Lana let out a frustrated sigh, taking off her sunhat and setting it down on her travel bag. She dialled a number one more time, only for the call to go straight to voicemail again!
The sun was blazing hot and she'd been waiting for hours before the front door of a small town house.
This was definitely not what she'd envisioned her first day in Los Angeles to look like. Well, obviously, the ill luck didn't start from here. It definitely started from the rain that soaked them on the way to the airport when it was so rare to catch a drop of rain in autumn; then the delayed flight due to the rain's escalation into a storm. Then Lisa figured out her job provided accommodations but it was strictly a one-person lodge. Plus Lana disliked the place anyways. Anyways, that left Lana to find accommodation herself. As if things couldn't get any worse, the landlord, Lisa's co-worker who owned a townhouse in the..., and who was supposed to here over two hours ago, stood her up even after reassuring her repeatedly that he would make sure to be early.
"Ugh_" she grunted taking out her frustration through loud bangs on the door, then proceeded down the stairs aiming to get a good look at the surroundings.
It was a pretty decent place to stay indeed.
The townhouse sat quietly along the street. Its windows caught the light of the afternoon, reflecting soft gold onto the pavement below. A small iron gate opened into a garden that felt carefully loved rather than perfectly planned.
Neat stone paths wound through beds of flowers, their colors gently overlapping__lavender, cream, and shy bursts of red. The air carried the clean scent of watered soil and leaves warming in the sun. A low wooden bench rested beneath a young tree
She found herself smiling unknowingly at the beautiful sight. Taking small steps, she walked towards the wooden bench, almost hidden behind a bush of white roses.
When she inched closer, the sight of a figure sprawled on the bench startled her so much so that she almost lost her balance and fell backwards.
Just on the grass, in front of the small delicately carved wooden chair, was a disarray of work tools___shears,a hoe, a small sized watering can and some flower seeds.
____What a mess!__was her first thought, looking at the scattered equipment that wasn't put away. Then looking up, she finally focused on the figure before her.
He has an arm over his head. His black hair fell in damp curls that stuck to his face, but what really caught her attention was his body. Damn! She stared intensely, finding it difficult to take her eyes of the skin that was barely hidden behind a thin fabric polyester tank top.
His build was lean and well-formed, long lines of muscle resting softly beneath healthy, perfectly tanned skin. Broad shoulders eased downward, relaxed in sleep, and his chest rose and fell in a slow, steady rhythm, calm and untroubled.
She took one step back and inhaled sharply deciding to wake him up, being mentally tortured enough by the sight of his body.
__but just how was she supposed to do that??
He definitely looked like he was sleeping soundly, beads of cold sweat crowded his neck and forehead, and she could faintly hear snore-like sounds welling from his throat; his diminutive adam's apple bobbing with each soft groan.
Honestly she was taken aback. Not like she'd expected to meet someone this specifically breathtaking today or even on any good day.
She stood there far longer than necessary, staring at him and thinking, You can do this, which was bold considering she absolutely did not know his name. He slept on, calm and oblivious, like a man who had never once worried about being woken by a stranger with questionable confidence.
She cleared her throat. Nothing
She tried clearing her throat again. Nothing. Of course. He didn't even flinch—just kept breathing evenly, as if daring her to escalate. Calling him sir felt wrong. Just going with "hey" felt inadequate. Calling him beautiful stranger felt like a fast track to embarrassment and something she would never do___for sure
She leaned closer, then immediately leaned back, startled by her own bravery. Okay. Physical contact. Minimal. Responsible. She reached out and gave his shoulder the gentlest tap imaginable__more of a polite suggestion than an actual wake-up attempt.
His brow creased, and she froze, ready to apologize to the air. When his eyes finally opened, she straightened like she'd and fixed on a calm expression like she'd not just deliberated and planned what she would say for the past five minutes.
"Hi", she said, because it was too late to say nothing now. Courage, having finally shown up, hovered just long enough for her to stay where she was and not bolt from the spot.
He blinked. Once. Then multiple times, as if trying to process what was going on.
As if he'd just seen something so horrifying, his eyes shot wide open and his gaze darted sharply to his wrist watch.
"Shit!" He came on his feet instantly, rubbing his reddish eyes with his thumb and forefinger.
Then he paused for a while.
And studied the person in front of him standing as kept together as she could, as if trying to shrink into the wind.
"Umm..." he rubbed his temples as if trying to recall something __"Lana Blackwell?"
She nodded slowly and saw him tense
"Christ!" he exclaimed, glancing at his wrist watch once again "I...am...so sorry" he bent over and clasped his hands in a plea, above his head.
"It's okay" she found herself saying, and thought it was purely ironical because she'd just realized she'd waited two hours for this man, whom she was ready to give a long reprimand until some minutes ago.
"Please give me thirty minutes" he pleaded and ran inside, coming out minutes later with a sealed orange juice carton and a glass, only to return inside with the same ardor, after telling her to knock at the front door after a while.
Well, considering the stress he'd put her through, she probably didn't mind the juice and tagged it an atonement, casually,happily, drinking and admiring the serenity of the garden.
She was at the front door about twenty minutes later, glass in one hand and a half empty carton of orange juice in the other, pondering on whether to knock or give it a few more minutes.
Eventually, she knocked. A hard and firm knock, that was impossible to miss ...but after a few seconds of silence, she decided maybe he didn't hear, she brought her hand to the door for a second knock. The door open instantly before the knock and standing there, out of breath was her landlord, his tall brooding figure almost shielding the door. But his appearance was different now. Less disastrous. Kind of semi-formal actually, though it was clear he'd just hurried in and out of a shower and a wardrobe.
His hair was still wet and dripped occasionally, soaking his white shirt tucked neatly in black trousers held by a brown shiny leather belt.
Lana held her mouth to her face, chuckling.
"Umm... your __." She waved a finger to his neck area making him look down almost mechanically.
His tie was awkwardly lopsided. Knotted way shorter than necessary and too tight, so that his collar stood straight instead of folded and pressed down on the shirt.
He gave a small bashful smile and fixed the err on his outfit then straightened and cleared his throat.
He held out his hand "Good afternoon"
She shook it and nodded "yes, even if this was supposed to be good morning to hours ago"
He stilled, furrowing his brows"Wow. Okay. That's...yeah that's on me __."
She crossed her arms "You said ten"
"I...am really sorry about that. I... overslept." He admitted though it was already clear. "No excuses, just the truth...and I'm really sorry for wasting your time"
"I almost left "
"How could I blame you?...most people would have and I know an apology wouldn't suffice or make up for your wasted time but I'm really sorry"
"Can I get a do over?"he pleaded "please?"
"You're aware this is pretty unprofessional. Right?_"
"I know " he said quickly "it won't happen again. On my word "
"Well, fine" she sighed "it's not like I have any other plans for my accommodation today that I'll make a fuss and leave. I was even starting to think I got the wrong building"
He laughed shortly, relieved."No. No__this is it. Now, without further ado, please come in," he stepped aside, letting her pass
"You still haven't told me your name "
"My apologies for that" his tone had changed to something less solemn. Lighthearted.
"Luke Montgomery" he said with a witty bow "pleased to make your acquaintance, miss..."
"Lana Blackwell... but I'm sure you already know that"
"That aside, please come in" he said taking her travel bag from her.
The apartment smelled faintly of fresh paint and varnish. Lana looked around.__"it's quiet" she dropped the juice carton and glass on a nearby table
"Well that's one thing the place does well, quiet...and cheap. Rare to find in that order isn't it" she nodded shortly and he continued. "From outside, the apartment may seem small but it's actually a duplex. There's a room upstairs but the roof isn't as high up as you might be expecting
"That's okay,I'm surprised enough that this large space is just the living room. What will I do with so much space anyways?"
"I'm glad you like it "
The kitchen was not bad either. It was a bit big, with wooden furnishings that gave the vibe of simple luxury. She turned on the faucet and clear water gushed into a newly polished sink.
"The water's included right?"she glanced around "and the heat?"
"Yes. Both the heat and water. Electricity's on you though."He paused"you're moving in alone?"
"Yes , just me " she smiled "quiet tenant. I promise."
Luke chuckled"That's fine, considering I'm not so much as a quiet landlord "
"Your house is in the back, am I correct?"
"Yes and I'm sure you have a full view of my frontier from your window. Not saying that with hidden intentions though"
Lana gave a small laugh"and what about the beautiful garden. Do you take care of that yourself?"
"Not entirely. I have a gardener but he's out of town at the moment. I've been trimming and cutting since dawn"
"No wonder you were so tired " she jested and Luke rubbed his nape awkwardly
"You can make use of the garden anytime you like and help in maintenance too if you care"
Her eyes met his but she darted her gaze quickly to something else "Okay"
"Okay..." He handed her the keys. Two keys for each door. "As a show of my hospitality, please allow me to escort you to the convenience store to shop for necessities"
"I don't see any reason to resist your offer"
"Okay then, settle down and I'll be at your door by four__and this time I won't oversleep. I promise" Lana laughed.
Luke crashed onto his bed the moment he entered his bedroom 'what a duns!' How could someone mess up so badly. He'd been at Vivian's house all night, woke up in the morning and then realized he had an appointment by ten. He'd ran half a kilometer with sharp cold wind threatening to freeze his nostrils, because taxis don't reach minor roads such as that one as early in the morning as 5am. The garden was still a mess and he'd said he'd take care of it the day before. It had took him three hours, that is adding to his liquor breaks. Then, tired, he'd told himself he'd sleep for just thirty minutes and prepare himself, only to be woken up about four hours later at noon by a cute brunette who he has a rendezvous with at ten. So stupid! He folded his hand in to a fist and struck himself on the head
But now the real issue.
His tenant was a real cutie. She was infact stunning. Her brunette hair was long and luscious even tied firmly behind her hair in a tight ponytail though he felt it would suit her better if she had her hair down. He was sure she had a tiny voluptuous figure and fine legs that she hid under that long big sundress. Her appearance was just simply modest, almost as though she was trying to hide the aesthetics of her body instead of trying to accentuate it like most girls her age did. Her profile said she was twenty-three, much too young to let go of herself in any case. Also, most of the tenants that had rented his space were males. It'd been a while since a woman rented an apartment from him. It would surely give him a hard time trying to maintain a landlord -tenant relationship considering he had a standing reputation as a ladies man;... but he was sure he could stay on his lane. That is...if not tempted.
Atleast the best he could do was try____.