Page 26 of The Roommate Problem
“It’s a nonprofit,” she argued.
He sighed, the way one did when dealing with a very difficult toddler. She didn’t appreciate the correlation.
“I thought you came here to help Agatha run the shop.” And pay half of her rent for the next six months, hopefully longer. Finding a good roommate was tricky, and though he was a big ol’ grump, August was a pretty good roommate. She didn’t want to scour the Internet for non-creepos just to afford her place. She liked her place. She didn’t want to move into a tiny studio apartment.
And what if some tap dancers moved into the apartment? It was right above their office. They couldn’t have client meetings to the thunderous sounds of Lord of the Dance!
Okay, she might be exaggerating a little, but there was still some truth to her worry. The great thing about living above the Mile High Happiness office was the guarantee of silence during the work day. And the great commute. As a night owl, Mo hated the mornings. She needed that one flight of stairs commute so she could sleep in.
“I came here to help Gran sell the shop.”
Distress hit her like an icy cold blast straight to the chest. “Agatha’s selling?”
“No. Not yet. But it’s for the best.”
His best, maybe, but not his grandmother’s. Agatha loved her shop; she loved brightening people’s days with her beautiful flower arrangements.
“What will she do if she doesn’t have her shop?” She couldn’t imagine Agatha sitting in a rocking chair all day staring at the TV. The woman might be in her seventies, but she was still very active. Though lately she had been slowing down. Which was why Mo had been happy she was finally getting help at the shop, but she had no idea August planned to convince Agatha to sell.
“I’m buying a spot of land for the flower farm, and once she sells, Gran can come live by me. Enjoy her golden years without having to worry about getting up at six in the morning to arrange flowers for bridezillas and men who forgot their anniversaries.”
He wanted Agatha to move away with him? Mo struggled to catch her breath at the revelation. She loved having the old woman a cab ride away in case she needed a good laugh, a wise ear to talk to, or just a comforting hug. Agatha couldn’t leave her. It’d be like losing Nonna all over again. He couldn’t do this to her. He couldn’t take away Agatha.
“But…but…Agatha loves her shop. She loves making beautiful flowers to brighten people’s day. Have you talked to her about this?”
He shifted on his feet. “I have.”
From his tense jaw, Mo knew, just knew, Agatha didn’t like her grandson’s plan. Plus, the old woman would have told her about something so huge and life changing. Right?
“So she’s…”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “She’s considering it, but she would rather I stay and take over the shop.”
She let out a breath of relief. “That would be nice, and you could still have a small flower farm in the city, too.”
A nice compromise. It worked in everyone’s favor, and Agatha didn’t have to move.
“A small flower farm wouldn’t bring in as much profit as a larger one in a less urban area.”
“But don’t you care about what Agatha wants?”
His eyes narrowed, and the joy that had been on his face all morning vanished as he took a step toward her, dropping his hand to his hips.
“I love my grandmother very much. She was the only one who was there for me as a kid, and I will do everything I can to make sure she is comfortable and taken care of. Even if that means helping her get rid of the drain on her bank account.”
Was the flower shop in trouble? Agatha hadn’t mentioned anything to her.
“What’s wrong with the shop?” Because even if Agatha wouldn’t tell her, she knew August would.
“Nothing except her profit margins aren’t high enough to allow her to retire.”
“Maybe she doesn’t want to retire.”
“She’s seventy-three, Moira,” August pointed out. “She deserves to relax and enjoy her golden years.”
Mo agreed, but the thought of Agatha leaving the city…it hurt too much. Besides, the woman had friends here, a life. How could August ask her to leave all that?
“There has to be a compromise. A way you can both get what you want.”
