“Some what?” Gwyneth asked.
“Soundproofing—between your two apartments.” Merry glanced around and noticed a lack of carpeting. “In the meantime, maybe you could put down some rugs as a noise dampener?”
Gwyneth nodded. “We could try it.”
“Anything to keep the wicked witch of 2B happy, right?” Merry winked conspiratorially.
The women raised their eyebrows, then burst out laughing again.
Now what did I say?
Chapter 3
Jason handed a beer to his uncle, took a seat on his low side chair, and stretched out his legs. “How’s it going?”
“With me? You know. Same old, same old. I thought I’d see if your life was more interesting.”
Jason chuckled. “Well, tonight, I got to know one of my tenants better… a lot better.”
Ralph leaned forward. “Tell me all about it.”
“Merry, the nurse who recently moved in, came for dinner. Jeez, I almost came in my pants while we were making out on the couch.”
Ralph laughed. “Glad to hear it. But in a way, that’s why I decided to pay you a visit. We need to talk.”
“Talk? About my love life?”
Ralph rested his elbows on his knees. “I know this is something you’d probably rather hear from your father, but I’m here and he isn’t, so I’m taking it upon myself to havethe talkwith you.”
Jason’s eyes rounded. “You mean the birds and the bees? Uncle Ralph, I’m twenty-seven years old. I’ve known about sex since I was eleven.”
Ralph chuckled but quickly turned serious. “Notthattalk. The one specifically connected to our family genetics.”
“Oh, yeah. I suppose that’s a talk we could have.”
“Ever since you were a little boy, girls have followed you around and been fairly forward with you. Your dad asked me to keep an eye on you here and make sure no one got too close—for your own good.”
Jason reared back. “What the… So, am I never supposed to have the love and trust of a good woman? Just because you two think you know what’s good for me?”
“I’m not saying that. I’m just saying you need to be careful. This girl seems like a real sweetheart. The kind of girl you could fall in love with.”
“Yeah, and?”
Ralph looked him in the eye. “And that makes you vulnerable.”
“I know all about the changes love and sex bring to the picture for those like us.”
“She’s vulnerable too. This is her home now. If things don’t work out, living here might be uncomfortable, but it could be even worse for you if things progress.”
Jason folded his arms and frowned. “How’s that?”
“If she learns the family secret. You need to be very careful not to show her that side of yourself.”
“Even if things don’t move forward romantically with Merry, and it looks like they just might, she’s already becoming a good friend. She said she’d go to the bachelor auction I was pressured into and bid on me. I really need that to happen. I get into trouble when I’m stressed out.”
Ralph slapped his knee. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about.”
“Don’t worry. I wouldn’t dare tell her my deep dark secret, yet. She might freak and I definitelydon’twant that to happen. But she seems open-minded. Maybe, if we get close first, she’ll understand.”
