Page 7 of Four Firemen For Christmas

He moved faster than I thought possible and blocked me from the front door. “This won’t take long.”

I huffed and tried to calm the annoyance pinching my lips into a frown. What could possibly be so important today of all days?

“You never returned your letter.” He folded his arms over his chest and looked down at me.

Moments like this, I hated my petite stature. It made glaring extra difficult when the man stood a good foot taller than me. “What letter?”

“The one I sent you over a month ago. Everyone was supposed to fill out the form and drop it in my box. I never received yours.” He continued to look down his hooked nose at me.

Good grief. The man would make a perfect Scrooge. He was a decent landlord, but still, this was bordering on harassment.

I racked my brain for a memory of a letter. Cold washed down my spine as I remembered. “You mean the one about the temporary evacuation?”

“Please tell me you remember that the building is closing today.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I knew I should have sent out another letter.”

My mouth dropped open with a pop, and I quickly slammed it shut before he noticed.

Shit. I’d forgotten about the evacuation notice. I read the letter then tossed it aside. I knew I had plenty of time to figure things out. I’d forgotten all about it between work and getting ready for Christmas. “How long is it again?”

“This is a disaster.” He groaned and finally looked at me again. “Three weeks. The building closes at noon today. No one in or out for the next three weeks.”

“That’s after Christmas.” My heart pounded behind my ribs. I had to find a place to stay for the Christmas season? I didn’t even have a job. How was I supposed to pay for a place to stay when most of my money went into Mr. Thomas’s hands? “I paid for this month.”

He scowled and resumed his crossed-arm stance. “Everyone still has to pay rent. That’s the only way I can pay for this fumigation nonsense. You lot were the ones who demanded it. I told you I could handle it myself.”

Right. Like mice and roaches running around in broad daylight were not a massive health problem. I’d seen three mice last week and even more roaches. If I’d seen that many, how many more were lurking, hidden away in the walls? I fought down a shudder, matched his scowl with one of my own, and straightened my spine. “We have every right to demand a safe and healthy living environment.”

“Oh, save me the mumbo jumbo. As long as you know you can’t come back here until after Christmas. Get whatever you need before noon today.” He looked pointedly at the cookies in my hands.

I held them tight and lifted my chin. “I’ll be back after I make this delivery. And you’d better not lock the door a minute before noon either, or I’ll call the police to let me in.”

They wouldn’t do anything, but hopefully Mr. Thomas didn’t know that.

His arms dropped to his sides, and he shifted his stance enough that I felt like I’d won the argument even though there was really nothing to argue about. “Noon, Emma. Not a minute after.” He almost shook a finger at me but stopped with it still raised toward his own face.

Good. He remembered how I felt about him scolding me like a child. I was not his problem. I was a good tenant, and he was a mediocre landlord at best. We’d only asked for what we deserved. I could put up with living elsewhere for three weeks if it meant this place would be rodent and roach-free when I returned.

The last time I’d gone toe-to-toe with Mr. Thomas, it ended up with both of us furious. He’d refused to fix the leaky faucet in my bathroom, then blamed me when I refused to pay the extra on the water bill. He’d finally fixed the leak, but it put us at odds with each other. I tended to ignore him whenever I could and tolerate him the rest of the time. He left me alone unless absolutely necessary. I supposed I should be grateful that he’d bothered to remind me about the evacuation. “Thank you for the reminder.” There, I’d been graceful and grateful.

He lowered his hands to his hips and his tight frown eased. He looked like he might be about to say something else but changed his mind.

I plastered on a smile and stepped around him. “Have a merry Christmas, Mr. Thomas.”

He snorted from behind me, and I heard him walk back toward his office. The reality of the situation set in hard and fast. I had to find somewhere to live for the next three weeks. I could live with my grandmother. She had a place a few blocks away and was always asking why I didn’t visit more often. She’d love to have me over for Christmas.

But she also had a new boyfriend. I absolutely, under no circumstances, wanted to horn in on Grandma’s good time. She deserved to have time with her boyfriend, and I deserved not to have to listen to them in bed together. I loved Grandma, but I’d never be able to look her in the eye if I heard her having sex. We talked about everything. She was always the person I went to when I had questions. Grandma had been the one to have the sex talk with me when I turned thirteen. I’d certainly told her enough about my sex life over the years that I didn’t feel bothered by it anymore. Talking about it and hearing it through her paper-thin walls were two completely different things.

I palmed open the door and stepped out into the brisk December air. Sounds assaulted me from all sides. Car horns blared while men and women alike cursed the drivers in front and behind them. It was a riot of noise. I loved it.

Mr. Thomas’s words rang in my ears.“Noon, Emma.”

I buttoned the top button on my peacoat and set out at a brisk walk.

A quick cookie delivery and then back here to get my clothes and other necessities. Easy. What could go wrong?

4

EMMA

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