Chapter 10
After searching the paper and making a list of apartments, they set out to look at them, with Ava driving her Lexus. “I’ll never learn this town,” said Azure as she studied the map.
“You’ll get most of it, but even I still have to look up the occasional address and I’ve lived in the area for…well, all my life,” she substituted with a twinkle in her eyes. “Now, here’s the first one.” She pulled up in front of an apartment building that had seen a few better days.
They got out of the car, and Ava hit the alarm before they went into the rental office.
A girl sat behind the desk, with her feet propped up on the corner, sans shoes. She had a magazine flipped open on her lap, and her attention focused completely on the words as she filed her nails.
“Excuse me,” said Azure, and the girl finally looked up sullenly. “I’m here about 401.”
“You wanna see it, huh?” the girl asked in a pained tone. With exaggerated movements, she swung her feet off the desk and slid them into sandals before dropping the magazine on the desk and reaching into her desk for a ring of keys. “I need to see your driver’s license—both of yours.”
Ava passed over her license, and Azure gave the girl her permit.
“You’ll get them back after we tour the apartment.” She stood up after tucking them in a drawer.
She led them up eight flights of stairs to the fourth floor. “Elevator’s busted.”
“When will it be repaired?” asked Ava.
She shrugged. “Been broken the three years I’ve worked here.”
“I see,” said Azure, standing in front of the door missing most of its paint. After the girl opened the lock, she stepped inside reluctantly. There was a funny smell—like a combination of sweaty feet and pickles—that required a deep breath for fortification before venturing in farther.
The living room was tiny and carpeted with orange-yellow shag. Without comment, she went into the kitchen, and Ava stayed close. The counters were beat up and cracked, and the linoleum on the floor peeled up in several spots. The few cabinets hung crookedly. The stove and fridge looked older than Azure, and there was no dishwasher.
The rental agent stood outside the door, casually puffing on a cigarette. She seemed not to care either way if Azure was interested in the apartment, and she wasn’t volunteering any information.
Azure walked out of the kitchen, back through the living room, and into an L-shaped hallway. The bathroom was tiny and dingy. The mirror on the medicine cabinet was missing completely, except for one shard of glass tenaciously hanging from the top left corner. There was no tub. Just a miniscule shower stall, and the toilet was four inches from the sink. Experimentally, Azure sat down on the closed lid and discovered she would have to sit sideways to use the toilet.
With a small shudder, she stood up and went into the bedroom. The orange-yellow shag covered the floors. The room was barely large enough to hold a twin bed and dresser. The closet was so small that it might have held five outfits at most. She backed out of the room and shook her head at Ava.
They went back to the rental office to reclaim their drivers’ licenses. “Thanks,” said Azure to the girl as she and Ava sped by.
“You want to do an app?” she asked, stubbing out her next cigarette.
“No, thanks,” Azure called over her shoulder as they rushed to the Lexus. After they were locked in the car, Azure started laughing. “Did you see that bathroom?”
Ava chuckled too. “You would have to be a contortionist to do your business on that commode. Shall we keep looking?”
“Absolutely.” They continued on to the next apartment. It was airy and modern, with new eggshell carpet, a large bedroom, well-appointed bathroom, and a spacious living room. There was even a balcony, and the elevator worked.
“There’s a problem,” the clean-cut boy told her. “We can’t release this for rent for another few days, until the police give the go-ahead,” he said, shifting uncomfortably.
“Police?” Ava arched a brow.
He squirmed and dropped his eyes. “The last tenants ran a meth lab, and, um, there was a murder.” He lifted his head. “Don’t worry. We replaced all the carpets and repainted. They just want to make sure all the meth has been discovered and removed.”
“Right,” said Azure, walking out of the apartment.
“Do you want me to give you a call when it’s available?”
Shaking her head, Azure said, “No.”
They went on to the next apartment. Three apartments later, she was ready to give up. “They’re all terrible.”
“Let me speak to a friend of mine,” said Ava. “She’s a realtor, and she might have something you could rent.” Using her cell phone, Ava called her friend and spoke with her for a few minutes. “She wants us to stop by her office. She has a few properties in mind. Do you feel up to it?”
“Sure.” She was tired of looking at rattrap apartments, but knew she had to get out of Ava’s home. It was too tense being around Mathias while being with Dante. She didn’t want to be the source of conflict between the brothers, and Mathias confused her. She’d been sure she had her feelings for Dante all straightened out, but his brother messed with her head. Azure sighed and resolved to stop thinking about it for now.
They arrived at Ribaker Realty in twenty minutes, and Azure met Lois Ribaker—an energetic, middle-aged woman with silvery-blonde hair and sharp brown eyes. She was Ava’s good friend and fellow member of the Garden Society.
“What kind of place are you looking for, Ms. Wilkins?” she asked.
“Call me Azure.” She felt uncomfortable having a woman near Ava’s age calling her by her last name. “An apartment, I guess. It would be nice if it has a pool and weight room, and no one has died in the apartment recently,” she said with a twitch of her lips, causing Ava to laugh and repeat the story for Lois.
“Let me get some listings,” Lois suggested, leaving them sitting at the desk. She returned with two binders full of properties and pointed out several rentals to Azure.
She was busy looking at the various apartments and condos, deciding which ones she wanted to view, when she turned the page and saw a house. It was small, with only three bedrooms, but was on three acres of lushly landscaped land. The ad boasted a large garden, swimming pool and hot tub, two bathrooms, and a den. She could see a tennis court in the backyard, and a large cemented patio with a built-in B-B-Q grill. “I want this one,” she said, stabbing a finger on the house so Lois would know which one she meant.
Adjusting her glasses, Lois looked at the property. “Oh, this isn’t a rental. It’s for sale at $975,000. Now this property—”
“I want that house,” Azure insisted. “I don’t have enough money to buy it outright, but I can offer a substantial down payment. Surely I can finance the remainder?”
Lois’s eyes widened. “If that’s what you want, I’ll work with you. Do you want to view it?”
“Absolutely.” They left the office and followed Lois’s minivan across town to the outskirts and up the driveway to the house. They parked in the driveway about twenty minutes later and got out of the Lexus as Lois slipped from the van. Using a key from her full ring, Lois opened the door and they walked in.
The entryway was hardwood flooring in a star pattern, and it carried through into the spacious living room. Ceramic tile in a pattern of gray, lavender, and yellow splotches, covered the kitchen floor. The appliances were all modern stainless steel.
Lois led her down the hall, stopping to show her the guest bathroom. They moved down the hallway, and she opened another door. Dusty rose carpeted the first bedroom, which contained a large walk-in closet. The next bedroom had hardwood slat boards and another walk-in closet. “You could convert this to a weight room and put in some gym equipment.”
Azure could picture it her mind, and she nodded before following Lois into the master bedroom at the end of the hall. The thick, creamy-yellow carpet cushioned each step, and the closet wrapped around two walls. The closet doors doubled as mirrors, and there was plenty of room for a whole bedroom set.
The second bathroom was attached to the master bedroom, and it contained a large garden tub in the middle of the floor, with two steps rising beside it. There was a smaller shower stall, and a double sink with gold taps.
They toured the outside yard, stopping to look at the tennis court and patio. When Azure saw the garden, she knew she had to have this place. “I’ll take it.” She couldn’t believe she was going to buy a house. It was such a permanent step, but she’d known for a while now that her future was here in Los Angeles, and she would never return to Colorado for more than a visit.
***
Azure filled out paperwork for a loan and waited on tenterhooks for three days to see if she had been approved. Lois had felt she was a good candidate, but she couldn’t help feeling nervous because of her age, regardless of income.
During those three days, the atmosphere at the Starr house was tense. Mathias spent all his time glaring at her and Dante. Dante would glare right back or laugh, making him even angrier. Azure felt trapped in the middle, and she was ecstatic when Lois called back to let her know she had been approved. “How long until I can move in?”
“I’ll do my best to speed things along. At least two weeks and, at most, a month?”
“That long?” Azure couldn’t hide her disappointment. She wanted to get away from Mathias, and even Dante, for a while—the sooner the better.
“I’ll do my best,” Lois repeated.
Azure broke the news at dinner, and Ava immediately congratulated her. Dante nodded. “Sounds like a nice place. You’ll have to show me your house as soon as you get a key.”
“I will.” Her face heated as she imagined showing Dante her bedroom.
Mathias was silent, watching her with brooding eyes, and Azure had difficulty choking down any of her food. When he finally spoke, it was to say, “We start cutting the new album a week from Monday.”
“That soon?” asked Azure. “I’d hoped to have more time to get everything in order for my house.”
“That gives you nine days. I’m afraid we can’t hold off the studio sessions just so you can furnish your house,” he said sarcastically.
Ava shot him a look of disapproval, and Mathias stood up from the table, tossing down his napkin. “If you’ll excuse me,” he said and left the room.
***
Mathias went out to the garden, breathing in the fragrant evening air and trying to regain control. He couldn’t keep charging around the house, biting everyone’s head off just because he was frustrated. He had to get his act together and stop being a total ass before Azure ended up hating him. Mathias didn’t want Dante to hate him either, but each time he saw them together, his anger bubbled to the surface, and he couldn’t control his tongue or his jackass actions.
He turned around when he heard someone behind him and found Ava standing behind him. “I’m sorry about that,” he said stiffly. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea for her to move out on her own.”
“It’s a very good idea.” Ava shook her head. “She’s a young woman, and it’s certainly appropriate for her to have a place of her own. There are other reasons why she has to move too, Mathias. If she can understand why, surely you can too.”
“What’re you talking about?” asked Mathias in a disinterested tone, striving to keep his face and voice neutral.
Sighing, Ava stepped closer. “She’s trying to prevent bad feelings between you and Dante. Azure doesn’t want to be the cause of you hating each other.”
“Why would she be?” he asked in a slightly choked voice. “Has she been saying this to you?”
“No, but I have eyes to see with, and you should open yours, son. I don’t know if she loves Dante or if he loves her, but they’re in a relationship. I know it’s difficult for you to see them together when you feel that way about her, but you can’t keep this up.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Mathias turned his head from her probing gaze. “I don’t have any feelings for her except worry and concern—the same as any other friend.”
Ava sighed heavily. “Of course you don’t.” She left him out there in the garden, alone with his thoughts.
***
After Ava left the room, Dante stood up and pulled Azure from her chair, kissing her. She pulled away from him, and he asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I just don’t feel like it right now.”
He lifted a brow. “I wasn’t suggesting we have sex on the table. I kissed you.”
She ran a hand through her hair. “I know, but I’m not in the mood right now.”
He raised his hands and backed off a step. “No problem.”
“Great,” said Azure softly. “I’ll see you later, okay?”
Dante nodded, and she walked past him, out of the house and into the garden, where she felt most at peace. If she’d had the opportunity, if her grandmother had been a different person and Burning Starr hadn’t discovered her, Azure figured she would have gone to college to study botany. It might not have held her interest, but she would have given it a try.
She looked up in surprise when Mathias moved out of the shadows cast by some of the larger plants and took a seat beside her.
“I’m sorry about snapping at you. I’m just worried.”
“I’ll be fine,” said Azure. “There’s a top-of-the-line security system built into the house, and I’ll have my license within a short time of moving in. I might even go in for the test sooner than that if you can take me out to practice again.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about,” Mathias interrupted. “I mean, I sort of am. I’m worried about you living alone, but that’s not the main thing that I’m concerned about.”
“What then?” asked Azure.
“You and Dante.” He raked a hand through his dark blonde hair. “He’s only going to hurt you.”
“Maybe.” She shrugged. “But I have to find out for myself.”
“No, you don’t,” he shot back. “I’ve seen him with other girls, and none of them ever last. You won’t either, because you’re not the right kind of girl for him. I’m just trying to keep you from getting hurt, so why won’t you listen to me?”
“You’re hurting me too.” She sighed. “Your cutting words and brooding gazes hurt me right now. I miss having a friendship with you, Mathias. Dante may hurt me someday in the future, but you’re tearing me apart right now.”
“I can’t be just your friend and stand by while you get more involved with Dante.” Mathias jumped to his feet and began to pace.
“Then I guess we aren’t friends,” said Azure sadly. The words nearly killed her as they came from her throat, and she closed her eyes weakly. She didn’t open them again until she heard Mathias storm back into the house. She hadn’t expected that losing Mathias’s friendship would hurt her so much. Would she hurt like this if—when—her relationship with Dante died?
***
She was half-asleep when Dante slipped into her room. He hadn’t come to her for a few days, and he’d missed having her near him. He wanted her, but he’d also missed her. He got into bed with her and started stroking her hip. When she scooted away, it became clear she wasn’t receptive to his advances.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m just too tired.”
Dante nodded and started to leave the bed, feeling the bite of her rejection. Why was it suddenly like she couldn’t stand to have him touch her?
“No, please don’t go,” said Azure, laying a hand on his shoulder. “Would you just hold me awhile, Dante?”
After a brief hesitation, he laid down again, and she curled against him, soon falling asleep.
His eyes remained open, and he stared at the ceiling as she slept, wondering what was happening to him. She was so soft and sweet, cuddled against him, and Dante didn’t even mind that they hadn’t made love. He missed the pleasure of it with her but found a different kind of joy in having her sleep so trustingly in his arms. To his surprise, he was just content to hold her, and he finally drifted to sleep.
He didn’t awaken until nine the next morning, as she slipped from the bed to go to the bathroom. It was the first time in recent memory that he had spent the entire night with a girl—and he’d never slept with a girl he hadn’t had sex with right before—but it felt right. He could quickly grow accustomed to waking up next to her, sex or no sex.