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“Gotcha. The store had to be cleaner than this mess.”
He pulled two gloves out of the box and put them on. When he picked up the first bag, it was obvious he was going to need something over his nose, too, so he went back into his room and dug in a bag for a T-shirt, wrapping it around his face. If she was insulted, there was nothing he could do about it.
With only his eyes exposed, he loaded the trash bags onto the rack and pushed it out into the hall, following Tiffany to the elevator.
“The bags won’t fit in the trash chute,” she said. “We’ll have to take them to the dumpster on the first floor.”
“I hope no one needs the elevator,” he said, grimacing.
“We’ll take the freight. It already smells.”
“That’s why I have a rag wrapped around my head,” he said.
“You look very Arabian,” she stated admiringly.
“Yeah, not what I was going for today,” Ryan snapped.
After three trips, the trash was removed from the apartment. All thoughts of eating fled, especially the pizza that was in a box on the filthy counter.
Ryan looked around the place, exhausted. Maybe a good night’s sleep would give him a different perspective.
“Do you want a glass of wine with your pizza?” Tiffany asked.
“I’ll pass, but thank you. I have some calls to make. Thanks for the bed.”
“Can’t I help you put your things away?” Tiffany asked eagerly.
Glancing down at the floor, he thought about what he had left behind, the organized life Lisa had made for him, traded for this stinking chaos.
“Tiffany, honestly, I don’t think this will work for me.”
He suddenly thought it might be better to take the two-hour ride home and sleep in his own bed. It was eleven o’clock. He’d be home by one, and after he unloaded his car yet again…
“I’ll sleep here tonight, but I’d better go back to my apartment in Babylon tomorrow. Thank you so much for the offer, though.”
“I can’t believe you don’t want to stay here. You won’t find this rent anywhere else, and especially not this close to the office.”
Since Ryan had already said something about the condition of the apartment, he let it go. It was pointless to keep talking about it.
“Thanks again,” he said. “I’d better get in the shower.”
“Do you need towels? I’ve got clean ones, believe it or not.”
“I brought my own, but thanks.”
After a sleepless night, he got up at sunrise and loaded his car again, slipping out before Tiffany came out of her room. He left her a note on the kitchen counter, hoping she’d find it.
Tiffany, thank you again for the bed. I’ll see you at the office this morning.
He’d sent Betsy a text late the night before.The apartment isn’t going to work out after all. I’m sorry I stood you up. We’ll talk soon.
In the morning, she answered him in a text.I’m sorry I hung up on you. Call me when you get a chance.
Parking again in the lot next to the Exchange Place office building, Ryan contemplated the difference between his joy the previous morning when he’d come into work and his dread today. His fingers automatically went to Lisa’s number.
“Good morning, Ryan,” she answered. “Where are you?”
“I just pulled into the garage at work. I wanted to talk to you. Maybe dump on you would be a better description.”
