Twice Over

Chapter Ninety Seven - Schmancy

schmancy
adjective
1. extremely or excessively fancy

The apartment was to die for. I mean, living here will feel like heaven. Modern, luxurious, top-of-the-line furniture, fixtures and fittings... It was like my mother went through a Sarsfields Brooke catalogue and chose everything in the store. OK, not quite, but almost everything in the store.

Walls were painted in a soft off white colour, floors in exposed wood in chevron patterned panels, finished in a light coloured varnish. When you enter the apartment, the first thing you notice is how much wall space there is. And I absolutely love it. There is so much space to hang my own art or painting and pictures I manage to find for myself. The lighting is perfect for this place, like my own art gallery.

On my left, butterfly wingback sofas and armchairs, coffee tables and lamps in tans and mushroom colours sit arranged before a split twin case staircase leading up towards the second floor.

Opposite across from the entrance an office space hides access to a downstairs bathroom and laundry area. To the right, a wall with built in fireplace cut out leads towards the dining and kitchen and the balcony beyond. The kitchen is a crisp mix of polished chrome and white marble, steal appliances and a splash of baby blue in the accessories used around the room.

The upstairs hall leads past a guest bedroom done up in tans and golds, and it doesn't seem pretentious at all. The large super king sized bed is covered in an array of colours that remind me of tree bark, or sun dried leaves, or moths with a glittering of gold on their wings.

When I came to the master bedroom, the contrast of dark blues and peachy pinks at first felt overwhelming, then I realised they matched my koi fish painting from my bedroom in the estate. It took a moment to realise this koi painting was another of its kind, and not the same picture. The tiny splash of gold is also found, in the edge of a photo frame of our new family from my parent's wedding. Or the tassels of a blanket artfully draped across the bench seat at the navy blue foot of the luxurious super king bed.

The white set of drawers to one side of the room displays more of the blue and orange colour theme with various ornaments tucked inside the top glass framed drawer.

Finally, a massive white grand piano stood at the apex of the corner room between the two ceiling to floor windows. I don't play piano, and thought it was a mistake or something left over from the previous inhabitants of the apartment. But the small card on the top of it told me otherwise.

"Lily, may you learn new things, grown new wings, and find new loves. From Wallace and Brooke."

"Woah, that is amazing." Grant spoke exactly what I was thinking. He then popped into the bathroom that was hidden behind the wall at the head of my bed and exclaimed again.

"There's a massive bath in here. And the VIEW!" I followed him in and he was correct. The view was better from my bedroom windows. Gotta hope there is reflective tinting on the outside of this glass, I mused.

"When can I move in?" Grant asked. I gave him the stink eye. This is my place now. He can go find his own. Yes, this apartment was perfect.

We managed to find enough fixings for a cold drink and sat down at the dining table, nearest the window views. I looked up and found a scattering of tennis ball sized pendant lights made of glass spheres suspended from the ceiling like little floating bubbles. So pretty.

I think Grant and I were still in shock, but Patricia sat there with her drink, viewing materials on her tablet. We sat and took a moment.

"I own the whole building. How much time and money is this going to cost me?" I was complaining, I know, but I was obviously still overwhelmed. I mean, technically, I'd only just turned eighteen, for crying out loud.

"Not much work, a few million in wages, monthly meetings and regular communications with your support team. Wallace set everything up so that you wouldn't have to do much. Your team leader, Bob Plankard will take care of everything here. You are paying him more than you're currently paying me so use him like a personal assistant and keep him ahead of anything that may need changing, updating or reforming. This is your building, yes, but this place has been running perfectly fine on its own before you came along."

"Patricia, you are a god-send! Thank you. I understand now. I didn't read his employment contract, but I trust that you've got it all sorted. Thank you. So, he's my assistant in charge of Liberty Building. Anything else I need to know about this place?" I asked her. She shrugged.

"Not really. Cleaner comes in twice a week. Groceries and food are delivered once a week. Car service is available if you ever need it and your security team will be living on the floor below this one. Only you and one other tenant have access to this floor, and I believe you are already familiar with Dr Styles."

"Dr Styles? My specialist lives next door on the same floor?"

"Yes, he does. As part of his service to the Overmeyer estate, he was given a substantial discount on his rent to the place. Basically he lives here for free. Wallace made notes about this in the tenancy file he gave you. He has asked for you to keep the arrangement as it currently stands as a favour to him and the good Doctor." I nod in agreement.

"Yes, certainly. Anything else like this that I need to be aware of?" I asked my assistant. She shook her head.

"Not really no. Welcome to your new home, Miss Lily." She finally gave me a little smile.