Page 36 of On My Side
I sigh and slip my phone into my bag. “Remind me again what the question was?”
“Which score was your favorite?”
“I’ll always love theIndiana Jonestheme,” I say, remembering it definitely was played.
Piper’s face falls. “Damn, I’d been hoping you were making out with Mr. Q and weren’t paying attention.”
“Youwhat?”
“Hey,” Ren slips in next to me, and I almost jump out of my skin. “I’m sorry to cut this short, but my landlord called. The apartment above mine flooded, and they’re worried about a leak.”
My stomach flips. I’ve dealt with flooding at the inn, and the worst part is dealing with any damage done to the room below.
“I have to bring you home so I can get my stuff out,” he continues, jaw clenched.
“Where are you going to stay?” Piper asks, eyes wide and voice laced with concern.
Ren blinks at her, and fidgets with the gold chain around his neck. He’s flustered, like he hadn’t thought about it yet.
“I… uh. I have family in town. I’ll see if one of them can… will let me…”
“You should stay at the inn! Mom can comp you a room!” Piper exclaims.
I try to express the murderous feelings in my chest to her silently, but her eyes are locked on Ren.
This child, I swear to god.
Ren is even more flustered and taken aback by Piper’s offer. “Oh no, I couldn’t.”
“Sure you could,” Piper says breezily, walking towards the doors. “Since you taught me for free, I think it’s the least we could do.”
I glare holes in the back of her head. She could at leasttryto matchmake subtly.
“That would… uh…” Ren stammers as he and I trail after Piper. “That wouldn’t work. I have a cat…”
Piper spins around, eyes wide as saucers. “Youdo? I love cats! Mom keeps saying she’ll get me one, but the fact I am still cat-less is one of the biggest disappointments of my life. Why don’t you take the room and I’ll cat sit for you? I have references.”
Ren looks at me, and I know he’s giving me the opportunity to think of a reason Piper’s plan wouldn’t work out. But, I could easily comp him a room for a few days until he can go back to his place. Frankly, she’s right, he’s done so much for us… it really is the least I could do.
“I’d be happy to comp you a stay, if you want,” I say quietly, averting my eyes. “Piper can watch your cat, if you’re okay with it.”
“That’s… Audrey.” He grabs my wrist as I start to move toward the door, and I’m sent back to fifteen minutes ago when he was holding my hand in the dark theater. “That’s way too much to ask of you.”
I smile, and beg my stomach to settle itself. “You’re not asking, I’m offering.”
His eyes search mine. “Would you have offered if Piper didn’t volunteer your generosity?”
“That’s not fair, I just didn’t think about it right away. You can pay me back by telling all the moms they have to book a weekend. Your endorsement would be more effective than a damn billboard.”
A slow, soft smile spreads across his face. This man has several different smiles, and they seem so genuine, so real. It’s baffling.
“Promise?” He releases my wrist and holds up a pinkie. I’m flooded with memories of me doing the same thing to him one time when he caught me sneaking out of Kat’s room one night. Little Ren Quinn with a suspicious expression on his bespectacled face, pinkie-promising not to tell anyone as long as I got him a chocolate-covered banana milkshake from Queenie’s.We’d both made good on our promises, and I think we can do it again.
“Promise,” I say, hooking my pinkie around his.
Piper and I wait in the car when Ren goes into his apartment to gather his belongings.
“I know what you’re doing,” I say, not looking up from the text I’m shooting the night manager on duty. “You’re not slick, missy.”
