“Thank you.”
The elevator doors closed behind them.
Caroline looked horrified.
Chapter Fifty-One
The door to the show unit swung open without a sound, and Caroline stepped inside first. She opened her arm in a grand, sweeping gesture, the key dangling from her hand. “Here it is. The two-bedroom loft is one of our most popular units. Master bedroom and attached master bath to the right. Second bedroom on the left at the other end.”
The woman’s heels clicked across the hardwood floors with sharp, staccato echoes. “The entire north wall is windows, so there’s more than enough natural light, but none of it direct. Insulated windows keep the unit remarkably energy efficient—no cold drafts in the winter or extra heat in the summer. And the door just there steps out onto the balcony. Plenty of room out there for chairs and a little bistro table. Open floor plan, all-new hardwood flooring throughout. Tile in the bathrooms. Stainless-steel appliances in the kitchen and granite countertops.
Caroline stepped toward the kitchen and flipped a switch on the side of the huge center island. “These lights up here are dimmable for ambiance. Every unit has a laundry room as well, with a side-by-side top-loading washer and dryer. That’s down there in a separate room behind the second full bathroom.”
Cheyenne wheeled Ember into the center of the loft, and they took a moment to stare at the phenomenal view of northern Richmond through the wall of windows. I bet if I stared long enough, I could see DC from here.
Ember said, “This is not like the other ones.”
“You can say that again.” The halfling turned around to take in the ceilings, high even for a loft, and ran her hand over the back of the gray suede couch in the center of the huge living area. “Do all these units come with that extra loft up there?”
Caroline followed her gaze and nodded at the wrought-iron staircase leading up to the raised platform above the second bathroom and hidden laundry room. “Most of them do, yes. A lot of people use that for an office, semi-private study, library, et cetera. I believe it can also fit a queen-sized bed and a short chest of drawers.”
“Uh-huh.” Cheyenne walked quickly toward the staircase and climbed it just enough to peer through the iron rail surrounding the miniature loft.
“Unfortunately, all of our two-bedroom units with this particular layout and the built-in loft are currently rented.” Caroline fiddled with the single key in her hand. “Our available units with this floorplan don’t have that specific feature, but it does open up the rest of the main room quite a bit.”
With one more sweeping gaze around the loft, Cheyenne leaned over the staircase railing and grinned at the woman. “Not a problem.”
Caroline started like she’d just been screamed at instead and turned toward Ember. “Can I answer any questions for you, Ms. Gaderow?”
Ember gazed through the wall of windows and took a deep breath. “Do the bedrooms have carpet?”
“Absolutely not. Hardwood flooring everywhere, though there’s plenty of room for an area rug in the master. Would you like to see?”
Slowly, Ember spun the chair around on her own and pointed past the kitchen. “Right down there?”
“Yes.”
With a nod, the fae wheeled herself toward the master bedroom, a little slowly at first, but she picked up speed soon enough and disappeared through the open doorway.
Cheyenne’s black Vans clomped down the iron staircase, and she swung around the bottom stair, her hand squeaking on the end of the banister. “Definitely a nice setup.”
“Yes. It is.” Caroline’s lips pressed tightly together.
Looks like she just bit into a lemon.
“It’s good to hear there’s no carpet in here.” The halfling stopped beside their guide and folded her arms. “It’s so outdated, don’t you think?”
Caroline took a subtle step to the side to put more space between them, gazing out the windows. “We installed hardwood and tile flooring in all of our units in 2015. Everything’s updated regularly. State of the art.”
“Ms. Gaderow really hates carpet.”
“I’m sure she’ll be more than happy with one of these units. Your…employer seems like the kind of woman who knows what she wants.”
There it is.
Blinking slowly, Cheyenne stared out at the incredible view. A slow, amused smile bloomed on her lips. “She certainly does.”
I should tell her, but it’s too much fun not to.
A little bump came from the master bedroom, followed by a light grunt of exasperation.
“Sorry.” Ember wheeled back and forth a few times and managed to line the chair up again with the doorway. “Some doors are wider than others, huh?” She chuckled and glanced over her shoulder, then wheeled back out past the kitchen and into the main room. “Didn’t leave a dent.”
“I’m sure it’s fine.” Caroline grinned at her, relieved to not be left alone with the Goth girl in her fancy showroom. “What did you think of the master?”
“It’s nice.” Ember glanced up at Cheyenne and shrugged. “Jacuzzi bath.”
“Oh.” The halfling widened her eyes and dipped her head. “Lovely.”
Ember’s eyebrows met as she frowned, then she glanced around the apartment one more time. “Definitely has a nice open feel to it.”
“Almost like a garage, right?” Cheyenne pointed at the wall of windows. “If that whole thing could lift up and slide back across the ceiling.”
With a muffled snort, Ember lowered her chin to her chest and said nothing.
“If you’ll excuse me, Ms. Gaderow.” Caroline pulled a cell phone out of the front pocket of her designer blazer and nodded. “I have to make a quick phone call, so I’ll step outside and let you get a feel for the place on your own.”
“Sure. Thank you.”
The woman’s heels clicked across the floor again, and she stepped out into the hallway, pulling the door closed behind her but leaving it cracked just a little. Her voice drifted into the loft as she made her call.
“Okay, Em.
