Page 28 of Passion

But here I was.

Alone.

22

LUCAS

Three days had passed, and I was miserable. Having Vera in my house had changed the entire atmosphere of the place. She made me happy to come home in the evenings because I knew someone would be there to greet me. We had dinner together where once I’d eaten alone every night. But most of all, it was the nighttime when I missed her most. Her warmth beside me in bed had made me decide that having a permanent partner was something I desperately wanted.

I picked up my phone to call her but thought better of it. When she had declined my dinner invite the other night in favor of resting after a long day of work, I ‘d taken the hint that she wanted space. I was stupid to have thought that inviting her to stay with me after knowing her for three days was a good idea. Henry was right. No good relationship started that way. She wasn’t mine. She never had been. I had been dreaming.

“Why such long faces?” Ella set a bowl of tomato soup in front of me along with a plate of grilled cheese. They looked heavenly, and her concern was comforting.

I looked up at her and smiled. “It’s ‘Why the long face?’” I corrected her. “And I just miss her, Ella.”

Ella pushed the soup toward me. “Eat. It make you feel better.” Her polite smile and nod were her way of reassuring me. I could have asked her to eat with me. We weren’t exactly close, but she was friendly enough. Still, it wasn’t Ella’s presence I missed.

“Thank you, Ella. I’m just not feeling very hungry this evening.” The food didn’t even smell good, though it was one of my favorites.

“You like this food. You like swim. You like reading book. You go do thing you like and you find life go back normal now.” Her broken English and thick Spanish accent were so comfortable I hardly noticed them anymore. She as a permanent fixture in this home—I just wanted Vera to be another permanent, but much more intimate, fixture.

“Thank you. You’re right. I need to do those things I enjoy.” I nodded at her, and she offered a cautious and concerned smile before she shuffled away. Vera was the only thing I could think about, but I dipped the grilled cheese sandwich into the soup and took a bite anyway.

The more I thought about Vera, the more I wanted to make sure that even if she didn’t choose to continue seeing me, she was happy and well-cared for. I stewed over that damn apartment and how bad a state of disrepair it was in. I couldn't let that slide. No one should live in a home like that, especially not someone as kind and loving as Vera.

So I finished eating as quickly as I could, then I set my dishes aside. I pulled out my phone and did a little research. It only took me a few moments to locate the number of the management office for the apartment she lived in. The superintendent of the building had not been in on the day I stopped there to let them know of the issues, and I had promised to give them a call when I had the chance.

I dialed the number, and it only took a few minutes to get through their automated system. A younger woman answered with a cheery voice. She sounded like she was eating something. It was that time of day, after all.

“Yeah, hi, this is Mr. Lucas Smith. I stopped in the other day to talk about some issues with an apartment where my friend is staying. The superintendent was not there. Does he happen to be in now?”

“Oh, hi, Mr. Smith. Yes, the super is in today. Would you hold for a moment, and I can transfer you?”

“Yes, thank you.” I listened to the cheesy elevator music they had for people on hold and chewed the inside of my cheek. I wondered how many other apartments in that same building were as in bad a shape as the one where Vera lived now.

The super picked up the line and said, “Yeah, what can I do for you?”

“Mr. Kline, my name is Lucas Allen Smith. I stopped by the other day to visit a friend who just moved into your building. I am concerned about the state of the apartment she is renting and I wanted to discuss with you the repairs that are needed to the building.”

I waited for a response but the line was quiet. “Mr. Kline, there are bare wires hanging from the ceiling and cracks in the plaster. This is not only not safe. It could be dangerously toxic. Has the plaster been tested for asbestos?”

“Look, buddy. Your friend, Ms. Davids, has signed the rental agreement and is bound by its terms. She saw the place before moving in and agreed to rent it. If you have a problem with that, you’ll just have to talk to her.”

“But Mr. Kline, I?—”

The man hung up on me and the line went dead. I was furious. I punched in the number to the main desk again, hoping to reach the same woman and talk some sense into her, but the line rang through. They must have had caller ID or something so they could screen calls. I paced the kitchen, staring out the window at the pool. Vera would be so much better off with me at my place than in that damn apartment, being stubborn and refusing my help. I just didn’t know how to convince her of that.

I had spoken with her mother previously, and I knew how much her mother cared. If I couldn’t get through to her, then maybe her mother could. It was a long shot, and it was risky too. I knew Lorna didn’t like me much, but certainly, a mother would want their child in a safe place, even if that safe place was with someone they were less than amicable with.

I searched my call history for Lorna’s number and called her, waiting as the phone rang seven times before she answered it.

“Mr. Smith, I believe we handled all of our business the other day. What possessed you to call this time?” Lorna’s tone was harsh and impatient.

“Well, we both have a common interest.” I sat back at the table, bouncing my knee. I knew she could get through to her daughter.

“What’s that?”

Ella came in to carry away the empty dishes and smiled at me politely. I continued my conversation as if she weren’t even there. “Well, it’s your daughter’s safety.”

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