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“I really would rather—”
“Don’t worry about it, doll. Once I move in, I’ll help you manage your lifestyle. You’ll get fitness and nutrition tips, free of charge.” Clint winked again. “If you play your cards right, I might even make you one of my special breakfast shakes.”
“Thank you. I’ll be in touch,” Iris said, fighting to keep a straight face.
Clint seemed both surprised and disappointed that there were no further questions. He flexed as he pushed back from the table, winking at four other people before he made it out the door. Iris imagined how much she’d enjoy taking a shower later.
Two more potential candidates arrived. With these folks, Iris did a better job of controlling the encounters, and she promised to call them once she made a decision.
Unlike Clint, they seemed normal enough, and maybe that was the issue. With Eli, it seemed like he was in a jam due to poorplanning, and Henry Dale had said he was on a fixed income. Iris realized she was leaning toward people who…neededto rent a room at her place, who didn’t easily have other options.
Maybe she had her shoes on the wrong feet—something she’d done literally as a kid—but to her, that seemed like a safe way to choose her new roommates. People who had no other fallbacks ought to be more considerate, easier to live with. Since Iris had been in that situation, she knew how it felt to be dependent on someone else’s goodwill. She’d never take advantage of that desperation, but she understood it for sure.
As she was about to leave, Henry Dale rushed in with a check in hand. Once she had it, she input her number into the old man’s flip phone and wrote down the address. “You can move in whenever you like,” she said. “Just let me know beforehand. I’ll have the rental agreement ready to sign then as well. And if you don’t like the furniture in your room, I’ll remove it.”
He shook his head. “I’m sure it’s fine. I just need a place to lay my head at night.” He hesitated. “Listen, from the photos you showed me, it’s an old place. Could use some looking after. I like to keep busy. Would you have a problem with me…puttering?”
Iris blinked. “You mean, like, working on the house?”
“Exactly. Just from looking at the photos, IknowI can improve that kitchen.”
“I’d love the help. Anything you feel like fixing, I’ll knock it off your rent.” She hoped Henry Dale would be honest about the value of his work, however, because she had no clue about that sort of thing.
“That’s a generous offer,” he said, visibly brightening. “AndI’m happy to take you up on it. I’ll know better what I ought to be doing once I check the house in person. I’m…looking forward to this, Miz Collins.”
“Iris.”
“Miz Collins,” he repeated with a firm nod.
Looks like I’m Miz Collins.
As she stood, Eli’s payment popped up in her phone notifications. In the end, she’d conducted ten interviews and only promised rooms to Eli and Henry Dale.I’ll post another ad. This is enough money to get by for the first month.She could cover necessities, though she needed to be careful with groceries. As ever, eating out wasn’t an option.
“When will you move in?” she asked, deciding not to bicker over what he called her.
“Monday all right? I need the weekend to pack up and organize my things.”
“It’s fine. I’ll see you then.”
She stood and stretched, stiff from two hours on a coffee shop chair. Henry Dale left without looking back, and she stifled a laugh. She’d never been close to her own grandparents—like Mom, they compared Iris to her sisters and found her wanting—so this might be a nice change of pace. Dad’s parents were long gone; she’d never met them. And Dad? Well, he rarely glanced up from his professorial pursuits to intervene in the way his wife saw fit to run their home.
After buying a sandwich to go, Iris headed out to her Sentra, parked a block away because she hadn’t wanted to occupy a primo parking spot for that long. Her meter had two minutes left—perfecttiming—and she drove home slowly, satisfied with how the day had gone. Iris rarely felt this way, as if she’d done an adequate job. Her phone rang, and she let it go to voice mail. It wasn’t safe to answer the phone while she drove, at least not without a headset, and she didn’t bother with such things. Whatever anyone wanted could wait until she got home. Besides, she wasn’t talking to Lily currently, Rose would nag about how she was being petty for not getting over Lily and Dylan, and she’d rather dodge calls from Mom, who insisted she get over her resentment for the sake of family unity.Funny how it’salwaysme being asked to swallow my emotions and be the bigger person.Once she pulled into the driveway, she checked and found a missed call from Olive.
Dammit. The one sister I’mnotavoiding.
Olive rarely got a signal, and it must be important if she was trying to get in touch. Or maybe the others had dragged her into this low-key feud. That wasn’t the right word, though. More like Iris was just…done. Lily had wanted Dylan more than she’d wanted a relationship with her own sister. And Rose had a perfect life, so why didn’t she just live it instead of meddling?
Taking a deep breath, she rang Olive back. No surprise—it went to voice mail. “Sorry, I was driving,” she said after the tone. “Hope you’re well. Love and miss you.”
Now Olive could tell everyone else,She’s not dodging me. She called back right away. You’re imagining things.Because Olive tried to play peacemaker and she wanted everyone to get along—without dragging her into their problems. That was probably part of why she was living in an African tukul, not chasing success in the same way as Rose and Lily. Of her three sisters, Iris liked Olivebest despite the ten-year age gap. She also approved of the way Olive deployed her special abilities, using them for good instead of her own gain.
At least Iris finally had her own place, far enough away from her family to discourage drop-in visits. They’d rarely come to see Great-Aunt Gertie, after all.
Things might finally be looking up.
This is ridiculous.
Eli had paid hundreds of dollars to avoid clearing up a misunderstanding. His chagrin didn’t stem from spending the money; he could afford it. But now he was connected to Iris through deception, and as he finished the final coat of paint in Gamma’s dining room, he let out a breath, irritated with himself. It would’ve been simple to square everything away, but no.
