Page 9 of Waiting on Life
“Are you going up?”
I startled, which didn’t happen often. The woman standing there glaring at me was five feet nothing, and it amused me. Not enough to forego the apology she had coming.
“Sorry. Long day, and I’m asleep on my feet.” I got in, and she let go of the door. I reached out and pressed the button. “Thank you for holding the elevator.”
“No problem. I figured you needed it.”
We said nothing else until the doors opened and I stepped out. “Thanks again.”
She gave me a nod, then reached for the button. The door whooshed closed, and I turned back toward the long hall that would lead to my apartment. Normally it was just a few steps, but at this moment, it seemed like it was still miles away. Though I was only thirty-two, today my body ached enough to let me know what to expect when I hit sixty. My knees popped with each step, my feet protested, and my head throbbed. To make it even better, my stomach was growling, reminding me I hadn’t had time to eat.
I stopped outside the apartment, listening for Waldo’s dissatisfaction, but I heard nothing. It worried me that I was more afraid of this Waldo than the one who was constantly nagging me for more food. Withdrawing my key from my pocket, I was ready to slip it into the lock when the piece of paper caught my attention. I pulled it down and had just started to read it when a voice from behind me scared the crap out of me.
Kyle
I’d been dozing on the couch when I heard the groan. I leaped up and jammed my eye against the peephole, hoping to hell that it was Toby. When I saw it was, my heart did a little flip. Just as quickly, though, it sank. He was exhausted, that much was easy to tell. He had his head against his door as he was trying to get his key into the lock, and he seemed to be in pain. I yanked open my door.
“Toby!”
He whirled around, his eyes wide, and I regretted my loudness, especially at almost four in the morning.
“You scared the crap out of me,” he grumbled. “What do you want?”
Okay, so he was pissed. I couldn’t blame him, I guess.
“Pete’s sorry he was stupid when you talked. He was flustered and… are you hungry?”
He scowled. “No, I’m tired. Gonna go in, feed my cat, and then crawl into a shower before I hit the pillow. See ya.”
I knew if I let him go, I would regret it. Toby seemed the type who would hold a grudge and let it harden his heart. He turned back to the door and unlocked it. The moment he pushed it open, I made a decision. I followed him into the apartment.
“What the fuck? Get out.”
“No, because I think if I walk away now, you’re not going to listen to me the next time we see each other. Please, just give me five minutes, and I’ll get out of your… well, hair.”
At that moment, a big cat appeared out of nowhere and plopped down in front of Toby, throwing its feet in the air.
He bent down, groaning as he did, and stroked a hand over the cat’s belly. “I’m sorry, buddy. I did warn you it was going to be a long day. Until I find someone to serve at the bar, I’m going to be late every night.”
He needed help? I needed a job! We were perfect for each other.
“How about this. You go take a shower, and I’ll throw you together something to eat. If you tell me where the cat’s food is, I’ll get… what’s his name?”
“Waldo, and I told you, get out.”
The smart move would be to go, but Mama never once told me I was smart. In fact, she told me more than once it was a good thing I was pretty, because I would need to find a man who would take care of me. What did she know?
“You’re dead on your feet, your cat needs food, and I can hear your stomach begging for something to eat.” I did my best to turn on the charm. “Let me help you, okay? Then, if you don’t want to talk to me, I’ll leave.”
He was too tired to argue, I’m sure.
“Fine, whatever. I need sleep, and I just can’t get into it right now. Food is in the cabinet above the refrigerator. I’ll be out in five or ten minutes.”
“Make it ten. I’ll have you something ready when you come out, okay?”
He grumbled and waved a dismissive hand before he headed toward the back of the apartment.
As soon the soft snick of the door closing hit me, I got down to business. I had to show Toby that I was a good bet for the server’s job. First thing I did was open the refrigerator, which turned out to be a big mistake. It was pretty much a barren wasteland, which wasn’t surprising if he was putting in a lot of hours. He had butter and some cool-looking bottles of craft beer. Hardly enough for a meal. I dashed across the hall and grabbed some of Pete’s vegan ham, eggs, cheese, and bread, then hurried back to Toby’s place. I found a pan and put a dollop of butter into it. While it melted, I whipped the eggs. Once that was done, I poured them in and let them snap, crackle, and pop in the hot butter. Then I smeared more on a couple slices of bread.
