"We're here Miss." I was too absorbed in my own head that I hadn't heard the cabbie when he'd first spoken. He was a friendly looking man in his mid fifties who looked like a storybook grandfather with his round belly and white hair. A quick glance at his identification card told me that his name was Frank.
The amusement was evident in his expression as I finally met his gaze. In my experience, I would have expected him to be a little more irritated after calling me with no response for what must have been at least a few minutes. His wrinkled cheeks were lifted around a small grin at my lack of response. Weird guy. For the lack of a better option, I grin in return, my attention finally shifting away from my thoughts.
"You're not from here are you?" He asks.
It was a little frustrating how easily he could see through my best efforts not to look like I'd never been away from home. "Is it really that obvious?" I mutter, tucking a few strands of dark auburn hair behind my ear.
He chuckled. "Well, I rarely meet a New Yorker with that look you had out the window, the entire ride. People here are usually busy on their cell phones, not that I would know anything about that, hate the darn things." He replies, the smile still on his face.
"Ah.." I rummage in my white handbag and retrieved my purse, a feat in itself considering the vortex that is my bag. Passing him a fifty, I say, "Thanks for the tip," before climbing out.
He rolled down his window. "You only owe me thirty eight."
I shrug. "Keep the change."
"Are you sure?" He asks. When I nod, he opens his door. "Let me help you with your bags then."
I shake my head, seeing the doorman of my new apartment building already approaching us. "Its fine, I'm sure the doorman and I can manage. Thank you, Frank."
With the sigh of a frustrated parent, he closes his door. "Alright then, but the next time I see you, the ride is free okay?" I laughed before nodding.
"Okay Frank, that'll do."
He patiently waited for us to get all of my bags out of the trunk before he drove off. I followed the doorman into the building as he effortlessly balanced my two, large bags. "Are you a new tenant here Miss?" The golden nametag of his black uniform read 'Hugh'.
"Yes, but I've already gotten my keys and all that." I responded, trying to stay on course to the entrance as the bag I was pulling behind me kept getting caught. "Just bring me up to unit 15A."
He nodded, before opening the glass doors into the building, keeping them open as I slipped in behind him. I took a moment to admire the lobby as the soles of my dark boots landed on the black tiled floor. It wasn't huge, yet was big enough to appear spacious while still inviting. The walls were a very light cream colour, with dark mailboxes arranged neatly in a room off to the side of the elevators. Lights built into the ceiling cast a warm glow on everything.
At the far end of the room, beyond a reception and seating area were a pair of silver elevators, I pulled my bag as quickly as I could across the lobby, easily fitting into an awaiting elevator next to Hugh and an old woman with a grocery bag.
Hugh smiled at the elderly woman. "Good evening Mrs. Bryans."
"Good evening, Hugh." She didn't address me, save for scanning my entire person and belongings. She seemed to find me lacking, if the expression she had, getting off on the sixth floor, was any indication.
"Looks like I won't get along with her very well." I said half jokingly.
Hugh smiled. "She seems to try her best not to get along with anybody, if I'm being completely honest."
YOU ARE READING
Lethal Secrets
RomanceI've held onto a secret all my life, carrying it with me for as long as I could remember. I can't complain though, it was an easy price to pay for simplicity and security. Unfortunately they are right, the nasty thing about secrets is that they alwa...
