my personal space without any warning. As annoying as his method was, he had a point.
“Great,” I said. “We’ll just need two weeks rent up front.”
“Oh.” Cat had started to stand to go grab her bag, but she sat back down with a thump. “I actually just started my job and I haven’t even gotten paid yet. I’m sorry, I didn’t realize…” She looked like she might burst into tears. “I’m living in my car, actually, and I…”
Warning bells were banging in my head. I was only talking about a hundred bucks. If she couldn’t come up with that… Then again, I’d been new here once, too. I knew what it felt like. Of course, I’d worked and paid my way.
“We totally understand,” Angelica said before I could decide how I felt about our new roommate being broke and homeless. “Don’t worry about it, just pay us when you have the money.”
“Big mistake,” Doug said.
I felt certain he was right, but I didn’t want to question Angelica’s judgment. She had the apartment first, so it was really her place to decide. Besides, she’d been so understanding about my ghosts that I really didn’t want to go all judgmental on someone she liked and wanted as a roommate. “Yeah,” I heard myself saying. “Don’t worry about it. Just pay your portion of the rent when it’s due next month.”
Cat smiled. “Thank you so much. I have to be at work in an hour, so if you don’t mind, can I bring my stuff in and hop in the shower?”
“Of course,” Angelica said. She actually hugged Cat. “Welcome home.”
Angelica’s acceptance of me was beginning to look less exceptional. My feelings were a little hurt.
While Cat grabbed her stuff and showered, I moved around the apartment picking up dirty dishes and unread books, trying to make up for a month’s worth of neglect. As I swiped dust off the mantle, I hoped that Cat wasn’t a neat freak. Not that a girl who had paid nothing for her abode had any right to complain.
Cat walked into the living room, dressed in a uniform for a local fast food joint. “I’ll be home around ten. Would you and Angelica like to hang out?”
“We should both be here. We usually stay up pretty late. What did you have in mind?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know… Talk, maybe watch a movie or something?”
“Um, yeah, okay. I’ll see you tonight,” I said. She headed out the door, and I looked around for Doug to find out what he was doing back, but he had vanished again. I was halfway down the hall when my cell phone rang. I considered ignoring it, but it might be someone from work needing me to answer a question, so I hurried back to the kitchen and grabbed it. “Hello?” I said, a bit breathlessly.
“Kelsey?” asked a male voice, definitely no one from the store, unless Al was back in town.
“This is she.”
“Hey, this is Bruce…from the club the other night…Landon’s friend.”
I smiled until he reminded me of his connection to Landon. “Sure, I remember you. What’s up?”
“I hope this isn’t too weird, but I just really need to talk to someone about Landon and, since you knew him, I thought maybe you wouldn’t mind.”
Seriously? This was why he asked for my number? “I really don’t think I’d be the best—”
“You seem like a nice person, and I know you had every right to hate him, but it bothers me that you did. It’s probably silly, but I think it would help me to tell you more about him. I hate to think of all the people out there who don’t care that he’s dead…”
I couldn’t help admiring Bruce’s sincerity and sweetness. What a good friend he must have been to Landon. I wondered if Landon appreciated it. “I’d like to help, but you really don’t need to convince me. I’m sorry that he’s dead.” And even sorrier that he is tormenting me from the other side.
“I’m glad to hear that, but I’d still like to buy you dinner and tell you more about him if that’s okay.”
“Not gonna turn down dinner. When
“Great,” I said. “We’ll just need two weeks rent up front.”
“Oh.” Cat had started to stand to go grab her bag, but she sat back down with a thump. “I actually just started my job and I haven’t even gotten paid yet. I’m sorry, I didn’t realize…” She looked like she might burst into tears. “I’m living in my car, actually, and I…”
Warning bells were banging in my head. I was only talking about a hundred bucks. If she couldn’t come up with that… Then again, I’d been new here once, too. I knew what it felt like. Of course, I’d worked and paid my way.
“We totally understand,” Angelica said before I could decide how I felt about our new roommate being broke and homeless. “Don’t worry about it, just pay us when you have the money.”
“Big mistake,” Doug said.
I felt certain he was right, but I didn’t want to question Angelica’s judgment. She had the apartment first, so it was really her place to decide. Besides, she’d been so understanding about my ghosts that I really didn’t want to go all judgmental on someone she liked and wanted as a roommate. “Yeah,” I heard myself saying. “Don’t worry about it. Just pay your portion of the rent when it’s due next month.”
Cat smiled. “Thank you so much. I have to be at work in an hour, so if you don’t mind, can I bring my stuff in and hop in the shower?”
“Of course,” Angelica said. She actually hugged Cat. “Welcome home.”
Angelica’s acceptance of me was beginning to look less exceptional. My feelings were a little hurt.
While Cat grabbed her stuff and showered, I moved around the apartment picking up dirty dishes and unread books, trying to make up for a month’s worth of neglect. As I swiped dust off the mantle, I hoped that Cat wasn’t a neat freak. Not that a girl who had paid nothing for her abode had any right to complain.
Cat walked into the living room, dressed in a uniform for a local fast food joint. “I’ll be home around ten. Would you and Angelica like to hang out?”
“We should both be here. We usually stay up pretty late. What did you have in mind?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know… Talk, maybe watch a movie or something?”
“Um, yeah, okay. I’ll see you tonight,” I said. She headed out the door, and I looked around for Doug to find out what he was doing back, but he had vanished again. I was halfway down the hall when my cell phone rang. I considered ignoring it, but it might be someone from work needing me to answer a question, so I hurried back to the kitchen and grabbed it. “Hello?” I said, a bit breathlessly.
“Kelsey?” asked a male voice, definitely no one from the store, unless Al was back in town.
“This is she.”
“Hey, this is Bruce…from the club the other night…Landon’s friend.”
I smiled until he reminded me of his connection to Landon. “Sure, I remember you. What’s up?”
“I hope this isn’t too weird, but I just really need to talk to someone about Landon and, since you knew him, I thought maybe you wouldn’t mind.”
Seriously? This was why he asked for my number? “I really don’t think I’d be the best—”
“You seem like a nice person, and I know you had every right to hate him, but it bothers me that you did. It’s probably silly, but I think it would help me to tell you more about him. I hate to think of all the people out there who don’t care that he’s dead…”
I couldn’t help admiring Bruce’s sincerity and sweetness. What a good friend he must have been to Landon. I wondered if Landon appreciated it. “I’d like to help, but you really don’t need to convince me. I’m sorry that he’s dead.” And even sorrier that he is tormenting me from the other side.
“I’m glad to hear that, but I’d still like to buy you dinner and tell you more about him if that’s okay.”
“Not gonna turn down dinner. When
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