A lockdown love story

Apartment from hell

Chapter seven

Lilah's day was packed more than Lola's remaining boxes. An entire day of meetings, ending with a tour of her potential new apartment. The pictures of the property didn't look half bad, but Lilah knew the magic of finding a good angle.

She collected her shower essentials and left the comfort of her room. The apartment was oddly quiet. Even when Cole was asleep his Tv was always on. Lilah did the same most nights, Scarlet found it bizarre how she could sleep with it playing, but the people on the screen gave her comfort, it was company to her, despite not being real.

When Lilah reached for the bathroom door handle, it was turned by itself. She froze when a tall brunette wrapped in Lilah's towel stepped out the room. The girl flashes the brit a toothy grin. "Morning." She confidently greeted as she walked straight past Lilah. She was left stunned. A total stranger was using her belonging, in her home and had the audacity to act like this was her empire.

"Bringing a girl home with an attitude. Typical." Lilah huffed, adding it to the list of things Cole had done to annoy her. She didn't have the time to complain, nor dwell, so she ran to the shower, hopping in to enjoy the few peaceful moments the water gives her, but the peace was soon crushed when the water turned freezing cold. Lilah screamed as the water made her skin rise and body shiver. "He is so dead!" Lilah growled. She reached for her towel, but of course it was stolen. She scanned through the shelf of towels only left with two options, neither one being good. "Please no." She pleaded. "It's a minute dash Delilah." She told herself while she wrapped the black towel around her petite shivering body. Lilah looked in the not so steamy mirror to see herself covered in Cole's towel. It smelt surprisingly good, his scent was something Lilah couldn't complain about him. His fresh but chocking fragrance made Lilah's head spin. It made her think about the moment she stared into his eyes when she was tipsy. There's small things about Cole she wished would outrank the bad, but that was all it was, a wish!

Lilah made the famous dash from the bathroom to her room but just like their first interaction, Cole caught her. "Well this seems familiar." Cole chuckled, rubbing the sleep from his eye. Lilah bowed her head as she listened to the smug voice behind her. "And so does the towel." Lilah sighed with flared nostrils and turned on her heels. Cole's bare chest graced her blue eyes upon first glance. His long journeys to the gym were definitely paying off. Too bad she wasn't the one enjoying the benefits.

"You little friend took my towel, so I had no choice." Lilah defended. Clutching at the soft material. He was right, this was far too familiar.

Cole tilted his head while his eyes trailed up and down Lilah body. "I don't know, I wouldn't have minded seeing you run without the towel."

"Arsehole!" Lilah scowled in disgust.

"I was joking London." He chuckled, still checking her out as she stormed to her room.

Cole hadn't expected to see Lilah wrapped up in his towel, but it sure didn't hurt. The girl in his room wasn't in Lilah's league, Lilah was in her own. But he had her to thank for seeing Lilah in her cute worked up state.

***

"Thanks for doing this." Carmen said to Lilah as they approached their third meeting of the day.

Lilah was officially doing two jobs, jobs she was not nearly paid enough for. She was supposed to read manuscripts and give an honest write up. But now she finds herself being the boss's assistant, taking notes and making suggestions like she'd been in the industry for years. The longer she sat in cooperate chairs the more she wondered if she made a mistake. When she left college she had job offers everywhere, even some back home, but she turned them down to work for Carmen. A top publishing house where she thought she could stand a chance for writing for, and yet there she was, praying their next break would come soon. She wasn't living, she was surviving.