The drive to Dylan's house wasn't long. They were quiet throughout the ride but it was the nice type of quiet. Where you are not angry or afraid of each other but just comfortable. Where you feel safe in each other's company. Where you feel at home'.
They arrived at the apartment complex where Dylan lived and Leo looked at it in awe. He didn't think that there were such nice apartment buildings near the university. He thought the rich ones had to drive far but he was mistaken.
They entered the building and into a private elevator. Dylan pressed the only button inside for the pent house and input a password.
"I love my quiet and so I chose a room where there aren't any other people sharing the floor with me," he explained to Leo who had looked up at him in awe.
When the elevator doors dinged open, Leo was welcomed by a nice fragrance of flowers. There were flower pots lined on the corridor and they all had flowered. There were red and yellow roses, jasmine and chrysanthemums. The view was simply breathtaking.
"It's my mother," Dylan said.
"What?" Leo didn't seem to catch up to what Dylan meant.
"The flowers, my mother."
"Oh," was the reply Leo gave as he understood. But he was taken aback when Dylan said, "the code is 2638."
"What?" Leo was again lost as he didn't quite understand and he returned his attention back to Dylan.
"The elevator Code, 2638," he finished nonchalantly.
"Why do you trust me? Aren't you afraid I might turn out to be a thief?" Leo asked with a smile.
"I know you better than you know yourself love," Dylan mumbled.
"What?" It seemed like this was Te question Leo asked most since they arrived on the top moat floor of the building where Dylan lived.
"I know you are not a thief. I don't know why but I trust you. And besides, even if you were to steal from me, I wouldn't mind because it's you," he said with a smile as he put his card on the slot to open the door. "Here, this will be your card to access the house. Come in," he said as he removed his shoes and handed the card to a flabbergasted Leo whose words had run away. The cat had got his tongue.
The house wasn't big per se or as big as Leo expected.
It had a living room, a kitchen and one bedroom. There was a Samsung 68" television hung on the right hand side of the room from the door. On both sides of the television set, there were neatly arranged shelves of books that held all types of books but mostly books on civil engineering and business administration. The bedroom was to the right hand corner and there was a small corridor at the extreme opposite of the door that led to the kitchen. The whole of the left side was a floor to ceiling window that opened to a large balcony that had a view of the whole city and one could see as far as the university. There were more flowers on the balcony that gave the area a nice fragrance and a laid down look. The two seated couch beside a coffee table on the balcony gave it a feeling of 'home'.
The house wasn't large and Leo felt guilty for agreeing to such an amount of money from Dylan. He felt that he was ripping him off and he didn't want to be unfair though he needed the money.
"Er... Dylan?" He started nervously. "Your house isn't big and I feel that the amount of money you are paying me is too much for such little work."
"Oh, really? Then quit the cafe and work full time for me then. What do you think? That way, I can eat fresh food everyday," he said with a hopeful smile. "That way, you can have enough time with your mom," he finished.
"How do you know about my mom?"
"Ahem. I... errm," Dylan cleared his throat nervously wondering how to cover up the slip. "I... Er.. You.. You told me about her when you told me that you have a lot of responsibilities at home. Remember?" He asked with a nervous smile.
"I did? Oh. Okay," Leo said doubtfully but let it go because he didn't see any reason for Dylan to lie.
"So, what do you say to my proposal? Quit the cafe and work for me? Pretty please!" He said in a voice that Leo found cute. He wanted to distract Leo from what he just said. 'Phew! That was a close call. I don't want to scare him away this early,' Dylan thought.
Leo chuckled and nodded his head, "okay, I will tell to Pendo tomorrow and then come straight here. Do you want me to cook for you now?"
Dylan Smiled and nodded. "But we have to go shopping first, I don't have any groceries in the house.
And so, Dylan smiled for his plan was falling in place as they walked out.
Step one: accomplished.