“It was just a question. I know you’ve been talking about fixing that fountain in honor of your grandmother this spring, and it’s not going to be cheap, or really a value add.”
“We’ll only do it if we can afford it, but it would be a really cool surprise if we could fix it before she’s back from Italy.” At eighty-one, Gran is still spry and incredibly active. She ran Spark House with my grandfather, and then after he passed, with the help of my parents. When we lost them in the car accident, Gran took over full-time again. At least until my sisters and I were ready for the responsibility. I’ve always loved Spark House and knew I wanted to take it over one day. And now that’s exactly what we’re doing.
Declan flips his pen between his fingers. “If hobbyhorse riding is half as lucrative as actual horse racing, the jousting matches might be worth it. Actually, they might be even better than the riding.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m not condoning adult men beating one another with stuffed horses. I’ll make sure we have the capital to fix up the fountain before I start throwing money at it.”
He reaches across the back of the couch and gives my neck a squeeze. “London still on the fence about it?”
“She doesn’t want us to get in over our heads. Which I get. I know it’s not a necessary expense, but it would still be a great surprise.” Declan knows how important Gran is. She’s the one who stepped in and raised me and my sisters after our parents died when we were teenagers. The loss of our parents created a hole in the fabric of our existence, and my sisters and I have mended our hearts as best we can by sticking together. “Anyway, enough about that. How was your day?”
“Not nearly as exciting as yours. Although I did land a pretty kickass client, so that’s something.”
“Oh yeah? What kind of client?”
“Super into eco stuff, has this massive company that’s really making waves, innovative and smart. Guy is only in his early thirties and is making more money than I could in the next three lifetimes, but I’m not going to cry over the management fee.”
“Congratulations! That’s amazing! Does that mean you’re buying the pizza and wings tomorrow? Because if you are, I’d like an extra-large meat lover’s with the stuffed crust.”
“Don’t you have an event?”
“I’ll be in and out.”
“Right. Cool. Well, I can definitely accommodate the pizza request even though it probably means I’m going to need extra hours at the gym next week.” He pats his six-pack. He can eat an entire pizza by himself and never gain an ounce.
I roll my eyes. “You just go to the gym so you can pick up women.”
“Untrue. I know better than to date the women who go to my gym. It’s the same as dating someone you work with.”
“Or someone in your friend group,” I mutter. I’m referring to my sophomore year when I stupidly started dating Sam, one of the guys we all used to hang out with, and Declan’s former best friend. Sam was a year older and a junior when we first got together. At the time, Declan and I had become good friends. Like most of the female population at our college, I wasn’t totally immune to his charm. He oozed charisma and was ridiculously hot. But his parents had been in the middle of a messy divorce, and he had a habit of leaving a trail of broken hearts. I thought Sam was the safe, smart boyfriend choice.
Turns out he was neither.
Declan always jokes that I got full custody of him and the guys in the separation. But the truth is, Declan found out that Sam was cheating on me, and he was the one who told me. The guys sided with me, and their friendship didn’t survive the fallout.
“Everyone makes stupid mistakes in college. Also, the only reason I don’t date the women who go to my gym is because I did it once and had to switch my membership over to another location.”
“Ah yes, Stalker Sue. I remember her. She showed up here once after you broke up. Made me almost consider getting my own place,” I tease.
“I had to buy pizza on your night for like six months to make up for that.” He grins sheepishly.
Declan and I could definitely afford to live on our own, but I like the company of a roommate. I’ve never lived alone. Ever. I went from my parents, to living with my grandmother, to college dorms, to off-campus housing with roommates, back to living in my grandmother’s house, and then here with Declan. I could have moved in with my sisters, but I felt like it was better for me to have my own space, especially since we all work together. And London and Harley have a special bond. It’s not that I don’t, but I went off to college not long after we lost our parents, and they stayed in Colorado Springs together.
So I made it easier on all of us and moved in with Declan. Guys are way easier to live with than girls. They’re uncomplicated, and they say what they mean when they mean it. We’ve been living together for two years, and I’ve never regretted the decision. Apart from Stalker Sue, anyway.
I peek inside the take-out box sitting on the coffee table. “Oh my God! You are literally the best.” I grab half of the buffalo chicken wrap and take a massive bite. At the salon, they gave me tea and flavorless biscuits that reminded me of Communion wafers. I haven’t eaten since lunch, which was a delicious, but not entirely filling, salmon salad.
“Wow. Vultures look sexier feasting on roadkill than you do scarfing down that wrap.” Declan wears a look somewhere between amusement and disgust.
“I haven’t eaten since noon.”
“I can tell.” He returns his attention to the game while I shovel the rest of it into my face. I eat the second half a little slower.
My phone pings with a reminder for my tire appointment next week. “Oh! You’re still coming with me to the university on Sunday, right?”
“Huh?” Declan’s eyes are glued to the screen. Our team is down by a goal and they’re currently in control of the ball.
“Sunday. We’re supposed to meet up with the soccer alumni. We’re going to see a game, remember?” I extended the invitation to Mark and Jerome, but they’re both busy. Jerome has some afternoon date planned with his current girlfriend—he’s also not sure if he’s planning to break it off or not. Usually that’s a sign he’s bored and ready to move on, but it’s really not my place to say. Mark is going fishing with his dad for the weekend, so it’s just me and Declan making the trip.
“Oh, fuck, yeah, of course I’m still in for that.” He drops his feet and leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Come on! Get with the program, Donahue! You were right there!
“And we can take your SUV?”
“Yup, for sure. I’ll drive,” he says.
I pull up the weather app. “Good, it’s calling for heavy rain, and I can’t get my car in for a tire change until Tuesday.”
“I got you covered, Ave.” He pats my knee, then jumps off the couch and shouts victory when our team manages to get the ball past the goalie.
I wait until he’s seated again before I ask, “Do you need me to put an alert in your calendar?”
“Nah. It’s already programmed up here.” He taps his temple. “Oh, you’re up on the crossword puzzle. I got carried away and did twelve instead of ten. Sorry about that.” He looks under takeout boxes until he finds the newspaper crossword. There are a couple of grease stains and possibly some buffalo chicken sauce on it. Declan and I always share the weekly crossword puzzle.