This time, her smile was clearly visible.
"But, first, I'm going to show you to the two extra bedrooms so you can pick the one you want." I paused. "I'm going to warn you that they're as ugly as the rest of the house, but the beds are new and comfortable and we have a great water heater so you can take as many long, hot showers as you like."
"If you have decent internet service, then it sounds perfect, no matter how it looks," she said.
"Considering how much time Callum spends gaming, you can be assured we have great service. Follow me," I said.
I walked down the hall and gestured to the door to my left. "That's my room. Callum's is at the end of the hall. I gave him the biggest room since he's got his computer set up in there." I turned the knob on the door directly to my right, the spare room right across from mine. "This is one of the spare bedrooms. The bed is bigger in this one. The bathroom is shared between the two spare rooms, but since we don't have any other guests, you'll have it to yourself."
She peeked inside and her eyes widened. I didn't blame her. The bed was a king-size and had a canopy frame. There were no drapes because the ones that came with the bed fell apart in the washer. Apparently, they were dry-clean only.
"Here, let me show you the other one and you can decide," I said.
Merry was silent as she followed me into the next room and this time she couldn't hide her wince.
"Yeah, I know it's bad," I admitted. "As I said, we don't usually have guests and if we do, they're men who don't care about anything but having a bed."
"I see," she murmured.
I didn't see how she couldn't. The comforter on the bed was an assault on the eyes with reds, yellows, and oranges swirled across its length. The walls were painted dark blue. It was a mess.
"We could go buy another comforter tomorrow if you want," I offered, a little embarrassed that Callum and I hadn't done anything to make this room more inhabitable in the year we'd lived in the house.
"No, no, that's okay. I'll take the other room. I wouldn't mind having a bigger bed."
"Okay. Well, the offer stands for that room too if you don't like the bedding or if it's uncomfortable. I've never slept in there, so I have no idea if the sheets are like sandpaper or not."
"I'm sure it'll be fine," she said, her voice faint.
I immediately decided to order new sheets and blankets from Amazon and use same-day or one day delivery. She hadn't asked to be here and I wanted her to be comfortable while she was.
"Let me show you the kitchen and the garage before you decide to take your chances at a hotel."
Her mouth curved up just a bit. "It's fine. As long as I have a semi-comfortable bed, snacks, and great Wi-Fi, I'm good."
Relief rushed through me. But I was still going to take a moment to lie down on her bed and test its comfort. I'd get another damn mattress for her if I had to, even if she didn't complain.
Harrison knocked on the door and came in as we walked into the kitchen. "All clear," he said.
"Great. Want some water or something?" I asked.
He seemed surprised by my question and blinked before he answered, "Some cold water would be great. It's hot for October." He looked around the living room and smirked. "This looks like one of the houses students rent near campus."
"Harrison is working on his PhD," I explained to Merry. "He doesn't hang out on college campuses to pick up co-eds or anything."
She laughed. "Good to know."
I got a bottle of water out of the fridge. "Want a glass?" I asked Harrison.
He shook his head but snorted when I tossed the bottle to him.
"I'm sorry. I'm not being a good host. Do you want anything?" I asked Merry.
"Water would be good. Though you might not want to throw it at me. I'm a little clumsy so it'll probably end up on the living room floor."
"I like you more," I said. "So I wouldn't do that."
She and Harrison both smiled and I could see that she relaxed even more.
