"So, who is he?" Vic asked."We were at the same wedding a couple of years ago, one of Grady's fraternity brothers. I don't know him well, but I remember who he is. Now shut up because he's coming this way." The Christmas themed wedding had been a large, ostentatious event, complete with open bar. And some guy spent the entire evening doing the Santa thing, you know, pretty girls in his lap every couple of minutes. When there was no one in his lap, he'd actively solicited women from the various tables. He was like Goldilocks, this one was too fat, this one's breasts were too small, this one was just right. Except it took him forever to get to the this one was just right. After he found her, they disappeared for about half an hour, then he started over. If he'd been dressed as Santa, it would have looked less conspicuous.
Daniel Peterson didn't so much walk as stagger across the yard to us. Dressed in a grey and pink Save the Tatas t-shirt, barely there tattered jeans, and a pair of flip flops, he actually looked better than he had in a tuxedo. I mean he looked like the jeans had been spray painted on that morning and someone tried to rip them from his body, if the t-shirt was any tighter I could have counted the chest hairs. I've read my fair share of romance novels and proudly based my purchases on the cover art, Grady was nice looking, if a bit uninspiring. Daniel wore two days worth of stubble really, really well. Only the sunken eyes with a complete set of matching Samsonite travel bags were about as bloodshot as I've ever seen were off putting, a pair of sunglasses and no one would know. Not that I'm much of an expert, but my college roommate, Beth, was as wild as I was mild; and except for the beginnings of a beard, he looked just like her the morning after.
"If I can get him fumigated, do you think I can have him?" Vic asked. "He looks like the captain from that old TV show Firefly. I always did have a crush on him."
I shrugged. "We'll talk in the car." My voice doesn't carry, except when I don't want it to. You know how when you are at a party and all but have to yell for your friend to hear you? I'm the person who is still yelling when the music suddenly cuts out.
I raised my hand in greeting and said, "Morning. Great day, isn't it?"
Daniel grunted. "One of you is Bernie XXX?" he asked. (ok so I forgot her last name, so shoot me)
"Guilty," I said. So he didn't recognize me, or at least not the name. It had been at least five years ago and I hadn't been one of the hordes that had graced his lap that night. It wasn't like Grady and I had done a lot of socializing with his old frat buddies. I'd spent too much time working and Grady had been studying and making grand plans for a future that evidently didn't include me.
He shoved his hand into his front jean's pocket and fished around for the keys. "So you interested in the place?"
Vic said, "Oh, yeah." I don't think he even sounded that breathy when he was alone with Chris.
I would have elbowed him, but there was no point. It would be like dragging a kid away from a bakery display, no harm was being done and nothing was going to happen. His boyfriend wasn't going to be aware and Vic definitely wasn't my boyfriend.
"We'll see," I said.
"Marcella said you were interested in a long term lease." Daniel fumbled his attempt to get the key into the lock; three attempts later and we were in.
I had wanted the place to be cute, cozy, comfortable, and move in ready. It was cramped, overcrowded, and claustrophobic. It looked exactly the way I wanted my grandmother's bungalow to look in time for Grady and whatshername to move into. But I knew how steep the deposits were on my grandmother's rental contracts and that she'd have a professional cleaning crew in and my dad and his crew to go over the place with a fine toothed comb before it was even shown to someone.
"I haven't spruced it up yet to rent," Daniel said.
"Ok."
"Keep an open mind," he said. "It could be a great little honeymoon cottage for you two."
Vic started to laugh. "Absolutely."
I cringed. Vic was trying to act like we might be together and I wanted to avoid any and all uses of the word honeymoon since God only knew if or when I'd ever go on one.
"Are you going to be doing anything to spruce it up?" I asked. I doubted he'd be taking the old sunflower wallpaper out of the kitchen or the faded cabbage rose paper out of the living room, but I could always hope. The furniture in the place was a hodge podge, but I was certain the place would be empty when the tenant moved in, so I tried not to let it overpower how I felt about things.
"Clean the carpets. Make sure the roof's in good shape. That kind of a thing."
"Not going to get rid of the wallpaper?"
Vic looked at me and mouthed, "Interested?"
I tried to indicate with my eyes I wasn't, but when I looked to my left, I noticed the bathroom. It was completely updated. The tub was the kind with the jets, where you could take a glass of champagne and let bubbles change your emotional state. The rest of the room was done incredibly well: lots of storage, new toilet, beautiful tile, and good lighting.
I wandered into the bedroom, for the age of the house, probably 1920s somewhere, the bedroom was huge and there was closet space. The problem wasn't so much the wallpaper this time, red velvet, really? And all of the mirrors. Mirrors on closet doors or even behind a room door doesn't bother me. They can let in light or give you just one more chance to make sure you look ok before you leave for the day. This room had all of that plus the ceiling was mirrored. If I ever wanted to stay in bed and do my makeup, it would be perfect. Especially since it looked like it was a magnifying mirror. Whoever had lived there might have had a problem with his image of himself? Maybe?
"Marcella didn't say how much you wanted for rent," I said. I'd seen enough to know I wasn't going to rent it, but figured I'd at least be polite about it and ask.
He named a figure.
"Well, thanks." I said, "It's out of my price range?"
"Too much?" he asked.
I nodded. It was kinder than saying what I thought of the place.
Vic said, "It's a little rough and it needs some work."
"No deposit. And I can reduce the rent," he said. He named a new figure. It was still too high for me even without the deposits. I'd still have to move my utilities and that always cost something.
He named a new, even lower figure. It was now in line with what I had been paying for the apartment and the square footage was much better. I could spread out a little and feel like I was taking on life on my own terms. Not settling or compromising. Again.
"Is this place haunted or something," Vic asked.
"No. But there is a catch." If Daniel was going for salesman of the year he wasn't going to get the title. Not by a long shot.
"What's the catch?"
"Louie."
"Who is Louie?" Vic asked.
"Louie comes with the place. He's the one thing I can't negotiate."
"He?" I asked. I think I liked the idea of a ghost better.
~~~
tbc
word count: 1420
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