8 #2
“Weren’t you celebrating a work thing that night? A promotion, was it?”
She dropped her head and avoided his eyes. “Yeah, that was a mistake on my part. Turns out that celebration was a bit premature.
I wasn’t trying to mislead you for free drinks or to get in your pants or anything.”
He honestly did not know how to respond. She could have said almost nothing to him at Willow and he’d likely still have been
interested. The chemistry was too good. He took another look at the odd woman in front of him and wasn’t sure he’d have felt
the same way if he had met her here.
For now he had more pressing questions, and it appeared she was the one he needed to be asking.
“Okay, well, I was wondering if you might be able to help me. My granddad just moved in yesterday, and the email with his community information said he’d need to check in with the office.
I’ll also need to register for a parking pass for my rental.
I’ll need a copy of the liability waiver for him to sign so he can ride the community shuttle when needed.
And I guess, if I can do it all right now, I’ll register myself as an underage visitor for the next couple weeks. ”
Gladys’s eyes grew wide. “Oh gosh. Well, I absolutely do not know how to do any of that, so I don’t think I can help. I’m
sorry. Um—” she leaned in and lowered her voice “—who told you that underage visitors needed to check in?”
“I read it in the HOA bylaws,” Henry replied.
Her brows lifted.
“You read the HOA bylaws?” she said, nodding. “Well, I doubt anyone’s gonna hold you to those.” She turned her head away from
him. “At least, I hope not,” she said under her breath.
“Well, you never know. And I’d like to follow the rules just to be safe. Don’t want to get my granddad in any trouble for
harboring an underage visitor past his welcome,” Henry joked.
Gladys leaned back in the desk chair looking completely stumped. She looked him over from head to toe, head cocked to the
side, assessing him. Henry refused to squirm. Why should he be concerned what this wacky person thought of him?
But then she shook her head and shrugged a shoulder as if she just wasn’t going to give it another thought.
“Someone will be here in—” she looked at the clock on the desk “—seven minutes to help you. This is above my pay grade,” she
said.
“Fine,” he said. He looked around, saw the waiting chairs, and took a seat.
“Did you say your granddad just moved in? That’s great. What’s his name? Would he be interested in joining us for the Spicy
Book Club?” She laughed to herself. It was very loud for this small space. Henry winced.
“I doubt it. He reads mostly thrillers and memoirs.”
“Gardening Club? How about the Walking Club?”
“He’s older and has some mobility limitations. I don’t think he’ll be participating in any activities for now.”
She frowned. It was like the light was suddenly turned off in the entire neighborhood.
Henry felt the need to explain. “We moved him to Sunset Hills because, well, it’s a peaceful place, and he can live a slower,
quiet life.”
Her frown deepened. “Oh,” she said, “that’s a shame.”
“I’m sorry?”
“It’s just that, well, I see the appeal of a slower life, I guess. But even in this past week, I’ve met too many people not
wanting the folks here living their lives to the fullest. It’s like family members send their loved one,” she said using air quotes, “here hoping that they’ll just pass peacefully or something. It’s so sad.” She frowned slightly
and sighed. “Anyways, I was thinking that since I’m here for now, maybe I’d help out and just add some pizzazz to the place,
if I can.” She held out her hands and shook them in some weird razzle-dazzle kind of motion. “Wouldn’t that be cool?”
“Well, first of all, I assure you that’s not what I’m doing with my granddad. But anyways, what’s wrong with wanting someone
to live out the rest of their lives peacefully?” Henry asked, affronted. “Not everyone needs pizzazz.” He looked down at his
own hands, forcing them not to razzle-dazzle in return.
Even thinking of Dennis at the end of his life brought a sharp pain to his chest. He held back from rubbing it. She was making
a pretty strong assumption about him and Dennis after having met him for only five minutes, plus a naked night together. Who
was this Gladys person?
She shrugged her shoulder like she didn’t believe him.
Henry wasn’t sure what to say or to make of all of this. This was why he tried not to talk to people on any personal level.
“Hi, sugar. Thanks so much for covering for me.” An older woman with salt-and-pepper hair entered the office and gave Gladys
a kiss on the cheek.
“No problem. Did you have a nice lunch?” Gladys asked her.
“It was fine. I sprinkled some of that garlic powder on my tuna sandwich like you told me. Delicious.”
“Right? It elevates it.”
An elevated tuna sandwich. With garlic powder. Sounded like a sodium problem waiting to happen. Henry was starting to think
this place could be dangerous if his granddad fraternized with the wrong people. But if he just avoided the community center,
he’d never have to run into Gladys and her judgments and poor dietary choices.
No chance they’d be hooking up again anytime soon. He absolutely did not feel regret over that.
“This gentleman here needs some help,” Gladys said over her shoulder. “He’s very set on following the rules,” she added before
walking out the door.
“How can I help you, honey?” the new woman asked.
“I need to get some permits,” Henry responded. He looked out the window as Gladys walked past, blowing a big bubble with her
gum out her mouth before it popped and lapping it all back in with her tongue. He could not wrap his head around that being
the same girl he’d had mind-blowing sex with.
“Oh. Well, that would be George. He’s only here from eight to ten in the morning on Wednesdays and Fridays. Can you come back
tomorrow?”
Henry looked back down at the woman behind the desk. “I mean, will it be okay if I don’t have them today?”
She laughed. “Sure, it will be. We trust you.”
He didn’t feel right about waiting another day, but it seemed he didn’t have a choice. He nodded, said his goodbyes, and walked
out.
Fifty yards ahead of him was the bright pink scrunchie and the woman attached to it. He tried to slow his pace, but his legs
were longer, and he wasn’t going to just stop in the midmorning heat.
Gladys glanced over her shoulder.
“Are you following me?” she asked.
“I’m not following you,” he replied.
“Do you even know where you’re going?”
“Yes, back to my grandfather’s house.” He wondered if he should take a detour so that she wouldn’t know where he lived. He
wasn’t sure she was entirely safe.
When they got to the corner, she turned left, just as Henry did.
“I know jujitsu,” she said.
“I’m not gonna hurt you.”
“That’s what they all say.”
Henry threw his hands up in the air in frustration. If she was scared of him, why was she even talking to him? That didn’t
feel like a good form of self-preservation. Plus, they’d seen each other fully naked. Seemed she’d trusted him just fine the
other night.
“I choose the bear,” she suddenly shouted as he’d moved up behind her to pass her.
“Uh . . .”
A woman in a rocking chair in her screened-in porch craned her neck. “Sweetie, you okay?” she called.
“I’m fine. Thanks for checking, Myrtle.”
“Cute outfit,” Myrtle called back. “The lipstick suits you.”
“Thanks, it’s Mimi’s,” Gladys replied.
“Why are you wearing Mimi’s clothes?”
“Because the airline lost my luggage, and I haven’t heard from them yet.”
Well, that explained the wacky outfit. What was the explanation for the wacky personality?
Henry stepped off the sidewalk and picked up the pace as he crossed the street. He got to his granddad’s house ahead of her,
but she was still in sight. Henry stopped, contemplating whether to give away that this was his destination. She was odd,
but harmless, right?
She stopped at the house directly across the street, seemingly contemplating the same thing. She squinted her eyes at him
and stared. They were in a standoff.
Who would move first?
“Do you live here?” he said. Henry felt a drip of sweat make its way down his back. He wouldn’t last out here in the heat
much longer.
“None of your business,” she replied, wiping the sweat off of her forehead with the back of her hand. She looked at the house
and then back at him and then up at the sky. She let out a frustrated growl. “It’s too hot for this,” she muttered. “Just
so you know, we have a security system,” she yelled as she walked through the small fairy gate and into the well-kept house
across the street from Henry’s granddad’s new home.
Henry shook his head and did the same.