“Who you here for?”he asked, his don’t-fuck-with-me stare at DEFCON 1.
“What’s it to do with you?”
“I take care of the girls in my building.That’s what it’s to do with me, friend.”
Trent inwardly smiled with relief, but wasn’t going to show Godzilla that.Someone looking out for Harper was a good thing.
“I’m here for Harper.You gonna let me in or should I buzz her?”He didn’t like being at this kind of disadvantage with his hands full.
“You the guy who sent the roses the other day?”
“Yeah, unless some other guy is sending her flowers.Why?”
Godzilla’s face relaxed.“I offered to do my big brother speech on you, but she seemed to think you didn’t need it.Eddie,” he said, reaching out his hand.
“Trent,” he responded, shaking Eddie’s hand briefly but firmly.“Nice to know you got her back, man.”
“I live above her.Can hear her if she shouts.”
“Pleasant thought.”He’d have to remember to ask Harper about Eddie later.
“Yeah, well, I’ll have your ass if you do anything to upset that girl.Consider yourself warned.”
Eddie left the building and let the door slam shut, an audible period on their conversation.Trent turned toward the stairs, noting the aging building was clean, but in need of some maintenance.
He found apartment number eight, and knocked on the door.
“Met your neighbor,” he told Harper when she let him in.“The one who thinks he’s intimidating.”
“Were you?”She kissed him and then quickly led him to the kitchen, where a buzzer was going off.“Intimidated, I mean.”
“I don’t let people intimidate me,” he said, inhaling the rich scent of food cooking.“Now ovens, on the other hand…”
She laughed and pulled a tray of hors d’oeuvres out of the oven and placed it on a rack to cool.
Anything that took more than one pot or a microwave tended to give him nightmares.But Harper seemed to be in her element.
“These look delicious.”He grabbed one, blowing on it as he passed it from hand to hand to cool it down.
“It’s just flaky pastry with mushrooms.”
He popped it in his mouth and winced, quickly reaching for a beer.
“Hot,” he mumbled.
Harper laughed and passed him a glass of ice water.
“Want to kiss it better for me?”he asked, poking out his tongue.
“Eew, no.”He grinned at Harper’s reaction, her nose all scrunched up.
He offered to help but Harper had been adamant about him sitting and relaxing in front of the TV.That he couldn’t do, not when Harper was bending over left, right, and center in the kitchen in that cute little dress.So he hopped up on the little stool under the breakfast bar to keep her company.The little bonsai sat on the counter next to him, the look on Harper’s face when he had given it to her worth the long drive down to Marathon.
Sitting next to it was what looked like a graded high school paper.Just looking at it made him shudder.The day he’d kicked the sand of school off his shoes had been one of the best in his life.
“What’s this?”
Harper looked up from the dish she was rinsing in the sink.Seeing the paper in his hand, her face lit up like a firecracker.“It’s Joanie’s last assignment.She’s the one trying to get her diploma.She got an A minus.”
