Better Red by Tara Lain

Author:Tara Lain
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Tara Lain Books
Published: 2020-04-16T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Red cocked his head and read the list of resident names on the building registry. Anderson, Antonello, Beller, Dobridge, Dayani—

Red grinned. There in great big pink letters, almost like it was written in lipstick, was the word Elbey! Anastasia. Sighing in relief, Red hit the button.

It only took a second before the glass door buzzed and Red pushed through into a small, neat lobby. Ahead was an elevator and to the side a staircase. Against the wall stood a desk with no one behind it, but a telephone sitting on it. Guess that’s what I do.

Before he could pick up the receiver, a voice echoed down the stairs. “Yoo-hoo, Red. Up here.”

Red followed the sound, stepped into the narrow stairwell, and looked up. Peering down at him was Elbey’s pretty face, the mane of blond hanging around their face. They grinned. “Hiiii. Come on up.”

Red nodded and trotted up the stairs, with Elbey leaning over the rail on the floor landing, grinning. When Red got up there, Elbey threw their arms around him. “Glad you made it. You took those stairs like a pro.”

“I do a lot of walking.”

“Come on in.” Elbey, who lit up the hall in a flowing pink bathrobe and a pair of bunny slippers, grabbed Red’s arm and pulled him down a narrow hall where a door stood partway open.

Red’s pulse sped up. Who or what was behind that door? What would a “model’s apartment” be like? Crazier than Elbey’s outfit?

He crossed in front of Elbey to an open room with a small kitchenette on one side and a couple doors on the other. A large floral sectional couch stood in the middle of the room, generally facing a TV mounted on a big stand by the windows. Through the uncovered windows, Red could see—more uncovered windows in nearby buildings.

Elbey was leaning against the counter that separated the little kitchen from the room, leaning on their hand watching Red.

Red smiled. “Nice place.”

“Thanks.”

“How many roommates do you have?”

“It varies. The place is mine. I mean, my name’s on the lease. BrandFace pays me to keep other models with me. Right now, I have one permanent—well, semi-permanent since you never know—person staying here, and miscellaneous transients, like you.” He turned toward one of the doors. “I put you in with me, if you don’t mind. I figured that’d be better than having to hang with someone you don’t know.”

“Thanks.”

Elbey led Red into a medium-sized bedroom with two single beds on opposite walls and a couple chest-of-drawers between. “Merlinson brought your stuff.” They pointed to the small bag on one of the beds while flopping on the other. That’s quite an outfit you’ve got on.”

Red nodded and perched on the bed that appeared to be his. It had a nice multi-color cotton bedspread on it. “They put me in this for the photo shoot. Believe me, I could never own it.”

“Marchelaine?”

“I don’t know.” Red shrugged off the beautiful jacket and looked at the label. “Yep. Marchelaine.” Not that he knew who that was.

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