Page 10 of My Rock Star Neighbor
“Wow.”
“I know.I thought you went to get your beauty sleep.”
“Too wired to sleep,” he says.“And you said I didn’t need it.”
I gaze at his handsome face (but at least this gives me a reason to really drink in those sharp cheekbones and his eyes—those green eyes with flecks of hazel) and sigh in mock exasperation.“No.”
“Where are you meeting Tasha and the other mom?”
“At a playground,” I say.
“Let’s go, then,” he says.
“Are you sure you have time for this?”
“Absolutely.Amira recommended I visit a hospital to meet with sick kids to restore my rep, but I’m sure a playground will do nicely.”
“I’m sure the story will die down.”
“I’m sure it will.”
As I limp with Nick towards the playground, someone shrieks, “Nick Devlin!”
A woman is running full speed at us.Nick suddenly clasps me to his side.I look up at him, shocked to be anchored to him.His sea-green eyes smile down at me.“Before she knocks you over and hurts your foot.”
The woman skids to a stop in front of us.“You are Nick Devlin, aren’t you?Can I have your autograph?I saw you play at Craic and Laughs and the Chubby Cat.I’m a huge fan.I can’t believe you’re in my neighborhood.I saw you on the subway, and I was playing it cool.But then I called my friend, and she said I’d kick myself if I didn’t get your autograph.So I ran back.”
Nick releases me gently.He autographs a postcard with an illustration of his last album and takes a photo with her.I stand off to the side.Nick then excuses us, saying we’re off to meet friends.His fan then thanks him and waves as we walk off.
It’s a warm day for January—the temperature is in the fifties—so lots of children are running around the playground, their shrieks of joy and high voices filling the air.An open circular space with a currently closed sprinkler in the middle takes up one side of the playground, with a long lane branching out that leads into a smaller shallow pool area.Tasha was excited about now having a sprinkler nearby for the summer days.On the other side is a huge space filled with sand and several rope structures for climbing.Trees tower over the playground.Their branches are bare, but the shade will be great during the heat.A sign across the gate announces a concert to celebrate its opening on January 25th.
Tasha waves hello as I unlock the green gate to the playground and let us in.Tasha and her friend both have newborns, and Tasha told me they are currently on maternity leave.Nick locks the gate behind us, and we cross over to meet them.The blue surface is so bouncy that it cushions my sore ankle.
Tasha introduces her friend, Dulce, and her two children, and I introduce Nick.
Nick offers to play with their toddlers in the sandbox while we talk.The three of us sit on the green metal benches that line the perimeter of the playground.I’m happy to take the weight off my ankle.Nick settles down on the sand with the two kids.He’s totally into it.He’s helping them build roads and drive the truck as I turn to the women.
“He’s mighty fine,” says Dulce.
Tasha takes a photo and AirDrops it to me.“He seems worth keeping,” she says.
“We’re just friends,” I say.
“That’s too bad.”Tasha shakes her head.
Yes.I can’t help smiling as I watch Nick scooping up sand to create a road for the truck.He clearly likes kids.He also babysits one of our neighbor’s kids most afternoons, and yet he doesn’t date.This is a different side of him that I hadn’t recognized before.He treats his band members as if they’re his family.He’s so protective of Sayo, Kyla, and Amira, like a big brother.
But the mystery of Nick Devlin is not for me to unwrap.
I focus on Dulce, who has the same story as Tasha, with a repair that left her in worse straits than before.
“But listen to what Beatrice told Dulce,” Tasha says.“Beatrice is the property manager, so she’s responsible for everything—collecting rents, making repairs, etc.”She shows me a photo of Beatrice from the building’s website.
“I told Beatrice I was going to report her to the Infrastructure Department for taking bribes,” Dulce says.“And she laughed.”
“Cackled, more like,” Tasha says.
“She said, ‘Good luck.Do you think I came up with this on my own?I pay him his cut of each repair contract to keep my job.Report me, and he’s got enough connections for you to lose your apartment.’”
