I skip up the porch steps of the old brick building that was once a three-story walk-up townhome, which had been converted ages ago, and in a matter of moments, I’m standing inside my apartment on the first floor. I painted it a bright white all throughout when I moved in because the walls were a weird dull yellow and kinda made me ill. The first time my friend Riley had come over and seen the white walls, she’d compared it to a hotel suite. She’d not meant it as a compliment, but I took it as one. I like that the walls are clean and fresh, because on the other hand, the furniture and my “things” are just a mess. Secondhand couch, the tiny dining room set someone gave me complete with a leg that likes to come off the table, and a TV that I found in the bookstore when I took over the lease.
I happened to win my mattress right after I moved here in a weird fluke, taking part in a social media contest when a local bedding store opened a town over in Lake Lorelei. It was a good thing I did because, for the first month I was here, I’d been sleeping on my floor on top of a pile of bedding. Bedding I’d purchased for a bed I’d get one day. So in a sense, I called that mattress to me. Like that movieField of Dreams: build it and they will come.
Tossing the boxes to the side, I head to the back door and let Toto out before I look around and wonder where I should start first. I have seven days to evacuate. Where do I go?Worst case scenario, I guess I can set up camp in my bookshop, but storing my things is another matter.
I don’t want to move again. I just don’t want to. I love this place so much, but another part of me wonders that if I have to pack everything up, why not just break the lease or get out of it if I can get a new place?
A grunt from Toto, who has already come back inside and is flopping at my feet, reminds me why. Not many landlords get excited to hear that you have a giant Rottweiler as your roommate. I was lucky I was able to get a place on the first floor here. I’m pretty sure the sound of Toto walking back and forth on the second or even the third floor would be annoying for anyone who lives underneath us. I have needs, and special ones at that, with this dog.
“But you’re mine,” I whisper, kissing the top of his head. Dark black eyes search mine, darting toward the boxes. He knows something’s up. Doggie intuition. It’s a thing.
I take a box and toss it over by my bookshelf, a find from a local yard sale, and grab the remote, finding a playlist on Spotify. The sounds of Coldplay soothe me as I start pulling titles from the shelf and get to work, determined to fill these boxes before I start dinner.
Just as I grab the first few books there’s a knock at my door, which causes Toto to race over and stand quietly behind it. I love that he doesn’t bark if someone knocks; he just waits like a good, silent, stoic soldier to see if he needs to pounce. One word from me and he will. I just have to say “gotcha” and he’ll chase you. If I want him to stop, it’s a simple “here here” and he’ll come back. There’s also “friends” which I use so he knows any other person who is with us is good and he doesn't need to be on guard. Somehow we’d managed to come up with these signals together and they work. Luckily I’ve only had to use “gotcha” once. It was still one time too many.
When I look through the peephole, a flutter ripplesthrough my chest. Levi is standing outside my front door and it totally surprises me. My hands fly up to my hair, which feels like a matted mess. I pull it out of the high ponytail I’d looped it in and give it a shake, only to second-guess myself. It feels desperate, so instead I whip it all into a bun at the base of my neck instead.
As I open the door, I motion for Toto to stand down, which he does by planting himself beside me and watching the door. There’s a grin making its way across my face and I don’t want to stop it.
“Hey.” I fling the door open so Levi can come inside. “What brings you to these parts?”
“Can’t get enough of you,” he says with a chuckle, causing a liftoff of heat in the area surrounding my heart. If only.
“Don’t you know how to make a girl feel special.” I wave my hand for him to come inside. “Just got home myself.”
Levi struts in, walking over to Toto and patting his head. Toto is still tense, unmoving but keeping his eyes on Levi. He knows Levi and trusts him, but I’ve trained him to stay on alert. We’ve trusted before and been burned.
“Friends,” I remind him, patting Levi’s arm.
Levi’s eyes widen as Toto visibly relaxes, his whole Rottie demeanor changing as soon as I say the word. “It’s amazing to me that you have your own language with that dog.”
“I should have trained him in German,” I say with a wink. “Then you’d be really impressed.”
“The fact that you have like, four or five words that only the two of you know and he’ll listen to them is impressive.” Levi scans my living room, his eyes landing on the boxes immediately. “What’s going on there?”
“I have to move out temporarily.” Sighing, I fling myself into a wingback chair. “There’s termites in this building, and they’ve done a number on the foundation. Apparently, thereare stability issues they need to sort out, but I’ve got to leave. Seven days to evacuate.”
“Is that legal?”
I nod. “It is. There’s a lawyer a few doors down from the bookshop, Elaine Lenhart. I went to see her this afternoon to make sure, and she said that my landlord is within their legal right to do it, but they do have to reimburse me for at least four days of being ousted from my home.”
“So they’ll pay for a hotel? And your food?”
I shrug. “To some degree. There’s compensation, but it’s all so vague I’m not sure what’s going to be compensated exactly. The rental company said they’ll do everything they can to make it so it doesn’t feel like we’re gone very long, but that makes me laugh.” I stretch my arms over my head, loosening my knotted shoulders and fighting a yawn. “It’s not like I’m in a position to just take a day off work and move everything, nor am I some kind of witch who can wiggle her nose and everything’s boxed up and moved into storage, you know? I have to put it all away, then get it all somewhere plus find a place to live. In seven days. While running a business.”
I bang my head against the back of my chair, a favorite of mine even if it is close to falling apart, thanking my lucky stars for its softness. It’s a good chair, it’s just old. Rolling my head to the side, I look at Levi. “Sorry. I’m just irritated.”
“Look, friends help each other, right? I’ve got time on my hands, I can help you.” His tone is so sincere as he reaches out and puts a hand on my knee. I can’t help but let my gaze fall to where his skin touches mine, a warmth I could get used to. He leans closer to where I sit, and squeezes. “What do you need to do? Where can we start?”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Nodding my head to the corner of the room behind him, Iindicate to the pile of boxes. “I want to fill those tonight. It’ll make me feel a lot better if I do.”
“Done. Won’t take us long either, so we can go and get more boxes tonight if you want. I know a storage place on the outskirts of town that sells cardboard boxes for moving. While we’re there, we can see about rental fees.”
I’m pretty sure my shoulders are sliding down back to their original position just under my ears now. He makes it sound so…easy. “Yes, please.”
