Chapter Three #2
"I have a proposition." I looked at Celia. "As you know, I'm currently living in a rented house that has an unwanted guest." I said the last two words through gritted teeth.
Diane jerked her head back. "Meaning?"
Celia laughed softly. "Gabe's building his new house in the Seaport District, and because he's a bit of a control freak—”
“I am not. I just like to oversee some things.”
“Anyway, Gabe wants to monitor the construction crew more closely, so he's rented a house on the same street. And the landlady insists on renting the attic apartment to someone else.”
“And it’s not really separate from the rest of the house," I added. "That guy goes up and down the stairs at least fifty times a day, which wouldn't be a problem if he wasn’t so obnoxious."
"And you can't get the house all for yourself?" Diane asked.
I couldn't help but smile. "No. Believe it or not, Diane, I'm not all-powerful."
"Hmm," she said, looking at Celia. "Not according to my sister." She laughed, then locked eyes with me again. "So, what's your proposition?"
"How would you feel about moving in to replace him?"
Diane’s jaw dropped, and Celia frowned.
"Is that even possible? You said you couldn't get rid of him before," Celia said.
"I wanted to take over the entire lease so I could live there by myself.
The landlady said she prefers having two tenants so she still has at least a bit of an income even if one leaves.
But I'm sure she won't be opposed to switching tenants. As far as I remember, the guy wants to move out but couldn’t find a replacement to break his portion of the lease.”
"But I don't think I can afford it," Diane said in a very small voice.
I shook my head. "The rent is really not a lot. That’s why the whole thing is frustrating."
"How much is it?" she asked me. I told her the amount, and she nodded, narrowing her eyes. "All right, that really isn't that bad."
"The attic is basically one room, but it’s bigger than what you have here and is fully furnished with its own bathroom."
"It would be an improvement over this tiny bedroom," Celia said.
What was I thinking? Living with Diane would be challenging. I could barely keep myself from flirting with her when her sister was around. I stood no chance when we were alone.
"This actually does sound like a good offer," Celia added.
"I agree," Diane said. "Can I think about it?"
I nodded. "Sure."
"Do you need my bio to check me out or something? I can give you recommendations from my boss."
I chuckled. "There's no need for that. I’ll ask the landlady if she does, though."
"I can't believe you’d just ask a perfect stranger to move in with you."
Celia laughed. "Nope, that's normal for Gabe. He does things differently."
"I'm already living with a stranger," I pointed out. "And I don't like him one bit."
"And you're so sure you'll like me?" Diane asked. A smile played on her lips as her eyes flashed.
"I like my chances," I countered, and she blushed. I immediately looked at Celia, but she was too busy devouring yet another chicken wing.
After that, Celia rose from her chair. “All right, well, I have to go. My shift starts in half an hour. I'll barely get there in time."
"I can drive you."
"Nonsense. You stay here and enjoy the wings. Besides, you said you're meeting your half brothers later on."
"I am. I'm trying my hand at tennis." I wiggled my eyebrows. "And failing spectacularly."
Celia laughed, taking her plate into the kitchen before grabbing her purse. The sisters said their goodbyes, and after Celia left, I could swear I heard Diane draw in a deep breath.
I turned to look at her. "Did you go to culinary school?"
She smiled brilliantly, straightening up in her chair. "Actually, I was only there for a semester before focusing on my business major, but I picked up a lot of valuable skills."
"These are delicious. I've only eaten fried chicken this good in Louisiana.”
“Thanks.”
“So, what do you do for work?"
"I'm a tour guide. And before you say it, I know you don't need a college education for that. I used to work in hotel management. I started doing tours when I moved to Boston from Portland. The move here was quick, and I needed a job. Turns out I quite enjoy it."
Once again, I tried to focus on the wings, but without Celia here as a buffer, it was becoming increasingly difficult. Something drew me to Diane.
"Why did you move here?" I asked her. She averted her gaze, which made me think it was a sensitive topic. "That's an intrusive question, sorry. Don't feel like you have to answer it. I was just curious."
"No, that's fine, I mean, if we’re going to live in the same house, maybe it's not a bad idea if we know each other a bit."
She put her fork down and pushed her chair back a bit, crossing her legs.
"I moved here with my ex-boyfriend. Well, he got a job here, and…
" She looked at the ceiling, and I realized her eyes had become glassy.
"Well, I suppose I misinterpreted his wanting me to move here with him as a marriage proposal or at least that he had long-term intentions.
" She forced a smile and then focused those gorgeous blue eyes on me.
"Turned out I was completely wrong. But hey, I'm happy to be here.
I'm closer to my sister for the first time in ten years. "
"So you're committed to staying here?" I questioned.
"Definitely. But Boston is expensive, so it will take me a bit to get back on my feet. Tell me about the house."
She crossed her legs again. Was I making her nervous? Excited? Both?
I took out my phone. "I've got some pictures here from the original email the landlady sent me." I tapped the screen, finding it in seconds, and opened the email before handing it to her.
Her jaw dropped as she scrolled through the photos. "This looks fantastic. But there aren't any with the upstairs apartment."
"I’ve never seen it, actually. I can’t vouch for the condition, but the specs are noted farther down in the email."
She looked up, shrugging. "Honestly, anything's better than my sister's room. I don't want to sound ungrateful, but I’m super cramped, and I know Celia also likes to have her space. I mean, who doesn't? And I never in a million years thought I’d break up with my ex…"
"Your ex doesn't sound like a prize," I said. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."
She shook her head, running her hand through her hair.
"We all have our journey, right? I guess it brought me here, so there's a good side to it.
" I liked that she focused on the positive—it was something we had in common.
She frowned and looked me in the eye. "Listen, Gabe, you don't have to feel obligated just because my sister works for you. "
"That's not why I'm doing it at all. You have a need. And honestly, so do I." The corners of her mouth twitched. Hell yeah, that was definitely an innuendo, and I didn't even mean it as one. "This sounds like it could solve both of our problems.”
“What a coincidence, right?" Her flirty smile was back, egging me on like nothing else.
I moved my chair closer to her, almost involuntarily. She didn't even attempt to lean back.
"I like to seize opportunities when I see them," I said.
"Clearly," she murmured. "Thank you for the offer, though I will need to think about it for a bit. Is it okay if I give you an answer later this week?"
"Sure. Give me your phone number."
She typed her number into my cell, and then I called her. It rang somewhere in the room.
"Thanks," she said. "I'll save it later."
"Want me to help you clean up?" I offered.
"You really are something," she replied as we both stood, grabbing dishes and cutlery.
"Why, because I want to help? I don't mind doing housework," I said as I watched her load the dishwasher while I moved everything within her reach.
"When I'm at my grandparents' house, I help every time. My brothers and I split tasks. Grandmother likes to cook up a storm when we visit, but at least she accepts us helping with the cleanup. We always have to choose our battles with her. Lately, though, she’s accepted ordering takeout. Her doctors told her to slow down."
Diane looked at me with a strange expression, then smiled as if she was having a conversation with herself. She started the dishwasher. "All right. Do you want a glass of wine or something?"
"No, I need to leave. Let me know about the place, okay? Because then I'll have to let the landlady know, and it might take some time until she figures out how to manage it all."
"Sure." She sounded on edge as she walked me to the door.
I turned to face her and said, "I think you and I would have a really great time."
She raised a brow. "Ah, that's your sales pitch, huh?"
I wiggled my eyebrows. "This entire evening has been a sales pitch."
"I knew it. This was too good to be true."
"You think I'm too good to be true?"
She grinned. "Have a good evening, Gabe."
"I'll be waiting for your call."
"I won't leave you hanging, I promise."
I exhaled sharply as she closed the door. I'd always enjoyed playing with fire, but even for my standards, this might be too much.