“Have some chips. You could probably use the salt.”
She frowned at the cannister, like she’d never seen Pringles before, then shrugged and helped herself to a few chips.
“I really appreciate you feeding me,” she said after she’d finished half her sandwich. “I left home in a rush and forgot to eat.”
“Forgetting to eat must be nice,” I said wryly. I’d never missed a meal in my life, and I had the love handles to prove it.
She studied me, like I was some fascinating specimen she’d found out in the wild.
“You’re a normal person.”
I blinked. “Uh, sure.”
“I like that,” she said decisively.
I had no idea how to respond to that. She continued to watch me with that unnerving stare as she started in on the second half of her sandwich.
“You’ve really never seen me before?”
“Did you hit your head when you fainted?” I asked in concern. “I saw you at the coffee shop downstairs, remember? You came up here because you felt bad about not tipping me, which I have to say is both super sweet and super creepy.”
She gave me a smirk that was a little crooked, and I loved the way it made her perfect face look more real. More natural.
“Of course,” she said quietly. “Sorry. How many bedrooms do you have here?”
I was getting whiplash from this conversation. “One. Why?”
“I need a place to stay.”
“Oh no!” I jumped to my feet. “I don’t even know you. I only let you inside because you fainted. You’re not going to stay here.”
“How much do you want?” She pulled out a wad of hundred dollar bills from her pocket. “Is five hundred enough for one night?”
She wanted to give me five hundred dollars to spend the night in my crappy apartment? Now I knew she was insane.
“I’m not running a hotel here,” I said firmly. “However, I’m glad to help you find a place that will meet your needs. I doubt if there’s a single hotel in the entire city that will cost you five hundred bucks a night. This isn’t New York or L.A. you know.”
Suddenly she looked sad, which made me feel guilty. “Anyone else would take my money,” she said.
“I’m not anyone else,” I replied, returning to my chair and grabbing some more chips.
“I’m starting to realize that.”
She ate a few more bites of her sandwich before she spoke again. “Look Hailey, the truth is, I’m in a bit of trouble. I need a place I can hide out, just for a couple of days.”
“Are you in trouble with the cops?” I asked.
She shook her head. Good, like my mom, I wasn’t fond of cops. And I was too soft for jail.
“Is there a mob hit out on you? Do you owe money to a bookie? Do you have a crazed ex-boyfriend stalking you?”
Tori burst out laughing at my rapid fire questions, and her smile was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. It lit up her whole face.
“You have a vivid imagination. But I’m not having issues with the cops, the mob, or a bookie,” she said. “And since I’m a lifelong lesbian, there are no ex-boyfriends stalking me.”
“Then why do you need to hide?”
Tori
