chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

By three-thirty that afternoon, I was coming into Mobile, I had made good time, I sped a lot, I won’t lie, I was just ready to get to my new place. I made my way to Marina drive, to the office of the Grandview Point on the Bay apartments, to pick up my keys. I was renting a furnished, two bedroom apartment that overlooked Mobile Bay. I parked the Tahoe in front of the office and went inside.

            “Hello, may I help you?” the receptionist at the front desk asked.

            “Yes, my name is Harleigh Robinson and I am here to pick up the keys for unit 5C,” I said, pulling my wallet out of my purse to show her my driver’s license.

            “Yes, I spoke with you a couple weeks ago. I’m Hannah. I take it your drive was all right? You’re earlier than I expected.”

            “It was fine. I left early this morning and didn’t stop unless absolutely necessary.”

            “Good. I have the paperwork here for you to sign and I will get your keys,” Hannah said, handing me a contract to sign. “I understand that you are only staying until school starts in August, but if you change your mind and want to stay here longer, this apartment will be open for some time, so I imagine it won’t be a big deal to extend your lease.”

            “Thank you, Hannah,” I said, signing the rental agreement. “I will be a freshman at Southern Alabama, and will have to live on campus my first year, but I will definitely keep you in mind when I do get another apartment. I think I am going to like it here.”

            “I hope you do. Here are your keys and welcome. Please don’t hesitate to come by if you need anything, I know how hard it is to be in a new city.”

            “I will. Thank you again,” I said, taking the keys from her.

 

I drove around the complex until I found my building, parked in my assigned spot, filled my arms up with luggage and headed up the stairs. I unlocked the door and went inside. The apartment was even prettier in person than it was in the pictures. It had polished Oak wood floors, light grey walls, with bright white crown molding. The kitchen was a small galley, but had been recently updated with stainless steel appliances and what looked to be dark granite countertops. The view from the bay windows in the living room was spectacular, I had a view of the pool and the bay, I was steps away, and I loved it. The master bedroom was huge and had a four-poster king sized bed in the middle, and also had windows overlooking the bay. The walk-in closet had several built ins, and the en suite bathroom had a shower and a huge jetted tub. Yes, I was going to love it here.

            I finished unloading the Tahoe and took a quick shower and threw on a light pink ankle length maxi dress and headed back out to hunt down a grocery store. I figured I’d stop in and ask Hannah where the closest one was.

 

            I went to the Winn Dixie that Hannah told me about a few blocks away and loaded up on groceries. I really wanted a beer, but I didn’t know anyone in the city to buy me any, so I guess I would have to go without. I should have had Joe buy me a bunch before I left Cary, but the thought never even crossed my mind.

            An hour later, I made my way back to my apartment, managing with only one wrong turn. I parked in my designated spot and got out and started unloading groceries from the back. I had both arms loaded down, trying to make it all in one trip. That wasn’t going to happen. I sat some bags down on the parking lot so I could close the back hatch.

            “Hey! Need some help?” someone yelled from behind me.

            I turned around and saw two good looking guys, probably in their early twenties, walking across the parking lot from the pool.

            “Yes, please. I was trying to get it all in one trip, but that isn’t going to happen,” I said, smiling.

            “We will give you a hand. I’m Seth and this is Jared,” Seth said, picking my bags up from the ground. He was about six feet tall, with a nice build and sandy blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

            “Thank y’all so much,” I said. “I’m Harleigh.”

            “We haven’t ever seen you around here,” Jared said, opening up my back hatch to grab some more bags. He was a bit shorter than Seth, also with blonde hair and a tan that showed he was outside often. I couldn’t tell what color his eyes were, as he had on a paid of black Oakley sunglasses.

            “I just moved in, a couple hours ago, actually. I’m from North Carolina and I’m starting at Southern Alabama in the fall,” I said, leading them up the stairs.

            “Really? We go to Southern Alabama, about to be juniors. I’m from Montgomery and Seth here is from Galveston,” Jared said.

            “That’s cool. Now I will at least know someone on campus!” I said, unlocking my door. “Y’all can just set those on the counter. Thank you so much for your help. I’d offer you a beer, but I’m not old enough to buy it yet!”

            “We have beer. We are in the apartment just below you, do you want one?” Seth asked, leaning against the counter.

            “I would love one,” I said, unloading grocery bags.

            “I’ll be right back,” Seth said, walking back out the door.

            Jared was left standing there with me, in an awkward silence, while I put up my groceries.

            “So, how long have you lived here?” I asked, trying to break the silence.

            “We moved in summer of sophomore year and we love it here. The rent is reasonable and it has a great view, and pretty close to everything.”

            “I can agree with you about the view, but as for close to everything, I don’t know yet. I got a little lost on my way home from Winn Dixie!”

            “You’ll get used to it and will know your way around in no time.”

            There was a knock at the door. Seth must have been back with some beer.

            “Come in!” I hollered.

            “And we have beer,” Seth said, setting an open case down on the counter and handing Jared and I each a Miller Lite.

            “Thank you!” I said, cracking it open. “Damn, that’s good. I was just thinking earlier that I should have stocked up before I came down here since I don’t know anyone down here to buy it for me.”

            “Well, now you do. Anytime you want anything, just ask and we will get it for you,” Seth said, smiling. He had a great smile, and bright, almost blinding, teeth.

            “I appreciate it,” I said. “Well, since I couldn’t offer y’all a beer for your help, how about supper? I don’t feel like cooking, but I can order us a pizza or two?”

            “That sounds good,” Jared said. “Pizza Hut delivers and it’s the closest.”

            “Works for me, if y’all want to call it in,” I said, putting up the last of my groceries.

            “This place looks good for you just moving in today,” Seth said, looking around.

            “You wouldn’t say that if you saw my bedroom!” I laughed. “I was fortunate enough to find a furnished apartment. I just moved out of my dad’s house, so I own nothing but my clothes and sheets and towels that I bought a couple weeks ago. I would not be able to afford to furnish an entire apartment.”

            “That is lucky,” Seth agreed. “Where abouts North Carolina are you from?”

            “I’m from Cary, just outside of Raleigh. I have lived there all of my life,” I said. “Want to go sit out on the balcony?”

            “Sure,” Seth said, following me across the living room. “So why Mobile?”

            “I have vacationed on the Gulf for as long as I can remember and I love it down here, so I applied to Southern Alabama and got a full academic scholarship, and here I am.”

            “Oh, a smarty? Jared and I are here on swimming scholarships, and like you, have been on the Gulf most of our lives, so the move just seemed natural.”

            “I think I am really going to like it here. The piedmont of North Carolina sucks. I need the ocean, I love the smell, the breeze, everything about it,” I said, lighting up a cigarette.

            “It is a great place to live,” Jared said, walking out onto the balcony. “Pizza will be here in about half an hour. I got a medium pepperoni and a large supreme, I wasn’t sure what you ate.”

            “Sounds good to me, I’m not picky,” I said. “How about some music? What do y’all like?”

            “Country, rock, whatever,” Seth said.

            “Alright. Let me go down to the car and grab some CDs. Y’all sit tight, I’ll be right back,” I said. I ran out my apartment door and down to the Tahoe and grabbed a stack of CDs from the holder on my sun visor.

            When I walked back into my apartment, I heard my cell phone ringing. I picked it up, looking at the caller ID. It was Joe.

            “Hey, Joe!”

            “Hey sweetie. Did you make it to Mobile all right? I have been expecting a call from you.”

            “I did, I’ve been here a couple hours. I’m sorry I haven’t already called, I got in and unloaded everything and went and got groceries. Two of my neighbors helped me carry them up and now we are sitting here drinking a beer, waiting on a couple pizzas.”

            “You already met some people? That’s great, Harleigh. Well, I will let you go entertain your guests; I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Love you.”

            “I’m great, Joe, thank you! Love you, too! I’ll call you sometime tomorrow!” I said, ending the call.

            I sorted through my CDs and popped Yellowcard into the CD player and let it start from the beginning.

            “This is a good CD,” Seth said.   

            “It’s one of my favorites,” I said, walking back out to the balcony.

 

            We sat on my balcony talking for a couple hours after we ate, until my eyes couldn’t stay open anymore.

            “Y’all, I don’t mean to kick you out, but I have been up since six-thirty this morning and drove all the way from North Carolina. I need sleep.”

            “Oh, we’re sorry. We didn’t mean to overstay our welcome,” Jared said, getting up.

            “You’re fine. Y’all have been great company, I’m just exhausted,” I said, getting up to see them to the door. “I appreciate the help with my groceries. I’m sure I’ll be seeing y’all around.”

            “Yeah, you will. If you need anything, we are right below you. Don’t hesitate to ask. We know how hard it is to be in a new town,” Seth said. “Sweet dreams.”

            “Goodnight,” I said, closing the door behind them.

            I walked into my bedroom and stripped off my clothes, down to my bra and panties and lay down and was asleep in seconds.