Page 57 of Just Trouble

“No,” I say and it’s true. “It’s about me, figuring out where I stand.”

She watches and waits, but I don’t admit any more. I want her to be surprised when Sylvia arrives. I also don’t want her to have a chance to call Sylvia and convince her to stay in Toronto.

Maybe I am a meddler like Patrick.

“I could refuse,” Una says finally. “I could decline to be in your debt instead of Patrick’s.”

“But you aren’t in my debt. It’s a gift, free and clear. All yours.”

“You didn’t think that might hurt my pride?”

I didn’t and it probably shows.

Una laughs at me and pushes to her feet. She pats my arm. “I’m not going to turn you down, but you have to tell me what I can do for you in exchange.”

“Nothing.”

She snorts as she passes me, on her way to the door. “Don’t refuse so quickly, Luke. You never know when you might need a friend.”

It’s good advice and I’ll take it. “You didn’t say you were offering friendship,” I say lightly. “That changes everything.”

She grins and I see a younger woman in that expression, a mischievous girl more than happy to issue a challenge. “All rightthen,” she says. “I always make a cup of tea for my friends when they visit, so you’d better come in.”

I do, and even though it’s linden flower tea, I drink the entire cup.

The things we do for friends.

When I get back downtown,it’s after noon. Daph has parked her dad’s car in front of the diner. There’s no sign of her, so I’ll guess she’s at work. I have a second set of keys, so I open up the place to do something useful—well, more useful than talking to a woman in love with a loser who isn’t me. The diner smells like dust and solitude with a base note of old grease.

But I’m charmed all the same.

I love that I remember this place when it was bustling, full of kids ordering a plate of fries after school or an ice cream. I remember the whispered confessions in the booths and the squeak of the vinyl seats that sounded almost—but not quite—like farts, and how we boys cackled at that. I remember spinning on one of the stools at the counter and am saddened that they’ve been removed and likely sold.

And I particularly love that it’s one of two properties in Empire that Patrick doesn’t own anymore. His price was higher than anticipated, given that it was just for two places of the five listed, but I would have emptied my accounts to make this happen. I’m still in good shape financially, thanks to years of royalties that accumulated and weren’t spent, but the inflow of cash is a lot less than it was. As landlord, I’ll need to invest in this place even for it to pass the health code. Maybe that will clean me out. I don’t much care.

I’ve never owned real estate before. Never felt the need. But this, this kind of feels good. It feels like a solid choice, permanence, roots and a plan. An investment in the future, maybe, or at least a step toward figuring out what that future is.

At least so long as Meredith doesn’t take one look and run screaming back to the city.

To avoid that, I hang my jacket on a hook by the door and leave the umbrella to drip there. I fill an ancient pail with hot water in the industrial sink and try to make this place a little cleaner before she arrives.

Thank goodness Daph thought to get the utilities turned on again.

No one has entirely emptied the place, even after all this time. It looks like Leon and Dotty assumed the diner would be taken over and run by someone else. They left some cleaning supplies and unmarketable chattels like this huge old metal pail on wheels. The tables and chairs are gone, probably sold, and everything that remains is ancient. Turning on the lights does the place no favours, but it can only look better when it’s cleaner.

I get to it. Floors first. I think the linoleum tiles are set in a black and white checkerboard but it’s past time to find out for sure. The detergent is wickedly effective and I consider that it’s probably been banned during the time the diner was closed. It’s good, though, and I have to appreciate how quickly I make visible progress.

That’s motivating.

13

DAPHNE

It rains all day, and the weather perfectly echoes my mood.

I see Luke arrive and head into the diner. I know he has keys so that doesn’t surprise me. What’s unexpected is that he doesn’t come back out. There’s movement inside and I wonder what he’s up to, even as I try to concentrate on the forms in front of me.

I think about going over there. I think about emptying Dad’s car, but I know I won’t be able to spend time with Luke and just leave things be.

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