“Well, yes,” she admits. “I’m checking in to see if you’ll be renewing your lease again at the end of the month. I have a few applicants on my waitlist, and I’d like to give them a definite answer soon.”
Of course. Mavis owns the apartment building where I’m currently renting a single bedroom unit. If this town weren’t so small, I could have found a better option by now, maybe further from town and more suited to my price range. The apartment complex is only a block over from the fire station, and its proximity to Main Street gives Mavis the ability to jack up the price for room and board.
“Can I get back to you on that?” I slip inside the car and sit in the driver’s seat. I hate being rude, but this woman is crowding the hell out of my personal bubble.
“I’ve tried reaching you, dear, but you’re always working.”Yeah, so I can afford your rent.
“I’ll give you an answer by the end of the month,” I promise, then I buckle my seatbelt and give her a little wave.
With a tilt of her head and a gentle sigh, she releases my door and steps back onto the sidewalk. I reach out and shut the door before she can change her mind. And then, just like clockwork,I hear the muffled buzzing of my phone coming from inside my purse.
I groan and pull my sweaty hair from my neck to twist it into a bun. I’ve officially reached my breaking point, but as much as I want to turn off my phone all together, my anxiety reminds me there could be an emergency.
So instead, I take a deep breath and answer it. “Hey babe.”
“Where the fuck have you been?” Patrick demands.
“I’ve been at work. I told you I had to open the store this morning.” I keep my voice light and innocent. “Ethan had another dentist appointment,” I say with a chuckle. “He may be a tightass, but he’s got perfect teeth.”
Patrick ignores my attempt at humor and holds tight to his anger, despite me never knowing what I’ve done wrong. “You didn’t answer last night either.”
“Sorry. I went to sleep early.” I can’t help the agitation that sneaks into my voice. I’m so sick of apologizing to someone I’ve known for three and a half weeks. After dodging incessant calls for days, I decide I have officially had enough. What I’ve been putting off for a week needs to happen tonight. “I was hoping we could get dinner tonight,” I suggest, casually. “Let’s go to Bones.”
“I don’t want to go out. Come to my place,” he commands.
I hesitate, knowing that’s probably not the safest idea, but relent anyway.
“Okay, sure.”
I would rather break up with him in a public place, given I don’t know how he’s going to react, but maybe I can just hover by the door and rip off the bandaid.
Jamie will not be happy about this.
“I need to run a few errands, but I’ll be there around six.”
He starts to ask what my errands are, but I fein an interruption and cut the call short. “Sorry, someone needs help crossing the road. See you tonight.”
I hang up the phone before Patrick can add an offensive retort. How did I end up with such a keeper? My dating life has never been the best, but if this is the type of man I’m working with, I’ve officially hit the bottom of the dating pool.
After my encounter with Mavis, and now the phone call with Patrick, there’s no way I’m going home, so instead I head for the next best thing.
Chapter Two
JAMIE
Idespise cleaning the dishes.
Yes, I own a dishwasher. I just don’t use it. The same broken unit that came with the house is currently being used as a fancy drying rack.
The current state of my kitchen is clear evidence that I am great at procrastinating. I try to clean as I use things—a fork and plate here, a skillet and spatula there—but one moment of thinking, “I’ll clean it in the morning” leads to days of piled up dishes. Now here I am, thirty minutes into scrubbing and I’m only halfway done.
I listen to a sports podcast to pass the time. Typically, I have the volume turned up past the doctor recommended limit so I don’t hear how much water I’m wasting by leaving the faucet running. That’s probably why I don’t hear the front door open. And it’s most definitely why, when I feel a tap on my shoulder, my immediate reflex is to pick up a knife and brandish it like a sword.
Instead of a robber, or a disorderly neighbor entering my condo uninvited, it’s my best friend, Raegan. Her freckled cherub face is adorably scrunched into a look of panic, and whenI glance down to see what she’s so upset about, I see her arm is bleeding.
“Oh shit!” I gasp, dropping the knife. “I’m so sorry!”
I clutch her arm, fingers sliding over her soft skin, and try to staunch the flow of blood, but in reality, I’m just smearing it everywhere.
