A nudist elf. She was in the house of a nudist, weed-cultivating elf. And there weren’t even any fudge-filled cookies or samples of edibles to be had.
“Those lumpy cushions…” She groaned. “Goddess help me, I don’t want to know.”
Sebastián was staring down at the couch, his lips pursed, but he didn’t say a word.
“Sorry,” Jill said. “I meant to warn you, but by the time I noticed you were sitting there, I figured the ball-sweat damage was already done.”
Lucy sighed. “Let’s disinfect our hands, and possibly the rest of our bodies and everything we’ve ever touched. Then why don’t we find Sebastián a different, non-genitals-infused seat where he can rest while we finish filming?”
He shook his head gingerly. “Like I said, I’m okay. Let’s get this done.”
No argument she could muster would make him admit vulnerability, and she knew it. So she didn’t argue, despite her worry. And luckily, the rest of the filming took less time than she’d imagined, given that the entire cabin could have fit inside her old condo’s master bedroom. Everything went smoothly, up until the final conversation between her and Allie.
“So what’s your overall impression?” her friend asked.
Lucy glanced at Sebastián, and his warm, dark gaze and little nod heartened her. She chose honesty. “I’m so sorry, Allie, but this place doesn’t work for me. I need more space, and I need a house in better condition. I appreciate your showing it to me, though.”
Allie gave a tiny sniff, her nostrils flaring. “For your budget, you can’t afford everything you want. You may need to be more realistic about your tiny house expectations.”
Sebastián shifted, clearly preparing to insert himself into the discussion, but Lucy lifted a hand, and he subsided.
She didn’t want conflict. She just wanted this day to end. “Maybe so. Still, I’d like to see more options. I’m sure the next house will be perfect.”
Allie offered the camera a gleaming smile. “It will be, ormy name isn’t Allie Peachtree, Real Estate Queen of the Eastern Seaboard.”
“Um…” Lucy blinked. She’d never heard anyone call Allie that before. Not once. Honestly, it didn’t seem like the easiest name to remember. “Long may you reign?”
“Exactly.” Allie descended the stairs and left without another word.
“That’s a wrap for the day. See you tomorrow at eight o’clock sharp,” Jill called out.
Thank goddess. Lucy couldn’t wait to relax for the rest of the afternoon and evening. She grabbed her backpack and strode over to where Sebastián was staring up at the loft.
She poked him in the arm. “Picturing the various diseases we contracted while rolling around up here?”
Keep it light and breezy. Just because you misinterpreted what happened—in yet another spectacular display of poor judgment—doesn’t mean you should make your friend uncomfortable.
“Yes.” His eyes didn’t meet hers, and she heard him swallow. “Yes, that’s what I was picturing.”
“Are you about to head home?” She jingled her keys. “Because after I stop at the hotel and take care of Hairy, I’m going to grab some dinner. I’d love for you to join me.”
At that, he turned to her. “A hotel? Why aren’t you and Hairy staying in your condo?”
“I moved out, as the Real Estate Queen of the Eastern Seaboard suggested.” Nope. Still not rolling off the tongue. “She decided to stage the condo using nicer furniture than mine, so I had to move all my stuff into storage anyway. Then she asked me to keep it looking perfect until we got a good offer, and given how Hairy sheds, that didn’t seem feasible if we stayed there. So I booked a pet-friendly hotel room with a good weekly rate. And since the condo sold so quickly and I’m leaving so soon on vacation, I didn’t see the point ofmoving back in. Until I get my tiny house and transport it to Minneapolis, we’re living out of a suitcase.”
The corners of his mouth flicked downward, just for a second. “You didn’t tell me you needed to move out so soon. I would have helped you get everything into storage.”
She bit back her instinctive response:You didn’t ask.
If she hadn’t understood him so well, she’d have said he didn’t care whether she stayed or went. But he did care. She knew he did. “No worries, Seb. I had lots of other friends to help me. If I’d been in a jam, I’d have called you, like I did with this house hunt.”
Silence.
His jaw worked, and he shifted on his feet. But he didn’t say anything, and she was too tired to wring more words or an answer to her dinner invitation out of him.
“I’ll see you tomorrow morning, bright and early.” She slung her backpack over her shoulder and found the key to her Prius. “Thank you again for helping me so much today. I owe you big.”
Offering him a quick squeeze on his arm, she turned to go.
