“You fixed it?”
He shrugs. “I think so. You seemed to be having the same problem we did. Just needed a good clean.” He drags a hand down the back of his neck. “Speaking of cleaning, you have a shitload of black mold in your bathroom.”
“Which has been here since I moved in, so stop giving me that look.”
“I’m not giving you a look.”
He totally is, but there’s no point arguing because he can’t see his own face right now. “Jut like with fixing the thermostat, I’ve asked the twins to have it removed, and you can see how well that’s been received.”
Elliott glances over his shoulder toward the open bathroom door, his lips pressed flat.
He already helped me escape another night in the fiery pits of hell; the black mold is a problem for tomorrow.
“Thank you, Elliott.” I’m so happy I could cry.
He leans his hip against the counter and nods down at the pan. “Give me two of those crab cakes and we’re square.”
That, I can do.
I rinse out one of my only reusable containers from my lunch, dry it, and then throw three crab cakes inside for good measure. I thank him again on the way out and then head back into my apartment to enjoy dinner beneath a working heater.
CHAPTER 14
ELLIOTT
August
I have a surprise for you tonight
Three weeks ago,our newest hire quit unexpectedly to go walkabout in Australia, which means August and I have been busting our asses to cover his shifts at work and hire folks to take his place. With today being a holiday, it’s going to be insane in the bar, but our GM assured us she and the rest of the staff could handle things. I’m looking forward to getting way too drunk and blowing off some steam.
Usually, I’d be trudging up the stairs to my place but today, I’m running. The sooner I shower, the sooner I can head into town and start celebrating the new year.
Loren waves at me from where she digs through that purse of hers, a bottle of wine in a brown paper bag at her feet.
“Searching for buried treasure in there?”
“Ha-ha. I wish. I can never find my damn keys in this thing.”
“Maybe you should clean it out.”
Her eyes narrow as she shoves a chestnut curl from her forehead back into the chaos behind her ear. “Oh, really? You think so? How often do you clean your purse, Elliott?”
She has me there.
She lets out this little squeal of delight which I assume means she found them.
I drag my own keys from my pocket. “You have any big plans for tonight?”
“Josh is in California for work, so I’m staying in with this.” She swipes the bottle from the ground and gives it a hearty shake.
Doesn’t seem fair to me.
Then again, maybe she doesn’t have many friends around town. The only person I’ve seen at her place is her dick of a boyfriend.
The thought of Loren being all alone on New Year’s Eve makes me sad. It’s tough trying to meet people when you’re working all the time. “You could come into the city with us.”
Her lips flatten as she twirls her keys around her finger, the plethora of keychains clanging against one another. “I distinctly remember hearing you say that you hate the city.”
