Chapter 12 #2
“Oh.” He looked a bit mortified. “I did kind of jump the gun there, didn’t I?
Umm, let me start again.” He cleared his throat.
“Lace, if you’re still interested in having a roommate, and won’t mind a bunch of social service people dissecting your living space for whatever kind of cooties they’re looking for, I’d love to be your bo… roommate.”
What word had he stumbled over? Had it been boyfriend?
That had to be wishful thinking. Lace wouldn’t mind Vince being more than a roomie, however.
Maybe this was a good way to start.
Unconventional, but so was this whole thing.
Lace just hoped that once Vince got a load of how crappy her life was right now, day to day, he wouldn’t run away screaming.
“Well, that’s settled then,” she finally told him, opening drawers and cabinets and handing him their dinner settings. “It means I won’t stand on ceremony, and you can start doing your part.”
He took the proffered dinnerware. “Putting stuff on the table is hardly contributing,” he scoffed. “What we really need to do is talk money, chores, and all the other logistics involved before we shake hands on the deal.”
Smart.
And one more thing to like about Vincent. He was enthusiastic, but careful.
Half an hour later, food was on the table, and they were eating while hammering out a deal that would work for both of them.
To begin with, it didn’t prove difficult. Vince loved the house and the property, and was more than generous with what he offered to pay for monthly rent.
His disappointment came to light when he mentioned the condition of the full bath he’d be using.
Lace didn’t blame him.
It was a good-sized room, but still had the same, ancient coral-pink tiles that had been there for Lace’s entire life. Those, along with fixtures that had been dripping for so long that she’d simply turned off the water supply rather than deal with a plumber, and yeah. It had problems.
The tub was stained; a claw-footed specimen whose porcelain had seen better days. And it was equipped with one of those improvised showers on an umbrella framework with a wrap-around curtain that never worked for anybody.
Lace shivered, remembering how, no matter what she did, the slick material would insinuate itself around her legs, making her think of ghost fingers.
And the toilet? Don’t even get Lace started on how disgusting it was. It had been around for so long, that no matter how much she scrubbed it, it always looked dirty.
When Vince mentioned that he had a friend who could possibly do a quick reno on the space, Lace didn’t hesitate.
“Yes. Please. If you want to plan and oversee the update, I’m game. I don’t have the energy to be part of any decision making, but I trust you. Just let me know how much it will be,” she told him, spearing a dumpling and popping it into her mouth.
Money, while not abundant, wasn’t an issue for Lace. She worked long hours, and never had enough free time to spend her earnings.
Besides, upgrading the house was a good investment.
“Nope,” Vincent countered, also digging in heartily. “This one is on me. Statler will give me a great price, I already know that. And if it weren’t for me moving in, you could just keep the door shut and ignore that bathroom for years.”
He had a point, but any upgrades would add to her equity.
She’d let him continue before she shot him down.
“I also insist on being the one to pay for the swing-set, and I’m sure my mother will be swooping in to take care of any additional linens and things that will be needed to accommodate two extra bodies around here.”
Yuck. He’d probably noted the threadbare towels, and the chipped dinnerware, but Lace just hadn’t had the wherewithal to replace her grandparents’ old things, and she wasn’t much of a shopper. Having Ellen Sothard take charge, would be a dream come true.
“I’d like that,” she agreed.
Lace sat there, being pretty blown away. Vince was not only thinking logistically, he was willing to go the distance and put money toward stuff she should have done a long time ago.
That didn’t mean, however, that she wasn’t going to be stubborn on a few things. But since she knew he would be obstinate, too, a compromise was necessary.
“Okay,” she partially conceded, twirling a noodle onto her fork. “I like what you’ve proposed, but only if we split everything, fifty-fifty.”
Vince looked like he was about to argue, then must have seen the unrelenting look in her eyes, because he backed off. Sort of.
“I tell you what,” he placated. “Let’s find out what it’s all going to cost first, then we’ll continue negotiating.”
Lace snorted, his tactics clear as day. “Which means you’re going to ask your friend to bill you a different amount than you’ll tell me he’s charging.”
Vince didn’t look the least bit embarrassed at being caught out.
“Well, we will be getting a bargain,” he told her pragmatically, “and since I’m putting you out, I think my share should be larger. Don’t worry, though. I’ll make sure you get to contribute.”
Lace didn’t like to give in, but she wanted Vince here, and discouraging him wasn’t on her agenda. She thought up a solution on the fly that she hoped would work.
“I’ll agree to that,” Lace told him, “if you agree to let me buy all the groceries and do all the cooking for both of us.” She used her firmest tone.
A huge smile lit up his face.
“If this supper is any indication, I’d be a fool to turn that down. I’ll be getting one hell of a deal. But…”
Lace could almost see him mentally rubbing his hands to continue their parlay.
“You buy groceries, I’ll buy take-out when you don’t feel like preparing food. Also, you get to do all the indoor cooking, but I’ll be in charge of everything outside.” His smile grew wider. “And I get to buy the new grill.”
Lace snickered. “You drive a hard bargain, but… deal.”
She stuck her hand out to him over the table, and they shook.
Vince suddenly adopted a deer-in-the-headlights look.
Gulp.
If it had to do with the sparks she just felt when they touched, she understood his sudden intake of breath.
“Umm,” he began again, this time losing his brassy edge. “We actually need to address…that.”
“Right.” Lace agreed, not even pretending she didn’t know what he was talking about. “Where is this…thing between us going, and how do we proceed to navigate it while living under the same roof?”
Vincent’s shoulders relaxed a little that they were on the same page.
“I have a few ideas, but how about this? We both come up with a list of expectations, our dos and don’ts, then we share them after work tomorrow night?”
“About that,” Lace told him, not shooting him down, but wanting him to be fully aware of what he was up against. “I’m normally not home until well after dark, six days a week this time of year, and I’m out of here at the crack of dawn.
Which all leaves me pretty exhausted,” she informed him. “But we can give it a try.”
“Great. Does eight or nine o’clock work for you? I’ll bring food.”
“Eight should be good. But I’ll call you if I’m going to be later. Which reminds me…” She got up, walked over to a drawer, and extracted a spare key. “This is for you.”
He looked at it as if it were gold. “Sweet.”
Lace sat back down. “But I’ll warn you right now, once I get home after a full day on the ocean, I can fall asleep in the middle of eating.”
“Then it’s a good thing I’ll be here to lift you up and tuck you in.”
Yeah. That would certainly be nice.
The mischievous dimple Lace had glimpsed a few times before, popped out again as Vince threw down the napkin he’d used to wipe his mouth, getting an even more devilish look on his face.
“There is just one more thing,” he posed.
Lace couldn’t think of an issue they’d missed. But she’d bite.
“What’s that?” she asked with an arched brow.
“I get to name the dog.”