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Could Avery have her office here? Would she want to move in? No, it was much too soon, wasn’t it? Stella was conversing with herself when she should have been focusing on what Amy was saying.
“Please? I haven’t seen you in forever. You never want to hang out anymore.” She could hear Amy’s pout from the end of the phone.
It would be nice to go out. Being stuck in an apartment had its lovely moments, yet sometimes she just wanted to jump into her shoes and grab a burger in a restaurant. Still, she didn’t want to go anywhere until she heard about how Avery’s first day went.
“I seriously can’t tonight, Amy. But how about this weekend we hang out? Either way, we can go out or stay in, but we’ll have quality time together.” Stella went to the kitchen to check on the lasagna she was preparing. On the counter was the pie crust ready for the filling she’d fry up for dessert—a taste of home she wanted to introduce Avery to.
“Fine, if you promise,” Amy conceded, but not after a heavy sigh.
“I have to talk with Avery, but I’ll make sure to carve out time.” If they got a big group together, she might be able to go out with Avery—if she was up for it. Only five contestants had been eliminated so far, so they still had to be careful.
“You better. I hope her first day went well. Are you going to watch the show tonight?” Amy asked. Something crashed to the floor on her end.
“No. For the reunion, we’ll have to binge-watch it, and I don’t want to know anymore until we have to do that.” Stella switched hands, tucking the phone under her chin.
“Makes sense. Got to keep things fresh. I should go. Quinn wants some help picking out new curtains. Talk to you soon, and we’ll make firmer plans for this weekend. Bye.”
Before Stella could respond, she was met with dead air. Laughing, she tucked the phone in her pocket, returning to the lasagna. Just two and a half more hours. The longest hours were always the ones you spent watching the clock, so she tried to keep herself busy.
Finally, she heard a knock at her door an hour after Avery got off work.
She opened the door wide for Avery to step through before closing it. She didn’t want to give her neighbors a show, so she held her arms out for Avery to walk into.
“You look beat,” Stella mumbled into her hair.
“I am. It was mostly paperwork and getting everything set up that was missed with new hires. Then, I met with my boss and the rest of the team. I already have severe imposter syndrome, but hopefully, when things get settled, it will be better.” They broke apart. “Something smells amazing.” Avery’s nose flared as she took in the scent.
“It’s my nana’s recipe, so if you don’t like it, don’t tell her, or I’ll be written out of the will.” Stella pulled her further into the house. “Can I get you anything? Glass of wine?”
“Yeah, wine sounds great, but only one glass. I have to drive home tonight,” Avery said over the rush of water as she washed her hands.
“Why?” Stella pulled a pint glass from the cabinet for Avery to fill with ice-cold fridge water.
“I have an early day tomorrow and don’t want to be stuck in traffic. You know I’d love to spend the night, but I might have to do that on the weekends.” Avery filled up her cup, walking to the already set table.
“What if you moved in here?” Stella blurted out, pulling the chair out to sit.
She hadn’t meant to offer, but the more she thought about it, the more sense it made.
“What? Stella, come on, be serious,” Avery scoffed.
Of all the responses she could have imagined, it wasn’t that one. Trying not to look as hurt as she felt, she piled the gooey lasagna on her plate, needing a moment to eat her feelings. She skipped over the salad and instead grabbed a piece of garlic bread. Carbs on carbs were the only way to fill the pit in her stomach at Avery’s callous words.
“It’s not so out of left field. Why isn’t it a good idea? Is living with me such an unthinkable burden?” Stella wanted to pull back on the bite to her words, but when animals were hurt, they sometimes bit.
Avery put down her fork, scooted her chair closer, and grabbed Stella’s hand. She must have sensed the tension since she was moving at half her usual speed.
“Stel, no. There is so much to discuss, plan, think about. I’m not saying no, but hell, we’ve barely been dating for a month. How do you know when to move in?”
Okay, that was a little better. With Avery’s need to plan, it made sense that she wouldn’t be able to jump on the idea. Mollified, Stella squeezed her hand to let her know she was now past the biting phase and into more logical discussion.
“We’ve been dating way longer than a month. We got to know each other for months on end during the show. Yes, it’s way different, but it was an important foundation that we were building. We weren’t constructing a building with a house of cards. This is an earthquake-surviving foundation.” Even now, she knew it was safe to make long-term plans with Avery. She was in it for the long haul. She knew she was meeting her future mother-in-law when she met Avery’s mom.
“I’m not saying no, okay? And I’m sorry for my first flippant reaction. We’ll have to talk about this a lot more. What will our finances look like? How will we split bills? Even with my fancy new paycheck, I won’t be able to afford half of the rent or mortgage on this place.” Avery looked distressed as her list grew. They were in for some fun conversations with their personalities. Stella couldn’t wait.
“All good points. I’m certain you have a legal yellow pad full of information. I don’t expect you to pay any mortgage, because I don’t. Remember my parents bought this place, so I don’t pay anything in rent. We can look into other bills, and figure out what’s fair. Why don’t we have a meeting this weekend? We can discuss everything, write down notes, and communicate our thoughts. I’m not saying you need to move in this weekend, but I want this as an option. An open discussion for us. It’s the perfect time with you having to move because of needing an office.” She held out her finger when Avery looked like she was about to jump in. “You have a three-month grace period, so all I’m saying is let’s use at least a month of that time to look at all our options. This being one that’s shooting to the top of my list.”
“That’s fair. I like the idea of a meeting. It seems odd for a couple, but in some ways, it makes sense. Planning for the future. What a concept.” The look of peace that crossed Avery’s face was one Stella wished she could capture on film.
