”
“Uh-huh.” She didn’t bother looking at him and absently waved good-bye, which looked more like she was shooing him away.
Nikki’s mouth dropped opened, and she pointed to the stranger’s retreating back. “Who’s that?”
“Oh him?” Stacey waved her hand in the air again. “He’s just an intern at my firm and is going back to Ohio or Idaho or Iowa in a week. Sweet, but not my type.”
“Nice.” Nikki turned and shoved her key into the lock, pushing her apartment door open. Though she wouldn’t call Stacey a slut, her friend was freer with her affections than Nikki ever dreamed of being. “What’s his name?”
“You ask too many questions.” Stacey followed her into the apartment.
“Really, asking his name is too many questions? Do you even know his name?”
“Of course I know his name. Brad.” She closed one eye in concentration. “Or maybe Chad.” She shook her head. “Who cares? We had sex, not mingled at a meet and greet.” Stacey headed for the coffeepot. “Besides, you were going to tell me about bumpin’ uglies with Mr. Gorgeous.”
“Was I? I don’t recall agreeing to that.” She dropped her purse on the hallway’s wood floor and walked to her bedroom. Though not nearly as posh as Tor’s penthouse, her apartment was spacious by city standards and reasonably priced—by city standards. The warm yellow walls always had a welcoming feel when she came home. “I need to shower.”
“Fine, you shower. I’ll bring you coffee when it’s ready.”
Nikki undressed and tossed her clothes into the growing pile in the corner of her bedroom. She grabbed her green velour robe and shuffled into her bathroom. Sprays of hot water massaged her back and neck, washing away all traces of her glorious night with Tor.
A hand holding a cup of coffee appeared
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