I’ve Got You

The last place was yet another towering condo – Miami Beach saturated itself in them. They rode up to the ninth floor, and entered a huge expanse, as the whole floor was dedicated to one apartment. Aleshia liked the space. Again, she disliked the modern, sleek designs, as if everything in the interior modeling had been organized on a Lego board, with everything placed at the edges. The color scheme focused on beige, black and white. Simple, clean, spacious, well lit – and lifeless. Uniform. Entirely conventional. For $2300 a month, Aleshia didn’t think the apartment deserved it.

“Please don’t tell me you have no interest in this one, either. Look at the kitchen. It’s huge! You can have all the room you need for some great cooking events!”

“I don’t cook. Or I can’t. Put me in charge of a kitchen, and I’ll burn it down.”

“Are you serious?” Cameron let out an irritated grunt. “What about the bathroom?”

“Bad design.” Aleshia pointed out the shower and glass wall’s proximity to the toilet seat. “Bet you that will get splashed by the shower each time I attempt one. Fifteen seconds wiping down that seat is fifteen seconds of my life wasted that didn’t need to be every day.”

“Wow. And I thought Vaneese was bad…” Cameron grinned. “Perhaps you two are related, after all.”

“You can’t live with the Devil without obtaining some of their traits,” Aleshia agreed. “But I’m a much nicer person than her.”

“Is there anything about this property you like? Anything at all?” Cameron took on an almost pleading tone, as they made one more circle around the apartment.

“I like the view. I like the space. It’s nice enough, I suppose. I just find it boring.”

“I’ll be honest,” Cameron said. “You’re probably not going to find much better design wise than this. Unless you want to consider buying a place here – then we have more properties to look at with more unique designs. If that’s a desire of yours.”

“I don’t really know what I want,” Aleshia admitted. “And that’s the problem. I moved here more on a whim and because my sister was here, rather than because Florida happened to be my dream state.”

“You like Miami and Miami Beach, though? How long have you been here?”

“About three weeks.”

“That’s not long… just moved into town, eh?” Cameron brushed his shirt, capturing small particles of dust. “How are you paying rent?”

“Month to month. So I can leave with a fifteen day notice.”

“Why not move in with your sister temporarily then, until you get a place?” He stood by the kitchen unit, arm leaning on the breakfast bar.

“You have seen my sister, right? No way would I be able to concentrate on working in that household. I’m better off where I am.”

Cameron nodded. “Alright. Makes sense. Tell you what, though. Are you interested only in rentals or would you be looking to buy as well?”

Aleshia considered the notion for a moment.

“For me, it doesn’t matter. I’m not sure about putting down roots so soon after coming here, but I also like the place. I really do. It’s a lot different from Minnesota. I came from Plymouth.”

Cameron gave a low whistle. “Wow. You’ve sure come a long way. That’s a pretty drastic change. Lifestyle, climate – everything.”

“I wanted something different. Vaneese always harped on about how amazing her life was ever since she moved to Florida. Packed it up and came here. Wanted to know someone if I was going somewhere.”

“Of course. Maybe it will be better for you to get an apartment, then. Buying something so soon is a big move.”

“I have enough money for a deposit and then some. I might like the idea. Getting a house.” The more Aleshia thought about it, the more she liked it. A house would be far more stable to live in, without the whims of leasers harassing her, and places where she wasn’t allowed to decorate to her whim. It would also be something stable for her child. Living near her sister, in a house she had bought, without any fear of being kicked out. Having something solid and hers beneath her toes.

Miami and Miami Beach could be the place. She could also sell the property if she ever decided to move. Cameron observed her contemplating, and again gave her figure a sly examine. “If you need more time to think this over, we can reschedule for another time. There’s no rush. You can talk to me as well if there’s anything you’re unsure about. I can help with that, you know.”

“Thanks.” Aleshia gave him a grateful smile. “Big decisions to make, it seems.”

“We can meet for drinks tomorrow if you want.” He kept his tone casual, leaving no obvious inflections. “Talk more about it. Maybe it will be better to talk in a more relaxed environment than by visiting properties.”

“You would do that?” Aleshia stared at him in astonishment.

“Of course. Dijon is a friend. And I like you, so I don’t mind helping out a little extra. I’m not as busy as I could be in these months, truth be told.”

“That would be really helpful. I need some help deciding what I want to do. I’m clueless on these matters. Still trying to figure out the next direction in my life, I guess.”

“I know a good bar. Fairly quiet, underrated in downtown Miami. Friend of a friend owns it. Do decent food there, if you’re into Mexican spices and don’t mind the accident that happens in your intestines the next day.”

Aleshia laughed uproariously, tilting her head back. “Oh God. I can probably survive that. Us blacks have better spice tolerance than you whites.”

“It’s on,” Cameron grinned. He reached out a hand for another shake. “I can’t show you any other properties today – my time’s a bit pushed, now. Do you drive?”

“Yes and no. I don’t have a car at this current moment.”

“I can drive you part way to your home then. Unless it’s within a twenty minute drive. That’s including the traffic.”

“Drop me by the bus stop near the bridge. Should be fine. I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”

Cameron nodded, leading Aleshia to his car. “Yep. Look forward to it.”

Aleshia scrambled into the car, wondering about her decision. Although Cameron offered the drinks on what seemed like a purely friendly basis, and she had accepted the drinks, also on a purely friendly basis – she also knew she was opening herself up for flirtation.

She knew she would have to tell him the truth tomorrow. About her pregnancy, the run from her former boyfriend. She didn’t relish the idea, because she enjoyed the talk they had now. However, she couldn’t lead him on. She toyed with the possibility, all the same.

I’d be able to hide it about a month tops, before my pregnancy starts becoming obvious. She looked down at her covered belly, not yet obvious enough for people to point the finger. Fairly pointless to not mention it, when he can see for himself in a few weeks time. And, do I even want to pursue the possibility of a new relationship? She chewed her bottom lip. She would have. If she wasn’t pregnant. Cameron seemed interested in her, and it flattered her to have such attention from a handsome man.

An uneasy feeling persisted in her stomach for the rest of the day.