235 Ashton in Sabrinas apartment 2 (1/2)
Sabrina gave Ashton the tour of the rest of the apartment.
Ashton was surprised that the other two bedrooms are furnished. Sabrina told him that she is not using them, so he expected an empty space, but he was wrong.
The second bedroom has a bed and a desk and built-in shelves. It is all completed with a small sitting area and a soft area rug. There are a walk-in closet and a full bathroom attached. It is only slightly smaller than the master bedroom which Sabrina is using.
The big windows with magnificent views are facing the West, toward the piers with the Pacific Ocean in the back. The sunset is breathtaking.
Ashton nodded inwardly, 'Yes, I can see myself living here, with Sabrina'.
The third bedroom is matching in the size with the second one, and it's furnished like a sitting room with oversized sofas and matching side tables. It also has a full bathroom and a walk-in closet.
Sabrina saw that Ashton is enjoying the view from the window and she enjoyed the view of him.
She didn't realize at what point he turned to face her, but she was embarrassed that she was caught staring.
Sabrina cleared her throat awkwardly and looked to the side randomly. ”You can use this furniture. Or if you prefer to use yours, that is fine; I will get rid of this. I had them both set up as guest bedrooms, but no one came for a sleepover, so about two years ago I changed this one into a reading room, however, I am not using it either.”
”I can do with these two rooms whatever I want?”
Sabrina confirmed. ”It is your space.” She paused and added: ”As long as you don't demolish the walls.”
Ashton smiled and followed Sabrina to the bonus room which she is using as a workroom.
Ashton paused at the door of the room which is larger than the master bedroom. He would compare the sight with the aftermath of an explosion in a library. There are papers and folders and scattered catalogs, and pieces of fabric everywhere. But the most surprising is that Sabrina was at home in this chaos.
Under all that mess, Ashton spotted traces of furniture: a sofa and one executive desk with a monitor and a keyboard and another work desk which is angled, like the desks which architects use. Most of the surfaces are covered in papers.
”You can come in…”, she reminded him.
”What?”, Sabrina asked when she saw that he is not moving.
”Nothing…”, he mumbled and walked in while watching his step.
He observed that next to the wall on the right are boxes and that whole wall is covered with built-in shelves that are half-empty.
Sabrina noticed his amused expression and she realized that she showed him something unsightly. ”Uhm… I call this an organized mess. When I work I keep things around and often I forget to pick it up. It looks horrible, but I know exactly where everything is. I clean up, maybe a few times a year… Well, if you decide to move in, I will clean up more often. Actually, I don't need all this space, so if you want, we can get one side arranged for you to study or whatever you need. When I work I listen to music, but I put a headset on so I will not disturb you.”
Ashton enjoyed finding out more about Sabrina. No matter how he looks at her, she is perfect. And she remembered that he is applying for a PhD program and that he will need a space to study. However, he is not sure how much he can focus on numbers if Sabrina is in the same room with him.
After checking the powder room, the linen closet, and two other smaller storage rooms, they went to the kitchen and Ashton saw the pantry and the dining area and they ended up on the sofa in the living room.
Sabrina brought them drinks, orange juice (with pulp).
”What do you think?”, Sabrina asked.
”You are serious about this.”, he is not sure why he said this but he needed confirmation that he is not imagining it. He can't pick which one is more unbelievable, that he is in Sabrina's apartment, that she asked him to be roommates, or that she said that she can't stop thinking about him.
”Yes. I am serious.”, she responded.
Ashton licked his lips nervously and took a deep breath before speaking: ”I will be honest. This is a great place and I would be a fool to pass on this, but did you think about the consequences?”
”Consequences?” Sabrina paused.
She wondered, what consequences he is talking about? And then she remembered Jackson and that she is engaged, and she didn't want to think about Jackson, but she wanted to be as close to Ashton as possible. And this is crazy, but it sounded right. He needs space, and she has two unused bedrooms which he can use and at the same time, that will allow her to see his smile and those enchanting hazel eyes she can't look away from.