Lee

The young man walked into the apartment building and was immediately greeted by a kind, older gentleman sitting at the desk.   "Hello," he said, taking off his hard hat and wiping his boots on the welcome mat before stepping up, "I was wondering if you had any rooms available?"   The receptionist nodded and stood. "Welcome to the Underbrush. My name is Fred."   "Lee," the construction worker said, accepting Fred's proffered hand with a hearty shake.   "Nice to meet you, Lee. Now, let me just check the system here..." Fred's eyes scanned the computer as his fingers typed. "While I'm doing this..." He glanced up. "Tell me a bit about yourself, Mr. Lee."   "Well," Lee smiled. "I'm just your average contractor. I'm working on a job nearby and I've got another in Laurel lined up right after that. This means I'll likely be here in Maryland for the better of the next six months. I write fantasy, too, and I sometimes want a quiet place to sit and relax. This building...I can tell the higher floors get a goregeous view of everything; city and nature side by side. And that glorious sky above it all...it's such an inspiration for my fantasy writing."   "Ah. I see." Fred nodded, switching his eyes from Lee to the screen and back again. Then, he frowned. "I am sorry to tell you, however, that this particular location only has one opening...and the room is only on the third floor."   Lee's face fell. "Oh," he sighed.   "BUT!" Fred quickly blurted, "I can see if perhaps we have room at the other Underbrush location not too far from here. It's just a twenty-minute drive out. Would you like me to check that for you?"   Disappointment still evident, Lee shrugged and half-smiled before nodding.   Fred typed a couple of words into the computer and his eyes widened. "Oh, that's wayy worse. They're totally full. Hmm. This is strange. Hold on a minute. I think something's going on with our systems here. Thank you for your patience."   Lee's eyebrows lifted curiously.   "Could you have a seat over there in the lobby? Help yourself to some coffee or tea while I work this out. I'm terribly sorry."   "Not a problem." Lee smiled. He went over and made himself a hot drink before sitting down on a comfy sofa. Glancing around the lobby, he saw beautiful plants and colorful paintings illuminated by the sun that was shining through a large window. Inhaling the warmth from his cup, Lee closed his eyes and imagined living there. He hoped that somehow there was an error in the system and that somehow he would be able to get that penthouse at the top of the apartment complex. Taking a sip, he peered over and noticed a brochure on the coffee table. It was a little dogeared and a couple months outdated, but the prices and ammenities were just what he'd been looking for. He browsed though the pamphlet thinking about nothing in particular when a sudden call of his name pulled him out of the trance.   "Mr. Lee? Mr. Lee! Great news," Fred said with a smile. Lee bounced up from his seat and hurried over to the desk as quickly as he could without his drink spilling.
  "I knew that couldn't have been right. We needed to update our systems," Fred chucked. "We actually do have quite a few rooms available for you here, including some of the penthhouse suites on the topmost floors."   "Excellent!" Lee grinned. "When can I move in?"