“It’s not that,” I hurried to say, not wanting him to think I was acting strange because of our previous interaction. “I just had to sleep in my car last night.”
His eyes widened, and he leaned forward, resting hiselbows on the hard cherrywood desk. “Why are you sleeping in your car?”
I hesitated, then decided it would be impossible to keep it a secret forever, so I might as well just tell him.
“Turns out the cabin is infested with mice. It’s not just one or two. I had to move out immediately. I was going to stay in a hotel, but I didn’t want to spend so much on one night. I’m going to find something to rent soon…” I trailed off, suddenly embarrassed by how many unnecessary details I’d shared.
“Have you found a new place?” Jay asked, his brow furrowing.
“Not yet. I’ve got to start looking today.” I yawned again and raised a hand to cover my mouth until it passed.
“Well, I have a rental above my garage if you’d like to stay there. It’s currently not being used, but it’s up to code with the city. I haven’t posted the listing yet because I’ve been too busy. It’s a one-bed, one-bath with its own kitchen and laundry. I could even give you a discount on rent.”
I stared at him, struggling to process what he was offering.
Rent the space above his garage? He couldn’t be serious.
“Wouldn’t that be sort of… weird, now that I’m your employee?”
Jay chuckled and shook his head. “I’d rarely see you anyway, due to my busy schedule. Plus, we were neighbors before; you’d just be a little closer now.”
A little. More like extremely adjacent.
“I appreciate the offer, but I think I’ll try looking elsewhere first.” The offer was incredible, but I had to be honest with myself. Living next to him would only complicate things.
“Oh. Okay. Well, if you change your mind, let me know.” His face fell slightly, but he quickly covered it with a polite smile.
“Thank you,” I said, glancing toward the door. “May I go now?”
“Yes, you’re free to go.” He hurried to stand and opened the door for me as I slipped back into the safety of the hallway.
I took one last glance at him as I passed the break room, but I couldn’t quite read his expression. He looked deep in thought, his brow furrowed as he watched me go. Then he sighed and returned to his office.
CHAPTER 22
Finding a place to rent the next day was nearly impossible. Contracts had to be signed months in advance, or at least a few weeks. I realized really quickly that I was doomed.
I took out my phone, which had just finished charging through my cigarette lighter, and pressed on Emily's contact.
"I thought you'd never call," Emily said when she picked up on the second ring.
"Hey, sorry it's been a minute since we've talked."
"Don't worry about it. I've been busy too. What's new?"
I paused. It felt like two years had passed since we spoke last. I had a lot to update her on.
I decided to start with the news that felt the most alarming. Get the worst over with first.
"I'm homeless right now."
"What?" Emily’s high-pitched voice made me pull the phone away from my ear a bit. "What do you mean, homeless?"
"Well, the cabin has mice, and it turns out I can't live there. The whole thing probably needs to be torn down."
"You're kidding," Emily gasped in shock. "Oh, Hope. I'm so sorry. Do you need help? Do you need me to come get you?"
"No, I’m okay. I'm just staying in my car right now." I propped my feet up on the console, trying to find a more comfortable position, but I failed.
