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I smile, happy she’s going to go along with this because so far, today has been the most fun I’ve had with her in years. A small part of me doesn’t want it to end.
“How about you go in there and act like you’re interested in getting a unit? Have him show you one, and I’ll sneak in.”
Her forehead wrinkles. “And what about me?”
“Ask to go to the bathroom at some point. Meet me at the locker.”
She nods. “Doesn’t exactly seem foolproof, but okay.”
“Don’t worry, Troy will be distracted by you. But I gotta park down the street.”
I park in a nearby industrial lot, alongside the cars of the employees. We walk along the sidewalk, then I wait on the side of the storage building while Calista takes a deep breath and steps inside.
I watch through a sliver of the window on the side of the building. Troy takes his ponytail out and throws his long brown hair back in the elastic band. Calista puts her hand in her back pockets, thrusting out her breasts, and Troy takes the bait, staring more at her tits than her face. I swallow my annoyance because that was all part of my brilliant plan of sending Calista in there. He passes her a brochure, and she picks it up, her hand grazing his. Red curtains my vision, every muscle in my body taut.
Troy takes out his ponytail again and slicks it back again. It must be something he does when he’s nervous. I’m not sure what Calista asks, but Troy digs into the drawer and pulls out a set of keys. He puts a sign on the desk that says he’ll be right back. Seriously, how many hundreds of people’s stuff is in the back, and he leaves a sign?
Once they disappear through the door to the units, I go through the main door. Going to the door behind the desk, I look both ways, not seeing Calista or Troy. I glance at the envelope to check the unit number. I couldn’t be any luckier because as I walk the hallways, I realize Declan’s unit is in the back on the second floor. The farthest point from Troy once he returns to his desk.
I just barely hear Troy say she looks familiar, but he can’t place her. He smoked way too much pot to remember her from when she was my date at our prom.
“I’m just moving into town. Not enough room in my apartment for all my stuff,” Calista says.
“Are you sure you’re not from around here?” he asks for the fifth time.
“Positive.”
“Well, this is our smallest, and they go up from here. Have a look and see what you like.”
I open the door to the second floor, and it’s really fucking hard to be quiet when you’re surrounded by cement and steel.
How did I get myself into this position? I should be in my condo or at a pub in Chicago, wallowing with my teammates. Then again, most of them are on vacation either with their families or for a bachelor trip.
Finding Declan’s locker, I open the lock and slowly slide the door open, hoping the distance from the first floor to the second muffles the noise a bit. It opens and I laugh at all the half-packed boxes. Totally Declan.
“What the hell is that?” Calista’s voice behind me has all the air leaving my lungs in a rush.
I spin around to face her. “How did you get up here?”
“He left me to go answer a phone call, and when I went out to check, he was smoking a bowl in his car. So I figure he’ll just assume I left.” She shrugs and enters the storage locker. “So, this is where Declan stashed all his bachelor things…” She picks up the half-inflated blow- up doll. “I feel bad for her. Maybe I should inflate her so she doesn’t lose her dignity.”
I have no idea where he got the blow-up doll, but probably from a bachelor party if I had to guess.
Calista inspects boxes while I’m still standing in the doorway. Is this what happens when you decide to marry someone? You store away all remnants of your previous life?
“You know, I feel guilty. What if we find some dirty secret Declan wouldn’t want us to know?” She cringes.
I step inside and start on the opposite side of the unit as her. For the next hour, all I find is tax stuff, his old high school awards and trophies, and some clothes from when he was a baby.
For a moment, we thought we hit the jackpot when we opened a box full of Christmas ornaments he made when younger, but there were no flash drives or photo albums in there.
Surprisingly, Troy never comes up. Then again, I’m not sure he’s employee of the month material.
“I’m starving,” Calista says. “I should’ve brought those other Danishes.”
I glance at my phone and see that it’s after four now. “Maybe we should come back tomorrow. I’ll take you to dinner.”
“No!” she yelps, then leans in closer. “I mean, we’re here and I don’t want to break in again.”
