Her tears dried up.
“Just like you said,” he went on. “Three bedrooms, two and a half baths, a really big, private yard, and the deck is magnificent. There’s only one problem.”
“What’s that?” she asked curiously, turning on the oven to put the casserole inside.
“You don’t have a grill.” He sounded serious. “Maybe it’s a guy thing, but…” he trailed off.
Lace turned then, and saw his smirk.
“Smartass,” she responded, but right now she really appreciated his humor. Thinking of her grandparents always made her melancholy.
“Wehada grill out there for years, but last summer it finally disintegrated into a pile of rust. I got rid of it, and never found time to get a new one.”
“Well, weneedone,” he wheedled, his voice growing excited. “Maybe thatanda smoker. There’s even room for a pizza oven. I?—"
Lace giggled, interrupting him. “Hey. Does this mean you’ve decided to move in?”
“Oh.” He looked a bit mortified. “Ididkind of jump the gun there, didn’t I? Umm, let me start again.” He cleared his throat. “Lace, if you’re still interested in having a roommate, and won’t mind a bunch of social service people dissecting your living space for whatever kind of cooties they’re looking for, I’d love to be your bo…roommate.”
What word had he stumbled over? Had it been boyfriend?
That had to be wishful thinking. Lace wouldn’tmindVince being more than a roomie, however.
Maybe this was a good way to start.
Unconventional, but so was this whole thing.
Lace just hoped that once Vince got a load of how crappy her life was right now, day to day, he wouldn’t run away screaming.
“Well, that’s settled then,” she finally told him, opening drawers and cabinets and handing him their dinner settings. “It means I won’t stand on ceremony, and you can start doing your part.”
He took the proffered dinnerware. “Putting stuff on the table is hardly contributing,” he scoffed. “What we really need to do is talk money, chores, and all the other logistics involved before we shake hands on the deal.”
Smart.
And one more thing to like about Vincent. He was enthusiastic, but careful.
Half an hour later, food was on the table, and they were eating while hammering out a deal that would work for both of them.
To begin with, it didn’t prove difficult. Vince loved the house and the property, and was more than generous with what he offered to pay for monthly rent.
His disappointment came to light when he mentioned the condition of the full bath he’d be using.
Lace didn’t blame him.
It was a good-sized room, but still had the same, ancient coral-pink tiles that had been there for Lace’s entire life. Those, along with fixtures that had been dripping for so long that she’d simply turned off the water supply rather than deal with a plumber, and yeah. It had problems.
The tub was stained; a claw-footed specimen whose porcelain had seen better days. And it was equipped with one of those improvised showers on an umbrella framework with a wrap-around curtain that never worked for anybody.
Lace shivered, remembering how, no matter what she did, the slick material would insinuate itself around her legs, making her think of ghost fingers.
And the toilet? Don’t even get Lace started on how disgusting it was. It had been around for so long, that no matter how much she scrubbed it, it always looked dirty.
When Vince mentioned that he had a friend who could possibly do a quick reno on the space, Lace didn’t hesitate.
“Yes. Please. If you want to plan and oversee the update, I’m game. I don’t have the energy to be part of any decision making,but I trust you. Just let me know how much it will be,” she told him, spearing a dumpling and popping it into her mouth.
Money, while not abundant, wasn’t an issue for Lace. She worked long hours, and never had enough free time to spend her earnings.