Page 25 of You'll Love it Here

“All good here now?” Carmen bites at Jane.

Jane looks at me instead. “Fine.”

I keep my grin in place and try not to flinch as Carmen shoves past me to grab another box. His belt buckle glares at me, too close for comfort.

If I’m going to survive these people for six more weeks, I have to reframe this. I just need to pretend this is a professional development opportunity. Good practice for handling entitled clients who sometimes make me want to disassociate. And when I’m back at the office—Lana as my client, promotion in hand—I’ll have plenty more of them to deal with.

Carmen heads back to his apartment, and Jane walks out of the building via the front door. Peace having temporarily been restored, I continue into the basement to complete my inspection.

The laundry room is decent (for Valleyview standards, which means there’s a pile of old detergent boxes and lint balls that tenants just tossed next to the bin provided without giving a shit); the garage is full of what I can only guess is more of Carmen’s junk (including a box of twisted metal that gives a real your-catalytic-convertor-is-not-safe-here vibe); a few cars, including Divorced Dad’s red Santa Fe, and a rack full of rusted bikes whose owners have long since moved on with their lives.

After leaving the garage, I reopen my phone’s notes app in the hallway.

I write all the tasks needed:

-Electrical inspections (Several suites and areas)

-Have Carmen clear out his boxes/junk/tools/bullshit from common areas

-Figure out origin/get rid of odor on first floor (somehow)

-Exterminator

-Get someone to clear out/donate old bikes

It isn’t long. It seems sodoablethat it’s like a glimmer of hope after such a dark tunnel. The hardest part will be convincing other tenants to do things. Inspections will involve getting access to their units. I get the feeling it’ll be like dealing with toddlers again.

But the faster I can help sell this place, the faster I can get back to my real life. My better life—away from this place and all this bullshit.

In a few weeks this shit show will all be over.

I just have to keep my eyes on the prize.

Normal Food

Irene emailed me. Again. This time she insisted I put Ernest’s booties on for his walks due to the expected storm. They just make his legs step independently from one another, like a baby deer learning to walk. As I make my way down the block, the heavy rain creates tapping sounds on the oversize hood I’ve cloaked over my head. I reach the diner, where a warm glow spills onto the sidewalk. I’m a tad early this evening, so Sami isn’t waiting for us yet. I’m about to head to the park when the front door of the diner lets out a chime and an older man’s voice calls out, “Mona joon!”

Ernest tugs the leash. I turn to see Sami’s dad staring at me. His thick brown pants hang a little too low, yet don’t quite cover his ankles. “You were the girl with the joke words last week, yeah?”

Shame bubbles as I recall there was another witness to my drunken actions. Why must this hangover never end?

“Sir, I’m really sorry about how I acted—”

He’s already flicking his hands in my direction, shaking the apology away. “That was a good time. And who is this man you callsir? You call me Abu.” He points to himself with two thumbs and stands tall, fighting the rounding of his shoulders.

I nod. My cheeks are still warm.

He holds the door open wider. “After you drop off the dog come in from this rain.”

I shake my head on instinct. It’s been almost a week since mydrunken mess, and I’m not ready to face the diner yet. “Normally I meet Sami at the side door...”

Sami comes peeking out from behind his dad’s shoulder, his frame almost a full foot taller than his dad’s. “Hey, Mona! Sorry, I was caught up.”

“Mona, tell me, you like zereshk polo?” Abu asks. “And don’t tell us no just to be polite. We don’t have time for you to make up all the lies.”

Before I can answer, Sami’s face twists. “Dad, what the fuck are you even saying?”

Abu swats the air near his son. “You shut up with yourfuck thisandfuck that. You think it’s so cool to be swearing? I’ll show you fucking.”