"Aideen – "
"Check it."
Kane grumbled, but did as I asked and checked the tub.
"It's clean."
I blew out a relieved breath.
"Okay, you check the sittin' room and kitchen, I'll see to the bedrooms."
Kane saluted me. "Yes, ma'am."
I smacked his arse when he passed me and he found it hilarious. Feeling pretty pleased with myself I turned and walked down the hallway and checked out the bedrooms. Both of them were the same size, a double.
It wasn't huge, but it was bigger than my current apartment, the extra room was ideal for the baby's room, too. I smiled as I glanced around. I liked it.
"Kane, this place is-"
The sudden blaring music cut me off and caused me to press my hands over my ears.
What the fuck?
"Kane!"
Kane entered the bedroom-he had his hands on his ears also.
"What is that?" I shouted in dismay.
He pointed at the wall. "I think it's the neighbours."
I widened my eyes. "We're havin' a baby. I can't have music blarin' through the walls!"
He nodded his head in agreement. "Let's tell Cala it's a no for here, too."
"Damn fuckin' right!"
I stormed out of the bedroom and out of the apartment where I found Cala. She flushed a little when she looked at me.
"I apologise."
I shook my head. "It's a no for the two apartments in this building. Can we go to the next one, please?"
Cala nodded then looked over my shoulder at Kane. "Next location is closer to Upton. It's Old Isle Green and is fifteen minutes away, sir."
Bronagh and Dominic lived in Old Isle Green.
"Okay, let's go."
I flushed when Kane threaded his fingers through mine and tightly held onto my hand as we walked down the hallway and into the elevator. I mentally chastised myself for being so giddy because it was just hand holding, but I didn't care. I liked it.
We exited the building and got back into Kane's Jeep. We followed behind Cala then until we got to Old Isle Green roughly fifteen minutes later. I was relieved upon exiting the car when I saw no dead animals.
"Dominic and Bee live close by," Kane murmured to me as we followed behind Cala into a tall apartment complex."
I nodded my head indicating I heard him.
"You ready?" Kane asked.
I gnawed on my inner cheek and said, "As I'll ever be."
We entered the building and went straight up to the third floor. Cala was explaining all the high points of the apartment to Kane and myself. I let him do the listening while I silently prayed this apartment would be better than the last two. When we made it to the apartment, both Kane and myself checked it out. I found nothing wrong with it. The rooms were big and clean, and when I pressed my ear to the bedroom wall I couldn't hear a sound.
Score.
"I like this one."
Kane smiled at me but said nothing.
I moved past him and Cala, who were in the hallway of the apartment. I stepped outside and walked up and down the hallway outside just to see if I could hear any signs of noisy neighbours.
I heard nothing, which pleased me.
My pleasure was short lived because as I walked back to my possible new home with a spring in my step, I walked into the apartment directly next to me just as the door opened. I jumped when a cloud of smoke and a foul smell escaped.
My mind screamed fire, but when a bunch of young lads stumbled into the hallway all laughing and shoving one another I knew better. The little fuckers were all stoned.
"Yo, lady," one of them slurred at me, "you wanna hit?"
A hit of what?
"Kane!" I shouted.
Seconds later I was pushed behind his large body.
"Go back into your apartment or you won't live long enough to take another hit."
The lads burst into fits of laughter, but when Kane didn't move they quieted down. One of them even said, "I don't wanna get Hulk smashed, let's go get food instead."
The rest of them cheered and piled back into the smoke-filled apartment. Kane turned to face me, and I saw he was trying not to laugh. I wasn't in the mood for laughing though.
"A dope house... really?"
This day was a fucking disaster.
"The next one will be good. I have a good feeling about it," Kane said, trying to assure me.
I grunted, "Let's just go. It can't be any worse than here."
I didn't even look at Cala as I got back into the elevator.
She fucking sucked at her job.
We left disaster number three and headed for the fourth one, which was only five minutes away. I got out of Kane's Jeep and looked around.
"We're in Upton," I murmured.
Kane snorted. "Yeah, this is where the next apartment is."
"You live two minutes away from here. Keela, too," I suddenly squealed in excitement.
Kane smiled. "Fingers crossed it's the one."
I quickly crossed my fingers together and whispered, "Please be the one, please be the one."
We entered a building that looked brand spanking new. The lobby was huge and spotless. It even had security! Huge plus.
Oh, please be the one!
"Fourth floor," Cala said and gestured us to the elevator.
We got inside and rode to our destination. When I stepped out of the lift, I was in awe. The hallway outside of the apartments looked like something out of a five-star hotel.
"Wow," I murmured to myself.
Kane led me down the stunning hallway after Cala, then he led me into Heaven.
"Oh, Kane," I breathed. "This is gorgeous!"
We entered the apartment and had a look around. I was instantly in overwhelmed. I stared spellbound around the spacious rooms. The sitting room and kitchen were two separate rooms! My old apartment had a combination of the two in the one room and it was so small it would fit into the new sitting room. The hallway was long and wound to the left where the bedrooms and bathroom were located.
Without a word, I walked out of the huge sitting room and ventured down the hallway into the kitchen. I gasped when I took in the newly refurbished kitchen that was accompanied with cream gloss cabinets and black marble countertops. The appliances were stainless steel and brand new. Everything seemed brand new.
I was speechless.
I backed out of the kitchen then turned and walked down the hallway to check out the bedrooms and bathroom. I squealed when I peeked inside the bathroom. Everything was black and white. It had a tub and a shower. The room reminded me of one of the bathrooms in Keela's house. It was stunning. And clean. Very clean.
"I can't believe this place," I whispered to myself then left the bathroom.
I checked out both of the bedrooms and found they were both master sized with large windows that allowed a lot of natural light to fill the rooms. None of the rooms came with en-suite bathrooms, but that didn't bother me because I had the mother of all bathrooms next door.
I screeched when I walked into what would be my new bedroom and looked to the right of the room. There was a fitted wardrobe that was the length of the bloody wall. It was huge. I opened one of the varnished doors and gasped when the door automatically folded to the side and kept folding revealing the full wardrobe.
I heard quick paced footsteps come from down the hall, then a squeak as they came to a stop. "You scared the shit out of me!" Kane's voice huffed from behind me.
I brought my hands to my face and sniffled. "Look at the wardrobe," I whispered.
He laughed, "You like it?"
"Love," I corrected and turned to face Kane with tears in my eyes. "I love it so much. It's perfect."
Kane's shoulders relaxed and a smile took over his handsome face. "Then it's yours, let's go and fill out the paperwork. We can get you the keys right now-Cala has the keys to all the apartments. They're all immediate move in too."
I shook my head in disbelief. "How is this place only twenty-five hundred a month?"
Kane shrugged his shoulders. "It's a buyer's and renter's market."
"I guess, but this looks like somewhere Tony Stark would happily live. It's amazin'."
Kane snorted, "Let's go make this amazing place yours."
I couldn't form a single word, so I just nodded my head and took Kane's outstretched hand as we walked down the hallway and back to the sitting room where Cala was.
"She wants it," Kane declared to Cala who smiled.
"I thought you might. This place is beautiful."
I still couldn't speak so I just blink my eyes and tried my best not to cry.
I was leasing the apartment.
Holy. Fuck.
I stared at Cala as she explained the lease to me. I filled out a form for my bank information so my rent could be taken out each month, then Cala went through the ins and outs of the terms and conditions. When I understood them, she gave me a black ballpoint pen, placed the lease on the table and pointed to the bottom line on the page.
"Sign here, please."
I looked at Kane, who was smiling at me then I looked down, held my breath and signed my name on the dotted line. I did it quickly in case Cala changed her mind.
"Congratulations, Miss Collins. This apartment is leased in your name. Here are the keys, you can move in right away. I will inform the utility companies that you're the addressee. All mains are turned on already-heating, water, electricity. Everything."