He blinks. “Please explain.”
“I’m hospital corners and you’re free and easy.”
“Ah. Gotcha.” He scratches at the stubble on his jaw. “Well, I figure that means we’ll complement each other and enlarge our experience of the world and people and stuff.”
“And stuff?”
“Yeah. C’mon, Anna. You’re clean, unlikely to host loud parties or annoy the living shit out of me. We get along fine. You pay attention to things I tend to forget about. Like furniture,” he says. And he’s not wrong. “This is a win-win situation for both of us.”
“Oh, God. I don’t know.”
“If it doesn’t work out you leave. Easy as that.” He taps his fingers against the steering wheel. “Anna, baby. C’mon.”
Here’s the thing about how my life has gone so far . . . playing it safe, being cautious, hasn’t gotten me far. I’m living back at home with my parents, for goodness sake. The man who made the most sense to me let me down in the worst way imaginable. One of the women I used to confide just about everything to stabbed me in the back. Safe, cautious, sensible—these things have not worked out. Maybe it’s time I try a new approach.
“Ugh. Okay. Yes.” And it was not his use of the term baby that won me over. It was something else.
He claps his hands in delight like a child. “Excellent.”
“We give it a try for a few weeks and see how things go,” I say. And who knows, it might work out. Because I can’t have a crush on my roommate. That would just be stupid. A rookie mistake. Things are complicated enough as it is. I’ll get over my unfortunate and weird feelings for Leif. Therapy and getting divorced are sure to keep me busy. Grieving the end of my marriage and getting used to life without Ryan. Stuff like that. Life sure comes at you fast. “See if it works and if we’re both comfortable with the arrangement and so on.”
“Whatever you say.” He grins. “This is going to be great.”
CHAPTER FOUR
“I think I liked it better back over there,” Ed’s wife, Clem, says.
Ed gives her a pained look. Fair enough. He and Leif have been moving things around all day. Which can’t be good for Leif’s arm, but he refuses to take it easy.
“The light is just so nice there,” she continues arguing her case.
“I think they’re running out of oomph for the day,” I say. “Might be time to break out the beers and leave the rest for later.”
She sighs wistfully. Her commitment to the placement of my side table is immense. “You may have a point.”
I’m just pleased to have a new home that is not my parents’. After a busy two weeks, I am indeed now moved in with Leif. My new roommate and friend. Nothing more. Not that it needed to be said because it’s already obvious.
Two weeks was also a necessary period to get the furniture out of the old house, et cetera. It’s nice to be surrounded by my own stuff again. I’d had concerns it would be strange, since it came from my life with Ryan. But nothing feels especially off. New and different, but not off. Though I ordered a new bed. No way did I want anything to do with the mattress from my past. That thing is cursed for all time.
Clem hands out beers, earning a kiss on the cheek from her doting husband. She was attacked a bit over a year ago, and lost all of her memories, though she was only briefly in a coma.
Clem and Ed live in the condo beside ours, along with their dog Gordy, who is asleep under the dining table. He’s a silver Staffordshire terrier and a very good boy. Apparently some creeper dude by the name of Tim used to live in this condo, so everyone was pleased as punch when he left and Leif got the place. They’re obviously all close. A loving family. It’s nice to see them interacting and to be around new people. Today feels like a big step forward. No more stagnating. I am rebuilding my life from the ground up.
“So that’s what the place looks like with stuff in it. I like it.” Hand on hips, Leif looks around with a pleased grin. “What do you think, Anna?”
I smile. “I think it’s all good.”
“Excellent.”
“It’s like a real home now,” says Clem. “You hadn’t made much of an effort with it, Leif. I guess you’re the type that needs a woman to step in and sort things out.”
Ed hides a smile.
“Thanks for the feedback, Clem.” Leif salutes her with his bottle of beer.
“You’re welcome.” The woman can be blunt, but I like it. Fuck faux politeness.
Why do we do that? Why do we hide our thoughts and feelings from people? If we can’t trust who we’re talking to, then do we really even need them in our lives? Though if we’re likely to hurt someone with a possibly unnecessary comment, then I guess I can see the point. Or if they’re just an acquaintance, but someone who for one reason or another we need in our lives . . .
Huh. People are tricky. Relationships are hard.
Perhaps we’ll never really know what most of those around us are really thinking. Maybe that’s for the best. I don’t know. All my deep thoughts have given me is a renewed sense of confusion.
“I don’t think we should run away together after all,” Leif says to Clem with a teasing smile. “Let’s stay with my fool of a brother and make him move furniture around for the rest of his days. It’ll irritate him no end, my lovely Clementine.”
“One of these days when you’re flirting with her I’m going to hit you with something,” says Ed with a pained expression. “Like my fist.”
Leif just blinks. “So violent.”
“Your mom said you two used to fight constantly when you were kids,” says Clem. “I think I prefer you both having grown out of that stage.”
“Seconded,” I add.
“What are you thinking about?” asks Leif, joining me at the table. “What does that look on your face mean?”
My stomach grumbles. Talk about rude. “It means I need food.”
“In the mood for Mexican?”
“Always,” I say, pulling my cell out of my back jean pocket. “I’ll get it. To thank everyone for helping with the move. You guys will stay for dinner, right?”
“We’d love to,” says Clem.
“Great.” I ask for recommendations, and we settle on a local place with good reviews and get busy ordering a bit of everything. “Can’t believe you didn’t even own silverware or plates.”
Leif just shrugs. “I stole a mug from work. That’s all I really needed. Delivery places give you those bamboo cutlery sets all of the time. Seemed a shame to waste them.”
“Very environmentally conscious of you.”
“Nuh.” Ed snorts. “He’s just lazy and he hates shopping. If Mom knew he’d been using empty peanut butter jars as drinking glasses she’d have been over here getting his ass organized months ago.”
“You know, I think I prefer environmentally conscious,” confides Leif. “Makes me sound good.”
His brother just shakes his head.
“He’s right about Mom, though. I am her baby and proud.”
“I can tell you’re the youngest of the family,” I say. “That makes sense.”