“That’s rough, man. I get it.”
I drained the rest of my beer and nodded as the bartender pointed in my direction. As he brought me a replacement, Elias said, “Well, hey, if you ever need a place to crash for a few days, my place is always open.”
I jerked my head in his direction. “You serious?”
“Yeah,” he said earnestly. “I mean, I know we don’t know each other that well anymore, but it’s better than rooming with a total stranger, isn’t it? I have a spare bedroom in my apartment, and it’s downtown so you’d be close to work. And you could stay for as long or short a time as you need. I’m a pretty easygoing roommate.”
“Wow… I don’t know what to say. Th-thanks. Um, what would you charge me?” I asked.
“Eh, you don’t have to pay. Just get your food or whatever you need until you can get back on your feet.”
“Why would you do that?” I couldn’t help feeling almost skeptical at the generous offer.
“I’d hope someone would do the same for me if the situation were reversed,” he said simply, shrugging one shoulder.
“I’m not a charity case… I’d want to pay you something.”
“Suit yourself,” he said with a tip of his head in my direction. “We’ll work it out so you can pay me whatever you can afford. I get by okay. My business is doing well and my building’s owned by a friend, so I live there for next to nothing. I don’t have a lot of debt or anything. Just extra space, disposable income, and a lot of free time.”
My jaw was slack as I stared at him. Was he serious? He didn’t seem to be joking, but it was just too good to be true. “I don’t know what to say, man. It would mean the world to me, honestly. It wouldn’t need to be a permanent thing. Maybe just a few weeks, but it would really help me out with Addy. I don’t have much stuff, so I wouldn’t take up too much space, and I’m gone most of the day so you’d hardly notice me—”
“Hey,” he cut me off, his hands up as if to proclaim his innocence, “you don’t have to convince me. I’ve already offered you the room. It’s yours if you want it.”
“I’d owe you one,” I said, extending my hand toward his.
“Don’t mention it,” he said. “So, when do you want to move in?”
Chapter Four
I lugged the last box up the stairs to Elias’ apartment. The building was sixteen stories of well-maintained brick and white, concrete-framed windows. The stairwell was open and airy, though chillingly quiet except for my heavy footsteps against the tile.
Elias’ apartment was on the eighth floor, and the elevator was broken, so it had made for a very long day of moving in. My thighs burned as I reached my destination and walked inside. Elias was in his bedroom on a conference call with a client. He’d shown me around briefly and helped me carry the heavy stuff upstairs before setting to work, letting me know that I could interrupt him if I needed something, but only if it was absolutely urgent.
Compared to the dated outside, the inside was a breath of fresh air. The tall ceilings were lined with cherry-stained beams, and the walls boasted tall windows. The floors were a gray and white hardwood that matched the granite countertops and stainless steel appliances well.
It had two bedrooms, each with its own full bath and decently sized closets. We’d agreed that I’d pay him a third of his monthly payment, as I was only using the one bedroom and didn’t plan to stay for long. He’d insisted that I didn’t have to pay anything, but it only seemed right. I’d wanted to pay half, but was thankful when he’d talked me down.
I shut the door to the apartment behind me and carried the last box of my things across the living room and into the bedroom. Elias had been using the room for storage, so I’d had to borrow our guest bedroom furniture from the house. Now, I would have the pleasure of getting everything set up.
I’d taken the day off, but I needed to get back to work tomorrow, so everything would need to get done that day. Over the next few hours, I positioned the furniture where I wanted it, moving everything across the floor cautiously so as not to scratch the pristine floors. Then, I put the bed frame together and laid the mattress and box spring on top. It was an old set from my parents, which meant the mattress had more lump than fluff, and it squeaked whenever anyone lay down on it, but it was better than sleeping on an air mattress on the floor. Besides, like I’d told Elias, it was only temporary.
I was going to convince Addy to let me come home.
This would work until then.
By the evening, the room was all set up, and I was placing the last of my clothes into drawers when I heard Elias’ bedroom door open and close and his footsteps head in my direction. I glanced at the clock, realizing his workday must’ve been finished and wondering just how much I’d missed of mine. I hated skipping work on Mondays, especially because our weekends were usually half days, which meant I already had a full day to catch up from on Monday mornings.
On the positive side of things, Addy had seemed impressed that I’d taken time off of work to get something done. When was the last time I’d done something similar for her? I should’ve taken off on a Friday and surprised her with a long weekend away.
If I ever got the chance again, that’s what I would do.
The door to my bedroom opened, startling me and interrupting my thoughts. He looked around, eyeing the room peculiarly. I wondered why. I hadn’t done anything to disrupt the space. I hadn’t hung
