classified section.
A bit frazzled, Chris shrugged. âNo. Iâm searching for a place to live.â
Tiaâs eyebrows shot up. She struggled to keep the note of surprise out of her voice, but failed miserably. âYouâre apartment hunting?â
âOui.â Brows furrowed, he pointed at an ad in the newspaper. âI donât understand. This is so complicated. Where is Beverly Hills? In California?â
Laughing softly, she circled the desk and stood beside him, leaning close to his shoulder to read the classified ad. The warmth of his body caressed her skin. âYes and no. Thereâs a Beverly Hills, California, and a Beverly Hills, Michigan. So you were right. But not completely.â
Eyes squeezed shut, he massaged his temples. âExpliquez, sâil vous plaît. Explain please.â
Chris focused his pale blue eyes on her with a lost-puppy-dog expression that made Tia crumble. His need for help sucked her right in and tugged at her heart.
âIâm lost! Can you help me? I donât know this city.â He chuckled without humor. âOr country.â
Tia patted his arm. âPoor baby. Of course Iâll help you. Let me see what youâre doing here.â
Annoyed, Chris pointed at an apartment ad. âIs this a good place to live?â
âMmm. Thatâs Chesterfield. Why donât you look for something closer?â Tia pulled a chair around the desk and placed it next to Chrisâs. âI thought you liked the Marriott.â
âIt was okay until this weekend. That place was a madhouse.â He ran a hand through his blond hair. âPeople were up and down the hallway Friday, Saturday, and most of Sunday. They partied and made all kinds of noise. No sleep all night.â
A closer inspection revealed Chrisâs eyes were red-rimmed, and his face looked haggard. âDid you call security?â
â Oui, a few times. Theyâd quiet down for a while and then start up all over again. It was nearly four oâclock on Sunday before things settled down. I canât have that. When I spoke with the manager, he said that it gets like this during play-off season.â
âThatâs rough.â
âItâs time for me to get my own place.â
âDo you have an idea where you want to live?â
âNo. Iâm baffled. What do you suggest?â He turned an earnest gaze to her. âI trust you.â
She pressed her lips together, considering the options. âChesterfield is so far away. Have you thought about staying closer to the office?â
He thought about it for a moment and then shook his head. âNo. Iâve been living down here for a few weeks. I want to see more than downtown Detroit.â
âDo you want to go east or west?â
âWhich is nicer?â
Sighing, Tia answered, âBoth sides of town have good and bad areas. It depends on what you want.â
âWhat do you mean?â
âYouâve got a lot of options.â
Frowning, Chris said, âI donât understand. I want to live in a place that is quiet and safe.â
âThatâs important. Your apartment is where youâll be spending most of your free time. Do you want to be near a mall? Go to the movies? What about a gym? Are you a person who likes to cook or eat out a lot? All of those things matter when youâre deciding where you want to live.â
He leaned back in his chair and rubbed a hand over his face. âThis is more difficult than I imagined.â
âItâs time to explore,â Tia suggested. âYou need to decide on a city and then check out the apartments in that area.â
Slowly nodding, he answered, âThat makes sense. Will you come with me?â
âSure. How about Saturday around ten?â Darnell is not going to be happy about this, Tia thought, envisioning his rage when she told him about this assignment.
âSounds