Page 85 of The Lady on Esplanade
“He did.He also wanted me to let you know that he’s been thinking about what you and Sarah said.”
I exchanged a glance with Sarah.“Wow.Thanks for letting us know.”I could tell by her face that she wanted me to say more, but I was reluctant to share anything in front of Henry, including how many times a day I brushed my teeth.He seemed to be the type of person who would take any glimmer of information, twist it, then use it against you.I had no proof except for Trevor’s opinion, and that was enough for me.
Henry edged his way behind the sofa, nudging my side table with his leg and jostling the loose pills as he peered out the window.“I offered to drive because I wanted to see where you and Jolene live.I’m not gonna lie—I kinda expected something a lot nicer.It’s kind of a dump, isn’t it?”
“Thanks for noticing,” I said.“Jolene’s done a great job of decorating and has made it homey, which is all I need, and it’s also all I can afford right now.I’m spending most of my money and energy on renovating my Creole cottage, which will hopefully be done around New Year’s.”It was unclear why I was trying to justify myself to this man.There was just something about him that made me bristle.Apparently he had the same effect on Mardi, since my sweet dog growled when Henry tried to scratch behind the dog’s ears.
“How’s your house hunt going?”I asked.“I know Mimi loves having you stay with her, but I’m sure you and Camille are looking forward to getting your own place.”
Henry grabbed another handful of popcorn and shoved it into his mouth, stray kernels falling to the floor.Mardi stayed close to my side instead of licking them up like he usually would.“I’ve been busy working, so Camille’s supposed to be taking care of that,” he said with a full mouth.“Not sure why nothing’s happened yet, but we’re pretty comfortable at Mimi’s.I think she appreciates having me around for security, too.”
“I thought she had an alarm system,” I said, unable to stop goading him.It was too easy.Besides, he deserved it.I wanted to ask about Camille’s working, too, but Felicity cut me off.
“Your water glass is empty—can I refill it for you?”
“Yes, please.”She picked up the glass before disappearing into the kitchen.
“Looks like y’all have been having a party in here,” Henry said, indicating the dirty plates and loose pills.
“If you’re offering to help clean up…”
“Nah.That’s women’s work.Wouldn’t mind having a tour of the place, though.Beau’s been talking about me joining JR Properties, to help with construction, so I’m studying up on old places like this, to figure out what doesn’t work for modern living.”
I’d heard Beau say that exact thing, and it didn’t surprise me that Henry would simply repeat what he’d heard instead of coming up with an original thought.
Henry brushed off his hands over the popcorn bowl, and I caught Sarah’s look of horror behind his shoulder.He continued.“I had a year of engineering at Louisiana Tech before I realized I knew a lot more than those so-called professors and dropped out to forge my own path.”
“And how’s that working out for you?”
Felicity appeared with my water and placed it next to my pills onthe side table.“I’d love to see the place, too,” she said.“I mean, the company is named after me.I should probably know more about what it does, right?”
Sarah began leading Felicity and Henry to the back hallway that separated my bedroom from Jolene’s.“There’s just one bathroom,” Sarah said.“So if you’re talking about modern living, I’d highly suggest having more than one, just in case there are boys living in the same house.I have to share a bathroom with my brother, JJ, and I can’t describe the trauma.”
I closed my eyes, listening to Sarah’s voice as she moved through the small apartment.I focused on deep breathing to distract myself from the pain in my ankle, telling myself that I could wait two more hours for my bedtime dose.
I must have dozed off, because when I opened my eyes again Felicity was gently nudging my shoulder.“You okay?”
“Fine.Just tired from lying here all day.What did you think?”
“It’s a dump,” Henry said.
Ignoring him, Felicity said, “I love what Jolene’s done with the décor!It’s hard when you’re renting, because you don’t want to invest in anything permanent, but theWizard of Ozdécor in her room is adorable.”
“She takes her devotion to the Emerald City very seriously.Wait until you see her plans for my cottage.She’s done an amazing job of exchanging shout-outs and other promo on our social media channels for goods and services.Jolene is truly a gem.As is Trevor.He made a breakfront for my kitchen out of an old antique.He’s a genius.”
Henry coughed.“More like a troublemaker, if you ask me.”
“No one did,” I said, not caring whether I sounded belligerent.There was only so much I could take, and his saying something mean about Trevor pretty much took me over the edge.To Felicity, I said, “I’m hoping to get Cooper to drive Sarah and me to the property on Esplanade on Friday.If you’d like to come with us…”
“I’d love to,” Felicity said.
“If it’s as much of a dump as this is, I think I’ll take a pass,” Henry said.“Now, if you ladies will excuse me, I need to use the little boys’ room.”
Sarah raised an eyebrow and pretended she was trying not to throw up.
“Are you sure you’re okay to ride in a car?”Felicity asked.
The alarm on my watch sounded.“Time for me to move.”I sat up and Felicity and Sarah, one on either side of me, pulled me onto my scooter.“I’ve already figured out that it takes fifteen minutes to go to the kitchen and back.If I do that four times a day, that’s the one hour I’m allowed off the couch.I’m already going stir-crazy, so I’d say a field trip would be just what the doctor ordered.Traveling by car won’t be much more strenuous than sitting on the couch.”
