Manhattan

09.

AIDAN HAD NEVER really thought about how rich Leah was exactly.

Of course, he had known her father lived in a penthouse apartment. But now, standing before the apartment building, he couldn't help but re-evaluate what he'd thought being a billionaire actually meant. The building itself was more intimidating than anything else. He couldn't stifle the gasp that he let out when he stepped inside the lobby, gazing around wide-eyed at the plush red carpet and the tall windows framed by long, gold, floor-length curtains.

A lady sitting behind the front desk cleared her throat. Aidan looked at her.

"Are you lost?" she asked him, one perfectly plucked eyebrow raised in distaste. She took in Aidan's appearance - a jacket worn over a plain white shirt, faded jeans with a few paint splatters, and a pair of old Nike's.

Aidan cleared his throat, feeling as though he should've worn his best suit and gelled his hair or something. "Oh, no," he said. "Actually, I'm here to see my friend. Her name's Leah Davis."

The woman looked at him as if he had grown another head. "Yeah, right, kid. As if the daughter of a billionaire would associate herself with someone like you."  She laughed, a cruel laugh that made his insides writhe in anger. "Get out of here before I call security."

Aidan gaped at the woman, wide-eyed. He was at a loss for words. Never in his life had someone ever said something like that to him. He opened his mouth to reply when a bell chimed and the elevator across the lobby opened. Relief filled him as he saw it was Leah. Her face lit up when she saw him, and before he could say anything he was engulfed by yet another one of her rib-crushing hugs. He hugged her back and looked over her shoulder at the lady, who looked shell-shocked.

"M-Ms. Davis?" she said, aghast.

Leah pulled away and turned to her. She smiled. "Hello, Rosa."

The lady - Rosa - looked at Leah, eyes wide, then at Aidan, then back to Leah. She cleared her throat. "I - Do you . . . know him?"

"Oh, yes, this is my friend, Aidan," she said pleasantly. "Is something wrong?"

Rosa shook her head vigorously. "No, no, of course not. I was just . . . welcoming your, um, friend to the building." She smiled at Aidan, though it looked as if it physically pained her to do so.

Aidan raised an eyebrow. Leah smiled. "Great," she said. She took Aidan's arm. "Come on. I'll see you around, Rosa."

Leah led them back to the elevator, and Aidan turned back one last time to give Rosa a smug smile. He felt like laughing as the elevator doors closed on her shocked face.

• • •

Aidan's jaw fell open when Leah opened the door to her father's apartment. It looked like, well, one that was owned by a billionaire. Luxurious was one word for it. It was wide and spacious, and large windows ran around the length of it, revealing a breathtaking view of the city. White couches surrounded a ginormous flat screen tv mounted on the wall. A giant lava lamp sat on the smooth granite counter tops of the kitchen, which was a whole other sight in itself, with a lot of complex-looking buttons and switches that Aidan was afraid to get near. A sleek, black grand piano was situated in a corner, and across from it was a spiral staircase leading into what he assumed were the bedrooms.

He turned to Leah, who wore an expression of anxiety. "Wow."

"It seems like too much, doesn't it?" she said, hands twisting. She looked almost guilty.

Aidan laughed. "That's one way to put it." He paused and scrunched up his eyebrows. "What's wrong?"

Leah looked away and shrugged. "Just . . . I don't want to you think —" She shook her head. "Never mind. Forget it. Come on," she said, heading for the staircase.