Page 7 of Room for Three

“Unit nine is vacant at the moment. Old guy who lived there passed away recently. Reid’s been getting it fixed up so they can rent it out.” I point to the place next to it on the end. “Stay away from Tammy and Joel. Married couple who fights more than they get along. No kids. Joel has wandering eyes. I’m pretty sure he let Clara blow him in the laundry room once, but that could be a rumor.”

Her eyes widen. “Interesting group. So, the laundry room is next to their unit?”

“Party room too,” I say with a grin. “Later this month, Reid’s having a little get-together for Brayden’s eighteenth. You should go.”

“Hopefully I’ll have a job by then,” she says softly. “I really need money.”

“I can give you—”

She cuts me off with a dirty look that reminds me of her mom whenever I’d say something crude. “No. I need my own money. I’m an adult now.”

As much as I want to deny it, I can’t. With her sitting beside me, the wind tousling her glossy hair, and her glowering at me, she looks like a grown ass woman. She’s attractive, and clearly full of sass. I’ll have to fight off the beer bros who are going to be thrilled to have a pretty, young woman for their new neighbor.

Ignoring her grumpiness, especially since I don’t agree with her about us helping her out, I continue on around the U-shaped complex, pointing out the office and mailroom, Reid and Brayden’s place, Casey and Derek’s, and finally Maggie.

“What’s Casey and Derek’s story?” she asks, voice calmer than a few moments before. “Are they nice?”

“Yeah, Derek’s cool. Drives a big truck delivering packages all day. Casey…well, honestly, I don’t know what she does.” I frown, feeling like an idiot. “She’s obsessed with planning their wedding. The more she talks about it, the more Derek seems turned off by it. They fight nearly as much as Tammy and Joel lately.”

“Is Clara going to service him in the laundry room too?”

Chuckling, I shake my head. “Casey may make Derek crazy, but he’s loyal. He won’t cheat on Casey. I’m concerned about his lungs though. He’s been chain-smoking a fuck ton lately.”

When Derek’s had enough of his woman, he sometimes comes over to hang out. Cole thinks he’s hiding something which makes him suspicious, so they’re not exactly friends. I think the dude just needs to escape his overbearing lady. Derek’s cool. I like him.

“Speaking of smoke,” Savvy says with a slight grimace. “Do you think you can run me by Smoke & Sugar tonight so I can complete an application?”

“I could eat. Maybe we should have dinner and celebrate you finally getting here.” Before she can protest, I shake my head. “My treat. Stop worrying about money. Once you get a job, you can buy some groceries or whatever makes you happy. For now, let us take care of you.”

Tension bleeds out of her, and she relaxes in her chair. I know she feels awkward about the whole situation, but she doesn’t need to. As her father’s best friends, we have a duty to look after her.

We’ll make good on that duty whether she wants us to or not.

I’m highly amused that Cole has to ride bitch in the truck. He really does not like the idea of putting Savvy in any inappropriate positions. Because he can’t fathom the idea of her thigh touching mine, it’s his thigh that gets all the action. While I can barely contain my humor at the situation, he remains stiff and uncomfortable. Meanwhile, Savvy has all the room in the world on her side of the truck.

“You know where it is?” Savvy asks, nerves in her voice. “On Main Street?”

“Driven past it plenty of times,” I say with a nod. “Never tried it, though.”

“I heard they have steak,” Cole offers. “I could go for a steak right about now.”

I smirk at his statement. Steak is Cole’s favorite food. Neither one of us can work the grill on our back patio, so we often cook it on the stove inside. It’s nothing spectacular, but it’s food.

“If I had a phone, I could look up their menu,” Savvy says in exasperation. “I wish Leah would have let me get a new one first before cutting me off.”

Someone pulls out of a spot right in front of the building and I eagerly take their it. As soon as I turn the truck off and open the door, I’m hit with a pleasing, savory meat aroma. My stomach grumbles audibly.

“Are you always hungry?” Cole asks after climbing out on my side. “You ate like two hours ago. I’m running on adrenaline and Sady Gala.”

If I had to guess, Sady Gala is a craft beer.

The restored building bears a black sign with gold writing that says Smoke & Sugar. Beneath it, in smaller writing, it says, “steak, spirits, sweets.” Sounds like my kind of place.

Cole holds open the door for Savvy but thinks nothing of letting it close in front of me. Not exactly surprised. Cole gets hyper focused on shit and obsesses. Right now, his obsession is taking care of Savvy.

The inside smells even better than the outside. Now, the savory scents are bolder, but they’re laced with something sweeter like cinnamon. I’m fucking starved right now.

No one stands at the hostess area, hence they’re needing help. They’d be fools not to hire Savvy. She’s more than capable. Plus, she’d look great manning the post and seating people.

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