Page 17 of Throw Away the Key
“About how long?” Sadie sighed. “Okay. Yeah. Well, we'll be here. In my apartment for the time being. Okay. Thanks, man.” Her mouth curved to one side as she disconnected the call. “So the guy is already on another job, and he said that they'd be here in about two hours.”
“I'm so sorry. It feels like I just keep making things worse for you.”
Sadie smiled slightly. “Well, unless you have superhuman strength, this one actually wasn't your fault. Were you headed to a party or something? Some bookstore event?”
Emma’s brow furrowed. “No, why?”
“Oh, I was just curious what the treats were for.”
Emma’s head bobbed with understanding.Here goes…“Actually, they’re for you.”
“For me?” Sadie stared at the box as if it would start moving any second.
Emma shrugged. “Yeah, I felt like I wasn't leaving a good impression on you, and I just wanted to make it up to you since you've had to bail me out so frequently already. I figured I’d get you a few things from my favorite bakery and hopefully smooth things over a little bit.”
Sadie bit her lip as she frowned, turning her attention to Emma. Her dark eyes locked onto Emma’s searching for something, Emma squirming under her gaze. “Were you under the impression that I was mad at you?”
Emma cocked her head to the side thoughtfully. “No, but I also wasn't thinking that I was becoming your favorite tenant. I don’t want to be the annoying one that you regret approving.”
Sadie’s shoulders relaxed. “Well, I don't know if there is anybody that actually holds the title of favorite, but anybody that brings baked goods is alright with me.” She peered at the top of the box, the energy around her becoming lighter.
“I wasn't sure what you liked or whether you have any allergies, so I just picked at random and hoped you weren’t avoiding carbs.”
“Is it okay if I open it?” Sadie gestured, hovering over the lid with curiousity.
“Of course, it's yours!” Emma pointed out the different items in the box. “I’ve got some sweet, some savory, some chocolate, and some gluten-free.”
Sadie opened the package and reached in, sampling one of the matcha madeleines, her eyes lighting up. “Wow. These arereally good.” She said, her cheek full. She captured a crumb with the tip of her tongue, catching Emma off guard.
Emma’s stare zeroed in on the wet mark on Sadie’s lower lip, her cheeks warming as she gulped and found her words. “Yeah… I am telling you this place is amazing and I strongly recommend that you check out Kerri's if you've never been there before.”
Sadie polished off her madeleine. “I'm going to have to do that for sure. Thank you again. Please, I'm not going to be able to eat all of this myself,” she pointed to the box. “Besides, we’ve got a couple of hours to kill. If you’re hungry, this is basically what I’ve got in the house.”
“Okay, well, thank you.” Emma nodded, reaching for a madeleine. She took in more of the apartment. The walls had been painted a slate blue and were covered in colorful paintings depicting Black women joyfully gathering and dancing. The dining table was bare except for a decorative bowl full of decks of playing cards from different places.She must travel a lot.Emma imagined Sadie jet setting with nothing more than a pair of sunglasses, a hi-res camera and a shoulder bag. “Wow, this is a really nice setup. How long have you lived here?” She glanced back.
“About five years.” Sadie leaned her hip against the kitchen counter, her elbow resting on the surface.
“Have you always done property management?”
“No, but I actually own the building.”
Emma stilled, the other half of her madeleine dangling before her open mouth. “Oh, I did not realize that. Wow, good for you!”
“Well, I don't exactly advertise it,” Sadie shrugged. “My grandparents used to own this place and it was one of the few things we were able to keep in the family with my parents passing so early,” her voice trailed off. She blew out a breath and rubbed the side of her neck.
“I'm so sorry to hear that,” Emma shifted her eyes, her thoughts going to Zora when she lost her parents. “But that's quite a legacy for them to leave behind. Such a beautiful gift, and you obviously take good care of this place.”
Sadie nodded. She had a faraway look on her face, as if she was thinking about a distant memory. “Yeah, I’ve had time to upgrade some things and my grandparents showed me the ropes. We have a couple of tenants from back when they managed the building…”
“Is this them?” Emma walked toward a set of bookcases covered in vinyl records and photographs. An enlarged portrait of Sadie in a graduation gown standing between two elders stood out from the rest–an array of pressed flowers in an acrylic frame at its side. Her hair was longer and hung around her face in two-strand twists. She smiled widely, her arms around the waists of her grandparents.
“Yeah, that's them.” Sadie's face softened, her eyes glistening as she looked away.
Emma studied the photo. “ Your genes are strong! You look just like your grandmother.” Sadie’s elder had the exact same complexion, her high cheekbones and the smallest shock of gray hair running through her shoulder length sisterlocks. She was a few inches shorter than Sadie, with a proud smile as she reached to get her arm around Sadie’s shoulders.
Sadie laughed, “Yeah. Down to our baby pictures. She was my heart.”
“How long ago did you lose them?” Emma’s tone was pensive—she didn’t want to overstep, but Sadie smiled sadly.
