Page 3 of Clean Out of Luck

“Why did you come here?” I push the plate closer to him and then plant both hands on the counter.

“To eat your snacks, of course.” He grins and grabs a slice each of deli meat and cheese, shoving them into his mouth.

“I am the best snacker in the world.” I’m not sure if it’s something to be proud of, but it’s simply a fact at this point. Usually, my favorite snack is candy. And my favorite meal is cereal. I’m sure someday I’ll pay for my eating habits…but so far so good. The preservatives are keeping me young.

I do keep some meat and cheese in my refrigerator to appease my mother and tell her I’ve eaten some protein whenever she asks.

“I brought you something,” Wade says as he reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a candy bar and tosses it to me. It’s a Snickers bar, soft and bent.

“Did it melt in your back pocket?” I hold it up with two fingers and study the travesty that used to be a candy bar.

He looks mildly pleased with himself, the same look my brother gets when he does something nice for me, but on Wade, it’s laced with ornery intentions.

“It’s bent in the shape of your butt!” I stare at the soft chocolate. But on the other hand, he did bring me a treat, and I don’t want to hurt his feelings, so I rip open the wrapper and take a bite from the messy bar. “Thank you. This is my favorite.”

“I know,” he says as he reaches for more meat and cheese.

“What are you really doing here?”

He glances around as though someone might be listening in. “Honestly, I don’t know what to do without Phoenix here,” Wade says with a shrug as he focuses on the plate again.

Wade isn’t one to share his feelings easily, so this feels big. “Have you been taking out your girlfriend?”

He shakes his head. “We’re not together anymore.”

I gasp. “Since when?” I hop up and sit on my counter.

“Since we broke up about three months ago.”

That would have been fairly close to when I moved into The Serendipity. I feel bad that I haven’t kept up with him. I probably haven’t seen him since the holidays. “Phoenix didn’t tell me.”

“Well, that’s strange. I expected him to take out a billboard and announce to the world that I’m single again,” Wade muses sarcastically.

I shrug. “It would have been weird if I had texted you for the information.”

“What’s weird is that youwantthe information…”

“Don’t read into it, Wade. I just like to know what to be prepared for with you.” I swallow the lump in my throat as I try to give off a blasé impression. I’m pretty sure I fail miserably. I did want to know that information. I’ve grown up around this guy and care about his life.

Wade glances around the room, taking in the exposed heating ducts and beams on the ceiling. He stares at the brick wall where I’ve managed to hang some pictures and a giant clock. “Are all the apartments in the building this small? Or are you only the lucky one with the matchbox-sized one? Why don’t you find something bigger?”

“My imaginary friends and I don’t need much room. I like this place.” I point to the door leading to the one bedroom. “The bathroom has a beautiful old clawfoot tub. It’s huge and amazing.”

Wade gives me a serious look, all traces of teasing gone. “This is a basement, Scarlett. Phoenix wasn’t thrilled when you moved in here. He told me it was a dark basement, and I thought he was exaggerating. But now that I’ve seen it, I don’t think I’m happy for you either.”

What I don’t tell him is that I did try to rent another apartment in The Serendipity. 3E sits empty, but someone isstill paying the lease on it, even though they’re not living there. The only availability was this small basement apartment. I was skeptical at first, but I’ve always wanted to live in this building, so I jumped at my chance, thinking that if an apartment opened up on one of the top floors, I would be on the inside track to rent it.

But it turns out I’m a basement type of gal. I don’t have near as much interaction with my neighbors down here. Just the occasional person coming down to access the storage space or the big laundry room.

It’s peaceful and safe down here. But I know that would sound ridiculous to say out loud to Wade. So I just grin as I open the fridge and pull out a couple of sodas. “It’s a good thing I didn’t ask either of you, then, isn’t it?”

Because The Serendipity? It’s everything I love about old buildings. From the beautiful staircase in the entry hall, to the temperamental elevator (which I never use), to community spaces available for use by all residents. The library space is my most frequented so far, but I imagine I’ll enjoy the outdoor pool in the summertime as well.

When I crack open my Pepsi can, it shoots up, spraying soda everywhere.

Wade grimaces, and we both stare at the mess covering my small kitchen.

“You know you’re not supposed to shake those, right?” he asks with a little laugh.

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