I barely spared a glance for Miss Lenny’s nude portrait as I left, grabbing my longboard and duffel bag by the door.
I stepped into the warm, late spring day and fought Miss Lenny’s lock for dominance, taking out some of my frustrations on it as I cursed under my breath. Once I won, I moved the duffel strap to hang across my chest diagonally, then dropped my longboard onto the asphalt with a clatter. I held it in place with my foot while I sent Miss Lenny my updates.
That done, I kicked off toward the Locc, wobbling for a few seconds with the added weight of the duffel before I adjusted to it.
Miss Lenny was due back in town today, and I wouldn’t be taking advantage of my working relationship with her by asking to crash there when I wasn’t pet sitting.
I ignored the Live Oak bus—the same one that took us all to Gil’s funeral— parked in the visitor’s lot as well as my reflection in the Locc’s windowed doors as I opened them, the burst of air conditioning more than welcome.
Unlike the gaggle of locals waiting at the reception desk.
Sighing, I got in line to talk to Jillie and see what work needed to be done, wondering if I should just go hide in a forgotten corner of the Locc until this group dispersed.
A white-haired man in front of me turned around and gave me a huge smile. “Good morning!”
“Morning,” I responded, my gaze flicking to the huge fanny pack buckled around his waist. It had a blindfoldedwoman in gold thread embroidered on the front with the words “Fortuna Casino & Resort” in a darker gold thread below it.
Ah. The bus was a shuttle to the casinos today.
“Oh, lass, you should smile more,” the stranger said seriously in a lilting Irish accent I hadn’t noticed before. “It may make your day better.”
“Roy Gallahan Murphy,” a woman around the same age with the same accent and same fanny pack beside him hissed, swatting him on the arm. She gave me an apologetic look before turning back to the man who was presumably her husband.
“What?” he asked, bewildered. “She’s a beautiful young lass, is all!”
She huffed and, in a move that could only be described as ruthless, unzipped his fanny pack and plucked out something from inside.
“No player’s card for you, Roy,” she warned, pointing the card at him, “until you’ve earned it back. Not a single woman on this Earth owes you her smile, this young lass included. Now,apologize.”
He gaped at his wife, but at her glare, he turned to me. “My mistake, lass.”
“You don’t owe him a response either, my dear,” the woman said. “In fact, if I could wipe this from your memory for you, I would.”
I held back a flinch at the phrase. A few weeks ago, I could have easily blown the phrase off. But every nerve about memory and, well…anythingwas just too fucking tender right now.
They faced reception for their turn to speak with Jillie, and I forced my brain elsewhere, running through one of my favorite ballet sequences until it was my turn at the counter.
“Hey, Ireland,” she said, her dark red hair pulled back in a low bun today, her smile kind as always.
“I need somewhere to live.” The words just… fell out of my mouth.
We stared at each other for a beat, and I tucked my hair behind my ear, but my finger got caught in a knot. I frowned, realizing I hadn’t brushed it after my shower this morning.
God.
Jillie’s brow furrowed in concern as she looked me over.
“I am looking for a place to rent,” I said before she could say anything. “Somewhere affordable, close enough to get here on foot or on my board. Somewhere available immediately, even if it’s not long term, or just for the season.”
I had nothing but my battered pride to blame for not asking her sooner, and I guessed that’d finally run out too.
“Oh,” she replied, nodding slowly. “Okay.”
She clicked on her keyboard and hummed thoughtfully as if I wasn’t describing the impossible—affordable accommodations in a vacation town right before the summer season. A few moments later, she looked up, regarding me intently.
Then her eyes lit up as an idea seemed to come to her. “Would you be open to having a couple of roommates?”
“Yes,” I answered immediately.
