“Name it.”
“I get to be your first customer.”
My lips quivered and then I crumbled into tears.
“Oh, honey.” Lucy sprang up and grabbed the tissue box that was next to the coffee maker.
She held it out to me.
I took a few tissues and blotted underneath my glasses.
“Poet? I think you’re exactly what this town needs.”
“Put your coffee down,” I commanded.
“Why?” she asked, even as she set it aside.
“So I can hug you.”
I embraced the older woman, wondering how it was possible that I could feel at home in a place so quickly.
“We should probably iron out some parameters,” I said when I pulled away. “Rent price, length of lease, that sort of thing?”
“Brooks took care of rent already.”
“But that’s just for the apartment. I’m talking about the rent on the store itself.”
“We’ll talk about it later,” she insisted. “Plenty of time for all that.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.” She leaned forward. “Now, I want to hear all about you and Brooks.”
I laughed. “Yeah, I bet you do.”
“So, he moved in with you?”
“Yes.” I sobered. “Oh, wait. Was I supposed to ask your permission?”
She frowned. “Excuse me?”
“Some landlords have issues with people moving in if they’re not already on the lease.”
“It’s a good thing you and I don’t have a lease then,” she pointed out.
“Right. We just kind of agreed, didn’t we? Well, I’d like to at least know the parameters.”
“No raves.”
“Noted.”
“Aside from that . . .” She shrugged.
“Pets?”
“You want a pet?” she asked.
“No, I just mean—maybe. One day.”
