“Miff,” I call out.
“I’m here. And I got what you requested, boss.”
He places the box in my hand.
“What’s in the box?” she asks.
I step back and place the box on the floor. I lift the door on the box.
“No, no, Nico,” Serenity shrieks, jumping on the bed.
“You know I hate spiders.” She runs around in circles on the bed.
“I do.”
Back in high school, Serenity nearly leapt from the gaming chair in my room when she spotted a daddy longlegs scuttling across the floor. I leaned forward and let it crawl onto my hand.
“Hey, little spider,” I said.
Serenity bolted out of my room.
“Thought a hairy tarantula would make you feel right at home.”
“I can’t stay here.” She leaps off the bed and runs to the balcony.
“Fuck, she’s going to jump to get away from a spider,” I mutter.
I stalk toward her. “Serenity, stop.”
“Oh, no. I can’t live under the same roof as a spider, you know that.”
I catch her before she falls over the railing. Her eyes return to the tarantula.
Serenity inches to the corner of the balcony.
She looks so cute when she’s vulnerable. “I’ll get you out of here, and you’ll agree to sleep with me in one of the guest rooms.”
She dances from foot to foot like the tarantula is moving this way.
Serenity nods. “Yes, okay. Just get me out of here,” she yells, pointing at it.
The woman jumped into my arms, shivering. She buries her face in my neck. I nod at Miff in passing. He can take his pet tarantula home. The creature’s job is done here.
“Because of you, a new mattress is being delivered tomorrow.”
She doesn’t respond.
“No more tricks, Serenity.”
“I was so close to putting Nair in your shampoo and body wash.”
“You love my full head of hair and hairy balls. So you couldn’t bring yourself to follow through.”
“Your head’s too big. You’d look weird bald,” she chuckles.
“I know the real reason.” I place her on the bed.
Her brows bunch together as she waits for my answer.
