“Lane!” I scream.
I don’t know where he is, but I can’t get up. I can’t move.
“Lane!”
I might die here if he doesn’t reach me in time.
“What?” he asks as he steps into the living room. He’s a little hesitant as he walks in since he’s still trying to remember where everything is in his parents’ house. Even though he lived in this house as a child, it’s been hard for him to remember the placement of everything now that he can’t see any of it. Probably because he’s so old it feels like a lifetime ago that he lived here.
“What happened?” he asks.
“I ate so much that I can’t move,” I moan from where I lay on the couch. I peek over the armrest to get a good look at him. The first thing I notice isn’t his handsome face covered in just the right amount of stubble. It isn’t the sunglasses that he insists on wearing even when we’re at home. Nor is it his dark brown hair that seems to have a mind of its own. What I do notice is how sweaty he is. He’d been working out on the treadmill in the basement, and now his clothes are sticking to his chest, giving me a very nice view of his muscular frame. “Why is your mother’s cooking so good, Lane?”
He shakes his head, clearly disbelieving the fact that I may die after consuming too much food. “You’re going to turn into an Oompa Loompa if you don’t slow down,” he says.
I snort. “Thanks Lane, you’re the sweetest. I love you the most!” I say sarcastically.
“You do understand that just because she cooks it, doesn’t mean you have to eat all of it, right?” he asks as he slowly walks further into the room.
“It’s like hibernation. I’m creating a fat storage for when we move out and have to go back to starving,” I explain since my cooking is anything but edible. With a yawn, I stretch out my arms just as he touches the back of the couch.
“Well, you’re doing a splendid job of it because I went in to grab a cookie, and the cookie jar is empty. How many did you eat today?”
I watch his handsome face as he leans over me. He may not be able to see me, but he sure can scrutinize me when he thinks I’m not being honest. But I notice that there’s a slight upturn to his lips that makes it hard to keep my grin at bay. I kind of want to lean forward and capture those lips as my own.
“How many what?” I ask innocently. I’m not sure how he could point fingers at me when there are two other people staying in this house.
“How many cookies have you eaten?”
“In the past…five minutes? Or today?”
“Just choose.”
“Lane, I don’t like you making me feel bad about myself,” I say as I push my blond hair out of my face. Lane reaches down and touches my chest before feeling his way to my stomach and patting it.
He looks thoughtful as he feels it over. “That’s weird…it’s about the same size as the cookie jar,” he says.
I laugh and push his hand away. “No! Your mom said I could have them!”
He shakes his head in disbelief. “I heard the phone ring, who called you?”
I sit up as I grimace. “The realtor called, but I told her that we don’t need any of the lies she’s selling.”
“A house? The lie of a house?” he asks.
“Lane…I don’t want to leave,” I say as I look around the quaint living room with its walls smothered in pictures of the family.
If there is a span of the wall twelve inches wide that isn’t covered by a picture of someone in this family, then I’d be willing to bet my right hand that the photo fell down and Lane’s mother hasn’t gotten to putting it back up. It was cute when I first walked in, especially getting to see all the photographs of a young Lane, but the family photo in the bathroom that I have to look at while taking a shit is a bit too much. Yesterday I put a post-it note over everyone’s face in the photograph, and the others must think it’s an improvement because no one’s fixed it yet. Besides the family pictures, there are way too many sunflower decorations, but if I’m being honest, I love every inch of it. Even the picture in the bathroom.
“We can’t live with my parents,” he says.
“Says who? You? Because your mom said we can live with her forever, and I think she meant it.”
He grins as he shakes his head. “She was just being polite.”
“Lane…she loves me,” I say defensively. “Yesterday she bought me Gushers. Have you ever heard of those things? They’re like…gooey on the inside and absolutely amazing.”
“Yes, I’ve heard of Gushers before. So what time are we meeting her?”
“Three,” I say grudgingly. “We’ll leave in about twenty minutes to pick up Copper.”
“Then I better go get a shower,” he says as I stand up. “Can you pick my clothes out for me so we can keep moving?”
“Sure,” I say as I stretch again. These past few weeks have been good to me even though my body has begun to complain about inactivity.
“Thanks,” he says as he reaches for me, most likely to hug me, but I dodge him like the plague.
“I love you, Lane, really I do, but right now you’re past the point of attractive and into the field of disgusting. Way too sweaty,” I say with a grimace because I feel like we are definitely at a good enough point in our relationship where I can tell him how disgusting he is. He’s past the sexy, slightly sweaty version and into the disgusting, don’t touch me version.
“You won’t hug me?” he asks, looking offended.
I can tell he’s joking, but I wrinkle my nose as I stare at him. “Absolutely not.”
“Really,” he says, like his feelings are hurt. “Come on. Give me a hug.” He grabs for me so I scamper away.
“No! Go away!” I say. “I’m getting changed.”
“What? You mean you’re actually going to get out of your pajamas?”
“I feel like you’re being very critical when I’ve needed this time to recover,” I say. “I need to recover from all the shootings, the running, and all that other junk I would like to never think about again.”
“You act like we’ve only been here a couple of weeks. You’ve had a lot of time to recover.”
“Lane,” I say warningly.
“I’m sorry. I’m sure you look very sexy in those pajama pants,” he says.
“They’re your mom’s, so thanks,” I say.
“I don’t know how I feel about that,” he says as his eyebrows furrow.
I laugh and head back for his bedroom.
*****
I pull up to a small brick building with a large painting of a dog overlapping the door. It’s neat until someone opens the door, then it looks like the dog has a big gaping hole in its face.
“I’ll run in and get him since whenever Ned gets a hold of you, he won’t shut up,” I say.
“Good plan,” Lane says, so I get out, leaving the car running.
We had decided that instead of getting Lane a different dog, we would use our dog Copper as a service dog. Since Copper had been trained to be a police dog when he was young, he already has a large range of commands and knowledge. So, a man who works with service dogs agreed to do some private training with him. It was also easier to get Copper registered as a service dog than to get on the waiting list for a trained one, so now all we need to do is teach him a few of the commands.
This is Copper’s fourth week working with Ned, and I’m already not really fond of the man. He’s amazing with Copper, but I’m not sure he likes me or maybe we have a difference of opinion. I drop Copper off in the morning and pick him up later in the day at least three times a week, and he works with him throughout the day. I miss my little Copper when he’s gone, and Lane has to remind me that I have to share Copper when he returns.
I push through the door, into the office area and walk inside to where I notice Ned rushing on by. He’s a lanky man who seems to have one speed.
“Hey, Felix!” he says sounding joyful, like he’s forgotten that the last time he saw me, he chewed me out.
“Hey,” I say with a forced smile. I do not forgive as quickly. “Copper good?”
“He’s fantastic. He picks everything up with ease, and you can tell he loves having a job. At home, I still want you guys just to be working on that follow command. He understands it pretty well, but don’t forget that when he follows, you click and reward.”
“Got it. That’s awesome to hear,” I say with a smile.
“I’ll go get Copper,” he says before disappearing through the open door. He returns after a few minutes with the black German shepherd at his side.
Copper’s tail starts going a hundred miles an hour when he sees me, and no matter how much I want to drop to my knees and pet him, I’m not allowed to say anything to him. The first time we came to pick him up, I greeted Copper with love which in Ned’s eyes is a “preposterous” thing to do. He assured me that I would ruin the dog by giving him such joyous affection as soon as I see him, so I keep my eyes on Ned and take the leash without a word to Copper.
I see Copper’s tail begin to slow as he looks up at me in devastation, black ears falling like he thinks I’m upset with him. “Thanks,” I say grudgingly.
“See how much calmer and wellbehaved he is when you greet him properly?” Ned asks.
“Totally,” I lie as I lead Copper to the door. “See you Monday.”
“Have a good night.”
“Thanks, you too,” I say as I lead Copper out to the blue four-door car. I open the back door and send him inside before getting into the driver’s seat. Then I turn to Copper who is already crawling over the middle console onto my lap. “Aw, my sweetie pie. Did you have fun today?” I coo, and his entire body wiggles as his tail whaps Lane mercilessly across the face.
Lane laughs as he pushes Copper’s tail down. “Didn’t he tell you to stop babying that dog?”
“Yeah, well…he clearly doesn’t understand love,” I say as I glance up at the building and see Ned standing in the doorway, watching my deplorable display of affection.
“Shit, shit, Ned’s watching us, Copper, get back,” I say as I shove him in the back. “Play it cool.” I wave to Ned who is staring at me with clear disapproval on his face. “I think he’s pretending like he doesn’t see me.”
“Now I’m going to have to hear all about it when I see him again,” Lane says.
“Oh well,” I say as I put the car in drive and gladly pull out of the parking lot. Even when it’s long behind me, I can still feel Ned’s stare and judgment.
I glance down at the GPS as I turn out onto Main Street. “You sure we can’t live with your mother forever?”
“I lived with her for twenty years, it was enough,” he says. “We need to get a house.”
“We do?” I ask skeptically. “Last I checked, I definitely don’t have enough money to buy a house. Or do you mean you’ll buy it, and I’ll just live in it and mooch off you?”
He nods. “Yeah, that one.”
I grin as I turn where the GPS tells me to. “Yeah…I thought so.”
“You can work it off,” he says.
“Oh, you mean like sexy time,” I say with a grin.
“No, like by cleaning and taking care of the lawn and stuff.”
“What else would I have meant by sexy time?” I ask. “You should see the way I tug on that push mower.”
He looks slightly concerned when I glance at him. “Hmm…is that supposed to be sexy? Sometimes I really can’t tell with you.”
“Good, I like you on your toes,” I say.
“Your destination is on the right…”
“Here we are,” I say as I pull into the driveway of a gorgeous one-story home. “Ooh…I like it.”
“Why? Is it just like a little hole in the ground with a tiny round door?” he asks.
I slam the car in park as I look over at him. “Ha ha. It’s not a hobbit house,” I say.
He grins. “Well, I just thought that’s where you’d be most comfortable.”
“Again, I am not the size of a hobbit.”
I notice the realtor get out of her car and wave to us, so I smile and wave back.
“Come on,” I say as I get out.
I walk around to Lane’s side of the car as he gets out. Opening the back door of the car, I call Copper out before reaching in for his leather harness which I press into Lane’s hands. We’ve only started working with the harness, so Lane’s still a little uncertain of it. He feels it over to make sure he has it facing the right way before holding it out and, without prompt, Copper pops his head through the harness. Since Lane is still trying to juggle the harness, the dog, and the leash, he fumbles for the clicker Ned gave us. When clicked, the noise signals positive reinforcement so the dog knows that he did the correct thing, and then he gets a treat.
I could help, but Copper patiently waits until Lane finds the clicker, hits it, and then gives him a treat.
“This is a mess,” Lane says as he just drops Copper’s leash. “I can never find this stupid clicker. The dog probably thinks it’s getting the click and treat for just standing there.”
Reaching down, I unhook the leash and toss it into the backseat. “What if I find a way to strap it to your belt or something? That way it’s always in the same spot, because I’ve literally seen you stick it in your pants, your coat, the treat bag, and the pouch on the harness.”
“Good idea,” he says as he reaches down to Copper and feels him over before running the strap of the harness between his legs and hooking it. “Is it on right?”
It looks good to me, so I shrug. “Yup, let’s go,” I say as I walk up to the realtor. Today is our third time meeting and the second time she has shown us houses.
“Good afternoon,” the realtor says with a smile. She’s an older lady with gray hair that looks like a ball of cotton on her head. “I really think you guys will like this one. It has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. I think you guys were leaning toward more of an open plan and that is what this is.”
She heads for the front door, and Lane tells Copper to “follow.”’ He doesn’t miss a beat as he starts following the realtor. Whether it’s because he really understands the command or because I’m walking with them and he just wants to follow me, I don’t know. But we rave how smart he is and give him a treat which he swallows without chewing.
The realtor unlocks the door and pushes it open before walking inside. I shut it after us and look around the living room.
“The living room, dining room, and kitchen are all one big room which I think you’ll like, Lane. It gives you plenty of nice open space, and you don’t have to worry about walls or steps.”
I’ve been inside for a total of twenty seconds, and I’m already in love. “Do you think Lane and I could just walk through it?” I say. “Then you can tell us all of the specifications?”
“Of course!” she says. “I’ll step outside and check out the garage. You let me know when you’re ready.”
As soon as she leaves, I reach out for Lane’s free hand. When he feels the nudge of my hand, he holds his out and I slide my fingers between his, gripping them tightly.
“You like it, don’t you?” Lane asks as he squeezes back.
“I love it,” I admit. “As you walk in, it opens right up into the living room. They have their couch pushed back against the wall here with one of those electric fireplaces in the corner. Stone surrounds it, and there’s a wooden mantel above it. To the right of it, they have their TV which I think is really the only good spot for it. Then as you walk in further, it opens up into the dining room. There’s a table here, but to its right is this little alcove with a big bay window and a bench big enough to lie on.”
“Oh yeah, that’d be a nice spot for reading.”
“Oh…yeah…that’s what I was planning on doing there,” I say and Lane snorts.
“Oh? Have a better idea?” he asks as he waggles his eyebrows.
“Yeah, like stuff my face with your mom’s cookies.”
“Yeah…that’s definitely not where I thought you were going with it. Just really put a damper on my idea when you started with ‘stuff my face with your mom.’”
I laugh. “Gross. So…back with the tour now that I feel nauseous…here’s the kitchen. The counters are all along this wall, but there’s a bar here with stools.”
I turn to the hallway and head down it. “First room on the left is the bathroom. Pretty simple really, sink and toilet on the left and the bathtub on the right.” We leave the bathroom, and I take him into the first room which they’re using as a kid’s bedroom. “Bedroom, looks like we could use it as an office or something. The walls are a pretty nice black too.”
“Oh? Kind of like your heart?”
“That must be why I feel at home in here.” I head into the master bedroom and look around the roomy space. “It’s huge. You could fit like…five of my bedrooms as a kid in here!”
“That’s because you lived in a little hobbit hole.”
“Funny.”
He grins. “Then the second bathroom is off this room?”
“Yeah, it’s right over here,” I say as I lead him into the bathroom. “There’s a whirlpool tub.”
“Ooh.”
“And it’s big enough for like three men,” I say.
“Three?” he asks skeptically. “Why would we need three?”
“What? Who said that?”
He laughs. “I’m not worried.”
“So, what do you think?” I ask eagerly.
“If you like it, then I know I will,” he says.
I don’t know why those words make me so happy, but I can’t help but grin. “You’re so sweet.”
“No, I just want your first experience outside a hobbit hole to be a good one.”
“Oh…Oh ho…well, I’m leaving. I’m going to go tell your mom you got lost, and we’ll probably never find you again and that she might as well adopt me to take your place,” I say, and he grins as he reaches out to me.
He wraps me in his muscular arms and pulls me up against him. “You’d miss me,” he says.
“Just your muscles…them I would miss,” I say as I run my finger down one. “Sure wouldn’t be your horrid personality.”
He kisses my forehead as he squeezes me tighter. “So? You like this one the best?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s talk to her and put an offer in on it, alright?”
“Sounds good. I offer five dollars, you offer the rest?” I suggest as I look up at him.
He looks surprised. “Five? That’s a whole lot more than I thought you’d offer.”
“Oh, it was the five dollars I took from your wallet, so that’s why.”
“Of course it was.”
“I’ve been slowly replacing the money in your wallet with Monopoly money and pretty much everyone just feels bad for you, so they let you get away with it.”
“The thing is…I’m not sure that’s even a joke. You’ve been folding my money up like origami, and it’s confusing as hell.”
“It’s not origami! It’s like…blind people tricks,” I say.
“One day you’re like, the one dollar bill is the long one then the next, the ten is the long one,” he says.
“Your long one is a ten,” I say with a grin.
“I walked right into that,” he realizes before laughing. “Go get the realtor.”
“Going, going,” I say as I pull away from him. “If I don’t come back, see if this family will adopt you…I’ll take really good care of your mother!”
Leaving Lane behind, I step outside and see the realtor messing with something in the backseat of her car. I take the concrete path out to the sidewalk, and as I step onto it, someone slams into me. I must not have seen him because I’d been focused on the realtor, but the force sends me stumbling back.
“Be careful,” he says, just above a whisper as he steps past.
“Sorry about that,” I say as I look back at the guy. His back is to me, and his hood is up as he waves his hand through the air before continuing on.
For a moment I just watch him, but I don’t know why. I’m so paranoid after the shit with Red. Like someone’s going to grab me and drag me back into an alleyway to threaten me again. I need to get the stuff that happened with Red out of my mind and move on with my life. Hopefully, this house is the fresh start I need so I can stop being suspicious of everything.
“How did you like the house?” the realtor shouts as she realizes I’m outside.
I look away from the man and smile at her. “Definitely our favorite so far.”
