Chapter 24
Two days pass in a blur.
When I’m not at Beck’s place snuggling with Bodi, I’m at Blank Page avoiding his owner.
It doesn’t matter that I’ve been staying with him because he still comes here every single day to see me.
After finally getting an insurance adjuster out yesterday, his uncle was here and ready to work only an hour later.
The crew of five have already taken care of the plumbing, and I’ve got water again.
Blank Page is open today for the first time in nearly a full week.
Business is great for my mental health, but with it brought Ruthie and her endless interrogation.
I’m still trapped in the kitchen an hour after opening, rapidly running out of lame answers to her probing questions.
With every flippant response, she just grows more curious.
I lose my grip on the double-edged sword when she asks the one thing I know she’s been holding on to since she arrived at the ass crack of dawn.
“You’re living with this man, then?”
Staring out at the crowded shop through a sliver of a crack in the kitchen door, I debate making a run for it. She’s too old to catch me if I actually tried to run . . .
“Quinn Michelle Archer, don’t you even think of running. Would you like me to bust a hip chasing after you? Then who would bake those croissants you love so much, hmm?”
I hang my head, giving up. “Did you look at my driver’s license?”
“I’ve known you for long enough to have earned the right to take a quick peek.”
“You’re shameless.”
“Guilty as charged. Now, tell me what’s going on. You can’t simply tell me you’ve finally found a man and then ignore all of my interest in the matter. This is a revelation! Aren’t you excited to talk about him?”
The sad truth is that I actually am, and it has nothing to do with convincing her that we’re together.
Beck has made it his mission in life to convince me to give us a real shot, but without actually saying those exact words.
He says he’s okay with whatever happens not leading to an actual relationship, but I don’t buy it.
Not when this is the same guy who’s been forcing himself to drink a million types of coffee for me for months when he hates the taste of it.
He’s paid so much attention to my likes and dislikes the last three days that his pantry is now filled with peppermint tea, expensive organic honey, and an entire drawer in the fridge heavy with lemons.
I complimented the colour of the towels in the ensuite bathroom, and the next day, there was a throw blanket on the bed in the exact same shade.
My electric toothbrush died my second night there, but when I asked if he had a spare manual one, he left the condo and bought a new one for me that’s much fancier than the one I left in the trash.
There’s a different hand soap by the kitchen sink now because I mentioned in passing that I thought the original smelled like used socks.
He confuses me. Everything I know about him from my online research tells a completely different story from the one playing out in real time, right in front of me.
This is the same guy who was photographed stumbling out of a club with a girl on his back?
Or the one who got caught mid-thrust in the alleyway of a different club?
My stomach twists as I erase those articles from my mind once again. Unfortunately, it’s getting harder to do that. Especially now that I’ve met the dog sitter.
I need to ask him if he’s slept with her before. I’ve almost done it twice now but chickened out both times because I know that when I do bring it up, he’ll know I’m jealous, and there won’t be any believing my denial.
Ugh, I know he didn’t. Asking would be pointless when I already know the truth.
“Of course I am.” I twist, leaning back against the wall. “But we’re not living together. As soon as the bathroom is finished, I’ll be staying here again.”
She frowns, disappointed by my answer. “You’re not tired of seeing him every day already, are you?”
“No. It’s just way too soon to be moving in with him. We’ve only been dating for a little while.”
“Don’t buy into societal norms, honey. It’s only too soon if you truly believe that.”
“I do. Do you really think I am ready to live with a man?”
Ruthie gives me the side-eye while wiping the sanitizer spray from the metal countertop. “Clearly, there’s something different about him. I was expecting you to start adopting cats with how little you were leaving this place to socialize, let alone with men.”
“I’ll have you know that there’s nothing wrong with having cats, Ruthie.”
“There is when they become your only friends.”
“I have friends,” I argue stubbornly.
“Callie and Eli don’t count.”
I huff, folding my arms over my apron. “Yes, they do. What’s the point of having a sibling if they can’t be your best friend?”
“You’re obligated to be friends with her. I’m talking about conversing with someone who you didn’t grow up with. A stranger turned friend.”
“And I suppose that you have a million friends, then?”
My shoulders are rising as I pathetically try to shield myself from her spot-on accusations. She’s been working for me for too long, clearly. There’s no hiding anything from her.
“Matter of fact, I have two handfuls of them. My evenings are booked and busy, honey.”
The nickname melts me just enough to soften my reply. “Been winning at bingo much?”
“You do pay attention,” she muses, winking. “Yes, I have. And the invitation is still open for you to join me sometime. I know kids your age think bingo is only for grannies, but I’d bet all my winnings at the casino last night that you’d enjoy yourself.”
“I’ll take the offer under advisement.”
“Actually!” My stomach sinks when she spins around and claps her hands. “You and Beck can come join me tomorrow night. Introduce me properly to your boyfriend, Quinn. I promise not to scare him off.”
“Oh, I don’t think he’d be—”
“I’ve done my research, so if you’re going to say he’ll be playing, he will not be. His last home game is at eleven, so he’ll be done in time to come. Both of you can be at the hall at seven sharp.”
“Ruthie, I can’t force him to go play bingo with a bunch of seniors after pitching in a baseball game.”
Her beaming smile droops, and I instantly regret speaking. The sad look in her eyes cuts at me.
“Callie is your family by blood, Quinn, but I’ve long since stepped in as a member by choice. You’re going to let me talk to this boy the way your nan would have, alright? I won’t have any more arguments about it.”
That shuts me up. Any and all arguments evaporate off my tongue as I nod just once. There’s a hot sensation in my throat that I swallow down.
“Good. I’m not here for today, then.” She walks the few steps between us and lays a calloused palm to my cheek. The touch makes my nose burn, the annoying prickle of tears appearing behind my eyes. “Letting people love you isn’t a weakness, honeybee.”
It feels like one.
She pats my cheek a final time before dropping her hand and passing me on her way to the door. I stare at the space where she was just standing and blink furiously enough to force the tears back before they can fall. The door swings open and then closed, leaving me alone.
Reaching behind my head to tighten the elastic in my hair, I rush to the office.
The familiar scent of the old leather couch and oatmeal that Eli microwaves himself every morning steadies me a bit.
I listen to the heavy footsteps and male voices from upstairs and nod to myself.
With a sniff, I straighten my posture and take the stairs two at a time until I reach my apartment door.
It’s open, allowing me an unrestricted view of the current mess. Someone rolled up the carpet from the hallway and placed it in the living room. Dust from boots covers the cardboard they laid out on the rest of the floor. I inhale and crinkle my nose at the particles floating in the air.
Beck’s uncle, Rick, runs the company, and when I spoke to him yesterday, he seemed to know exactly what he was doing.
His experience helped put me at ease, but really, it was Beck’s confidence in him that had me stepping back to allow them to get to work.
It would have been too easy for me to hover up here all day to watch them work, and I’m also well aware that it would have slowed everything down.
This is easier, even if I hate not being able to see what they’re doing every step of the way.
“What’s up, Quinn? How did the stairs feel on the way up? Stable, I hope. They were pretty rotted, so I’m glad Beck mentioned checking them out.”
I blink, noticing Rick standing right in front of me.
His goofy smile makes him look young, though I’d guess he’s at least fifty.
Because I know he’s related to Beck, I can see the similarities between them.
Beck’s always looked like a spitting image of his father, and this guy has the same dark hair and green eyes and even near-identical bushy brows with their sharp arch. This is clearly his father’s brother.
“The stairs?” Staring over my shoulder, I blink at the ones with a slightly lighter stain.
They’re a close match, but different. New.
I didn’t hear a single creak on my way up.
My stomach swoops. “I just wanted to steal a look at the place. But they’re great.
Thank you. I wasn’t expecting you to touch them. ”
He nods at me and ignores the two beeps from his phone. “Easy peasy, honey. We’ve got the carpet rolled up now, and we’re working on the subfloor while one of my guys goes out to grab the replacement material. You want a look in the bathroom?”
“No, that’s okay. The tile I chose is alright, though?”
“Oh, yeah. My tiler’s getting it ready to lay this afternoon. The shower was in good condition, so we didn’t touch it. Honestly, this is one of the easier jobs we’ve had with water leaks. We should be fully out of here in two days.”
I release a breath, smiling slightly. “Thank you. I appreciate you guys coming so last minute.”
“Anything for Beck’s girl. I’m sure he’ll bust my balls for this later and warn me off like a true Rourke man, but once we’re finished here, I’ll leave my personal number with ya so you can call me whenever something like this pops up.
I’m usually working around the area, but on the odd chance I’m out of town, I’ll send one of my guys over to help. You’re family now, yeah?”
“Uh, great. Yeah, that would be nice.” I stumble over my words, unsure how to respond to that offer.
He winks, and it’s so similar to Beck’s that I nearly blush. “And tell my nephew to bring you around sometime. His mom’s been riding his ass about getting a girlfriend for a while now, and she’d love to meet you.”
This time, I do blush. “We’re not dating.”
“Eh, semantics. Think on it, then. I’ll let you get back to what you were doing, but you need anything, just holler. I mean it.”
“Actually, before you go, I was curious about the bill? I’ve been asking Beck for it, but he’s been avoiding telling me exactly how much this is going to cost me.”
Humour sparks in his eyes as he slips his hands into the pockets of his brown work pants. “No bill, Quinn. Like I said, you’re Beck’s girl. I told him we were all good when he offered to pay.”
My features tighten as I say, “He didn’t mention that.”
“And I see that I’ve sparked a bit of something here, so I’m going to get back to work. Give my nephew a hard time, please. He needs a bit of a spanking from time to time.”
And with that, he quickly leaves me in the entrance of the construction zone, bossing around the two guys lingering. But me?
I leave the building entirely.