Shame, rolling over her in waves. Such a silly, girly revenge fantasy, but there it was – the stark, raving truth. She wanted him to fall in love with her, so she could look him in the eye and tell him she didn't feel the same way. That it was all just for fun, for laughs. She wanted him to know what it felt like to lose someone.
It was all ridiculous, anyway. She wasn't into playing games. She wasn't going to lure Wulf into any elaborate plot, that much she knew. But … if he continued pursuing her, which she was sure he would, she could just let it all unfold however she wanted. Slam her door in his face one day, and invite him in for coffee the next. React in whatever way she was feeling in whatever moment. Keep him on his toes. Drive him crazy.
Wulfric Stone, crazy. It might be good for him.
She was so caught up in her little vengeance daydream, she almost missed her stop. She wasn't used to that bus route, so she hadn't been looking out for it. She wound up pulling the stop chord at the last moment, jumping up as the bus squealed to a halt. She hopped out onto the sidewalk and opened her umbrella, trying to protect herself from the downpour. Then, as she heard the bus roll away, she took a deep breath and turned around.
Wulf's apartment building.
She'd only ever been there once before – and on accident, at that. She hadn't been positive of the exact address, since he'd basically carried her there. She'd had to retrace her steps from that long-ago night, then use Google maps to track down the actual building.
It was well away from downtown San Francisco, and so tall, it looked like it was slicing into the sky. All dark metals and mirrored glass. Cold and ominous, exactly like the man who owned it.
She hurried across the street and into the building. A doorman held open the entrance for her, and as she shook out her umbrella over the marble floors, a man behind a desk cleared his throat.
“Can I help you?” he asked, smiling pleasantly at her. She smiled back.
“Yes – I'm here to see a friend,” she explained.
“Of course. The elevators are on the right,” he offered, extending a hand in their direction. She nodded.
“Yes, I know, but she's staying on the top floor.”
“I'm sorry, which floor?”
Katya took a deep breath.
“Wulfric Stone's home. I'm here to see Genevieve Stone,” she told him. She spoke in even tones, hoping to sound professional. Wulf's apartment was only accessible via a key card, and Katya didn't have Vieve's phone number. Her only way up was to hope the attendant would call and announce her.
“And your name?” he asked, tapping away at a computer that was hiding behind the desk.
Crap.
“Katya Tocci. She doesn't know I'm coming, so if you could just call and -”
“Ah! Ms. Tocci, I have you in here as an approved guest,” he told her. Her jaw dropped.
“I'm … what?”
“It says here you are a pre-approved guest, to be allowed access to the apartment at any time. Did Mr. Stone not tell you that?” he asked. She gasped so hard she choked on air.
“No,” she coughed out. “No, Mr. Stone did not. Can I, um, does it say when he put me on the guest list?”
“Of course, Ms. Tocci. Let me see … ah, yes, almost a month ago now,” he told her, prattling off a date. Katya did some math – Wulf had given her full access to his home before they'd even gone to Carmel.
Why didn't he ever tell me!?
“Oh. Yes. I … uh … that's great. Um, I'd really love to go up there, but could you let Vieve -, erm, Ms. Stone, know I'm coming?” she asked.
“Of course.”
A couple seconds later, and he assured her that Ms. Stone would be delighted to receive her. Katya was shuffled onto an express elevator and the man used his card to grant her access to the top floor. Then he smiled and stood stiffly while the doors shut between them.
As soon as the lift started moving, Katya sagged back against a wall. She wasn't sure how to deal with that new information. She had begged Wulf to take her to his apartment, and he'd always said no. If she'd ever gotten fed up and just shown up on her own, she would've been let right in, regardless of whether or not he was even home.
WHY WOULD HE DO THAT?
She couldn't figure it out. Wulf had always been hard to read, even when he'd been the grumpy teenager living next door to her while they'd been growing up. She'd been wrong more than once when trying to guess his thoughts and feelings.
Had it been a preemptive move? Give her access then, so he wouldn't have to bother with it later? Hmmm, didn't seem like him. Everything he did was calculated. If he'd given her access a month ago, it was for a specific purpose. Maybe … just maybe, even that long ago, he had been feeling something. Maybe he'd been starting to see her as part of his home, and so of course, he'd given her access to it. Not like he had to discuss it with her – he never discussed anything he did with anybody.
No, this is ridiculous. You are not now, nor were you ever, a part of his home. He was probably just hoping you'd show up in nothing but a trench coat, or something.
Before she could dwell more on that particular mystery, the elevator lurched to a stop.
Genevieve Stone was waiting outside the doors. She was only twenty-one, yet Katya had always been a little in awe of the other girl. While they'd never been best friends, they had been two girls of a similar age growing up next door to each other – they'd been to their share of slumber parties together. They'd gone to the same private schools. But after Katya had graduated, they'd only kept in contact through social media, and sporadically, at that.
Through her own mother, Katya had heard about Vieve going into med school. Turned out Wulfric wasn't the only one with brains in the family. Vieve had graduated high school a year early and had immediately gone to college. But after only one year, she'd dropped out. Apparently the Stone family had been rocked by that announcement, but not half as much as when they found out it was because she'd fallen in love.
Vieve got married three weeks after her eighteenth birthday. Katya had received an invitation, but school had prevented her from attending. Then, about six months ago, Katya's mom had mentioned that the man had passed away. Brain cancer.
Man, a widow by the time she was twenty-one. I can't even imagine.
And yet still, with all that in her past, Vieve stood there looking as cool and collected as could be. Despite the large age gap, she and Wulf could have been twins. They were both pretty tall, with fair skin and dark hair, which was all topped off with a matching pair of striking blue eyes. Wulf had been a swimmer, then had gone on to dominate the real estate industry in California. Genevieve had been a skilled equestrian, and there was no doubt in anyone's mind that she would've gone on to become an amazing doctor. Two peas in a pod. It made Katya feel small in comparison. Like if she stepped too close to the other woman, she might sully her with her presence.
“Katya, it's been so long!” Vieve breathed out, stepping up close and hugging her. Katya was a little surprised, but she hugged her back.
“I know, not since … wow, my graduation party, huh?”