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Poe arrived early for his appointment at Arkanis Towers. Twice, thrice, whatever “ice” word applied to doing something four times, he checked his appearance in various reflective objects on the walk there. Storefront windows and chrome siding. He was off to one of the more exclusive residential buildings in the downtown area to interview with their board. He wanted to look as sharp and professional as he intended to portray himself.
He straightened the lapels of his jacket as he waited in the spacious lobby for the chairwoman. The elevator opened and a group of young children spilled out with their baseball bats and gloves, their voices rising from a collective murmur to a raucous roar once free of the car. One of them spotted Poe and whistled.
“Nice suit. Are you interviewing with Mrs. Organa for Number 23?” he asked Poe.
“If that’s the vacancy, yeah.” He nodded to the ragtag team gathered around him. “Maybe if I get in, you’ll let me play, too?”
The kid smiled. “I don’t know you, but I hope you get it. You seem nicer than Old Man Hux.” The gang waved their goodbyes as Leia Organa exited the office to greet him.
Old Man Hux. Poe guessed a death brought about the rare opening at Arkanis Towers, seeing as how turnover at the tony residence was lower than sea level.
All through his interview with Mrs. Organa, Poe answered her questions with honesty and a pleasant attitude. He had good references, the ability to put up a deposit in cash, and -- as Mrs. Organa noted from her brief assessment -- the kids seemed to like him. Everything worked in his favor.
“Although there is a second interview with other members of the board, I’d like to go ahead and show you the apartment, if you like?” Mrs. Organa said. “Mr. Hux agreed to make himself scarce for the tour.”
“So he’s alive?” Poe hadn’t meant to blurt out those words. To his relief, Mrs. Organa laughed at the implication of the kids’ nickname for Armitage Hux.
“Very much so,” she said, and showed Poe into the apartment with her master key. “He’s just not the sort who gets on with children. He has that ‘get off my lawn’ mentality.”
“I see.” Perhaps this Armitage Hux was moving to where he’d have a lawn off-limits to youngsters. Where Poe lived now, the modest apartments at Yavin Hills, he had no lawn and it suited him fine. It was time, however, to upgrade.
Old Man Hux’s place was spacious and appointed in a minimalist motif. Nice view of the city, awesome kitchen. The faint aroma of cat followed him from room to room, but Poe figured he could light some candles for a few months and overpower it.
He was about sold on taking the apartment if offered to him when a voice floated in from the open front door. “Mrs. Organa, are you still here?”
Mrs. Organa seemed embarrassed to have let their time go over. She shook it off and gestured for Poe to come meet the apartment’s current occupant. He sounded rather youthful to Poe’s ear, not at all grouchy and craggy.
He turned the corner behind Mrs. Organa, entering the foyer to see Old Man Hux hanging his ivy cap on a hook. The move revealed a full head of bright red hair, and when the man turned…
Whoa. Old Man Hux was… hot. And not old. At all. Closer to his own age and regarding Poe with a pleasant smile and soft greenish eyes.
“Armitage Hux,” he said in greeting, then retrieved the grocery sack and mail from the foyer table. “Do you like the place?”
Poe was thinking only of the man’s bedroom at the moment. He blinked and recovered into the conversation. “Oh, yeah. It’s very nice.” A melodic ringtone startled him, and Mrs. Organa excused herself into the hallway to take it. Left alone with Armitage, Poe felt his insides flutter.
Armitage must have noticed a tic or other reaction, because his expression turned concerned. “Something wrong? Did you have any questions?” he asked. “If it’s about my cat, I do plan to have the carpets cleaned after I move out my furniture.”
“No, you’re fine. I love cats.” Poe thought he did, anyway. He rarely crossed paths with any. He lowered his gaze to Armitage’s long fingers gripping the bottom of the paper grocery bag, thinking of the sensation of them on his bare skin. “I’m sorry,” he said, and stepped out of the path so Armitage could carry his purchases to the kitchen.
“I was just thinking, and pardon if I seem intruding,” Poe added as he followed Armitage, “that I couldn’t understand why somebody would leave such a nice address as this.”
“I hear you.” Armitage unloaded stalks of fresh herbs and packets of soft pasta. “I hate to leave, actually, but the economy being what it is, it’s forced me to budget.”
Poe sympathized. He’d been there once.
“I found a less expensive, comparable apartment at Yavin Hills,” Armitage said. “I move in next week.”
What? Poe’s next door neighbor there had recently moved out. No…
Maybe.
Mrs. Organa returned to retrieve him. Armitage offered a hand and expressed his pleasure in meeting Poe. His long fingers felt good clutching Poe’s hand. Poe pictured them touching him elsewhere.
“If you get the apartment, I hope you enjoy living here.”
“Thanks.” He wouldn’t.
***
One week later, Poe stood in the open front door of his home sipping coffee and reading his texts.
Mrs. Organa congratulated him on getting Number 23, and would he like to come in today to finalize the lease?
Poe glanced up as two large men in red jumpsuits carried a sofa he’d seen in Armitage Hux’s old apartment into the residence next to his. Then he looked down at the gift basket of coffee pods and cat treats resting by his feet. He intended to play the welcome wagon today.
Poe sent his regrets to Mrs. Organa and pocketed his phone, waiting to meet his new neighbor.