the step-brother,” Grayson practically spits. “And I still don’t know what happened.”
“Did you ever ask the old woman?”
“She told Mike to tell me it was none of my business,” he replies, referring to the head of Slate Security’s legal team.
“But she happily took your money?” I ask.
“Yes, and now the grandmother has died, and Evangeline wants nothing from me.”
“Can you blame her?”
“Maybe she’s right—I deserve to be behind bars for what I did,” he muses.
“Grayson, it was an accident. What you did was dangerous and stupid but it was still an accident,” I try to reason with him.
“Will you look for her?” he asks but doesn’t acknowledge me.
“I’ll look into it. I can’t promise anything, but maybe it’s time you let this go,” I tell him and he just scoffs in reply. “I have to clear my schedule tomorrow and I won’t be available for a week, I’ll look for her after that.”
“Where are you going?” he asks suspiciously.
“I’ll be being a homeless and poor man,” I respond and wait for the laughter to erupt.
“Why?” he asks with no trace of humor. Not the reaction I was expecting at all.
“I made a deal with SJ. If I can be homeless for a week, she has to let me get on with my job and stop trying to guilt trip me about evicting them.”
“And if you don’t make the week?” he asks.
“I will, so it’s not a problem,” I reply and that’s when the laughter starts.
“Again, I’ll ask. What if you don’t make the week?”
“I have to let them stay in their homes,” I mutter and Grayson’s laughing gets louder.
“You idiot,” he laughs and then takes a deep breath. “Congratulations on your new tenants.”
“What makes you think I’ll lose?” He doesn’t answer, he just looks me up and down and starts laughing again. “I’ll see you in a week,” I say, grabbing my things and heading out the door.
I’ll make it through the week. I have to.
***
After a horrible night of broken sleep, I finally make my way to SJ’s, stopping at the store on the way and preparing myself for the inevitable trip to Goodwill.
I run up the stairs, taking them two at a time and knock on SJ’s door.
“Hey, come in,” she says when she finally opens the door. “I have a small problem, you may have to go shopping without me.”
“Why, what’s up?” I ask, picking up the duvet from the couch and folding it.
“You don’t have to do that,” she replies, pointing at the now folded duvet.
“It’s okay, why do you sleep out here?” I ask.
“The kids have the bedroom,” she replies and then points at the couch. “That turns into a bed but I never pull it out.”
“So why can’t you come with me today?” I ask.
“Rita had to go out so I don’t have anyone to watch the twins,” she says simply.
“Can’t they come with us?” I ask.
“You wouldn’t mind that?” she asks a little shocked.
“Of course not,” I say and furrow my brow. “Why would I mind?”
“I don’t know,” she says, looking suddenly nervous. “I just assumed I guess.”
“Are you tarring me with the rich boy brush again?” I joke and watch pink color her cheeks again. “I love children. My best friend has two and they’re amazing.”
“Okay, well as long as you’re sure?” she double checks. I nod and she goes to the bedroom to get the children ready.
“Caleb!” Maddie yells as she runs from the bedroom and jumps on to my lap.
“Hey there kiddo,” I laugh as she wraps her little arms around my neck.
“Mommy said we are going out with you,” she says. “Where are we going?”
“Shopping,” I reply through a forced smile. “Then maybe we can go for something to eat afterwards.”
“Only if you’re paying, rich boy,” SJ jokes and I realize this is the first time I’ve heard her joke about money. Usually she’s pretty serious about it and would have shot down the suggestion, telling me how many people we could feed
“Did you ever ask the old woman?”
“She told Mike to tell me it was none of my business,” he replies, referring to the head of Slate Security’s legal team.
“But she happily took your money?” I ask.
“Yes, and now the grandmother has died, and Evangeline wants nothing from me.”
“Can you blame her?”
“Maybe she’s right—I deserve to be behind bars for what I did,” he muses.
“Grayson, it was an accident. What you did was dangerous and stupid but it was still an accident,” I try to reason with him.
“Will you look for her?” he asks but doesn’t acknowledge me.
“I’ll look into it. I can’t promise anything, but maybe it’s time you let this go,” I tell him and he just scoffs in reply. “I have to clear my schedule tomorrow and I won’t be available for a week, I’ll look for her after that.”
“Where are you going?” he asks suspiciously.
“I’ll be being a homeless and poor man,” I respond and wait for the laughter to erupt.
“Why?” he asks with no trace of humor. Not the reaction I was expecting at all.
“I made a deal with SJ. If I can be homeless for a week, she has to let me get on with my job and stop trying to guilt trip me about evicting them.”
“And if you don’t make the week?” he asks.
“I will, so it’s not a problem,” I reply and that’s when the laughter starts.
“Again, I’ll ask. What if you don’t make the week?”
“I have to let them stay in their homes,” I mutter and Grayson’s laughing gets louder.
“You idiot,” he laughs and then takes a deep breath. “Congratulations on your new tenants.”
“What makes you think I’ll lose?” He doesn’t answer, he just looks me up and down and starts laughing again. “I’ll see you in a week,” I say, grabbing my things and heading out the door.
I’ll make it through the week. I have to.
***
After a horrible night of broken sleep, I finally make my way to SJ’s, stopping at the store on the way and preparing myself for the inevitable trip to Goodwill.
I run up the stairs, taking them two at a time and knock on SJ’s door.
“Hey, come in,” she says when she finally opens the door. “I have a small problem, you may have to go shopping without me.”
“Why, what’s up?” I ask, picking up the duvet from the couch and folding it.
“You don’t have to do that,” she replies, pointing at the now folded duvet.
“It’s okay, why do you sleep out here?” I ask.
“The kids have the bedroom,” she replies and then points at the couch. “That turns into a bed but I never pull it out.”
“So why can’t you come with me today?” I ask.
“Rita had to go out so I don’t have anyone to watch the twins,” she says simply.
“Can’t they come with us?” I ask.
“You wouldn’t mind that?” she asks a little shocked.
“Of course not,” I say and furrow my brow. “Why would I mind?”
“I don’t know,” she says, looking suddenly nervous. “I just assumed I guess.”
“Are you tarring me with the rich boy brush again?” I joke and watch pink color her cheeks again. “I love children. My best friend has two and they’re amazing.”
“Okay, well as long as you’re sure?” she double checks. I nod and she goes to the bedroom to get the children ready.
“Caleb!” Maddie yells as she runs from the bedroom and jumps on to my lap.
“Hey there kiddo,” I laugh as she wraps her little arms around my neck.
“Mommy said we are going out with you,” she says. “Where are we going?”
“Shopping,” I reply through a forced smile. “Then maybe we can go for something to eat afterwards.”
“Only if you’re paying, rich boy,” SJ jokes and I realize this is the first time I’ve heard her joke about money. Usually she’s pretty serious about it and would have shot down the suggestion, telling me how many people we could feed
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