Page 86 of Deeper

“Not yet, but he’s determined,” I said.

Paul and Rajaa joined Zander at the island and I sautéed green beans at the stove. It felt normal to be cooking for Zander, to be around Paul and Rajaa like I fit in. Peeking over my shoulder, I found Zander glancing my way as well, sneaking me a smile.

It all felt so…natural.

16

BLUE

It happened Monday.

I had the day off from work so I’d gone to a hair appointment to take out my extensions and get a silk press. But as I stood in front of my apartment door taking in the eviction notice, I regretted coughing up the coins for the do.

What a terrific day to start my period.

Even as I took into possession the folded sheet of paper, reading and rereading the sixty-day notice, I couldn’t grasp its meaning. I needed more confirmation as a lump lodged in my throat too big to swallow down. Still, as I looked up and down the hallway, spotting more folded sheets of paper taped to doors, I knew this was all too real and not a prank.

The sound of an old telephone ringing caused me to jump. Someone was calling me, pulling me from my trance.

I gathered my cell phone to find that it was Zander.

“H-Hello?” My heart began to race so much it hurt, and it felt as if I was having a hot flash.

“Hey, I just got out of a meeting with the label. They are lovingAbstract. We’re aiming for a twelve-track record, but I’m feelin’ really good about the songs I laid down so far. It’s all a time crunch if we’re going to make the Dec—”

“I…I can’t.” I couldn’t breathe or focus.

I hung up and went straight to my neighbor down the hall. Of all the people who moved in and out of my level of the building during my time atLakeside Manor, I’d only spoken to one of my neighbors. A guy somewhat older than me in apartment 1B.

We’d met officially a year before, when I’d been in my own head about to send an angry tweet and he’d greeted me. It went from a simple exchange of hellos to him coming my way and introducing himself, letting me know he’d noticed me for a while and he thought I was cute. His name was Wade, and call me terrible, but I’d been so engrossed in my angry tweet I’d barely paid his compliment any mind—not to mention Rod was in the picture then.

While we hadn’t become friends, we’d kept it cordial with hellos whenever we ran into each other. As much as I wanted to run over to the main office building and confront the manager of Lakeside, I didn’t trust my temper. Really, the staff in the main office weren’t that bad, but judging by our building’s maintenance man, I wasn’t a big fan overall on their professionalism.

My second year in my apartment they installed a new toilet, and when I complained that the toilet was too far up and I couldn’t shut my bathroom door, maintenance came to fix the problem. The resolution? Cutting a hole in my door, sanding it down smooth, and painting it over.

Everything about Lakeside Manor was janky and outdated. This sixty-day notice shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did.

Wade came to the door after I knocked a couple of times. He was surprised to see me. I could tell by the way he blinked and bore a small smile. Wade was a much taller Black man, somewhat on the chunky teddy bear size, but otherwise handsome and polite.

“Hello,” his deep, musical voice said to me.

My heart ached and I tried my best to keep it together as my shaking hand lifted up the notice. “What’s going on?”

Wade’s smile diminished as he took in my offending letter. He shook his bald head. “Word is, the owner of this place was back in payments and got bought out. The new owners want to renovate, probably make it a nicer complex or place of business, I don’t know. It’s a damn shame, though.”

It was true.

I had sixty days to find some place new to live.

Stiffly, I offered up a smile. “Thanks. Guess I better go make arrangements.”

Wade nodded. “Yeah, for what it’s worth, it was nice seeing you around.”

I hummed out a response before turning and going back over to my apartment and letting myself in. All at once, everything I owned jumped out at me, my furniture, my TV, my bookcase full of DVDs and Blu-rays, the small collection of books I owned—everything.

Reality started to set in and I knew I was having a panic attack. What was I going to do? Where was I going to live?

A piercing pain shot across my chest as ice seeped into my veins. An ache pulsated in my temple and I feared I’d die of an aneurysm.

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