บท 6: 27C

Cora calmed down, clearing her throat a couple times and gave Antione directions to her storage unit. They pulled up to the security checkpoint and Cora handed Antione her personal identification card for her unit which he handed to the driver. The security guard scanned the card, handing it back to the driver and the gate opened.

Cora gave the driver specific directions to her unit, and they moved forward. They stopped next to a row of smaller units and the driver opened the door for the pair to exit the car. When Cora climbed out the driver returned her card. Cora opened the door to her locker while the driver opened the trunk.

Inside the locker was a six-piece luggage set and two boxes. This was everything she had left in this world. Cora hoped that her decision to follow Antione's advice and go to the tower would allow her to build something back from the rubble of her life. Either way, this was her course now for better or for worse.

They loaded the bags into the trunk putting two bags in the front passenger seat so that the boxes would fit. Once everything was loaded and the locker was closed Cora and Antione got back into the car and they headed up town.

The drive was quiet, peaceful even as the city raced by around them. It was late and the city lights were bright. The streets began to take on a brighter more manicured feel and the building went from concrete and stucco to glass and steel. The wandering vagrants were replaced by empty quiet streets.

Then the limousine turned up on the main road to the tower and Cora could see it ahead. Shining black glass from the ground all the way to the forty-seventh floor. Lights shined on the roof and headlights glinted in the glass, but the entire structure was shining black glass. Cora wondered what could make it look like that and considered asking Antione but was distracted when he sat forward telling the driver to take them to the garage lobby entrance.

Soon they were pulling up next to the interior lobby doors where a bellhop waited diligently. The car came to a stop and in a matter of moments they were loading the bags onto a trolley. Antione told the bellhop 27C and then led Cora inside to the lobby counter. He had her produce her identification for the desk clerk and then told the woman 27C with access to the forty-fifth floor and the roof.

The woman nodded quickly entering the information before handing back the ID along with a room key-card and elevator access key-card. The woman, Sharon let Cora know that she needed the elevator access card to get to any floors above the twentieth and Cora's card would go only to the twenty-seventh, forty-fifth, or the roof. The other card which was marked with an 'R' in the bottom right-hand corner would open her apartment.

If she has any questions or issues do not hesitate to ask. Then Sharon let her know housekeeping came by every other day and if she needed laundry taken out to have it ready on housekeeping days and it would be returned the following housekeeping day. There was a folder explaining everything else including the best places to eat around the area on her kitchen counter.

Cora nodded along feeling a little out of her element. This was fancier than anything she was used to. Her family once had what she considered a very nice life, but it wasn't this. Antione urged her to follow him, and she did unsure of what to expect but kind of curious. Stepping into the elevator Antione typed a four-digit key-code into a panel and hit the button for twenty-seven. Must have been an all-access code as the elevator immediately began to rise.

The doors opened on her floor and Antione led her down the corridor to a door that was open at the end of the hall with a bellhop unloading bags into an entrance-way. The bellhop set the last of her property inside and stepped out. Antione tipped the man who hurried off then Antione waved for her to go in. Cora did then stopped as she was struck by the just how far above that tent she had been living in she was right now.

Cora was standing in a wide entryway with a coat closet, side table and the opposite wall had a bench to sit on and shoe rack shelving underneath the bench. Walking forward on her right there was a large chef's kitchen with granite countertops and a large island with seating for four. Past that was an open plan dining room with a heavy white rectangular table with seating for eight in cushy white chairs.

Cora walked further to the right finding a nice sized study next to a half bath and next to that a decent sized laundry room. The main portion of the apartment was an open living area that contained white overstuffed furniture, a large coffee table, an electric fireplace, and the largest screen television she had ever seen. The entire wall was glass that had a complete view of the city and bay to this side of the tower.

Cora continued to the left side of the apartment and found a bedroom suite that took up half the apartment. The furniture was incredibly modern, but she liked it. There was a king size bed, dresser, nightstands, and another massive television. One door led to a full room size walk-in closet and the other room was an even bigger bathroom, with a jetted tub that must fit four and a four-shower-head walk-in glass shower. Above the tub was all glass that looked out over the city and in the bedroom were two walls of floor to ceiling glass with city views.

Cora couldn't believe this right now. This was hers, her home? There had to be some mistake. Maybe they thought she was someone else.

Cora turned to Antione. "There has to be some mistake. You can't possible mean that all this is mine."

"There's no mistake Cora. This is the real deal. Something is finally going right for you enjoy it. I did my research, and you have had a terrible couple of years but now you will finally be able to have something for yourself. Don't you think you've earned it. Just do your job to the best of your ability. That's it, you are home and no one's going to take it from you." Antione told Cora sincerely.

Cora stared at him astonished and followed him out to the kitchen. He nonchalantly set twenty-five hundred dollars on the kitchen island.

"This is the signing bonus, Cora. Pick up the things you need for the house, some business casual clothes. Whatever you need. Your documents will arrive in the secured postal box on the wall here in the morning, there will be some things to sign. The instructions for the postal box are in the folder," He pointed to a folder near the coffee maker.

"There is a restaurant that serves great coffee and breakfast, I hear, on the first floor. I am leaving you my personal number in case of emergency on this card but be warned I am terrible with my phone. I might not call you back so if the apartment is on fire call the fire department." He smiled sheepishly at Cora, and she snorted at his explanation.

"Thank you, truly." Cora exclaimed, feeling overcome with gratitude.

"Just doing my job." Antione said uncomfortably.

"No, it was more than that. You might have had to bring me here, but you didn't have to be kind about it. So, thank you." Cora told him emphatically.

Antione hadn't considered it quite like that and gave the girl a quick smile. He really liked that she understood the difference. "Either way, I am glad you are here because our office is a wreck. Perhaps you can put things back in order. I will see you on Monday at five. Seeing as it is late Saturday, enjoy the free day tomorrow. Be punctual. I am French, we are late, we do not wait on late arrivals." He grinned after telling her that and Cora shook her head with a smirk. Antione set the card on the counter and turned walking through the door before closing it behind him.

Cora looked around in astonishment. How could her life have gone from one extreme to the next so quickly. It was like the ground kept moving under her feet and she couldn't catch her balance. She couldn't trust anything and that was a painful place to be in. Cora would know more tomorrow when her work documents arrived. If this was all some elaborate bait and switch, she would know then.

Tonight, she would enjoy the fancy accommodation and hope she hadn't been brought here to be brutalized by some monster. Cora planned to take a bath in the jetted tub and watch the skyline. She would try to be hopeful that this was real and tomorrow she would grab coffee at that restaurant and then do some shopping. If her documents were in order, then she would do her level best to be the best damn executive assistant ever hired by Atlas so she would never again be reduced to how she had felt earlier tonight at that camp.