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I motioned to him with my plant. “This is Julien Jackson.”
“Everybody calls me Cap,” he put in, let me go, made his approach and offered Martha his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
She stared at his hand like it was covered in slime.
Not missing a beat, he moved it toward Linda.
She took it.
“Hi, Cap. I’m Linda, and this is Martha,” Linda said.
“Hey,” he replied and moved back to my side.
Linda looked at me. “Did you get the email?”
“What email?” I asked.
It was then I belatedly noticed they were drinking champagne.
It was also then, calling from her opened door, Patsy shouted, “Are we starting? I’m not done with the salad yet!”
“Is it five, girl?” Martha shouted back. “No, we’re not starting. Learn to read a clock!”
Patsy, used to Martha, returned. “Okay! Hi, Raye! Dig the plants!”
“Hey, Patsy!” I called.
Her door closed.
“We’re having an impromptu party,” Linda explained. “Bill and Zach got written confirmation. They’re not raising rents.”
“For two years,” Martha added, before sucking back some champagne from a plastic champagne glass.
A funny vibe came from Cap.
“Wow. That’s great,” I said, because it so totally was.
“And get this,” Martha put in. “They capped Linda’s rent.”
That funny vibe from Cap got funnier.
“I got my own email,” Linda added. “They told me, due to my long-term residency, and as such, investment in the property, my rent will never be increased. Ever. They’re sending me a lease that, even if they sell, the new owners will have to abide by.”
“That’s short for, she’s old and doesn’t have a lot of dough, so they don’t wanna be the heartless, greedy, pissant ogres who put her ass out,” Martha translated.
Martha wasn’t young, but she didn’t have the same number of years on the planet as Linda, by about a decade and a half. And as such, she still was gainfully employed. Not to mention, she’d been able to bank the entire price of the house she’d sold prior to her arrival at the Oasis because it was paid off when she sold it.
At this juncture, Alexis bounced onto the scene.
“Hey, all!” she cried.
She was all lithe grace, considering she was a ballerina with Arizona Ballet.
“Isn’t it fantastic news?” she asked.
Before anyone could answer Alexis, Cap turned in their direction before I knew they were there, so I heard rather than saw Bill state, “Awesome. Raye’s here. Did you make your pudding?”
I turned too.
