Page 16 of Hard Evidence
The relief at being able to answer “yes” was indescribable, although the idea of sharing an apartment with a man left me twitchy after my experience with Ridge.But perhaps a purely platonic arrangement would be okay?More of a business relationship?Money in exchange for a roof over my head and polite conversation in the kitchen.
“Yes, I’m single, but I do have a large dog.He’s very well-behaved, though, and he could stay in my room rather than roaming in the communal areas.”
“The dog’s fine, but you wouldn’t actually have your own room.If you want, you can sleep on the couch until you’re comfortable enough to share the bed.”
I’m sorry, what?“Share the bed?”
“It’s a king-size.You get half the closet as well, two-thirds if you ask me nicely.Can you cook?”
This time, I hung up first and then stared at the phone in disgust.It was tempting to dunk it in hand sanitiser, just in case pervert-cooties could spread electronically.He wanted me to share his freaking bed?Living in the car seemed more appealing with every passing minute.If another man answered, I’d save my breath and hang up right away.
The next room had been rented already, and the one after that, and the one after that.I checked the dates—the ads had only been up for a day or two.Was the housing market really that tough?Any place that wasn’t owned by a cranky poodle fan or a pervert got snapped up within hours?Years had passed since I last rented.Before I met Ridge, I’d shared a third-floor apartment in Brunswick while I studied at the University of Maine.A major in food science and human nutrition with a minor in management.In those days, I’d dreamed of owning a restaurant, but that dream had been shattered in the last month of my second year.On a Tuesday.A lovely, sunny Tuesday when my whole life fell apart.
I tried the next ad.A definite “no” to dogs.The woman went so far as to tell me she hated them.Mangy, noisy creatures, she said, and I was glad Shiro had a limited understanding of the English language because his hearing was excellent.Three more rooms were unavailable, and my phone battery was getting low.The next place was more than I could afford at two hundred bucks a week, and also a little far away near Warrenton, but I was desperate.
“Hi, I’m calling about the ad on Craigslist.Is the room still available?”
“Yes…” There was a “but” coming, I could tell.“But somebody called right before you did, and they’re coming to view it at three.”
Dammit.I’d missed out by minutes, and the property looked lovely in the photos.And it was an actual house with a yard rather than an apartment.I tried to convince myself that it was for the best, that it would be harder to find work in the suburbs than in the centre of town, but I still couldn’t shake the feeling of disappointment.
“Just out of interest, if it was still available, would you allow pets?”
“What sort of pets?”
“A dog.”
“Oh, I love dogs.So does Mandy.”
“Mandy?”
“One of my roommates.She’s a vet tech.”
“He’s quite big.”
“When I was growing up, we had boxers.Is he a boxer?”
“More of a German shepherd cross.Maybe part mastiff?He was a stray, so his parents are a mystery.”
“Mandy volunteers at the animal shelter on the weekends, and sometimes she brings home a puppy to foster.They’re so cute, but boy, are they hard work.The last one dug holes all over the yard.”
“The landlord didn’t get upset?”
“Not really.”She gave a tinkly giggle.“The landlord is my parents, and what they don’t know won’t hurt them, right?My dad took a job in Alaska, but they want to move back here when he retires, so I’m kind of house-sitting.We just filled in the holes and sprinkled grass seed over the top.”
This place sounded perfect, and I felt slightly sick.If only I’d called the number on this ad first, I could have saved a whole bunch of heartache and also not had a sleazeball invite me to be his sex doll.
“My boy went through a digging phase, but he’s over it now, thank goodness.”Ridge had been so annoyed by the holes.His mouth set the way it always did when he got angry, and that had been the first time he threatened to dump Shiro at the shelter.“Plus he’s attended training classes.If the person doesn’t take the room, do you think you might be able to call me back?I’ve just moved to the area, and it’s hard finding a place that allows dogs.”
“Kendra—my other roommate—has a goldfish, and most landlords wouldn’t even let her keep that.There’s so much prejudice against pets these days, which is super sad because they’re family too.”A sniffle.“We have rose bushes in the yard, one for each of the pets we’ve lost.”
“That sounds like a lovely idea.”
“Are you living near Warrenton at the moment?”
“I’m in Leesburg, but I’m not attached to the area.I need to find a new job as well.”
“There’s plenty of work in this area if you aren’t fussy.Kendra’s brother runs a bar, and he’s been short on waitstaff for months.”A pause.“I probably shouldn’t do this, but you know what?If you can pay a security deposit and the first month’s rent in the next half hour, I’ll tell the other girl not to come.She sounded kinda princessy, you know?Like she was too good for chores.You don’t mind sharing chores, do you?”
