“Thank you,” she said.
I helped her back into the car and we went to get her stuff. I was very disappointed she wouldn’t be staying with me, but getting her to take that job again was a victory in and of itself. I watched as she walked into the main office and talked with the man behind the counter, and he went to embrace her with a smile on his face. I wondered what they were talking about. What they were rejoicing about. He gave her a kiss on the cheek before she came back out, then her beautiful legs carried her to the very la
st room on the facade of the building. I rolled into a parking space and sat there, waiting for her to collect her things.
The cobwebs in the window told me everything I needed to know about the condition of the damn place.
The second she piled her things into my car, I peeled out of there as fast as I could. Her eyes widened as she looked over at me, a breathless giggle falling from her lips.
“Well don’t be too eager to leave the place,” she said.
“I’ve got a realtor friend helping me with the sale of Anton’s home. I’ll ask him to send over some rental listings for us to take a look at. What’s your budget?”
“Us?” she asked.
“You’ll need a ride around town to look at the places. I figured I could take you.”
“You want to go with me to find a place.”
“Yes,” I said. “Will you let me?”
I looked over at her and watched as a smile crossed her apple-peaked cheeks.
“I’d like that,” she said. “Thank you, Gray.”
“Anything I can do to help.”
And I meant every word.
I pulled into the driveway of the dilapidated house and got out to help Michelle with her things. I slung her duffle bag over my shoulder and carried it up the rickety brick steps while she fished the key out of the dead potted plant. She pushed herself into Cecily’s place and the dank smell that hit my nose made my stomach curl.
Did the woman not know how to clean?
“Are you sure you want to stay here?” I asked.
“Yep,” Michelle said, as she took the bag from me. “I’ll be fine for a couple of days. Thanks for the help.”
“Anytime,” I said mindlessly.
The floor sloped and pictures were hung crookedly on the walls. The furniture looked stained and had big holes. The part of the kitchen I could see had my skin crawling. Dishes were piled high and flies sat in the windowsill.
If I didn’t think Michelle would ban my existence from her world forever, I’d yank her out of that place and drag her back to Anton’s.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll see you tomorrow for the rental hunt. Pick you up around ten?”
“Sounds good to me. I’ll see you then.”
It took all the energy I could muster to watch her walk into that place. She shut the door in my face and I walked back to my car, pulling my phone from my pocket. I had to find her a place and fast. A place she could afford. And if she couldn’t afford it, I’d make it look like she could and pay the damn difference out of my own pocket.
Anything to get her into a place that was clean and worth her time.
“Malcolm Angier.”
“Mr. Angier, Grayson here.”
“Mr. MacDonald, it’s nice to hear from you. To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?”
“I need you to send me all the listings of rental houses and apartments in the Stillsville area that are as close to the town diner as you can get. I want to see them over the course of the next two days,” I said.