ROYAL TOWERS ~ 7 ~ ROBERTSON & BEVERLY

Hanna stood in the middle of a white room with large gaping windows. All around her were beautiful metal sculptures that towered over her. She looked around and saw only a few familiar faces from the office.

"Hey! Hanna!" Coral waved at her and handed her a glass of champagne.

"Hi," Hanna hugged her.

"Let's toast," Coral smiled.

"To what?" Hanna asked.

"Our friendship? The interview?" she shrugged. "Anything really!"

"Cheers," Hanna clinked her glass against Coral's.

"Cheers," Coral echoed before downing her glass.

Then Duncan found his way over and placed an arm around Coral.

"I'm looking forward to your article," he told her. "It's not every day we land an interview with LA's most elusive artist."

"I think you'll be pleased," Coral replied. "He really opened up and I'm working on a couple angles. I just need to follow up on a lead to corroborate his facts."

"We're all very excited to read it," he told her.

"Thanks," Coral smiled. "Couldn't have done it without Hanna."

"Well," Hanna shrugged. "Happy to help. If you'll excuse me..."

She wandered away. She didn't really have anywhere to go, but she didn't want to be standing next to Duncan while he gushed over Coral's interview in a lame attempt to make her jealous. She strolled around to take another look at the installations and realized this was not really her scene and she would rather be in bed drinking a glass of wine and flipping through a catalog.

So she left. Hanna arrived at her apartment only a few minutes later. The elevator doors opened and she saw Caleb standing in the hallway carrying a garbage bag.

"Hey," she smiled.

"Hi," he let out a tiny laugh as he dropped the bag in the trash chute.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "Your exhibit opening is tonight."

"The art world just isn't my thing," he explained.

"Of course it's your thing," she laughed. "Everything in that gallery was your thing. You made all those things!"

"I see your point," he smiled, "but I'm happier here."

He opened the door and Hanna caught a glimpse of a red head wearing one of his raglan shirts.

"Oh," Hanna smiled politely. "You have fun tonight."

"You too," Caleb smiled before disappearing inside.

Hanna opened her front door and dropped her bag on the kitchen counter. Then she changed out of her clothes and poured herself a glass of wine before climbing into bed. That's when it started. The walls shaking loudly, then the pitter patter of the water heater.

"There he goes," Hanna sighed before reaching across the bed to put in her ear plugs. Then she turned out the lights and made every attempt to go to sleep despite the racket next door.

Hanna awoke to the sound of tile crashing on the floor followed by a gush of water. She shot up straight in bed and looked around. Then she heard a scream and footsteps running.

It was early, but now she was wide awake. She looked around and found some discarded clothes to throw on. Then she grabbed her purse and walked outside where she found quite a scene in the hallway as last night's redhead ran out of Caleb's apartment sopping wet.

"Hey," she called out to Caleb.

"Now's not a good time," he told her.

"What happened?" she asked looking at his soaked t-shirt.

"My bathroom exploded," he told her.

"Alright," she said trying not to laugh. "I was going to grab a coffee. Should I make it two?"

"Wouldn't hurt," he said as he dialed the super.

Hanna gave him a weak smile and then bolted downstairs to the deli. She picked up two coffees and then headed back to her apartment where she found Caleb talking with the super.

"It seems the water pressure was so high it bore through the wall and dented the water main," the super told him. "It's going to take about a week to fix it."

"Okay thanks," Caleb shook his hand.

Hanna strolled over and handed Caleb a coffee.

"Tough break," she smiled.

"You're telling me," he sighed. "I am in dire need of a shower."

"You can use mine," she offered.

"I don't want to put you out," he said.

"When has that stopped you before," she scoffed.

"If you insist," he shrugged.

"I insist," she replied.

Hanna led him into her apartment and handed him a couple of clean towels before showing him the bathroom. Caleb stepped inside and closed the door as Hanna breathed a sigh of relief knowing she had just cleaned. While Caleb was in the shower, she straightened up around her apartment and did her best to be busy.

A few minutes later he came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. Hanna couldn't help but let her eyes scan his hard rock abs. Then he ran his hands through his long hair scattering water all over her hardwood floors. Her heart broke a little remembering the hour she had just spent mopping.

"Thanks," Caleb smiled.

"Anytime," she replied. Then she took a deep breath. "You're welcome to use my shower until your gets fixed. You already have a key after all."

"You don't have to do that," he told her, "but I do appreciate it."

"It's fine," she said. "It's actually kind of cool. Us sharing a bathroom again after all these years."

"Han," he took her hand, "look, I'm sorry if I've been..."

He paused and licked his lips before continuing. She melted at the sight of him.

"I've been a dick," he said finally, "and I'm sorry. I know it's no excuse but, after everything that happened, I just...I never thought I'd see you again, and when I did I had no idea how to act..."

"It was weird for me too," she replied. "I never thought we could be friends."

"So we're friends now?" he smiled.

"I think letting you borrow my shower means we're friends," she told him.

"Right, yeah, thanks again," he skittered toward the door. "I should get going."

"Bye," she waved as he slipped out the door.

Hanna stood dumbstruck by their most recent exchange. When she moved in a few months ago, the last thing she expected was a reunion with Caleb and she definitely would not have believed they would end up friends, pseudo roommates almost given the shower situation. Things were looking up.

Two weeks later, Caleb's shower was fixed but Hanna somehow missed the lingering scent of his cologne in her apartment when she got home from work. It reminded her of the days in high school when he snuck around her house and she wondered how it took so long for her mother to catch on.

On this particular day, she didn't have time to dwell on the feeling of emptiness that washed over her apartment. She was late and she needed to rush to the office. She hopped in the shower, destroying the last fragments of any trace of Caleb, and then scurried toward her office in Mid City.

It was a long day with countless meetings prepared but Melinda was leaving the office early and that gave Hanna a chance to make a fast break to get a head start on her Friday night in with a glass of pinot. But as she was leaving the office, Duncan came running toward her.

"Hey," she shrugged.

"I thought you'd like an advanced copy," he handed her a sealed envelope. "Coral just turned it in, and seeing as you were instrumental in securing the interview, I thought you would like to see it before it goes to print."

"Thanks," Hanna shoved the file in her bag. "I'll uh...see you Monday."

"Yeah," Duncan smiled.

Hanna left the building and headed back to her apartment. It was just getting dark when she opened the door to her studio and found Caleb standing in her kitchen next to a bag of takeout.

"Did you mix up your keys?" she teased. "You live next door."

"I wanted to thank you," he poured her a glass of wine, "for letting me invade your space."

"And you thought the most appropriate way to do so," she laughed, "was by once again invading my space."

"I'll admit," he laughed, "the logic is flawed but the intentions are pure."

"Thank you," she smiled.

"Well," he said as he finished cleaning up, "I should get going and let you enjoy this feast."

"You're not staying?" she asked.

"I have somewhere to be," he replied.

"Thanks again," she walked him out.

"You're welcome," he stood in the doorway.

"Bye," she breathed as the door closed behind him.

She took a seat at the kitchen counter and dug through the contents of the takeout bag. Then she pulled out her laptop, and with it the copy of Coral's interview. She smiled and read through it. Tears streamed down her face as she recognized bits and pieces of her life with Caleb between the lines. She couldn't help but think that maybe there was still something to explore between her and Caleb.

As always, ten reviews for the next chapter :)