Animalistic Galley Fin (7 page)

“Are you planning to open a business here?” Arielle asked as Trent gave her a tour of the place.

“Yes. A gym and a rehab clinic for the vets. We’ll be living in the apartment on the fifth floor. But the gym will operate as a non-profit organization. Quinn wanted me to run a charitable foundation so we could do some good with the family money, and this is a cause I’m passionate about.”

“Quinn?”

“My oldest brother. He’s running the family business.”

“I think I’ve heard your brother’s name in the news. Something about New York’s most eligible bachelors. Well, your mom talked me about him too. I can’t believe you’re related to him.”

“It isn’t always easy being related to him. He’s a perfectionist and a slave driver to boot. But he was nice enough to fund this entire operation.”

“I assume you chose a gym and rehab center because of your experience in the military?”

He agreed. “I want to help my fellow vets who aren’t getting enough help from their local VA. Besides the gym on the first floor, there will be a resident doctor and a couple of physical therapists on the second floor. The third floor will be used as a meditation center for those who suffer from PTSD. When I was recovering from the osteosarcoma, meditation helped me find my bearings and focus on overcoming pain without drugs.”

“Ah, I see. A holistic approach, in addition to modern medicine. That sounds promising.”

“It worked well for me in the past, so I thought it might help those who had exhausted the usual route of healing. The people I have recruited to work here are my fellow veterans whom I served with in the military. They are all excited to be on board with this project. Let me show you our apartment on the fifth floor.”

Arielle chuckled. “
Our
apartment?”

“Don’t tell me you’d rather live with my mom?”

“Show me the apartment, big guy.”

The building was equipped with a newly-installed elevator and clearly had gone through extensive remodeling. The apartment boasted four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a spacious kitchen and living space. The rooftop had also undergone some renovations. What used to be a storage place for tenants had become an urban garden. The potted trees and plants were still in the process of being planted, but Arielle could see it would be a magnificent place to retreat once it was finished. She could picture barbeques and parties there in the future when everything was finished. Suddenly, she didn’t feel quite so bleak and hopeless anymore. Perhaps there was a silver lining to her string of bad luck. She got to meet Trent and his wonderful family. And she would get to live in a new apartment in a beautiful neighborhood. She had to let go of the past and embrace the future. Hope blossomed within her.

“Of course, the apartment needs furniture. I was hoping you could help with the shopping,” said Trent. “It’d be nice if this place had a feminine touch.”

“I’d love to. I love decorating. I used to help my dad paint the office and rearrange desks and stuff. When he was still alive, he’d paint our apartment at least twice a year. He always said he never liked the color he chose. Mom and I thought he just like painting the walls.”

“Then I trust the project is in good hands.” Trent winked. “Which room would you like to claim?”

She thought for a minute. “The one next to the kitchen, if you don’t mind? It has a small bathroom that I like.”

“You don’t want the one that has the big windows?”

“The master bedroom?” She shook her head. “Shouldn’t you be taking that one? I’m happy with just a small room. It’s the same size as my room in my old apartment. Plus, I don’t have a lot of stuff.” She blinked. Jesus, she didn’t have any possessions except the clothes she was wearing on the day of the fire. If Trent’s mom hadn’t taken her shopping, she wouldn’t have anything to wear at all. She was downsizing on a whole new level.

Trent ran his hand over his short cropped hair. He leaned against the windowsill in the spacious living room. “I got used to sleeping in tents, barracks and other strange places, so it doesn’t matter to me. I’d like you to have the best seat in the house.”

“That’s so generous of you, but the small one is fine.”

“All right then. Want to help me pick up some furniture tomorrow? You’re definitely not working this weekend, right?”

“No. I cleared it with Sabrina earlier. She said I can take as many days as I want. Paid days. So that’s good.”

“You think she felt guilty?”

Arielle shrugged. “Who knows? Sabrina and ‘guilty conscience’ are rarely used in the same sentence. Hey, shouldn’t we talk about rent?”

“Rent?” Trent raised his eyebrows. “I don’t need rent from you.”

“You and your family have helped me a lot in my time of need. Please don’t make me feel like a charity case.”

Trent lifted his hands up. “All right. How about one dollar for the next three months since you lost everything in the fire. And after that, pay me whatever you paid for your old place.”

“One dollar? Are you serious?”

“Dead serious.”

“Wow. I don’t know how to thank you. The apartment was rent-controlled, so we only paid around eight-hundred dollars for a three-bedroom place. Is that okay with you? It doesn’t seem like enough.”

“Sure it is. Like I told you, your money is no good here. Besides, I may need your help with legal stuff for the gym, drafting contracts and combing over the documents for my project. Quinn likes meticulous reporting and everything needs to be documented down to the smallest detail. I think you can help me with that.”

“Deal. I might not look like it, but I’m a whiz at tedious paperwork. I’ve handled setting up new companies with special tax exemptions before. A non-profit foundation would be no different.”

“I believe you.” He looked at his wristwatch. “Are you getting tired? Do you want to go back to my mom’s or is there any place you’d like to go?”

She scanned her surroundings. “You said you trusted me with furnishing the apartment? Why don’t we go to a paint store to look at samples? It’s been ages since I did some painting.”

“Sure, why not? Sounds good to me.”

Chapter Six

Two weeks later…

The girls in the office acted like someone in her family had died again when Arielle went back to work that morning. They offered solemn condolences on the demise of her apartment and asked her if they could do anything to help. Then they quietly whispered that they were shocked Chris and Sabrina were an item and expressed their outrage over how the two had stabbed her in the back.

Arielle was surprised that people knew she and Chris were over. News traveled fast in this office, but according to Emma, the two weren’t trying to be inconspicuous, so everyone in the office knew what Chris and Sabrina were doing. And they were all appalled.

To be honest, Arielle wasn’t even angry anymore. Trent and his family had helped her forget all the unpleasantness.

She had been busy helping him move in and furnish the apartment. They went shopping for kitchen appliances and got mistaken by the salesperson for a newlywed couple. When she tried to correct her, Trent smoothly interjected that Arielle wasn’t his girl, yet, but he planned to make her his soon. Arielle was amazed Trent didn’t seem embarrassed at being seen with her, even in her shabby state.

Unlike Chris.

When she and Chris started going out in high school, she was small and delicate, while Chris was brawny and imposing. They were the perfect couple. But then stress got to her and she started to let herself go. Chris was always on her case, telling her to exercise or diet, veiled by an “I’m worried about you” excuse, when in reality he was mostly just concerned about his image. But Trent wasn’t like that at all; he seemed to relish her curves.

Maybe what she needed was, in a cosmic joke sort of way, one hell of a bad day to stop her from clinging to her past and embrace the new. The apartment fire stopped her from living in her mother’s memories. Catching Chris cheating made her realize that there was nothing left for them to hold on to anymore. They had been great together in the past, but no more.

She needed to move on.

And that was why when she saw Chris, she only felt a mild annoyance as supposed to rage from his betrayal. But he
should
have broken their relationship off cleanly. Considering their history, he owed her that much.

Interrupting her thoughts, Chris poked his head in her office. “Hey. Can I have a minute?”

“If I don’t have any other choice.”

He entered and closed the door. “How are you doing? I heard about the fire. I’m really sorry. If there’s anything I can do to help, you let me know.”

“I’m fine.”

“Do you need to find a new place to stay?”

“Nope.”

“Are you staying with your aunt?”

“God, no. You know she’s a hoarder. I’ve got a new place and a roommate.”

“Where is it?”

“The Village.”

“Greenwich Village?” Chris seemed surprised. “You still have some of your clothes at my place. If you like, I can drop them off at your new place.”

Arielle thought about it for a moment. “I don’t want them. Just put them in the dumpster.” It might sound like a waste, but she didn’t want anything that had been contaminated by Chris. Plus, Trent’s mom had been so generous, she had more clothes than she would ever need.

“Are you sure?”

She nodded. “Anything else? I’d like to get back to work.”

Chris looked uncomfortable. Usually he was full of arrogant swagger; guilt must be eating him alive. “I’d like to apologize for what I’ve done to you. You have every right to be angry with me. I just want you to know that I never meant to hurt you. It just happened. I’m sorry. I just wasn’t expecting that Sabrina and I–”

“Chris, I don’t really need to know the details.”

“I just want to explain–” Chris shook his head. “I just want… Please let me explain so I can feel like less of a bastard.”

“Don’t worry about.” She leaned back in her chair. “It was a long time coming anyway. You and I have been growing apart for a while. The world is what we make of it. We create our own happiness and misery. So why be intentionally miserable? I’m over you and me, and am ready to let all of this go,” Arielle paraphrased what Trent had said to her during their heart-to-heart. For a young guy, Trent was surprisingly deep. His head was chock-full of Eastern wisdom that he had learned during his stay at the monastery in Japan.

Chris laughed weakly. “You’re being easier on me than I deserve. It’s making me feel like a dick.”

“Why should today be different than any other day?”

He raised an eyebrow, looking bewildered for a second before he got control of himself. “Try not to take all of this out on Sabrina. She had it hard too. She’s felt inferior to you since you were kids, especially considering her dad likes you better than his own daughter.”

“Inferior?” This was new to her.

He affirmed it with a small nod. “You may not have noticed, but Hoffman always compared her to you, and it affects her self-esteem. She tried hard to please him, but she can’t compete with you. You were more of a daughter to Mr. Hoffman then Sabrina ever was.”

She knew that Hoffman liked her, but she totally hadn’t expected to hear that. “That still doesn’t excuse her shitty behavior, and how horrible she’s been to me, to everyone who works here.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Chris threw his hands up in exasperation. “I won’t make excuses. For her or for me. I hurt you and I’m sorry. She did too, and I know she’s sorry. Her pride won’t let her show her true self. Beneath her mask, she’s fragile, you know? I guess that was what drew me to her in the first place. You’re a much stronger person than she is, Arielle. You never lose your cool, even when things are awful. And you never give up when you face a challenge. Hell, you’re the toughest woman I know.”

What was he talking about? No, she wasn’t tough at all. She just wasn’t big on broadcasting her feelings to others. But she felt there was no point in correcting Chris, so she kept it to herself. Although, she did wonder how long Chris had been having this affair with Sabrina? She resisted an urge to ask him because it wouldn’t do her any good to know at this point. They were finished. The last strand of connection that tied them together had been severed when she caught him with Sabrina. This was a chance to make a clean break.

She forced herself to smile. “Thanks, I guess?”

Someone knocked on the door. They were both surprised when they saw Mr. Hoffman standing there. Chris unconsciously tugged his shirt and straightened his tie in the presence of the founder of the firm.

“Mr. Hoffman. What a nice surprise. How are you, sir?” Arielle stood from her desk and shook his hand.

“I’m the one who should be asking you that. I heard about the fire; are you okay?” Hoffman patted her shoulder fondly. He was a gentleman of about sixty-years-old with a receding hairline and a dapper figure. Even at his age, he still maintained a trim physique thanks to a five day-a-week tennis regimen. He was a handsome man in his heyday and had charmed many of his paramours with little more than a smile.

“I’m good, sir. I wasn’t there when it happened. By the time I got home, it was all over.”

“I’m so sorry, Arielle.” Hoffman acknowledged Chris’ presence with a nod. “I see that you put in the most billable hours last quarter, Rolland. Impressive work, as always. Is Arielle staying at your place now?”

She and Chris traded glances. Hoffman didn’t know that Chris was seeing his daughter.

Arielle answered quickly before Chris could. “I’ve already got myself a new apartment, Mr. Hoffman. My new roommate gave me a great deal.”

“Oh, you’ve got a new place? That’s good to hear. Well, I just came down here to see how you were doing. Your father would roll over in his grave if I didn’t offer any help. You know that we have a condo in The Bronx, right? The place has been empty for years. I wanted to rent it out, but I don’t feel like dealing with tenants. If you’re pressed for a place to stay, you can have the condo. You know, until you get back on your feet.”

“That’s so generous of you, Mr. Hoffman, thank you, but I’m in good hands. You don’t have to worry about me.”