Like Coffee and Doughnuts. Elle Parker
Читать онлайн книгу.
but you know how it is when you’re single and living off a limited income,” she said offhandedly. She deflected further questions by busying herself with fetching more coffee. “Besides, I like the ladies who live here. We’ve all gotten to be quite good friends over the years.”
In the kitchen, she happened to glance out the front window and squealed with delight. “What a wonderful car. Is that yours? I just love Mustangs, I think it’s such a masculine car.”
I chuckled. “Her name is Matilda.”
That brought peals of girlish laughter and she came back to sit down at the table. “What a quaint name for your car. I think I like that very much. You’ll have to take me for a ride with the top down sometime.”
The tone of her voice left me in no doubt about the thinly veiled innuendo, and I’m not sure, but I think I blushed. I must have, because she laughed out loud and said, “Oh honey, I am going to enjoy having you around here.”
“Say, since you’re here,” I said, “do you know what’s going to happen with the storefront downstairs? Does Adele have any plans for it?”
She looked curious. “None that I know of. We just use it for a little extra storage. Why? Are you interested in it?”
“I was thinking it might make a good office. My old one is getting torn down along with my apartment building.”
“That’s a shame. Well, having your office right here would be very handy, wouldn’t it?” She beamed, and I could tell she was already thinking she’d be able to drop by any time she liked. I’d have to set things up so she could only do that when I wanted her to, and not when it might compromise a client. Aside from that, I wouldn’t mind a dishy broad bringing me lunch once in a while.
“That’s what I was thinking,” I said. “I’m not in the office all the time, but having it close to home makes things easier.”
The beeping of my cellphone drifted in from the bedroom, and I excused myself to go answer it. I glanced at the screen as I picked it up and saw I had a message from one of the insurance agencies I do work for. That could wait.
When I went back out, Della had cleaned up the dishes from brunch and was drying off her plate. “Well, Dino, it’s been just lovely getting to chat with you, but I think I better go, now, and let you get to work. I wouldn’t want to keep you from your clients. I do hope we can do this again some time.”
I told her I’d like that, and I meant it too. I’ve got nothing against playing a little cat-and-mouse with a brassy chick who knows what she’s doing. Nine times out of ten, it’s just the flirting they’re after anyway.
* * * *
After Della left, I got my keys and wallet and went downstairs. I remembered the message, and while I was listening to my voicemail, I took a minute to check out my new home some more. There was a small patio off the side of the building with a table, chairs, umbrella, and a teeny grill on a bench. There was also a coffee can half full of sand and cigarette butts. This was all outside the windows and side door of what I assumed was Adele’s apartment. It was kind of a cute set up, if somewhat plain.
The voicemail from the insurance agent sounded like a pretty decent job, so I added them to my list of stops. I was about to get in my car when I noticed Adele walking back from the Winn Dixie with a plastic shopping bag. I waved.
“Adele,” I said jovially. “Just the woman I wanted to see.”
She eyed me. “Is that so?”
“It is indeed. I have a question for you.”
“And what would that be?” She took a pack of cigarettes out of her pocket and shook one out, sticking it in her lips while she felt for a lighter.
“I was wondering if the storefront here might be available for rent as well? I’m in the market for an office, and I was thinking that space might work out for me.”
She took a long drag while she appeared to consider it, blowing smoke up toward the sky. “Well now, I don’t know exactly. We’ve got some things in there we’re storing. I’m not sure what we’d do with that. Tell you what, let’s go see what it looks like.”
She had me wait while she got the keys, and we went into the shop through a side door connecting with the hall. It was essentially a large room with a couple of offices in back. The air was stale and smelled like dust. The floor was littered with scraps of paper, old price tags, and the odd cigarette butt. Brown grime covered the windows and filtered the sunlight, making it hazy.
I wandered through the room, looking at the furniture and old cardboard boxes scattered around, and turned back to Adele. “You know, I don’t need all that much space. If you let me build a couple of walls in here, you could still use part of it for storage. This stuff is kind of spread out, and if it were arranged better it would fit in a much smaller area.”
“Hmm,” she said, thoughtfully. Streams of smoke blew out her nose. “You’d have to do the work. And the cleaning. We’re not interested in getting this place all fixed up for you.”
“Of course not, ma’am, I’m sure I could arrange to have all the work done.” She sounded skeptical, but there wasn’t more than a couple days’ work involved. “You wouldn’t have to be troubled with it at all, other than to approve the plans.”
She nodded and flicked her ash on the floor. “I’ll have to talk it over with my sister-in-law, Fern, and see what the other girls think. Don’t know what we’d charge for the rent yet. Have to figure that out.”
“Why don’t you do that,” I told her as I picked my way back over to her. “Maybe let me know in a day or two? If you think it’ll work out, I’d like to get started right away.”
“All right. We’ll see what we can come up with.”
As she walked out, I said, “Hey, Adele, can I bum a smoke off you?”
“Yeah, sure.” She pulled the pack out of her sweater, shook a couple loose and held it out for me to take one. “Need a light?”
“I have one. Thanks,” I told her, reaching in my pocket for a book of matches. I try to always carry one, because you never know when they might come in handy.
On my way out to the car, I flipped open my phone and dialed Seth’s number. He answered with, “Talk dirty to me.”
“Okay,” I said. “How does an afternoon spent getting all hot and sweaty grab you?”
“Dude, that’s not bad. We might just make a pervert out of you yet. What did you have in mind?” The tone of his voice was pure sex, and I think I blushed for the second time that morning.
I gave myself a shake and said, “I think Adele will rent me that storefront for an office, and I need your help cleaning it up and building a couple walls.”
“Oh, you were so close.”
“Yeah, yeah. Can I count on you?”
“Sure. I have a few accounts I could use help collecting on, you take care of that for me and we’ll call it even.”
* * * *
Later that evening, I returned home with a bag of actual groceries since my food supply was in dire straits and I’d been overdosing on the takeout lately.
Inside the entryway, the smell of pot roast was so strong I started to drool immediately. My stomach growled, and I was glad I had food with me. Before I could reach the stairs, Della came sweeping down them with a china bowl in her hand. “Why, sugar, what a lovely surprise! You’re just in time for supper. Come with me.”
“Oh, no thanks, Della. I don’t want to impose.”
“Nonsense, honey, we’re having a little dinner party, and it just wouldn’t be complete without our newest tenant.” She took me by the arm and pulled me down the hall to Adele’s