Page 25 of Passion

She turned to me, shaking her head, and my heart shrank back. She’d done it again, calling Lucas my sugar daddy. It pricked me until I bled—and what I bled was not pretty, indignant self-reliance, fury over being thrown in the garbage by Daven, and determination to prove everyone and everything wrong. I was independent and I would prove it to everyone. I didn’t need my mother or Lucas or Daven.

“Look, this is my decision.” I marched over to the door and swung it open. “Mr. Kline, I’ll take it.” I blurted the words out faster than Midge could protest, and at the same time, I opened my purse to pull out the deposit money. “Eight-hundred-dollar deposit, right?”

The old man smiled and nodded, stepping into the room and holding out his hand. “I can draw up the papers right now and you’ll have the keys before you walk out.”

I beamed, looking around the tiny studio apartment with pride. Midge scowled at me, but she didn’t say a word. She knew better. This was my moment to shine, and I wasn’t letting anyone steal it from me.

We followed the landlord to his office on the bottom floor courtesy of the stairs because the elevator hadn’t been functional in three years. My legs were tired, and I was thankful the apartment was on the third floor, not the eighth. I chose to think of the added legwork as a great way to keep my legs looking in excellent shape. Midge complained that she’d never come to visit, and I chuckled at her.

After signing the papers and getting the keys, I sent Luke a quick text in celebration.

Vera 3:12 PM: Got the place! So excited. Tonight we celebrate!

Then I followed Midge out front to wait for our Uber. Even the distant rumbles of thunder couldn’t bring me down now. The place wasn’t fancy, but it was mine, and I couldn’t wait to make it my own. I just hoped Lucas wasn’t as appalled as Midge. If so, I knew I’d have a fight on my hands.

20

LUCAS

We sat on the back patio in the warm afternoon breeze. The sun had crested over the house, leaving us in shade for our lunchtime break from packing. Vera’s things were boxed and ready to go across town to her new apartment. I had strong ambivalence churning in my stomach. I didn’t want her to leave, and I believe that if she did, the distance between us might mean her pulling away from me. It wasn’t insecurity, just a gut feeling that she would be busy and distracted and life would lead her away.

On the other hand, I was so proud of her for owning her independence. I hadn’t seen her this happy since we’d met nearly six weeks ago. There was a glow about her that I couldn’t place, but it looked good on her, and so did that yellow tank top and the white shorts she wore. I was really going to miss seeing her every day.

“So, tell me about the place. Is it nice?” I took a bite of my sandwich, a tangy panini Ella had grilled up for me. The outside was crisp with cheese grilled right into the crust, while the inside dripped with juice from the tomato and pesto. I’d have to tell her I had a new favorite.

“Well, it’s well within my budget.” Vera smiled brightly as she ate a potato chip and pushed the hair out of her eyes. “And it’s really retro.”

I wondered what she meant by “retro” but I didn’t ask. To me, retro meant a home that had been decorated to look straight out of the sixties or seventies, but then I was more than a decade older than her. In order to not make myself look older than I was, I nodded and continued listening as she went on.

“And it’s small, so the summer cooling bills will be low. They have added security, and it’s only a block from the nearest metro station.” Vera sipped her lemonade and watched my face. I knew she wanted my reaction, and I tried to give her the most positive one I could. The ambivalence of her leaving me was still in full, wild swing.

“Well, that’s really great. Have you told your mother?”

Her face dropped and she set the lemonade down. “Not yet. I just got over the fact that she had you followed around. I’m so sorry that happened. She is so overbearing and controlling.”

“Nah, she’s just protective. I understand it. I want to protect you too.”

The breeze blew Vera’s hair into her face, hiding her blush, and she curled it around her ear as she took a bite of her sandwich. We fell into a lull in the conversation, eating and enjoying each other’s silence. My mind wandered to Lorna and her prying. She had to have been either severely mistreated or hurt by a man to have such an overbearing hand in Vera’s life. I pitied her even though I should have been annoyed that she had me checked out.

Vera rubbed her forehead, squinting her eyes. She didn’t look well. Her features flushed, pink tinting her cheeks that wasn’t from embarrassment.

“Are you okay?” I reached for her hand, but she bolted out of the seat and ran to the bush, arching over it as her body heaved. My knee-jerk reaction had me at her side, holding her hair back and talking soothingly to her. “Hey, it’s okay. Yeah, just let it out.”

She threw up her entire lunch and the glass of lemonade too. When she was done, she stayed there, hovering over the bush while I collected a napkin from the table to wipe her mouth with. It had to have been either the heat or something she ate, but she looked green as she straightened.

“You good?” I asked, cradling her lower back as she blew her nose and nodded.

“I think the acid in the lemonade just didn’t agree with me. It’s sort of hot. I’m probably just dehydrated.” She wiped her nose and walked back to the table where she collected her half-eaten food and the empty glass. “If it’s okay, I’m just going to take this to the kitchen. It’s too hot out here.”

I nodded and followed her lead. If she couldn’t eat, I wouldn’t torture her by eating in front of her. We threw our trash out and set the dishes in the sink, then returned to the living room where the stack of boxes sat. The moving truck would come and take most of this stuff to her place in an hour or so, but she had several things she didn’t want the movers to handle.

“Want me to help you with these things? Might be easier than an Uber.” I stood beside her, staring at the pile of bags and boxes.

“Don’t you have to work?” Her gaze turned on me and she cocked her head.

“Yeah, well, they can wait. I own the place.” I winked at her and picked up her duffel bag. “Let me help you out.”

“Alright, thank you.” Her smile was priceless, and I wanted to keep it on her face as long as I could, even if it meant her making a graceful exit from my life.

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