CHAPTER 30
Harlow had gotten a call from the apartment complex that the direct debit from her account for a security deposit had failed for some reason.
She had tried three more times to complete the transaction while at work, but every time, it had failed.
She had even called her bank to see what the issue was, but the person she’d spoken to, after waiting on the line for forty-five minutes, had said that it hadn’t been on the bank’s end.
It was the system the apartment complex was using, so Harlow would have to talk to them.
Harlow had then called the complex back and had spoken to the manager, who had informed her that they had discovered some kind of overall issue with their payment system.
He’d told her to drop by a check or money order instead, and that, unfortunately, it had to be today since it was the last day that they could hold the unit for her without any kind of deposit.
While he had been apologetic about it being their system causing the issue, the money needed to hit their bank today, and it would be after business hours that she could drop it off, so she was technically already late.
Harlow knew other people wanted the apartment, too, but they’d all be dealing with the same system issue, so she’d tried to get him to let her drop it off the next day after work.
He’d politely declined and told her that there had been two people on their waiting list, who lived only five minutes from the building, and that they would rush over with a check if he gave one of them a call.
Harlow hadn’t been sure how true that really was, but she hadn’t wanted to take a chance.
She had texted Larissa that she would have to miss the interview since she finished work at five and would have to run over to the complex and would then get stuck in traffic for about an hour to get to either the office space or Larissa’s house.
Larissa had understood, but Harlow was starting to have second thoughts about the whole thing.
She leaned back in her chair at her desk and couldn’t focus on work for a solid thirty minutes.
If they were dating now, an hour one way wasn’t that big of a deal, but an hour one way plus an hour home on the nights they didn’t sleep over would get tiresome.
And an hour was being generous, too. Some days, the highway after work was crazy.
She would know; she’d been driving to Larissa’s from work since she started staying with her and many, many times before that.
Often, the mornings were better, and she could get to work in forty-five minutes to an hour, but in the afternoons, it could be well over an hour.
She already didn’t like the drive much before they started dating, but it hadn’t been an option because she needed a place to stay, and Larissa’s place had always been like her second home.
No, Larissa’s place was her home, and dating her changed Harlow’s plans.
She didn’t want to be at work until five and then sit in traffic for at least an hour before she got to Larissa’s place, exhausted.
She didn’t want to get back in the car to drive them somewhere for their date right after that, have an hour or two together, and then drive back home if they weren’t sharing a bed that night.
If she stayed over, she’d have to leave around the same time she left now, but because they were building up around the office, traffic would only get worse with more people moving in, and she’d have to get up earlier and earlier.
She had a few options. She could still rent this apartment.
She could stay with Larissa while she looked for another one that could be between Larissa’s place and her office.
Or, she could just ask the woman she’d been on one date with if she could move in while she looked for a new job.
That last one had a nice ring to it, but she knew she couldn’t move in with Larissa now that they’d started to date.
Staying with her was one thing; it had an end date.
Living together was something they’d hopefully do for real as a couple eventually.
Harlow continued to sit at her desk until after five-thirty, searching for different apartments between her office and Larissa’s house, knowing that even if she decided to get a new job, that area should still be okay for her since it wouldn’t be that much farther from downtown, where she’d likely find a job.
She’d told the complex manager that she would be there by six, when they closed, but by six, she was still at her desk.
She packed her things and waited until she got the call.
“Miss Madden?”
“Yes, hello,” she greeted.
“It’s ten after six. I was wondering when I could expect you. I need to close up,” the guy from the leasing office said.
“I’ve been thinking about it, and I think I’d like you to give the apartment to someone else.”
“Someone else?”
“I get that you have to have the money by a certain date and stuff, but I have been sitting here thinking about it, and I don’t think I want to live there.
It’s your system’s fault, but I have to go out of my way to get you a check, or you’ll get on the phone with someone down the street, and they’ll be there faster than me?
Seems a little like extortion,” she noted as she walked.
“Like I said, I get it: you have to put money in the bank, too. But if my rent doesn’t go through one month because of your system and I’m not at home, are you going to call and have me run a check over again when I’m at work or something? ”
“No, I assure you: this is the first time this has ever happened. We wouldn’t do that when it comes to your rent. It’s the security deposit that we need. I can stay here until you can get here, if that helps.”
“No, I think I’m going to go somewhere else. Feel free to give the apartment to whomever.”
She knew it was a little rude to make him wait and not call to tell him that she wasn’t coming, but he had to be there until close anyway, and they hadn’t exactly been easy on her today, calling two additional times to see when she would be bringing the check by, despite her telling them that it would have to be after work.
Harlow was tired, and she should have just gone to the interview with Larissa, but she didn’t know how to tell her that she’d decided not to take the apartment.
She wasn’t sure how Larissa would take the news now that they’d gone on a date.
Would she want her out as soon as possible so that they could date like a normal couple?
Hell, were they a couple yet? Would she not care at all or like that Harlow wasn’t moving over an hour away?
She’d seemed so disappointed with the idea before.
Maybe she would be happy to find out that Harlow was going to look at places that were closer.
When she got to the house, Larissa wasn’t there yet, so she changed into her comfy jeans and a T-shirt and decided to cook them some dinner.
According to their text exchange, Larissa should be home in a few minutes, so a grilled cheese with bacon and tomato would be on the menu.
They had the ingredients, and Harlow didn’t want them to go bad.
No tomato soup tonight because they didn’t have any more of the canned stuff, and she did not have the time or the energy to make it from scratch.
She felt more than heard the garage door opening from behind the wall and smiled because it meant she’d be seeing Larissa soon. She flipped their sandwiches in the pan and set the table by the time Larissa walked into the room.
“Hey. You’re cooking?”
“Yeah, I thought we could do grilled cheese again,” she said. “I made yours without mayo but added bacon and tomato. What do you want to drink?”
Larissa stood in the kitchen and looked confused.
“What?” Harlow asked her.
“You’re in my kitchen, cooking, and you’re…”
“I’m what?”
“Well, you’re my best friend who’s staying with me, but we also went on a date last night.
So, is this a date, too? Or is this just a dinner between friends or a dinner between people who are dating, but it’s not an actual date?
Sorry, it’s all very confusing to me now.
” Larissa chuckled, which made Harlow smile.
“It’s confusing to me, too,” she replied. “Can I ask you something, though?”
“Sure.”
“Are we dating, or did we just go on a date last night?”
“What’s the difference?”
“Well, we didn’t set up a second date. I know we both had a good time, but I realized today that I was thinking about us as dating, and I wasn’t sure if you were doing the same.”
“I am.” Larissa smiled widely. “We’re dating, Harlow. We can plan a second date whenever you want.”
“Good.”
“By the way, it probably can’t be Tuesday because Samantha wanted me to ask you if you could go bowling again. Something about a pregnant woman not being able to bowl anymore, and you filling in.”
“She asked you to ask me?”
“She said she’d text you, but I told her that I’d see you tonight and could ask you instead. I was very tempted to tell her that you and I are dating because, well, the jealousy fairy reared her ugly wings.”
“The jealousy fairy?”
Harlow laughed and turned off the stove.
“She’s your ex, Harlow. She’s… seen you naked,” Larissa replied. “I haven’t. So, yeah, I got a little jealous because you two used to date, and you’ve been hanging out again. I know it’s petty, but it’s there. I couldn’t help it.”
“Do you not want me to hang out with Samantha?”
“I want you to do whatever you want. I’m not worried that anything’s going to happen. I know that you don’t feel that way about her anymore, and I don’t think she feels that way about you, but this jealousy thing is new to me, and it’s not rational. I’m better with rational things.”
“You’re doing just fine,” she replied and added, “And no, nothing will happen between Samantha and me. If I go bowling, you can come with me and maybe cheer me on or make fun of me if you want.”
“Apparently, you’re a great bowler, though.”
“No, I’m not,” she said with a little laugh. “Samantha was being nice and covering for me the other day when she told you that.”
“What do you mean?”
“I went to the bowling alley, but I ran into Laurel of all people.”
“Laurel? Your other ex-girlfriend?”
“Yes. She’s engaged now. Anyway, we were talking, and you came up.
Samantha joined us and told me to go tell you how I felt.
I left without bowling, got home, but you weren’t here.
That’s why I was texting you: I was going to finally confess how I felt.
You were at your sister’s that night, though, and Samantha figured out that I didn’t tell you after all and covered for me. ”
“So, you’re not a good bowler?” Larissa squinted at her.
“No, I’m not.”
“And you were going to tell me that night?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here,” Larissa replied.
“It’s fine. I’m not mad about how it ended up. We’re still here. Well, we’re in your kitchen.”
“Harlow?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you ready?”
“For what?”
“Everything. I mean, the stuff we haven’t done together because we were friends. Now, we’re dating, but you wanted a hug last night, so I’m–”
“Oh, no – I wanted to kiss you last night. I’ve wanted to kiss you forever. I just thought maybe we should take some time to adjust or something.”
“You wanted to kiss me?”
“Definitely,” she said with a little laugh. “I think since birth, maybe.”
Larissa smiled and said, “And the other stuff?”
“Yes, Larissa. I want all the other stuff with you.”
“Can dinner wait?”
Harlow’s eyes went wide when she heard that.
She went to say something, but Larissa moved swiftly and wrapped her hands around her neck.
Then, Larissa’s lips were on hers before Harlow knew it, and it took her a second to realize that they were kissing.
It was finally happening. She returned the kiss a moment later and nearly melted into the kitchen floor because the woman she’d loved forever was finally kissing her.