Someone Hiding in the Shadows...

97 - Show Home

I have also added a video of an apartment....in the place where I have set Jarod's apartment to give you a feel for the place.  This is an episode of one of my favourite programmes Grand Designs, in which someone completely redesigned his apartment in the Barbican.  I thought it would give you a real insight.  I use to work very close to here, so know the area quite well and use to go to the big music library located at the Barbican.  I regularly walked around the gardens and the passageways.  

Sophia and I had been home a couple of hours. There was a chill in the air and Sophia was snuggled up on the sofa beside me with a blanket covering us, whilst reading a story book together.

Jarod strolled quietly into the lounge. He looked tired but his face relaxed as he caught us sitting together. He caught my eye and signaled with his hand, he was about to get changed out of his suit before Sophia spotted him, so I nodded and smiled in response.

I didn't like his lounge; it had a masculine bachelor feel. The sofa had bought by him for looks not comfort. It was a smooth black leather L-shaped sofa with low back that shouted Ikea, which was never that relaxing to lie or sit on. I had bought large red wool cushions, to add texture and comfort, so at least we had something to sink back onto. There was a Fonteyn light oak coffee table in front of the sofa, which often doubled as an unofficial foot stall.

Most of the walls were white and it had one feature wall with an black indiscriminate pattern on it, highlighted in silver that had been a style statement made by the previous owner.

As I glanced over to the opposite side of the room, I took in the two large dark grey Kolton chairs were lovely curl up and read a book in, positioned in each of the corners by the large windows that dominated the lounge. A large fake palm tree plant sat in the middle of the windows, which replaced the real one Jarod had killed by lack of watering.

It wasn't exactly children friendly; but then Jarod had bought the furniture quickly. He told me he had ordered practically everything from Ikea and Made.Com and it showed. So, sometimes I felt as though I was living in an Ikea TV commercial, albeit the monochrome version.

Jarod being a man had gone for the white and black look! He had taste, but it was very stark. It resulted in looking more showroom than home, with it feeling cold and a touch clinical. I was much quirkier in my taste in furnishings and I liked more splashes of colour that added warmth to a room.

When Jarod had moved in, he was essentially a single man; he hadn't expected Sophia to be living with him all the time.

Although the private apartment was on a large sprawling estate, there was a real community spirit here and I always felt at ease strolling along the walkways. I could see why Jarod like living at the Barbican Estate as it had beautiful gardens with a lake and it was great to have all this within finger tip reach, within the centre of London.

However, as I had grown up in a house with a private garden, I still longed for that again. Jarod and I had never agreed to compromise on that point.

Jarod had told me, that he loved the fact he could walk to the office and felt that was more important than having the security of owning your own property, even if it meant continued renting due to the cost. He told me he could not afford to buy in this location, despite his wage packet but refused to commute or compromise.

I never had any other choice. I had to commute and life was a slower pace outside the city, which I preferred. It seemed with every 5 miles I travelled outside the square mile; people talked and walked a little slower.

Jarod had told me he had only lived here a few months before he met me and that he had previously rented a smaller apartment, which I guess, was the place he shared with Emily.

As Sophia finished looking at her books and looked up at me with her ever trusting smile, I rustled her curls in my fingers and gave her a hug.

I adored this little girl and I knew Sophia needed her own mother. Theodora from what Jarod told me, just played at being a mother. She didn't like all the work that went with it. There had always been nannies from day one, even though Theodora hadn't worked. I think Theodora loved the idea of being a mother more than actually being one. From what I had gleaned, it seemed Theodora enjoyed being pampered and groomed.

Jarod had grown up abroad part of his life and had boarded at private school from a young age due to his parent's work commitments. Both his parents I understood were archeologists and Jarod's father had died on a dig years ago, when the ground had collapsed below him. His mother travelled extensively and was involved in some humanitarian work and had not yet met her.

Jarod had never told me, how he had met Theodora and it wasn't something we had discussed but I was curious. I felt myself sighing, as I looked at Sophia, she deserved a mother that put her first and she wasn't mine or Jarod's to keep, but in the meantime, I would do all I could to make her happy, content and safe. For a moment, I felt a sense of guilt planning what I had in mind, but if I didn't outsmart him, there was a strong probability Jarod would take everything from me. It was important that I remembered that.

My phone vibrated. It was a text message from Tony. 'All go in 4 weeks T'

Edit 2.5 Feb 2017

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