Page 46 of In a Pinch

“How do all of these apartments suck?” I huff as I plop down into the passenger seat.

“Well, they were all in the shit end of town and have slumlords running them, for one.”

“Okay, we’ve got two more to go. The next one is 783 Lincoln Ave. It’s advertised as close to a park and in a nice neighborhood. It’s only a studio, though.”

He pats my leg as he says, “Lincoln Avenue is a nice area. Don’t lose hope.”

I have to hide the smile that begs to flit across my lips when he keeps his hand there as he drives. Why is it that everything this man does makes my heart race? And since when? Actually,as much as I hate to admit it, this man has riled me up since we first met. It just changes form the longer I know him.

We pull up to the front of the building. Sam gives my leg a little squeeze before letting go and I can feel the little zing all the way to my toes. He opens my door and we head inside.

“Well, the hallways don’t have trash in them. That’s a step up from the last place,” I mutter. The building is the cleanest I’ve seen so far. They have an actual front desk and a mailroom, which we popped into first. “The fact that that’s where my hope is coming from is slightly concerning.” This is a single complex, so this is the only building. “I actually kind of like that I won’t have to freeze my ass off in the winter from taking the stairs to my apartment.” Sam’s apartment is amazing, but those stairs in the dead of winter would be the absolute worst.

The door to the apartment is wide open and the manager gives us a warm welcome along with an information sheet about the building. Every apartment I’ve looked at today, Sam has done a little safety check. Are the doors secure? Do the windows lock? Are there carbon monoxide detectors? Probably worked out best that he came along because I usually just rent based on vibes, location, and price. Vibes obviously being the most important.

The apartment overlooks the park. The kitchen has a good-sized island. I can already see myself rolling out cinnamon rolls and baking my heart away in here. A smile finds my face as I drag my hand across the counter. I look up and see Sam watching from across the apartment, a small smile gracing his lips, as well.

He makes his way to me and asks, “I take it you like this one?”

“I do. The bathroom is a good size, considering it’s a studio. Plenty of room for all of my hair stuff. And it has closets not only for my clothes but for all my cleaning stuff. Plus, it’s the right price. I won’t have to sell pictures of my feet on the internet to be able to afford rent and groceries here.”

He chokes out a laugh. “Sounds like you need to get an application.”

Looking over at Sam, I smile, because he’s right. This place just feels right, and honestly, Sam being here with me feels pretty all right, too.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Sam

“Are you sick or something?” Theo asks.

Pretty sure I didn’t look like shit when I left the house today, my eyes shift from side to side. “Uh, no. Why?”

“You’re smiling. It’s weird.” Theo wrinkles his nose and eyes me up and down.

Oh.

Shaking my head, I chuckle. “Shut the fuck up and pour me a beer.” The bar stool scrapes against the floor as I pull it out and settle in.

“Dare I guess why you have a smile on your face?” He pours my beer and slides it across the bar top with a shit-eating grin.

“Not if you enjoy making money.” I grab the beer and take a swig.

He rolls his eyes. “Oh, please. You’ve paid for, like, three beers since I took over.”

“Well, in that case, if you enjoy our friendship, shut the fuck up.”

He nods as if in deep thought. “I’d probably save a lot of money on craft beer if we weren’t friends. Let me weigh my options and get back to you.”

“I hate you.” I can’t force down the chuckle that rises up from my throat.

“Two laughs and a smile on the same day. What, did you get laid or something?”

I shake my head, because no. But God, I wish.

There isn’t a single part of Addie that doesn’t draw me in. I want to hate it, but keep falling short there. I just find myself dying to be closer to her. I’ve officially given up on being annoyed by Addie and am now on a mission to make her mine. Once I saw her for who she is, it was game over. So, I guess the mission changed a long time ago; it just took my brain a while to catch up.

“The redhead finally got to ya, didn’t she?” At this point, there’s no denying it.

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