Page 10 of Pixie Problems
I gazed around in appreciation. “Did you have the bonnet made custom? Well, you'd have had to. These jeeps don’t have bonnets.” I touched the ceiling. “It's not a soft bonnet. Wow, I didn't know you could get custom bonnets like this made.”
She shrugged. “The jeep was dirt cheap. I had the money to spend to get the top squared away. It's heavy steel. You know, just in case.”
Just in case. Yep. Okay. And I was contemplating living with her. Honestly, I wasn't too bothered. And it wasn't because I felt sorry for her, although I did have compassion for what she went through everyday. It was mostly because I was comfortable around her, and I didn't foresee any major clashes with our personalities. I'd just buy a disaster-proof safe and keep all my irreplaceables and guns in there.
We drove into the Seahaven complex, and my eyes widened in shock. The townhomes were large, each had their own lot, and as we drove through the complex, I spotted several pools. There was even an on-site gym!
“How on earth do you afford this on a police secretary salary?” I asked, totally flummoxed. There was just no way.
She shrugged. “I'm the granddaughter of a leprechaun. Having my own job and being out on my own was non-negotiable, so I compromised on letting him help me with rent. He chose this complex because these townhomes are some of the nicest in Moonhaven, and they have really good on-site security.”
So, rich grandpa. Check.
She stopped in front of #12 and tried to grab the garage remote from her visor, but fumbled it, and it fell behind our seats. I mashed my lips together, fighting a smile, and rescued it from under my seat, hitting the button.
Her garage was a mess. There were marbles in a jar partially spilled over a shelf, books stacked in crates, old furniture long past its prime, lawn and gardening tools that were just tossed behind the long workbench along the side and so much more that it boggled my mind. She had tons of extra supplies like toilet paper, paper towels, shampoo, conditioner, soap, etc. stacked on shelving. Which was a good idea, in theory, but in her garage it just made it look like the apocalypse was coming.
“Wow. Okay. Project number one. Is this just...” I didn't know a way to say it and be gentle at the same time.
“It's my curse,” she sighed. “It started out clean and organized.”
I nodded decisively. “Okay, we can work with this. As long as there are no bodies, all good here.” I eyed her. “No bodies, right?”
“Of course not,” she said indignantly.
I wanted to smile. It was the first time she'd stopped apologizing for basically existing and given me a normal, healthy response.She's not your project, Dice.I knew that. I did. But Lucky was basically crying out for my help. First, I needed to get her to a boxing gym. She needed more confidence. I knew I couldn't help with the chaos swirling and eddying around her, but learning self defense and working on strengthening your body always made people more confident. That was something I could help her with.
We fought through the mess in the garage and made our way to the door. It led into a hallway that branched off with stairs on one side, and a bathroom on the other. “It has two bedrooms. One bedroom is upstairs, that's the master, and the bedroom I use is down here.”
“Why would you not use the master bedroom?” I asked, puzzled.
“Stairs,” was all she said, and I nodded. Oh, yes. Made sense.
“Anything else on top?”
She flicked on the kitchen light, and I glanced around a neat, mid-sized kitchen with gleaming stainless steel appliances. “There's a game and craft room, and then your bedroom and bathroom. That's pretty much the top floor. Down here we have the kitchen, dining, living room, my bedroom, and a second bathroom.”
The dining area was pretty cool. It had a table that looked custom made that fit in a sunny little corner with benches along each side. That room looked like it got a lot of sun.
The living room had a large, L shaped couch in a soft, faded blue. It looked all kinds of comfy and made me want to sit down. But if I did that, I'd probably fall asleep. It was a hazard of how hard I worked myself each day, and how on edge I'd been lately. I thought I was maybe borderline narcoleptic. The minute I sat, I was out.
French doors led to a private backyard that was tiny, but cute. She had a fountain, and several planter boxes overflowing with flowers. I jogged up the stairs and checked out the master bedroom. It was large, and the bathroom had a walk-in shower, which I loved.
“How much per month would be my share?” I called down the stairs.
“My grandpa pays half already, so it would essentially mean you'd pay one third. Your share, and paying half of the utilities, would be about eight hundred a month,” she yelled back.
I thumped back down the stairs. “Where do I sign?”
* * *
After signingpapers at the lease office, I picked up my bike at the Sheriff's Office and checked out the boxing gym Finn had texted me directions to. I poked around inside, asking the employee behind the desk some questions, and generally tried to see if I liked the feel of the place. I did, and membership came with a free tee-shirt, so win/win.
My first week at The Tea Hobbit was uneventful. One of my coworkers, Falista, was a bit high-strung, but I dealt with it without resorting to violence. By all appearances, Hux and his thugs were leaving me alone. I didn't know how they were affording a roof over their heads, and I didn't care. I just wanted them to stay away from my loved ones. And myself, preferably.
It wasn't until my third week in Moonhaven Cove that I came across the star elf and vampire again. They had a girl with them who had a huge smile on her face. She was looking around the shop in interest before the star elf dragged her into a booth.
I knew the vampire noticed me, I honestly thought it was possible he noticed everything, but right then my ear drums were shredded by Falista's screams. To clarify, yes, elves are revered by pixies, especially star elves. Pixies, by their inherent nature, have a strong bond with the forces of the cosmos. It sounds hokey, but it's completely true. We felt the pull of the moon, the stars, and the sun more than any other race except for elves, who could basically control the elements.
