How (Not) to Fall in Love(62)

He grinned at me. “Honestly, I don’t know what it smells like. You know Pinky, the owner? He called Charlie when he saw one of the signs.”

“What signs?”

Lucas looked embarrassed. “I put up a few signs around the neighborhood.”

I hesitated, surprised. “You mean like, ‘apartment wanted for two weird chicks and their spastic dog’? Something like that?”

Lucas shot me a grin. “Just like that. With a photo of two zombie chicks.”

“Excellent.” I forced a lightness in my voice, but inside I was a quivering mess of churning emotions. His Royal Hotness had put up signs? For me?

We parked in front of the panini restaurant, just a few blocks down from Charlie’s.

Pinky must have been watching for us because he met us on the sidewalk, wiping his hands on his apron. He shook Lucas’s hand, then reached for mine. His grip felt like a bear’s.

“You tell me what you think, honey. If you like it, you bring your mama back to see it.”

He unlocked a door I’d never noticed, tucked into the brick wall next to the restaurant. At the top of a flight of stairs, we entered a bright apartment flooded with sunlight. A large window looked down onto Broadway. I wondered if the sound of traffic would bug my mom. The bedrooms were small. There was one bathroom with a tiny sink. I tried to imagine Mom and me sharing a sink and a shower. The kitchen was small, but there was a newer gas stove and a tiny dishwasher. A window ringed by white curtains let in cracks of sunlight. I looked out to the alley below. It was hardly the view we had now, looking out at our pool and gardens.

“It’s nice,” I said, trying to sound enthusiastic. “Very clean. And bright.”

Pinky nodded eagerly. “And you can have your dog here, too.”

I imagined having to walk Toby downstairs every time he had to do his business. That would get old fast.

“Since you’re Charlie’s niece, I can give you a deal. Five hundred a month. No security deposit.”

That was a killer deal. But the place was so small. And it did smell a little bit like onions.

“This is the first place we’ve looked at,” Lucas said. “So I don’t think Darcy is ready to make a decision yet.”

I smiled at Lucas gratefully. I’d gained some people skills lately, but I didn’t want to hurt Pinky’s feelings.

“Yes, yes, of course. I understand.” Pinky’s head bobbed up and down. “You go look at the other places.” He looked at Lucas. “You have my number? Call me later, okay?”

Lucas nodded.

We trooped back down the stairs, but this time I brought up the rear, not so I could check out Lucas’s butt or anything.

“Next?” I said, after Pinky had gone back inside his restaurant.

“Do you want to walk? It’s only a few blocks away.”

“Yeah, let’s walk.” We fell into step together easily, like we always did.

“So that wasn’t exactly what you were looking for?” Lucas asked.

“It was nice. Really it was. But it’s just…I can’t picture my mom…”

“It would be a big step down. But from what Charlie tells me, your mom will adjust.”

I almost tripped. “What did Charlie say about my mom?” I heard the defensiveness in my voice.

Lucas put his hands up. “Nothing bad. He likes your mom a lot. I guess he knew her pretty well, back when she and your dad were first dating.” It was hard to imagine Charlie and my mom and dad hanging out together, but they must have, once upon a time. “He said she was down-to-earth.” Lucas paused. “Or she used to be, anyway.”

That wasn’t a phrase I associated with my mom.

“She used to be a teacher,” I said. “She and my dad didn’t have anything when they first got married. Dad used to say they lived on love, not money.” He also said he preferred having both money and love, but I didn’t mention that.

Lucas laughed. “That sounds like something from one of those lame books you read.”

“I guess.” I stared straight ahead, feeling heat bloom on my cheeks. “And they’re not lame. Guys just don’t get them.” I felt Lucas’s gaze on me, but he didn’t say anything. I walked faster, forcing him to catch up.

We headed a few blocks east of Broadway, into a neighborhood full of old trees and tiny houses. Some of the houses looked like fairy cottages, with picket fences and gardens. Others weren’t so well-kept, overgrown with weeds and paint peeling from the shingles.

“It’s a mixed neighborhood,” Lucas said, watching me closely. “But most of the people who live around here are pretty cool. Not much crime. Occasional car breakins, but that’s about it.”

“Are you sure? It looks kind of, um, sketchy.”

He inclined his head. “I’m sure. You realize we’re just a few blocks from my place, right?”

“Oh.” I hadn’t realized, since I’d followed him home blindly that night. Where were my witty comebacks when I needed them?

He pointed to a tiny blue house surrounded by towering trees. “We’re looking at that one. It’s seven hundred a month but I thought you might still want to see it.”

He was right. It looked like an illustration from a storybook.