Thirty-Eight Days Read Online Free PDF

asked as he dusted his hands together and approached Noel.
    “You could say that. Staying at a mate’s. You live here?” Noel asked, inspecting the building. The structure looked early Victorian. It had been remodeled to fit the expanding modern settings of Melbourne. The remodeling, however, didn’t take away the building’s period charm.
    “Yeah, I’m on the seventh floor,” the stranger replied to Noel. “You’ll like it here. But here’s a bit of advice about the building. Careful of the family on the third floor; their kids can yell at the top of their lungs, but they’re all funny characters. Old lady Hilda on the first floor likes to have a conversation in the lobby, but she’s harmless. Oh, and the roommates on the fifth floor are nothing compared to the beautiful brunette on thesixthfloor. Trust me, I’ve seen a lot of women, but the one on sixth is just...”
    Noel watched as the man shook his head and laughed.
    “Why am I telling you about her for? I shouldn’t be announcing the most beautiful womanlives on the sixth floor to a stranger. If I had any shot at being with her, I think I’ve lost it to you. I’m Liam,” he said, putting forward a hand to Noel.
    “Noel.” He put his hand in Liam’s and shook.
    “You seem to be really into that girl,” Noel said, very intrigued.
    “Yeah,” Liam laughed. “For almost a year. I've tried to get her attention, but no luck.” He shrugged his shoulders at Noel.
    Liam was easy on the eyes; Noel could tell women fancied him. He found it funny to see Liam get worked up about the threat he posed when it came to the brunette. Noel knew the look of a guy in love, and Liam was definitely in love with the brunette he described.
    “Anyway, I have to get my ass down to the gym. We should grab a beer with your mate sometime before you leave.”
    “Don’t think my mate is the sort to drink, but I’m up for beer. Any time sounds good to me,” Noel said.
    Liam gave him an approving nod before patting his shoulder and giving Noel a “See ya” as he walked passed towards the parking garage.
    He entered the building through the glass double doors of the Harringtons Apartments. The lobby had a large chandelier in the center of the room that reflected the sun’s rays perfectly. The man behind the counter looked like he was in his forties; his jacket was flung on the back of his chair and his white shirt had sweat marks from the heat. A small counter fan blew in front of the man’s face. If Noel thought he had a terrible job, he didn’t anymore. He was thankful that the sight of this man at work wasn’t what he did for a living.
    “Welcome to the Harringtons. How may I assist you today, sir?” The man rose from his chair and beads of sweat ran from his face.
    “I’m here to see Clara Lawrence,” Noel said, sounding more disgusted than he would have liked. The man fumbled with a few papers and looked confused at the list of names in front of him.
    “Ah, yes. Miss Lawrence is on the sixth floor, apartment 6B,” he said as he straightened the paper in his hand so he could read it properly.
    “Thanks,” Noel replied as he grabbed his bag and went to the elevator. Once inside, he pressed the number six button on the panel and waited till it reached Clara’s floor.
    As he stood in the empty elevator, something in his brain clicked. Clara lived on the same floor as the woman Liam was describing. Maybe he could bump into her when he went out for a morning jog or when she took out her rubbish. Noel shook his head. He had to remind himself that Liam was in love with her. She was off limits.
    He knew there was no harm in looking. Noel realised that the brunette would think that he had something with Clara, and that meant he didn’t stand a chance. When the elevator opened to Clara’s floor, Noel couldn’t help but scan the corridor. He looked to see if there were any hints of where the brunette lived. He could knock and introduce himself to all of the