Both of us smiled as we walked into the full kitchen that was unlike anything I’d ever seen. Marble counters, dark wood cabinets, a dishwasher! We’d never had one. Our old apartment only had the sink and I couldn’t imagine not doing dishes by hand again. Stainless steel appliances, including a stove, refrigerator, and microwave.
It just kept getting better as we explored the living room, decorated in beige with a white leather sofa, recliner, and glass coffee table. The bathroom? I was definitely in heaven when I saw the sand colored tile floor, sunken bathtub big enough for three, and the huge shower stall.
“This place is amazing!” Hardwood floors everywhere except the bathroom. Walk-in closets? It was like we’d just hit the real estate lottery! I fell back on the king-sized bed in the bedroom, instantly falling in love with the décor.
“I feel like someone needs to pinch me.” Kim smiled widely, and it melted my heart. She deserved to be happy more than any person I knew.
We explored the top floor and discovered it was identical to the one below. “We both have our own mini-paradises.” I giggled. If ever there was a time to act like an adolescent again, this was it. Things like this didn’t happen to people like us. “I say we go home and pack up right now!”
The smile faded from Kim’s face. “I know this all seems wonderful, baby girl, but nothing comes without a price.”
“Don’t, Kim. For once in our lives, things are looking up for us. Can’t we just accept that we deserve this?” She was my sister, and I loved her beyond anything else, but her seriousness was something I wanted to ignore for a change. We’d just been handed the best gift of our lives and I was determined to enjoy it.
“It’s all well and good that we have this opportunity, but we don’t need to let it go to our heads. We’ll enjoy it while we can, but if things change, baby, I don’t want you being upset. Okay?”
“Why can’t you just be happy?” I didn’t want her to rain on my good mood. We were moving into paradise, what was the harm in just basking in the luck?
“I am happy. Like I said before, though, everything has a price. We just don’t know what it will be yet and that worries me. I know you like Jack, and I hope for your sake he’s the man you think he is but you have to wonder why he’s giving all this to us.”
“What? You think he’s doing all this just so I’ll go on a few dates with him?” The idea was insane. What man in their right mind would give your sister a job and offer us a new place to live just to date a person?
“His kind doesn’t think like we do.” She was definitely bringing me down from my high with her morbid thoughts.
“That’s kind of prejudiced, Kim. People who have money are no different than ones who don’t.” She just didn’t know Jack. Granted, I’d only met him the day before, but he obviously cared about people if he was willing to open a center for those without jobs.
“Maybe I am, but I still can’t help but worry that this is all coming a little too easily.” We walked out of the apartment and she locked the door behind us. “For now, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, I guess.”
Taking the elevator downstairs, she locked up the front door before we walked to the car where Dante waited. “Mr. Duncan said that I should take you wherever you wanted to go today.”
“I’ve got to work tonight, so if you could drive us home, I’d be thankful.” She smiled at Dante. Obviously, he was of the right class for her.
Yes, I was a little irritated that she could show him courtesy, but talk bad about Jack when he’d given us the opportunity for a new life. I ignored her on the ride back, but I doubted she noticed since she and Dante chatted the entire time.
I didn’t care what Kim thought, Jack was a nice man. I was even more determined to date him after her rude assessment about characteristics of the rich earlier. People were people, no matter where they came from or how big their bank accounts were. She was being ridiculous.
Kim did ask Dante to make one stop to get boxes, and we had a pile of deflated ones and duct tape when we finally arrived back home. I took half of them to my room and started packing just to get away from her while I calmed my irritation. An hour later and I had most of my things packed, excluding my clothes when she walked in.
“I know you’re upset with me, Emily, but I just want to be practical about this. If something happens and we need to leave the new building, we’ll be back living here again.”
“Why can’t you just live in the present? Everything doesn’t have to be doom and gloom all the time. You could keep this job until you retire.” I still was angry with her for the way she put Jack and people like him in some evil category.