Page 35 of Crave Thy Neighbor

My brows pull together and I glance at the phone to make sure I called the right number. “Nolan?”

“Yeah.” He clears his throat. “Maya?”

“Were you, uh, sleeping?”

“Shit,” he mutters, then he sighs, and I hear rustling. “Sorry. Yeah. I guess I was.”

“Is this a bad time?”

“No.” Another sigh. “I was just up early this morning and had a long day.”

“Oh. Do you work early often?”

“I do four tens a week, so yes.”

“Oh.”

Why do I keep saying oh?

I hear him moving around and what sounds like a cup being pulled from the cupboard. Ice clinks against a glass, then there’s the telltale hiss of water moving through pipes. He gulps a few times, then smacks his lips together.

“I take it you weren’t able to find anything else?”

“No.” This time it’s me who clears their throat. “Well, technically yes, but the apartments aren’t available for another two months, so in the meantime…”

“You’re wanting to rent my rooms.”

I nod, which is dumb because he can’t see me. “Yes. Is that okay?”

I picture him leaning against the counter in his kitchen, folding his big arms over his chest. “I wouldn’t have offered if it wasn’t.”

“Right.” I take a sip of my wine. “It’s kind of short notice, but we’d need to move in rather quickly.”

“That’s fine.”

“Are you sure?”

He sighs again, and I don’t know him well enough to know if it’s an irritated sound or not. “Yes. Are you free tomorrow?”

“You want me to move intomorrow?”

It comes out as a squeal.

He chuckles, the deep sound rumbling through my phone. “No. Well, I mean if you need to, then yes. It just so happens I’m off work tomorrow since I put in a shift over the weekend. You could come by and check out the apartment if you want. You know, to make sure my ax is locked up tight and no other murder weapons are lying around.”

His teasing makes me laugh, and for the first time since I texted him, I relax.

“I’d appreciate that. I don’t go in until noon, so tomorrow is fine.”

“Want to meet for breakfast at The Gravy Train and then walk over afterward?”

“That sounds good.”

“Okay.”

The line goes quiet, and I check the phone to see if he’s still there.

He is.

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