Jenny wasn't listening. She was casting murderous glances at Cage for blurting out her condition to this … this woman. By morning everybody in town would know she was pregnant.
"Here we are." Roxy unlocked the apartment and led them inside. She switched on the light. "Whew! It's a little close. I haven't opened it since the cleaning crews and painters were here."
The apartment did smell of disinfectant and new paint, but Jenny didn't mind that. It was spotlessly clean as a result.
"This is the living room, of course. You have a kitchen in here." Roxy led Jenny through a louvered half door like the one in her own apartment. The built-ins were all clean and shiny. Jenny opened the refrigerator. It was clean, too.
They finished touring the apartment, which didn't take long. There was only a bathroom and bedroom beyond the living room. "How much is the rent?" Jenny asked.
"Four hundred a month plus utilities."
"Four hundred?" Jenny squeaked. "I'm afraid—"
"Unfurnished?" Cage asked, butting in.
"Oh, Jeez," Roxy said, swatting her forehead. "I misquoted. Unfurnished one bedrooms are two-fifty."
"That's more like it," Cage said.
Jenny calculated her income and expenditures. She might be able to afford it if she were frugal. Besides, this was one of the nicer apartment complexes in town, and her choices were limited. She was lucky there was an apartment available. Trying to forget that she would be living doors away from one of Cage's lovers, she said, "Do I need to sign a lease?"
"You'll take it, then?" Roxy asked.
"Yes, I suppose so," Jenny answered, wondering why the other woman was so obviously pleased.
"Fantastic. I'm glad you'll be a neighbor. Come on, let's go back to the office."
Within fifteen minutes Jenny had a copy of the contract and a set of keys in her hand. "You can move in tomorrow. In the morning I'll go over and air it out a bit."
"Thank you." She and Roxy shook hands. Cage escorted Jenny to the car, saw that she was settled in the front seat, and then returned to Roxy, who was still standing in her opened front door.
"Thanks for playing along about the rent."
"You threw me a curve bail, but I picked up on it," Roxy said, smiling up at him. "Are you gonna fill me in on the details of this 'arrangement,' or am I gonna have to use my vivid imagination?"
"Nosy?"
"Damn right."
He laughed. "We'll talk later. Thanks for everything."
"Don't mention it. What are friends for?"
He kissed her quickly on the lips and patted her fanny before he sauntered down the steps and joined Jenny in the car. She was sitting as rigid as a statue staring straight ahead, spears of jealousy knifing into her chest.
She hadn't overheard the conversation at the door, but she had seen the way they smiled at each other and how Cage had bent down to kiss Roxy. The easy familiarity with which they touched each other wrenched at Jenny's composure. Despite her avowals that she didn't care, her heart was slowly tearing in two.
"First thing in the morning we'll hit the furniture stores," Cage was saying.
"You've done enough. I can't ask you—"
"You didn't ask, all right?" he said testily. "I volunteered. Make a list tonight of everything you'll need."
"I won't be able to afford much. Just the essentials. By the way, where are we going now?" Until that moment she hadn't remembered that for tonight she was still homeless. Where would she spend the night?
"I didn't think you wanted to go back to the parsonage."
"No."