AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Boring?”
I couldn’t badmouth my current employer. That was a bad look at a job interview — especially since this firm was also based in Albuquerque. But I smiled back at Donna. “Streamlined,” I said. “We’re going with a sleek look, with brutalist accents.”
“So, boring.” Donna winked. “I know you can’t say that. But, listen, I’d be thrilled to have you on board. I’ll need to talk to my partners and see how they feel, but as far as I’m concerned, you’re our first pick. If we were to hire you, when could you start?”
“Two months,” I said. “To work out my notice.”
“Excellent,” said Donna. “You’ll hear from us soon.”
I walked out of my interview on a dizzying high: my very first one, and it had gone great. I could picture myself working with Donna, in her modern office downtown, with her young, hungry team. A job in New York might’ve been an adventure, but moving cross-country was always a pain. And then there was Spencer.
I stopped walking.
“Damn it,” I muttered, under my breath. A small dog looked up at me, then looked away. The WALK sign was lit up across the street, but I didn’t cross. I turned downtown instead, pausing to text Jim I’d be working from home.
That’s fine, he wrote. By the way, Rio’s coming tomorrow. Meeting’s at ten if you want to sit in.
He thought he was being generous. I felt my lip curl. Still, I wrote back to say I’d see him there. Then I stowed my phone, and I kept walking.
I didn’t head for my car, or out for lunch. Instead, I went by the planned Rio site, down past the shops where the buildings got older. I’d seen one in particular with a little walled garden, quiet and shady, set back from the street. It had a sign in its rental office, CLEAN SUITES FOR RENT – NO PETS – NO SMOKING. I peered in the window, then knocked on the door. Footsteps came creaking, and it cracked open. A woman squinted out at me over the chain.
“You looking to rent?”
I nodded. “Got any one-bedrooms?”
She shut the door in my face and I heard the chain rattle. Moments later, it opened again.
“We have one-beds, two-beds, and studio suites. There’s a penthouse as well, but is this for just you?”
I smiled to cover a sudden, sharp grimace. Just me sounded lonely. It made my heart twinge. “Just me,” I agreed.
“Too bad, because that penthouse has the best views, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, huge picture windows. And the previous tenant loved the roof garden. She’s left it real green, but that’s too big for you, right?”
“Yeah, that’s too big. One bedroom’ll do it.”
“Give me a minute. I’ll just grab my keys.” She ducked back into her office and popped out with her keys. “I’m Leila, by the way. You okay with the ground floor?”
“I’d prefer something higher, but if that’s all you’ve got…”
“This way.” She took me the long way, through the walled garden, taking her time to point out the spring flowers. We rode up to the fifth floor in a cramped elevator, and she hustled me down an airy breezeway.
“I need to warn you with this one, the last tenant just left. We haven’t repainted and the carpets need to be cleaned. I think they had a cat in there. You know it’s no pets?”
“I don’t have any pets.”
Leila was already hunting through her keys. She tried one, then another one, and the door swung open. My first impression was of bright, warm light, sun streaming in through a long window-wall. When the dazzle wore off, I saw the windows were doors, leading out to a balcony overlooking the garden.
“No bird feeders,” said Leila. “Too much noise and mess.”
I nodded, barely hearing, my head in a whirl. I could see myself living here, calling this home. My couch would look great along the far wall, my TV across from it, my desk in the corner. I could hang up my suncatchers now I’d have space, a whole home to myself, not just one room.
“Here’s the kitchen,” said Leila, skirting around me. “The fridge is apartment-sized, and some people don’t like that. But look at that counter space. You can really cook here. A lot of kitchens this size, there’s barely room for your microwave.”
“I, uh…” I coughed. I’d been about to admit I had no microwave. Spencer had one, or maybe Leon, but I’d never needed to buy one myself. No toaster, either. No pots or pans. Even the silverware was Leon’s.
“Big cabinets, too. See, they’re real deep. And we’ll repaint all of those, have them brand sparkling new.”
“It’s nice,” I said. “Is the bedroom through here?” I headed in without waiting for a response, and checked out the closet, the shaded windows. That lonely feeling was back in my chest, heavy as lead weights under my ribs. Living alone, had I ever done that? I’d gone from my folks’ place to the dorms in college, then moved out my second year to share a house with Leon. After graduation, I’d moved back with my folks, then a series of roommates, then Spencer had called. He was back in town. He’d bought a huge house. It felt weird with just him in it, so did I want to move in?
